Advice to Readers Who Are Afraid of Classics (Classic Remarks)

Classic Remarks is a meme hosted at Pages Unbound that poses questions each Friday about classic literature and asks participants to engage in ongoing discussions surrounding not only themes in the novels but also questions about canon formation, the “timelessness” of literature, and modes of interpretation.  Founded and run by Briana and Krysta, Pages Unbound is one of my absolute favorite sites.  So I always love when I can throw my two cents in on a Classic Remarks discussion.  So, dear readers, let’s get the conversation rolling!

The Great Gatsby: A Classic I Read in School and Ended Up Loving (Classic Remarks)

Classic Remarks is a meme hosted at Pages Unbound that poses questions each Friday about classic literature and asks participants to engage in ongoing discussions surrounding not only themes in the novels but also questions about canon formation, the “timelessness” of literature, and modes of interpretation.  Pages Unbound, founded and run by Briana and Krysta, is one of my absolute favorite sites.  In addition to adoring their content, I love the sense of community they’ve built there.  So I was SUPER EXCITED when I saw this week’s prompt because I knew I had something to contribute!  Without further ado, who’s ready to chat about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby?

Top Five Wednesday – Favorite First Sentences

This week those crazy cats over at Goodreads have issued the following challenge to the world of Top 5 Wednesday writers – put together a list of your top five favorite first sentences.  Sounds intriguing right??  It is!  However, once I considered it, I realized this would end up being trickier than I thought.  I am excellent at quoting films or shows I love – and even certain lines in literature.  But, with the exception of a few classic lines, I don’t tend to remember the first sentence of even the books that are most beloved to me.  But I didn’t let that stop me!  So here you have it folks, my list of five favorite first sentences!

Deadpool and a Most Meta Trilogy Part II

Yesterday, we explored Deadpool’s destruction of the Myth of Redemptive Violence and thus the very foundation for most comic conflicts and their resolutions.  But the Sassin’ Assassin is far from finished.  It’s time to embark on a Postmodern literary criticism like no other as Deadpool faces off against the literal (and literary) inspiration for comic book superheroes and villains!  He also tackles the very notion of originality, forcing the (again, very postmodern) question of whether or not original ideas can exist.  Cullen Bunn and Mateo Lolli helm this next level of Meta Madness in Deadpool: Killustrated, the second graphic novel in Bunn’s Deadpool Killology.  As with yesterday’s post, there’s no major plot spoilers here, just a discussion of the book’s themes and philosophy.