We often form unintentional relationships with artists, which can either be liberating or constricting, depending on how one views this one-way companionship. In the case of certain authors – particularly those who have entered the hallowed canon of the medium – the parasocial relationship can usually be somewhat amusing and unsettling, based on the extent…
Tag: books
The Summer Book (2025)
Something that no one tells you before experiencing the death of a loved one is that there aren’t any definitive guidelines on how to mourn. The act of processing a loss takes many different forms, and it’s impossible to pin it down to a single approach. This includes both the immediate aftermath and the lengthy…
Where to Land (2025)
We all search for meaning. Regardless of who we are or where we come from, each one of us is consistently trying to make sense of our existence, whether we choose to verbalise it or not. Yet, despite some riveting works by philosophers, theologians and scientists alike, we are no closer to understanding the miracle…
Orfeo (2025)
One of the hallmarks of a truly extraordinary story is its ability to be adapted countless times, including instances where it is mangled and reconfigured into entirely different contexts while still retaining some degree of resonance to the original work. This is precisely why artists like William Shakespeare and Franz Kafka have remained so incredibly…
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt (1942)
Few authors earned their reputation more than Edgar Allan Poe, and his status as the quintessential master of the macabre, his style being embraced as some of the most important literature ever to be written in Gothic horror and mystery. Pinpointing his most challenging and disturbing work is a challenge, but one of the strongest…
Eleanor the Great (2025)
If you could be anyone for a day, who would you choose to be? No doubt the answer would run the gamut, from historical figures to world-renowned icons, or perhaps a more humble individual would choose something not quite as intense but still nonetheless meaningful. The truth is, we yearn to achieve the impossible, even…
Kontinental ’25 (2025)
By this point, there is no reason to resist proclaiming Radu Jude one of the most essential, radical voices in contemporary cinema. Watching his work is akin to seeing Jean-Luc Godard and his cohorts essentially rewrite the cinematic lexicon, capturing the cultural zeitgeist in a way that has never been done before – and Jude…
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (2025)
Every writer at some point feels the urge to be the one to compose the novel that encapsulates the entirety of their country or culture’s history, believing that they are capable of creating the definitive work, whether they are willing to openly admit it or not. In terms of literature from Southern Africa, there are…
As You Like It (1936)
While it is never mandatory, as every work should be able to stand on its own without necessarily having to be reinvented in different contexts, one of the most objective signs of a truly great playwright is not only if their work stands the test of time, but can be adapted to different eras or…
The Cry of Granuaile (2022)
Why do we look towards the past? Is it to reflect on events that have happened in the hopes of learning from them, or simply because its generally a more pleasant experience to luxuriate in a time to which we obviously cannot return, but which still provides a sense of comfort while connecting us to…
The Postmodern Pelican 