My deep affinity for Russian literature is often hard to explain, or even to understand myself. The Russians will lay bare the worst aspects of fallen humanity, even their “heroes” are shown to be flawed and weak, and yet there are always glimpses of hope and grace and redemption. I’ve been averaging about 75 total books each year for the last few years, and yet it took me five months to read the 700+ pages of Anna Karenina. Currently, I’m…
This past year has involved a lot of transitions in my personal world, and even now I am just a few months away from getting married and starting a whole new chapter in life. It’s been a wonderfully blessed time, but also a bit chaotic, and more than ever I have been appreciative of the grounding nature that books have in my life. Books can provide an escape from day-to-day stress, but they can also help to give perspective and…
It’s been over a solid decade since I read many of the “Classics” of English Literature in college; Homer, Chaucer, Dante, Milton, etc. At the time, it was my first exposure to many of these texts, while I was also simultaneously attempting to juggle many new life experiences, relationships, and responsibilities. I am ashamed of the practice, but willing to admit, that I often didn’t give my best to studying the books I was assigned to read in my classes,…