literature

Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.

Of Mice and Meany
The most inconspicuous things can have the most significant meanings. An armless totem and soft mice are symbols that give the reader foresight into the futures of Owen Meany and Lennie Small. The stories Of Mice and Men and A Prayer for Owen Meany follow the lives of the characters, Lennie Small and Owen Meany, and their closest friends, George Milton and Johnny Wheelwright. Both Steinbeck and Irving incorporate the literary devices of symbolism, attributing a deeper meaning to an object, and foreshadowing, subtly hinting to the reader what events will transpire later throughout their books ("Symbolism”, “Foreshadowing – Examples...”). In A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the deaths of both Owen Meany and Lennie Small are foreshadowed by their unusual obsessions with very ordinary objects.
By Almárëa Laurësil8 years ago in Geeks
The Father of American Literature
Better known as Mark Twain, Samuel Langhorne Clemens is one of the most renowned authors in American literature. Ernest Hemingway once said, “All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn…. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since” (“Clemens”). Twain’s diverse life, many careers, and fascinating stories have captured the imagination of many and earned him numerous awards.
By Almárëa Laurësil8 years ago in Geeks
As Madness Grows, The Death Bell Ever Tolls
Hamlet, like many of Shakespeare’s notable plays, is a classic tragedy, intertwined with death and darkness. In The Embassy of Death: An Essay on Hamlet, G. Wilson Knight claims that the main theme of this somber story is death, demonstrated by “subsidiary incidents, persons, and detailed suggestion throughout.” Knight highlights this, citing the actions and characteristics of Hamlet and Claudius.
By Almárëa Laurësil8 years ago in Geeks
Heist Society: It'll Steal Your Bookworm Needs Away
First let me start off by explaining how Ally Carter is forever a favorite author of mine. I have loved all her series no matter when I've read them. Unfortunately, when I first picked up Heist Society in high school, I couldn't get into it. It killed me I wasn't sucked into Carter's book.
By Ashley Thompson8 years ago in Geeks
Phrases We Owe to Shakespeare
If you went to high school at any point in time after 1800, chances are you've read something by Shakespeare. Whether it be Julius Caesar, Romeo & Juliet, or Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare's words have graced your ears, eyes, and brains at some point in your life. Shakespeare's plays come with mixed reviews — they are often regarded highly by literature and theater geeks, while viewed with groans and eye rolls by the rest of society. However, Shakespeare was quite the wordsman, and loved to invent phrases in his writing. Many of these phrases are still used in everyday conversation! Here are the most common ones.
By Hayley Bonnett8 years ago in Geeks
Attaining Utopia
Some people love to read. They devour books in days, feasting upon them, one after the other like a box of chocolates left open in a room filled with hungry people. They are the speed readers, capable of interpreting 1,000 words a minute; they turn pages like a camera snapping pictures, but do they truly enjoy the beauty of the written words? Do they share the emotions of the characters and grasp the subtle connotations being so generously offered by the writer or do they simple read, following the Get it, Got it, Good, Moving On mentality.
By Cynthia Morgan8 years ago in Geeks
Why Reading a Lot Doesn't Mean You've Read Everything
I am a reader. This doesn’t mean that I enjoy reading one or two books a year, or that I’m part of a book club, or that I’ll fill your brain with facts I gleaned from WikiLeaks. (Though, I highly encourage the use of such things if this is the only way you are to obtain information in things other than the “LOL” text you got from your drunk hookup this morning.)
By Lexi Sprague8 years ago in Geeks
You Watch it for the Plot: 10 Bodacious Anime Babes
Japanese anime...you love it for the action-packed, crisp animation of Attack on Titan, for the deep, earnest emotion of Your Name, and for the heady science fiction themes of Ghost in the Shell.
By Christopher Wagoner8 years ago in Geeks
Stop with the Dystopian YA Novels
I love The Hunger Games. It's hard for me to find people who genuinely dislike The Hunger Games and those that do usually say it's due to a dislike for the typical dystopian "young adult" novels or media, which is completely understandable. I only got into The Hunger Games through the movies before later going on to read the books and what I found fascinating wasn't just the story, it was the world.
By Harjit Singh8 years ago in Geeks
Character Lessons
Character Lessons Maya Angelou said, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, strives to teach his young children, Jem and Scout, to courageously look at life from others perspective. One instance occurs when Jem and Scout read to Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, an old woman who designates the Finch family as her prey, criticizes Atticus and his children regularly for defending a black man in court. Her insults varying from rude to obscene. In response to the numerous attacks, Jem cuts down Mrs. Dubose’s camellias with Scout’s baton in a fit of rage. Mrs. Dubose requests that Jem and Scout read to her as their punishment, and Atticus obliges. Atticus knows that Mrs. Dubose has a morphine addiction that clouds her mind when she insults his family, but his children do not. He also knows that she wants to overcome her addiction with the help of Jem and Scout reading to her. Did Atticus make the right decision to not tell his children about Mrs. Dubose’s addiction and physical condition? Atticus made the right decision to not tell Jem and Scout about Mrs. Dubose’s up coming death for three reasons: Jem and Scout would have treated Mrs. Dubose without respect, Mrs. Dubose did not want them to know about her coming death, and Atticus could not have taught his children as great a lesson about courage.
By Jack8 years ago in Geeks
Annotate Your Bookshelf
The last novel I read was The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. This novel is set in the eighteenth century and follows the life of Nella Oortman and her marriage to Johannes Brandt. Johannes gives Nella an extravagant wedding gift of a cabinet house, the exact miniature replica of the house that they live in. The novel details the process of Nella furnishing the house by enrolling the services of the Miniaturist. As the house reveals secrets about their lives, Nella realises the unusual qualities of the Miniaturist and unfolds the dangers that are awaiting the family.
By Jasmine Pulfrey8 years ago in Geeks
The Guardians of Peru Series
The Guardians of Peru Series is an amazing historical fiction about the land and people of Peru spanning 5000 years ago until today. There are five books in the series. Each book gives the reader an illustration of the area and the culture. The five books are: Guardians of Machu Picchu Elixir of Life, The Black Rider of Lake Huánuco, Patititi: The Lost City of Gold, Coral Supe, and The Amazon. The books are written in a historical fiction form to make for a fun and exciting adventure.
By Trycia Lino8 years ago in Geeks