Cate Crafter

Silly me, I haven’t got a photo of for this post as I have passed on most of the books that I read to a charity shop before I finished writing this post!

Questions of Travel - Elizabeth Bishop

This May I had to hand in my last essay of the year (excluding that juicy 3hr exam in June) and after deliberating between writing about a play I thought was lacklustre but probably quite easy to write about and a collection of Bishop’s complex poetry that I rather enjoyed, I chose Bishop. It worked out I got a good grade and I rediscovered my love for reading and analysing modern poetry. This collection is thought provoking and lays Bishop’s soul bare. I really enjoyed it so it’s more than likely that I’ll be delving into more of her work in the future, or at the very least revisiting this collection. The book is not pictured as I was fortunate enough to have the collection provided by my university in an anthology.

Another Man’s City - Choi In-ho

Orwellian? Kafkaesque? Perhaps a dash of both but there is also a little The Matrix added in for good measure. Another Man’s City follows K (oh look a casual Kafka reference) as he tries to find out why his world suddenly feels like its populated with fake versions of the people around him, including his Wife and Daughter. Personally, I felt like the premise was interesting, but the execution felt a little underwhelming, and I found myself stopping and starting the book rather than getting hooked and devouring a short 190 page novel in one sitting.

The Duchess of Malfi - John Webster

A Renaissance Play that isn’t Shakespeare! Yes they do exist, and The Duchess of Malfi is a rather good one. As I had to read this play for uni I have of course analysed the play to the moon and back so I’ll keep it brief as I could quite easily write a rather long essay on it! The play is set in Italy and follows a Duchess who breaks societal expectations and decides to re-marry for love not status…of course being a tragedy expect death…lots of death.

When Adam Opens His Eyes - Jang Jung-il

This Korean novel was rather controversial on its publication back in the 90’s, but from a modern western perspective it’s not really that shocking which makes for an interesting read. Adam is on the cusp of adulthood and while he waits a year to retake a university entrance exam so that he can get into a top university he uses this time to find freedom and to learn about the world around him. When Adam Opens His Eyes is quite clearly a bildungsroman but it is also a story about a country on the edge. In the late 80’s Korea hosted the olympics and found itself struggling to uphold democracy while still reeling from the horrors of the Gwangju Massacre of 1980. In short it was a testing time and this is reflected in Adam’s navigation of his life and the encounters he finds himself in.

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - J.K. Rowling

Not going to lie I didn’t read this book…Stephen Fry read it to me. Yes I have finally jumped on the Audible hype train. Previously I have always felt like I just didn’t have time to add audio books into my life but my morning makeup routine has become the perfect moment to delve into audiobooks as its a relaxing and therapeutic process that is also a productive use of time. Perfection! And I have already started listening to Chamber of Secrets!