Classic Literature
What Greek epics taught me about the special relationship between fathers and sons
What Odysseus needed from his father was something more important: the comfort of being a son.
How to write like Edgar Allan Poe
Like some cold poison creeping up our veins, there's a frisson in the stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe.
10 must-read classic books for beginners
Here's your gateway to enjoying the best of literature.
Tolkien on the importance of fantasy and science fiction
According to Tolkien, fantasy requires a deep imagination known as "sub-creation." And the genre reflects a fundamental truth of being human.
Kama Sutra isn’t just about sex. It’s a guidebook for pleasure
There is much more to the Kama Sutra than just sex. It's a guide to anyone wanting more pleasure in life, however they take it.
How the Protestant Reformation set the stage for the Scientific Revolution
By toppling medieval Europe’s mightiest political power, the Protestant Reformation ushered in a new age of freedom, religious and otherwise.
What classic literature knows about refugees fleeing persecution and war
“How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past?” Steinbeck writes.
Modern Stoicism: From Christians to atheists, everyone can learn from these ancient Greeks
Modern applications of Stoicism show up in unexpected places, from the latest techniques in psychotherapy to texts on Christian theology.
We are fictional characters of our own creation
We imagine and debate the inner lives of literary characters, knowing there can be no truth about their real motives or beliefs. Could our own inner lives also be works of fiction?
What classic Russian literature can tell us about Putin’s war on Ukraine
Vladimir Putin adores Fyodor Dostoevsky. A close reading of the legendary author’s texts reveals the feeling might have been mutual.
Socratic problem: How Plato and other Greek writers invented Socrates
Socrates lived during a time when people did not strive to separate fact from fiction. So how much of what we know about Socrates is true?
Leningrad: What was it like to live through history’s deadliest siege?
The Siege of Leningrad lasted over two years and claimed nearly a million lives. It also inspired writers to record the bleak conditions in which they lived.
The tragedy of Alexis de Tocqueville: The French aristocrat who spent his life trying to understand democracy
Despite losing most of his extended family to the guillotine, Tocqueville grew up to become a fervent supporter of democratic revolution.
How to write like Ernest Hemingway
The author of classics like "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Sun Also Rises" is known and loved for his simple yet effective writing style. Here’s how to imitate it.
Let George Orwell guide you through 1920s Paris
Famished, not famous: retrace Orwell’s hunger days, when he was one of the city’s legion of poor foreigners.
Newspeak: Why silence defeats “thought crimes” in Orwell’s 1984
In Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government uses Newspeak to control thoughts by controlling language. But thoughts do not require language.
Why Arthur Schopenhauer would have hated modern education
Many of his criticisms ring true today.
Tolstoy vs. Gorky: Why Russian intellectuals had very different visions of utopia
The insurmountable contrasts between their visions help explain Russia’s stunted development and hint at its destructive future.
The gods laugh at your plans: Chekhov, Jaspers, and life-changing moments
The most momentous and significant events in our lives are the ones we do not see coming. Life is defined by the unforeseen.
The most compelling representations of Satan in world literature
By taking Satan out of the religious context, storytellers explored the nature of sin in new ways.
How Nietzsche’s love for music influenced his philosophy
The German thinker wrote both treatises and songs. He approached each form of expression with the same level of interest.
Is philosophy just a bunch of nonsense?
Even some philosophers don’t think highly of philosophy, but we need it now more than ever.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s greatest critic explains why everyone should read his books
According to literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, Dostoevsky's talents were on par with those of William Shakespeare.
Horror fiction: the unexpectedly ancient origins of ghost stories
Fear is one of the oldest and most powerful emotions known to man, so it should come as no surprise that horror stories are as old as storytelling itself.
Why Arthur Schopenhauer thought music was the greatest of all artforms
Music is often labelled a “universal language,” and according to the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, there is a good reason for that.
Dante’s Inferno is far more popular than Paradise. What does that say about us?
In hell, we assume a position of moral superiority, looking down over the sinners and the poor decisions that led them to this wretched place. In heaven, Dante is looking down upon us.
How Nietzsche can improve your love life
The infamous misogynist had some profound insights on romance.
2021 Nobel Prize for literature goes to Zanzibar-born author Abdulrazak Gurnah
The Swedish Academy honored the writer for his uncompromising inquiry into the lasting consequences of Africa’s colonization.
Don’t even try to read “Moby Dick” without this map
This might help you make it to the end of Herman Melville’s 19th century classic.