Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, the totalitarian and theocratic rule that has replaced the government of the United States. Women can no longer have jobs, own money, read or write, or do much of anything anymore, other than what they've been assigned. Handmaids are assigned to . . .
Tag: classics
The Turn of the Screw | book review
Two children, Flora and Miles, reside at Bly Manor, and are in need of a new governess after the last one passed away. The new governess, our unnamed narrator, soon becomes unnerved at Bly, as she is convinced the two young children are being haunted. She begins to see the ghosts of two former employees: the former governess, and a . . .
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | book review
It's 1866, and the world is convinced that a monster terrorizes the seas. Professor Pierre Aronnax is not entirely sure this is the case, but accepts an invitation aboard the Abraham Lincoln to track down this sea creature out of curiosity. As a professor of natural history and an expert on the subject of marine life, he felt it his duty. But when the . . ,
The Haunting of Hill House | book review
For over 20 years, Hill House has been uninhabited---by humans, that is. The house is widely known as being uninviting, and Dr. Montague, being the scholar that he is, is determined to find evidence of a haunting. Along with Luke, the future heir of Hill House, Dr. Montague invites two women to stay in the house and . . .
The Catcher in the Rye | book review
It's no surprise when Holden Caulfield flunks out of yet another school. Instead of going straight home to inform his parents, Holden spends a few whirlwind days around New York City calling up old friends, drinking in bars (illegally, of course), and crashing in sleazy places. Rather than face his parents, he chooses loneliness and misery, and . . .
We Have Always Lived in the Castle | book review
The Blackwoods have lived in the house upon the hill for generations. There used to be more Blackwoods, but now there's only three: Mary Katherine (who goes by Merricat), her sister Constance, and their Uncle Julian. The other Blackwoods were killed years ago by poison, a crime Constance was accused of and then acquitted. But the people in the . . .
Animal Farm | book review
Mr. Jones runs---in the loosest sense---Manor Farm. Too bad he's a drunk who mistreats his animals. One night, Jones gets so drunk he forgets to feed the animals that day, and is so hungover the next he neglects them again. This is the final straw. The animals start an uprising and overthrow Jones, running him off his . . .
The Great Gatsby | book review
In his late twenties, Nick Carroway moves to West Egg in New York and winds up neighbors with Jay Gatsby. When Gatsby discovers Nick is the cousin of Daisy Buchanan, Nick's boring summer quickly turns into a wild, dramatic ordeal of which Nick becomes stuck in the middle. Though the narrator, Nick isn’t ...
GUEST POST: 1984 | book review
Winston Smith is a member of the Outer Party—the Party being the governing body of the fictional super state of Oceania. Under the supposed leadership of Big Brother, the Party monitors all inner and outer party members at all times. In this world, the party members have no will but to perpetuate the greatness of Big . . .
Lord of the Flies | book review
During an emergency evacuation, a plane crashes onto a deserted island. Many die and are swept out to sea, but a group of young, British boys have somehow survived the accident and are now stranded, alone, without grownups. The group quickly elects a chief: an elder boy named Ralph. Another boy, Jack, becomes the leader of . . .