Essays!

I read some really interesting essays this month. There isn't much to say about them except that they are brilliant.

1. "The Essay on Criticism" by Alexander Pope, written in verse. Pope discusses different kinds of critics and criticism with a lot of humor. It is funny and insightful, and the message still current despite the age of the work. As always I have a harder time reading poetry than prose, but it didn't take long to get used to. The work itself is also not very long. Trust me it is a joy to read.

2. "The Uncanny" by Sigmund Freud. After reading the introductory guide to Freud a while back, I planned to start reading his works and came across this one. It discusses what it is about works of art that we find uncanny, combining literary studies with psychology. Parts of it are thoughtful and intriguing, parts of it redundant. But it is also a lot of fun to read.

3. "The Philosophy of Composition" by Edgar Allan Poe. This is an essay about writing which is included in a book called "Great Writers on the Art of Fiction" (James Daley, ed.). Poe talks about the importance of structures in writing, and how he puts together his famous poem, "The Raven." I recommend reading the essay, read the poem, then reread the essay.

4. Numerous essays from "Shakespeare After All." This is my new favorite book, written by Majorie Garber, who is an English professor and a Queer theorist. This book is a collection of essays based on every single one of Shakespeare canonized plays. I have read a few of these essays and they really are wonderful. Highly recommended.

"Freud: A Very Short Introduction" by Anthony Storr

This is going to be a quick one. I just want to write a quick recommendation to those of you who, like me, have to study theory and have a rather hard time with it. Earlier this month I finished reading this very slim introductory guide to Freud, his life and works. It is very well written and rather entertaining, if you could believe it. Anthony Storr writes about Freud's life, explains his major works, and gives a brief account of his challengers and the development of his studies. This guide is great for beginning students and for reviewing what you have already learned. As a conclusion to the book, Storr describes the influence that Freud's works had on the world, and notes that while much of his works are flawed, he had open many doors to greater developments, and that his works are so superbly written they become within themselves great works of literature.