“The past is always beautiful. So, for that matter, is the future. Only the present hurts, and we carry it around like an abscess in our hearts.” — […]
Russian literature
The Village
“Life in the village is bitter, but it is life.” The Village by Ivan Bunin is a bleak yet deeply evocative portrayal of rural Russian life in the […]
Russian literature
Matryona’s Home
“A village is not worth its salt without a righteous man.” Chapter 1: The Arrival The narrator, Ignatich, a former political prisoner, arrives in the remote village of […]
English literature
Far from the Madding Crowd
“It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Chapter 1: The Shepherd Meets a Stranger […]