Though Father Brown reignited my love for the literary mystery genre, Hercule Poirot fanned that spark into a lasting flame. Agatha Christie’s conceited little Belgian gentleman, constantly finding something to straighten and thus defy the Second Law of Thermodynamics, always manages to win my heart more thoroughly in every book that I read.
Category: Literary Wisdom
Literary Wisdom: The Deerslayer
James Fenimore Cooper's The Deerslayer is the most charming and profound frontier story that passed before my eyes. Though I would not be surprised if the novel is one of the lengthiest and most drawn-out in the genre, Cooper managed also to instill lessons of integrity, deception, and natural beauty into the genre that is usually characterized… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: The Deerslayer
Literary Wisdom: The Scarlet Letter, Part Two
This post is a continuation of the first Scarlet Letter post. If you'd like to read that one first, please click here. Also, please Google a summary of the novel if you have not read it already...I apologize for not explaining the plot beforehand. Thank you! In our last post, we discussed five key quotations from Hawthorne's The… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: The Scarlet Letter, Part Two
Literary Wisdom: The Scarlet Letter, Part One
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is one of the most dreaded books teens are forced to read in high school. It's made up of everything modern society doesn't like—rambling sentences; an excessively drawn-out plot; mystical, enigmatic symbolism; and early modern English dialogue (think Shakespeare, with "thou" and "dost"). On top of that, Hawthorne occasionally has some...interesting "theology." Yet… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: The Scarlet Letter, Part One
My Favorite Hawthorne Short Stories
Hello, everyone— Hawthorne* is one of my all-time favorite American authors. Cultivated in the midst of unbelievable growth in our nation's literature (this era known as the Romantic period), inspired by the Christian heritage of his Puritan ancestors, Nathaniel Hawthorne rose to fame as the author of The Scarlet Letter and as the greatest spokesman against transcendentalism… Continue reading My Favorite Hawthorne Short Stories
Literary Wisdom: Father Brown Mysteries, Part Two
"'What we all dread most,' said the priest in a low voice, 'is a maze with no centre. That is why atheism is only a nightmare.'" ~Father Brown, "The Head of Caesar" Within the vast majority of beliefs and traditions in this world lies a needlessly complicated mess. The core of both modern and old religions exactly… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: Father Brown Mysteries, Part Two
Literary Wisdom: Father Brown Mysteries, Part One
I never thought I'd willingly pick up another mystery book for the rest of my life until I met Father Brown. As a child, I loved mysteries, and would read everything from The Stolen Sapphire to Maureen the Detective to Nancy Drew. When I hit middle and high school, though, I was introduced to Doyle's Holmes and Poe's Dupin, and… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: Father Brown Mysteries, Part One
Literary Wisdom: Henry V, Acts 4 & 5
Thus far in our study of Shakespeare's Henry V, we have covered the first three acts as well as a prayer Henry V gave before the Battle of Agincourt. We have sympathized with the king as his father died; we have seen him execute justice; and we have seen him grow in both his faith and… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: Henry V, Acts 4 & 5
Literary Wisdom: Henry V’s Prayer
Note: You may recall that in the first "Literary Wisdom" post for Henry V, I stressed the Christian side of the king. While Shakespeare certainly portrays him that way, the more I look into history and literary criticism of the play, I find that the line between "Christian" and "unsaved" as regarding King Henry is blurred,… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: Henry V’s Prayer
Literary Wisdom: Henry V, Acts 1, 2, & 3
He was a king who pursued righteousness. He was a man who united England and France during the Hundred Years' War. He was a leader who honored and loved his men as himself. He was Henry V. It is a story of a search for self, of a test of faith. Henry’s father had just… Continue reading Literary Wisdom: Henry V, Acts 1, 2, & 3
