Jude the obscure sparknotes6/10/2023 ![]() It soon emerges, however, that Stephen has been hiding an important secret from the Swancourts something that could put his relationship with Elfride in jeopardy. At first, the vicar approves of Stephen and encourages his daughter to spend time with him. One of these, Stephen Smith, is a young architect whom she meets when he is sent by his employer to survey the church buildings. Although this is not generally noted as being one of his better novels and is certainly one of his least well known, there was something about it that appealed to me – and I would even say that of all the classics I’ve read so far this year, this might be my favourite.Ī Pair of Blue Eyes is the story of Elfride Swancourt, a vicar’s daughter living in a remote corner of England, who is forced to choose between two very different men. A Pair of Blue Eyes was one of his earliest books, originally serialised in Tinsley’s Magazine from September 1872 to July 1873. ![]() I’m loving Thomas Hardy more and more with every book of his that I read. A misty and shady blue, that had no beginning or surface, and was looked into rather than at. These eyes were blue blue as autumn distance – blue as the blue we see between the retreating mouldings of hills and woody slopes on a sunny September morning. ![]()
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The 158 pound marriage6/9/2023 ![]() ![]() Of course, such things as spouse swapping are bound to fall apart, and the reader experiences the full implosion as both couples must deal with their "break-up" and the new dynamic it introduces both into their own marriages and with each other as "friends." In fact, he dedicates a chapter to each character in the beginning of the book, establishing background, and he literally divides them by weight class. ![]() One of the characters is a wrestling aficionado (not an uncommon occurrence in Irving's writing) and thus you get the title and all sorts of easily accessible wrestling lingo. It becomes a normal occurrence for them, and they even go so far as to vacation together. Though neither couple seemingly would have considered such a thing before, they begin to swap partners without secrecy. The book is about two married couples who meet well after they've each established a family and mode of life. This is the second book I've read by Irving, and I have to admit he's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. A Master of Craft, Plot, and Characterization ![]() Strange Weather by Joe Hill6/9/2023 ![]() ![]() Under the hot glare of the spotlights, though, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. ![]() ![]() In 'Loaded' a mall security guard heroically stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun movement. apparently harmless puzzles that turn out to have lethal answers. Amidst the chaos, a girl studying law enforcement takes it upon herself to resolve a series of almost trivial mysteries. 'Rain' explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as clouds of nails spread out across the country and the world. One autumnal day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails, splinters of bright crystal that tear apart anyone who isn't safely under cover. Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo Four short novels from the author of THE FIREMAN and HORNS, ranging from creepy horror to powerful explorations of our modern society. ![]() Masterton tengu6/9/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The first-person narrative ensures a fast read. Erskine is an eccentric character who adds much to an otherwise sleight tale. Typical early Masterton - slim, fast-moving, occasionally horrific and often fun. Harry Erskine, rogue psychic (who also appears in the Manitou books) investigates. THE DJINNĪn Arabian spirit (The Djinn of the title), trapped inside an ancient jar, is released from its prison - with predictably disastrous results. Despite the fact that this is Masterton's first novel it's still a surprisingly shocking tale. The book features the first appearance of the rogue psychic, Harry Erskine, who, with the help of medicine man, Singing Rock enters into battle against the shaman, Misquamacus.įast-paced and brimming with Indian legends. A harrowing story of the reincarnation of a red Indian Medicine Man in modern day New York. ![]() Spinney pale rider6/9/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It was partly responsible, Spinney argues, for pushing India to independence, South Africa to apartheid and Switzerland to the brink of civil war. As socially significant as both world wars, the Spanish flu dramatically disrupted-and often permanently altered-global politics, race relations and family structures, while spurring innovation in medicine, religion and the arts. In this gripping narrative history, Laura Spinney traces the overlooked pandemic to reveal how the virus travelled across the globe, exposing mankind's vulnerability and putting our ingenuity to the test. But despite a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people, it exists in our memory as an afterthought to World War I. It infected a third of the people on Earth-from the poorest immigrants of New York City to the king of Spain, Franz Kafka, Mahatma Gandhi and Woodrow Wilson. The Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was one of the greatest human disasters of all time. ![]() In 1918, the Italian-Americans of New York, the Yupik of Alaska and the Persians of Mashed had almost nothing in common except for a virus-one that triggered the worst pandemic of modern times and had a decisive effect on the history of the twentieth century. ![]() ![]() ![]() Sir Nicholas slowly teaches Danny to read and to write. Meanwhile, outside the prison, Beth is pregnant with Danny's daughter. Sentenced to 22 years in Belmarsh prison, the highest security jail in South-east London, United Kingdom, he encounters his two cellmates, Albert Crann, known as "Big Al," and Sir Nicholas Moncrieff. Danny is blamed for his murder in a well-orchestrated plot by Spencer (a barrister) and his friends: a popular actor, an aristocrat, and a young estate agent. ![]() Danny, Beth and Bernie attempt to leave the pub without getting involved in a fracas, but Spencer Craig, one of the four that confronted them, follows them out of the pub along with his friends.Ī fight breaks out Bernie is stabbed and dies. In the pub, they are accosted by four people. Plot summary Īfter proposing to his childhood sweetheart Beth Wilson, Danny Cartwright takes her and her brother Bernie to celebrate at a nearby pub. The novel saw Archer return to the first place in the fiction best-seller list for the first time in a decade. This book is a contemporary retelling of Dumas's 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo. ![]() ![]() A Prisoner of Birth is a mystery novel by English author Jeffrey Archer, first published on 6 March 2008 by Macmillan. ![]() The matched trilogy6/8/2023 ![]() In this young adult novel set in a dystopian future, citizens are matched with their “ideal” partners based on DNA and statistics. Condie herself “didn’t feel like was being prophetic” in writing “Matched” - she felt she was “just observing” - but it’s impossible not to see how Hale’s statement holds true. Hale expressed how stunned she was by how on point the book seemed to be in addressing many issues that affect us now. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of “ Matched ,” Condie was joined by New York Times bestselling author and friend Shannon Hale through Porter Square Books to discuss the implications of Condie’s bestseller and the life it has lived since its publication. When it first hit the presses, Condie and others had a feeling that it would be successful, but no one could have predicted the prophetic nature of this particular piece of dystopian fiction. ![]() ![]() It has been a decade since “ Matched ” (2010), a celebrated young adult novel written by Ally Condie, was published. ![]() Magic bullets by nick savoy6/8/2023 ![]() ![]() In turn, pickup artists have come to objectify desirable masculinity as a secret, embodied knowledge, which distills a biopolitical sense of seduction as a life-enhancing value that can be cultivated. What does the transformation of a marginalized and esoteric society into a commercial industry that enrolls millions of men show us about the crafting of men’s sexual identities and the objectification of seduction as a skill set? This essay is about the pragmatics of pickup artists and their followers, from subculture to mainstream discourse, featuring cut-throat competition for followers and financial accumulation within these communities. These men are assembled and trained by a “pickup artist” (PUA), and they deploy ritual ways of socializing to overcome inhibitions, optimize the practice of seduction, and transform their personal identity-from AFC (“average frustrated chump,” in their parlance) to “PUA.” Along with digital means for meeting strangers, these communities have emerged over the past 10 years from a subculture to become a globalized commercial industry that transforms masculinity into a program for seductive embodiment. ![]() ![]() ![]() In nearly every major city of North America there exists a “seduction lair”: an association of men who train each-other in embodying seductive masculinity to pick-up women. ![]() Hadrian's Wall by William Dietrich6/8/2023 ![]() Is he submitting to duty? Or plotting revenge? And what is the mysterious past of the handsome barbarian chieftain Arden Caratacus, who springs from ambush and who seems to know so much of hated Rome?Īs sharp as the edge of a spatha sword and as piercing as a Celtic arrow, Hadrian's Wall evokes a lost world of Roman ideals and barbaric romanticism. Yet Galba insists on escorting the bride–to–be on her journey to the Wall. ![]() Valeria's new husband, Marcus, has supplanted the brutally efficient veteran soldier Galba as commander of the famed Petriana cavalry. But when Valeria, a senator's daughter, is sent to the Wall for an arranged marriage to an aristocratic officer in 367 AD, her journey unleashes jealousy, passion and epic war. ![]() A fusion of Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire and the movie Braveheart a novel of ancient warfare, lethal politics, and the final great clash of Roman and Celtic culture.įor three centuries, the stone barrier we know as Hadrian's Wall shielded Roman Britain from the unconquered barbarians of the island's northern highlands. Hadrian’s Wall, continuous Roman defensive barrier that guarded the northwestern frontier of the province of Britain from barbarian invaders. ![]() ![]() ![]() Happy, and of course, Little Miss Sunshine. Nearly 100 lovable characters were featured in the popular books, including Little Miss Chatterbox, Mr. Men and Little Miss children’s books written by Roger Hargreaves in the 1970s. ICYDK, the trend is based on the spirited and smiley characters from the Mr. The meme format itself might be new, but the Little Miss characters have actually been around for decades. The trend creator might be on to something because the versatility of Little Miss makes it seem like there’s no end in sight. “It works because you can put any caption!” Instagrammer tells Elite Daily. I spoke to two Little Miss creators, and their tips will help you perfect your meme. If you want to join in on the fun, though, you’re probably wondering how to make the Little Miss memes, where to get your ideas, and more, so you can start you very own Little Miss collection. The new trend, which takes the adorable cartoons from the Little Miss series and assigns them a new name based on a ~unique~ characteristic, has seriously taken off since the format went viral earlier this year. If you’ve been on Instagram or Twitter recently, you’ve seen your fair share of Little Miss memes making the rounds. ![]() |