Blogcritics Category: Books: Classics

Book Review: Sonnets by William Shakespeare (New Edition from Pushkin Press)

Jon Sobel — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:13:54 EDT

This new edition is a good reminder of the still-intimate relationship between literature and physical objects.
When it comes to music and literature, the digital age has reduced the need for physical objects of art, but not their appeal. The surge in demand for new vinyl records demonstrates the persistence of the physical.So does the thriving business of self-publishing. At a time when anyone can blog to his or her heart's content, or can write, lay...

Book Review: The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris

Jessica Schneider — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:19:44 EDT

Analyzing the human as an animal, from the view of a zoologist, rather than the more common means of a psychologist or sociologist.
Every human on the planet should at one time take a look at the human species from a detached point of view: consider them from the mind of some alien species and then question if you think we’re a bit odd, predictable, or whatever descriptive word you want to use. Desmond Morris’ 1967 classic The Naked Ape does just that. No, he is not...

DVD Review: Sense and Sensibility

Daddypundit — Fri, 9 May 2008 21:04:17 EDT

This adaptation will hopefully encourage others to read the book who might not have done so before.
Jane Austen continues to be popular nearly 200 years after her passing in large part because of the wonderful characters she created. Her six novels have served as the basis for numerous television and film adaptations and each has its own legion of devoted fans. In fact, if you wanted to start an argument among Austen fans all you would have to do...

Book Review: Binu And The Great Wall by Su Tong

Richard Marcus — Tue, 6 May 2008 08:58:31 EDT

A beautiful and magical story cut with the sharp taste of reality; a perfect myth.
There have been many great construction projects through out the history of humanity. While the reasons behind their construction have ranged from vanity, the pharaohs' construction of pyramids to honour their own memory; devotion to God, the great cathedrals raised during the middle ages; to defensive fortifications, the Great Wall of China;...

Comic Book Review: Graphic Classics Free Comic Book Day Sampler

Bill Sherman — Mon, 5 May 2008 03:48:53 EDT

A solid sampling of graphic literary adaptations gets released for Free Comic Book Day.
Because I currently live some two hours from the nearest comic book store in Tucson, this year's Free Comic Book Day proved a pretty spare occasion for me. The only title I was privy to was a sampler sent by Tom Pomplun, editor and publisher of the Graphic Classics series. A 64-page set of black-and-white graphic adaptations, the floppy...

The Great Book Adventure: Walden - Part Three

Chris Bancells — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:14:52 EDT

The 21st century could use more Thoreau.
When it comes right down to it, Walden is about simplicity. I know, profound insight, right? But what I've realized about Thoreau's simplicity is that it must be sought as much in the material world as in ourselves. It seems to me that finding that intersection could be the difference between happiness and misery for many modern readers.As much...

The Great Book Adventure: Walden - Part Two

Chris Bancells — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:12:47 EDT

"Simplify! Simplify!" Is more complex than you think.
I was walking through a Barnes & Noble the other day and saw a table with the sign 'Green Reads'. Curious, I stopped to look over the titles. There were some books about making your home more green, gardening, something with Al Gore's name on it, and, oddly, Walden. I was surprised, maybe even a little shocked. Having just blown by...

Nintendo Wii Review: Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None

Tall Writer — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:11:34 EDT

This Adventure Company game features engaging puzzles, high level challenges and, surprise, adventure, just don�t try to complete it in one day.
Mystery and adventure await you in this challenging book/game adaptation of the extremely popular Agatha Christie book series. The plot, closely following the original sources with a few twists, presents a top-ten countdown of murder when an unsuspecting party experiences some startling events on Shipwreck Island, set in England. You play this...

The Great Book Adventure: Walden - Part One

Chris Bancells — Tue, 8 Apr 2008 21:36:09 EDT

Thoreau calls us to simplify and it's one we should heed, now more than ever.
Within the first couple of pages of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the narrator comes off as a little rambling and a bit self serving. Nevertheless, it is precisely these aspects of his personality which bring him to the solitary shores of Walden Pond and, ultimately, to write a book relevant beyond his time.The premise centers around...

The Great Book Adventure: Peter Pan - Part Two

Chris Bancells — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:05:55 EDT

Between Captain Hook and Peter Pan is Wendy and a word of caution.
"Hook or me this time."With Part One having prepared us for the dark side of Neverland, Peter's oath ends chapter 13 and sets up the controlling dichotomy for the last third of the book. It's more than just the two characters, though, more than just Hook vs. Pan. It's a too serious adulthood against a too forgetful childhood....