In his own words
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The Scarlet Letter
Review: A great testament about the poison that is religion. Superbly paced, characters are among the best developed in so short a space. It makes one angry, and sad, and passionate, all sorts of emotions. Makes me want to punch a priest in the throat. Superb job Mr. Hawthorne! Overall rating: How I discovered or…
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Crime and Punishment
Review: Surprisingly, a page turner. Basically a murder mystery where we know who did it from the start. A thoroughly unlikeable protagonist. You feel constantly like you need a shower while reading it. A classic, classic. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out author’s…
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Analects
Review: Fortune cookie aphorisms. Very good if you live in dynastic China and are a sage or otherwise employed in wandering through forests, philosophizing. More classist than classic. Nice to cross it off the LRP though! Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out author’s…
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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Review: It’s a very unsettling sort of book. The author was a queer customer, and I could not get past the sense of unease reading this, knowing his weird fascination/obsession with little girls. Coming on the heels of Thoreau did not help things. Creepy. But well written and important in the LRP. Overall rating: How…
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Walden
Review: Hypocritical preachy contradictory twaddle from a 44 year old virgin. Everyone should live by a pond (and go to Momma’s house daily) and spend too much idle time looking at sand and ice. Like Communism is great, as long as I get to keep my own stuff. Still, got it done, got my reps…
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The Age of Innocence
Review: My first glimpse into the New York Gilded Age. Not like Europe, not like Russia, but distinct society. A little tribe who did not want outsiders in the tribe. Beautiful imagery and really, nothing much happens. Will read her other work. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while…
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Discourse on the Method
Review: Hard routine. But well worth doing. Very good sense philosophy, but still deep, dense and difficult. You can’t skim through it. Took 3 days its only 62 pages. But do it. Get your reps in. Cross it off. Move forward. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading…
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Faust (Part 1)
Review: Hard routine. But well worth doing. Very good sense philosophy, but still deep, dense and difficult. You can’t skim through it. Took 3 days its only 62 pages. But do it. Get your reps in. Cross it off. Move forward. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading…
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Communist Manifesto
Review: The one that started it all. Changed minds, changed history. Marx seems like a really unpleasant individual, and apparently this is true. But it’s well written, almost unbelievably passionate, and the original. Not literature, but very well written and worth reading. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while…
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The Ambassadors
Review: A great writer, but a boring, stilted hidebound slog of a read. Glad I read it, but glad it’s over. Manners, decorum, overthinking, and never getting anywhere worth going. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Random number generator for the Lifetime Reading Plan (RNG4LRP) Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Did…