ISSUE 13
DIFFICULT BOOKS AND WHY YOU SHOUD READ THEM ANYWAY
Books, particularly novels, have many different purposes. Some may aim to transport us to a different country, world or universe. Others help us to relax at night after a particularly harrowing day or to provide an alternative perspective on life. This ‘aim’ as such, is decided by the author, and they strive to write the novel in a manner that will accomplish their aim. On more than one occasion, I have picked up a novel that tested me, it fought me on every page…
By Xenia Ramirez-Espain
ISSUE 12
TRUMAN CAPOTE’S ‘IN COLD BLOOD’
It is difficult to comprehend that Truman Capote wrote both the light-hearted novel ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and the chilling ‘In Cold Blood’. ‘In Cold Blood’ is neither fiction nor a novel, but rather falls into the oxymoronic genre of a ‘non-fiction novel’…
By Alex Morgan
ISSUE 11
LADY LILITH: FEMALE VANITY/ MALE GAZE
Throughout art history, male artists have depicted their flawlessly beautiful female subjects as vain and self-obsessed, often gazing into mirrors, utterly captivated by their own reflection. The portrayal seems ridiculously convenient, as it opens the…
By Jui Zaveri
The name Racine today seems to be forgotten, merely a memento to the bygone days of early European theatre and drama. He remains undervalued by people across our nations, who seem to be unaware of the profound artistic achievements and…
By Nora VanDer
issue 9
"Nick Carraway is gay and in love with Gatsby." Most readers familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ will have come across this claim, whether it is in the form of a humorous comment on the Internet or an interesting theory of the classroom. Some may then find themselves scratching their heads and wondering…
By Holly Chen
issue 8
The Cockney phrase "queer as a clockwork orange" may resonate with those familiar with Anthony Burgess' dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange. Burgess based his novel's title on the East London slang, merging the organic sweetness…
By Holly Chen
WORLD BOOK DAY 2019: SHARE A STORY
As some of you may know, on the 7th of March it was World Book Day. This is an annual day that is celebrated across the globe to celebrate the art of story-telling, literature and reading. This year’s theme was ‘share a story’, so, I thought I’d do just that!…
By Annika Mehta
ISSUE 7
This year marks the centenary of one of the most celebrated authors of 20th-century literature- J D Salinger. For those who know his work, the name will either make you grin fondly or sniff derisively…
By Annika Mehta
issue 5
IS FEMINISM STILL A RELEVANT NARRATIVE IN 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE?
The 19th and 20th centuries were two of the most important periods of British and international history with respect to female empowerment and equality. However, writing about feminism and women’s perspectives of life was…
By Annika Mehta
ISSUE 2
THE PRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN LITERATURE
‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'
By Emilia Isaacs and Ryan Ratnam
ISSUE 1
You may not have heard of Sir Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’, but the term itself you would have more likely heard. The etymology of the word gives it a meaning of a ‘non-existent society described in considerable detail’. The word literally means ‘No place’, an obscured joke made by the author himself.
Ryan Ratnam