Murakami’s “1Q84” has a magical passage about the power of literature.
Tag Archives: Charles Dickens
Indecipherable Texts of a Magic Spell
Remember the Real Meaning of Christmas
Jim McPherson’s “Christmas Humbug” reminds us what the Advent season should really be about.
Trump Finds Covid Victims a Nuisance
Trump focusing on his own misery while ignoring the millions suffering from Covid is comparable to the French marquis in “Tale of Two Cities.”
Biden-Trump Invites Dickens Comparisons
If one thinks of the 2020 election in Dickensian terms, several novels come to mind.
The Lit That Inspired Van Gogh
Writers like Stowe, Dickens, Hugo and Maupassant played a pivotal role in the evolution of Van Gogh as an artist.
Illness in 19th Century Lit
19th century literature is filled with images of illness. Reading it should make us grateful to the advances in medical science.
Lit that Championed Chimney Sweeps
Watching modern chimney sweeps at work, I’m relieved that we’ve left behind the days of William Blake and Charles Dickens.
Lit and Life: My Intellectual Trajectory
I’ve long held that great literature impacts history harder than lesser literature. I trace the evolution of my ideas in today’s post.

