The Theory of the Leisure Class

The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An important economic classic for bringing a new perspective to the cultural value of the consumption of items, but also of conspicuous leisure. Definitely interesting but very academic in tone.

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Um... no. I think it was supposed to be scary, but it wasn't. The implications were gross I think? Or maybe nothing? I don't know, but I could have, maybe should have, skipped this.

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The Burglar's Christmas by Willa Cather

The Burglar's Christmas by Willa Cather
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a completely cheesy very short story.

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Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but the middle was a bit of slog. I enjoyed the epistolary format and how it allowed for the viewpoint of various characters.

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The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

5 stars for the stories that actually involve Mowgli and his friends and animal family, 4 stars for the story of the Jesus seal, 5 stars for Rikki Tiki Tavi, but 3 stars for the elephant story, and 3 stars for the mule, baggage camel, and troop horse story. I almost didn’t finish the book.

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The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov

The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are many bits of truth in this story and lots of good sentences, but to my experience, this story seems to misunderstand real love.

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Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim

Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this because it's so lovingly regarded in The Shell Seekers. The beginning is charming and plotless. The middle is full of men subjecting the main character Elizabeth to long sexist diatribes. I especially enjoyed the segments about her best friend and how they celebrate each other's birthdays.

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Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful writing, wonderfully sulky, surprisingly environmental.

A group of people are staying at a country estate together: there is an older country doctor Mikhail Lvovich Astrov (the main character as far as I could tell), a professor and his younger beautiful wife Yelena, the professor's plain daughter from his first marriage Sonya (who keeps up the estate) and her mother's brother Uncle Vanya, and his mother Maria. Everyone is in love with the wrong person, and everyone is extremely depressed. Enjoy!

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The Rediscovery of the Unique by H.G. Wells

The Rediscovery of the Unique by H.G. Wells
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Everything is different and unique. Words for nouns and adjectives are just imprecise generalizations. So far, so good.

Then he extends this as an analogy to claim that individual atoms are also different and therefore atomic theory can't be valid. Um? And then he also throws in that morality is also an over-generalization. Such a short essay on such weighty topics fails to persuade.

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