Well we are about to begin the seventh week of Modern British Novel and Graham Greene's Brighton Rock is next on the agenda. I enjoyed Waugh's novel last week; it was full of humor and yet very dark, I thought. I love that the book made extensive reference to Dickens, since my focus in Bibs and Methods was on David Copperfield. I guess if one had to read Dickens for the rest of his or her days, that this wouldn't be so very bad. Living in the world of Dickens is colorful and interesting and insance all at the same time. Sort of like living in the 1930s with Waugh! lol.
I'll be back next Sunday to talk a bit about Greene. See my webpage on Greene. It isn't my best, but good just the same. http://shamilton90.tripod.com/grahamgreeneprolificandsignificant/index.html
Til next week...
shamilton

I am about to begin reading Evelyn Waugh's A Handful of Dust. Should be an interesting read since I have never explored any work by this author. I am enjoying the modernist novelists, since their writings are an example of protest and provide a vivid picture of post World War I despair and hopelessness. There are only three more weeks in this class; they goe by so very fast--life goes by now so very fast. Scary. I am watching an old Roman Polanski movie entitled The Tenant as I write this post. Polanski is a great director and he stars in this movie too. Well of to post more books to sell. Until next week....

shamilton

I enjoyed Forster's A Passage to India. I am always fascinated by stories that center around class or gender oppression; Forster's tale goes so far as to address issues of empire with regards to the British "invasion" of India and the subsequent subjugation of an entire race of people. It is the story of the ruler and the ruled. Power is, of course, an all-consuming force that takes on a life of its own; historically speaking, anything or anyone that gets in the way of a powerful and wealthy group (such as the Brtish) ends up being oppressed or annihilated. One can't help being fascinated by the historical complexity of the phenomenon. I think I would have been a very good sociologist or historian...but I do love the world of literature. Until next time, have a lucky (and nonstressful) week.

shamilton

Another novel read in British Literature (Mrs. Dalloway). I especially love Virginia Woolf; she has this great sort of face with so much depth and character. I enjoy feminist writers and feminist criticism, and this could be another good reason why I find Woolf to be a fascinating literary personality. I wrote a paper on Helene Cixous over the summer, which turned out to be much more in depth than it needed to be (this was for Rhetoric), but I learned so much more about the French feminist writers--they are always so fanatical and their perspective is illuminating--reminds me of French/European History 1815-1877 where Dr. Plax was always coming into class and talking about some incident or problem at school that sort of bothered him, and then he'd say 'Let's put up a barricade!" just like the French (in the French Revolution, of course). Funny guy, I loved that class.
I am taking 16th Century Literature along with Dr. H's class on British literature, and to be honest I don't enjoy all the flowery, lovelorn, woees-me poetry, such as those poems written by Skelton, Wyatt, etc. I enjoy the cultural/historical elements, but not the poetry. Dr. Lewis would be disappointed in me I am afraid--I won't tell her though.
Well I am not finding time to post any pictures this go around with my blog, and this makes me sad cause I like to look back and see what I was interested in a few semesters ago. Perhaps I'll find the time before this class ends on October 10. ANYWAY, I'll be back next Sunday with another report on another great British novel (1900-1940 that is). bye for now,
shamilton

P.S. Went ahead and posted a mural painting of Woolf. It's a start on a picture gallery.

We just finished Ford's The Good Soldier. For some reason, the book kept reminding me of a Fitgerald novel where the characters go through just so much angst and tragedy and have terrible things happen to them. You know--where the protagonist is still with us at the end of the story, but is living in a sort of hellish existence with everyone he cares about either dead or gone from their lives. A Modern tale, of course, where the characters have sort of given up on society and on ever making any sense out of anything--no faith, no hope, no future.
I liked Ford's novel, although not as much as Joyce's Portrait of the Artist. On to Mrs. Dalloway, and Woolf...

I am constantly thinking about writing this thesis paper. It is driving me a little nuts. I think I finally have a clear idea, however, and my essay seems to be evolving into something that will be both interesting and, as yet, unwritten by other graduate students. Time will tell...
shamilton