“Solitary. But not in the sense of being alone.”

“Solitary in the sense of retreat. In the sense of not having to see himself, of not having to see himself seen by anyone else “

——The Invention of Solitude

📚💙

Still can’t believe he passed away.

One of my favorite authors. Above all of his great works, I love De Profundis, the letter he wrote when he was in prison.

“To reject one’s own experiences is to arrest one’s own development. To deny one’s own experiences is to put lie into the lips of one’s own life.”

💙📚

J.M. Synge on plays. ‘In a good play every speech should be as fully flavored as a nut or apple, and such speeches cannot be written by anyone who works among people who have shut their lips on poetry.’

Captivating travelogue on Aran Islands.

March reading inspiration, Ireland! A great anthology from Irish, as well as English, American, and German writers. Including excerpts from novels, travelogues, poetry, essays, and short stories.

It is a very detailed account by a female author on what is like to be in love. In an intricate situation. Loved it. I can’t believe how a 16 year old can be so thoughtful and perceptive. But in those days they married early. Includes notes and glossary of names which were very helpful.

Currently rereading this. Otherworldly yet familiar.

These stories aren’t his best works…but his mesmerizing prose is hard to resist.

Incredibly powerful description of a storm. The writing is so strong evoking all the senses-the smell of the ocean, the wind, the rocking force of the waves, it is amazing. I think the story is more about the humanity in responding to the crucial moment than the storm itself.

Almost finished with this book. Engaging read! I read The Heart of Darkness way back when I was a teenager. It was a very slow read and couldn’t really appreciate it.