Published: 1942 (Gallimard) Albert Camus’ novella, The Stranger, follows a man who murdered another for no reason other than the sun. Set in the French colony of Algiers, a French colonist named Meursault attends his mother’s funeral. Not particularly sad or fond of his late mother, Meursault sleepwalks through the funeral arrangements and complains aboutContinue reading “The Stranger-Albert Camus”
Author Archives: wblake2
Chronicle of a Death Foretold-Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Published: 1981 (La Oveja Negra) Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novella, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, draws the reader into the recollections and imagination of a town still reeling from a brutal murder. Marquez’s unnamed narrator goes back to the town, 23 years after the murder of Santiago Nasar, to put the pieces together of that fatefulContinue reading “Chronicle of a Death Foretold-Gabriel Garcia Marquez”
Snow Country-Yasunari Kawabata
Published: 1948 (Serialized in 1930’s and 1940’s by Bungeishunjuu and Kaizo among others, translated into English by Edward Seidensticker in 1956) Yasunari Kawabata’s novel, Snow Country, is a beautiful and sobering novel that transports the reader to a place near and dear to my heart, Niigata Prefecture. In Part One of the novel, Shimamura, aContinue reading “Snow Country-Yasunari Kawabata”
Life for Sale-Yukio Mishima
Published: 1968 (Shueisha) Yukio Mishima’s novel, Life for Sale, is a rollicking surrealist novel that follows a young salaryman, Hanio, who fails to commit suicide and then turns to an ad in the paper to do the trick. Hanio, nihilistic and without family, decides that he will sell his life to anyone by any meansContinue reading “Life for Sale-Yukio Mishima”
The Last Tycoon-F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published: 1941 (Charles Scribner’s Sons) F. Scott Fitzgerald’s unfinished novel, The Last Tycoon, transports you back to 1930’s Hollywood where an iconic producer, Monroe Stahr, holds onto his last shred of power and intrigue. The novel starts by introducing our Great Gatsbyian narrator Cecilia Brady, the daughter of Stahr’s co-producer and rival Pat Brady, asContinue reading “The Last Tycoon-F. Scott Fitzgerald”
Pokemon 242: Some Like It Hot
Pokemon Company Airdate: March 14, 2002 Summary: Our heroes are on the road to Blackthorn as they walk through a mountainous volcano, Team Rocket is chilling in the hot springs as they spot the twerps. Our heroes spot Magcargo as Team Rocket is blasted off. A huge Magcargo is blocking the way of our heroesContinue reading “Pokemon 242: Some Like It Hot”
Pokemon 241: Whichever Way the Wind Blows
Pokemon Company Airdate: March 7, 2002 Summary: Our heroes are on their way to Blackthorn City when they stumble upon some hurt Oddish. Brock offers them some Pokemon food, they lead our heroes to a huge tree in the middle of a field. They observe Vileplume and Bellossom competing in a Royal Rumble which BayleefContinue reading “Pokemon 241: Whichever Way the Wind Blows”
Pokemon 240: Nice Pryce, Baby!
Pokemon Company Airdate: February 28, 2002 Summary: Ash gets his shot at Pryce, and the viewer gets a look back at the last episode, so helpful. Ash and our heroes talk about his strategy against Pryce, which starts with Cyndaquil and then… who knows. Sheila and Pryce are talking as he brushes Piloswine, Pryce feelsContinue reading “Pokemon 240: Nice Pryce, Baby!”
Pokemon 239: As Cold As Pryce
Pokemon Company Airdate: February 21, 2002 Summary: Ash and friends walk to the Mahogany Gym, but Pryce the leader is out. His wife Sheila tells him that he is training at a waterfall and that she will lead them there rather energetically. They meet Pryce at the waterfall and find out that he is theContinue reading “Pokemon 239: As Cold As Pryce”
Franny and Zooey-J.D. Salinger
Published: 1961 (Little, Brown) What happens when precocious children grow up to be paralyzed by their own history? J.D. Salinger explores the inner-life of pseudo-Bohemian Upper East Siders, Franny and Zooey Glass, as they grapple with the suicide of their older brother and the weight of the education he gave them. Franny is a stubborn,Continue reading “Franny and Zooey-J.D. Salinger”
Will Reviews Things 