The little white attic

As it turns out, this year I’ve seen quite a few monster films, mostly based on or inspired by the myths of Frankenstein or Dracula—let’s no...

Illustration by John Michael Rysbrack.  1/ I’m writing about similes again, as Homer has some of the most vivid and interesting similes I’ve...

Painting by Gavin Hamilton.  1/ Strictly speaking, the Iliad is not quite a realistic depiction of war (I mean, one-on-one combat? with lo...

1/ The quote in the headline comes from Book 1, about Thesis, mother of Akhilleus (better known as Achilles).  I like the comparisons and im...

I had a headache that lasted several days. When I mentioned I was reading a book by a living writer, a friend said check if my headache’s a ...

In an earlier blog post, I wrote “I actually had more trouble trying to understand the characters in The Tale of Genji (about 1,000 years ol...

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Penelope suspects and recognises Odysseus in disguise long before he reveals himself...

Painting by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. 1/ As I picked up the Odyssey , I jokingly said to friends, let’s see what literature was lik...