During my CORE Conversations class this semester, we read “Whatever” by Michel Houellebecq. Originally published in French, the book’s original title, “Extension du Domaine de la Lutte,” translates...
In my freshman year of high school, I read “The Assistant” by Bernard Malamud in my English class. What I remember most about this book was not the symbolism or rhetorical devices the author used,...
Whether a part of assigned reading in high school or happened upon by avid readers, J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” is a well-known and highly regarded classic. First published in 1952,...
*Editorial content warning: this piece contains brief mentions of physical violence.
As an English major, I pretty much never know when to shut up, whether that’s about movies, television, music or...
Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” is a gripping, twisted psychological fiction novel about a murder at Hampden College and a sordid group of friends who commit and attempt to cover up the crime....
Molly O'Brien, Contributing Writer
• February 9, 2024
During my senior year of high school, I decided to take a contemporary literature class. The course was pretty straightforward — all we had to do was read a certain amount of books and complete a project...
As finals week approaches, my days begin to feel like a loop: class, work, phone break and repeat. I find myself feeling more stressed and taking less time for myself. To remedy this cycle, I make myself...
For those of us that have inadvertently fallen out of our reading grooves, it is oftentimes a witty, quick read that ends up pulling us out. I’m sure that many book column readers understand this feeling...
Exhausted with an unbridled determination, or perhaps vulgar pride, Amory, the main character of "This Side of Paradise," ends the novel slouching unimpeded towards Princeton University. I first incurred...
You know that one book that adorns your bookshelf? The one whose pages you revisit to experience the highlighted quotes and dog-eared pages once more. I, quite honestly, have never been so awestruck in...
Set against the backdrop of a quaint French community reeling from the ruins imposed by the onset of 1949 Nazi Germany, "The Nightingale" examines themes of femininity, desperation, honor and betrayal....
To many Americans, the Western aesthetic is a centerpiece of nostalgia. Despite the genre’s diminished popularity (I couldn’t tell you the last time I watched a true Western movie), mental images of...
