Doktor Glas
Author: Hjalmar Söderberg
Year of publication: 1905
Plot summary: Dr Glas falls in love with mrs Gregorius, who is married to a priest she despises and has a love affair with another man. Glas watches from the sidelines, helping mrs Gregorius in ridding herself of her husband, and reflecting on love and the moonlight.
Sort of depressing, this book left me with a feeling of part contempt and part sympathy for the lonely Dr Glas. Even though I chose this book from a list, I still consider it forced reading, and because of this I suppose I can never make a fair judgement of it, but I will say nonetheless that I don't really recommend it - unless you're a fan of Strindberg and Ibsen and so on. Then I'm sure you'll love it. Myself, I'm not a fan. Go figure if I liked it.
Year of publication: 1905
Plot summary: Dr Glas falls in love with mrs Gregorius, who is married to a priest she despises and has a love affair with another man. Glas watches from the sidelines, helping mrs Gregorius in ridding herself of her husband, and reflecting on love and the moonlight.
Sort of depressing, this book left me with a feeling of part contempt and part sympathy for the lonely Dr Glas. Even though I chose this book from a list, I still consider it forced reading, and because of this I suppose I can never make a fair judgement of it, but I will say nonetheless that I don't really recommend it - unless you're a fan of Strindberg and Ibsen and so on. Then I'm sure you'll love it. Myself, I'm not a fan. Go figure if I liked it.
Processen
Author: Franz Kafka
Year of publication: 1925 (2001)
Plot summary: Josef K. is arrested, but is never told what the accusations are. So begins the long struggle against an anonymous authority which none seem to be able to escape once it has you in its grip.
I've tried reading this before once, but gave it up because I was so bored with it. This time I was more determined to go through with it, and I actually found it more interesting than previously. Still, it isn't exactly a comedy, and what's worse, the whole plot seems sort of pointless once you know the ending. On the other hand, my teacher revealed the ending before I read it, so perhap it had been less disappointing if I hadn't known beforehand what would happen. I've only read one other of Kafka's works, "I straffkolonien", and that impressed me more. I thought the cynism and critique would be more obvious than it was.
Year of publication: 1925 (2001)
Plot summary: Josef K. is arrested, but is never told what the accusations are. So begins the long struggle against an anonymous authority which none seem to be able to escape once it has you in its grip.
I've tried reading this before once, but gave it up because I was so bored with it. This time I was more determined to go through with it, and I actually found it more interesting than previously. Still, it isn't exactly a comedy, and what's worse, the whole plot seems sort of pointless once you know the ending. On the other hand, my teacher revealed the ending before I read it, so perhap it had been less disappointing if I hadn't known beforehand what would happen. I've only read one other of Kafka's works, "I straffkolonien", and that impressed me more. I thought the cynism and critique would be more obvious than it was.
Wolves of the Calla
Author: Stephen King
Year of publication: 2002
Plot summary: Roland and his ka-tet have reached the outskirts of the world, but before moving on into the east and towards the Tower, they are posed with a request to help the little town Calla Bryn Sturgis with their problem: a pack of wolves on horseback, taking their children.
The fifth of King's The Dark Tower series, Wolves of the Calla holds as much mystery and riddles as its predecessors. The parallell between Mid-World and our own is intriguing, and throughout the story you have the feeling that not a single incident, word, character or location is random; there's a connection to all of them, a meaning to every letter in a name; if not for the name itself (Calla, Callahan), then because it's nineteen. A con is that you'll have to read the previous books to understand this one fully.
Year of publication: 2002
Plot summary: Roland and his ka-tet have reached the outskirts of the world, but before moving on into the east and towards the Tower, they are posed with a request to help the little town Calla Bryn Sturgis with their problem: a pack of wolves on horseback, taking their children.
The fifth of King's The Dark Tower series, Wolves of the Calla holds as much mystery and riddles as its predecessors. The parallell between Mid-World and our own is intriguing, and throughout the story you have the feeling that not a single incident, word, character or location is random; there's a connection to all of them, a meaning to every letter in a name; if not for the name itself (Calla, Callahan), then because it's nineteen. A con is that you'll have to read the previous books to understand this one fully.
Stranger in a strange place
Author: Robert Heinlein
Year of publication: 1961 (1995)
Plot summary: Valentine Michael Smith is a human raised by Martians on Mars. When a terran space shuttle to Mars brings Mike with them back to Earth, he is put in hospital under care of the government. Nurse Gillian Boardman takes Mike from the hospital when she fears he will become a subject of research. Now begins a long journey for both Mike and Jill, where Mike learns how to be human and Jill and everyone else learns to question the very way they live.
Heinlein philosophises over our society with a sharpness of mind that triggers your own thoughts, without the cynicism of someone who despises our way of life. Michael's innocence and ignorance forces you to formulate and find answers to questions you'd otherwise never even think of asking. He pinpoints many core issues in our mentality and culture, and the author often seems more a psychologist than a writer. An unbiased journey through American culture you definitely want to make.
Year of publication: 1961 (1995)
Plot summary: Valentine Michael Smith is a human raised by Martians on Mars. When a terran space shuttle to Mars brings Mike with them back to Earth, he is put in hospital under care of the government. Nurse Gillian Boardman takes Mike from the hospital when she fears he will become a subject of research. Now begins a long journey for both Mike and Jill, where Mike learns how to be human and Jill and everyone else learns to question the very way they live.
Heinlein philosophises over our society with a sharpness of mind that triggers your own thoughts, without the cynicism of someone who despises our way of life. Michael's innocence and ignorance forces you to formulate and find answers to questions you'd otherwise never even think of asking. He pinpoints many core issues in our mentality and culture, and the author often seems more a psychologist than a writer. An unbiased journey through American culture you definitely want to make.