This month for Leiden Book Club we read Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier’s gothic thriller that explores jealousy and sexuality. Here’s our review. Continue Reading
Leiden Book Club 2019 Book 5: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Book Club
Leiden Book Club 2019 Book 3: Less by Andrew Sean Greer
In May we read Less by Andrew Sean Greer. It’s received a lot of praise and even won a Pulitzer but we didn’t think it lived up to the hype. Here’s why Continue Reading
Leiden Book Club Book 2 – Motherhood
Our second Leiden book club read for 2019 was Motherhood by Shelia Heti an experimental and vital read for anyone contemplating motherhood Continue Reading
Leiden Book Club Book 1 – My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Our first book for 2019 is ‘My Year of Rest and Releaxation’ by Otessa Moshfegh. Read what Jenna though in our My Year of Rest and Releaxtion review Continue Reading
Leiden Book Club: Book & Film 6 – Cloud Atlas
Since its initial publication in 2004, David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas has garnered no small amount of acclaim. Its structure has been praised as ‘fantastic and complex’, its myriad voices have been called ‘distinct and superb’; it has won various awards, sold over one million copies and has been adapted into major motion picture. It is an opus cherished the world over — and I fucking hate it. The novel begins, simply enough, on a beach in the Pacific Ocean. It is here that we are introduced to the first of many protagonists: a young notary from mid 18th century… Continue Reading
Leiden Book Club Book & Film 4 – The Taming of the Shrew
The works of William Shakespeare occupy a special place in the literary world: the larger-than-life characters; the tragic and/or comedic tales of love, power and death; and the countless speeches (‘friends, Romans, countrymen…’, ‘what light through yonder window…’, ‘out damned spot…’ etcetera, etcetera); all these things and more have been pounded into the collective consciousness so thoroughly that damn near anyone can cite something from at least one of his works. And yet, despite the ubiquity, one of the most enduringly popular Shakespearian plays (as far as my limited research can attest) is one of the least quotable —… Continue Reading
Leiden Book (and film!) Club 2018
This year we are bringing all the joy of book club and combining it with all the audio visual pleasure of film club. We have carefully curated a list of great reads that have also inspired a film adaptation. Here’s how it works: Leiden Book (and film!) Club is for anyone and everyone. Each month we will read a fab book and then we will talk about how fab (or not) it is. For those interested in comparing and contrasting you can also watch the film inspired by each book on the list. If reading isn’t your thang, curl… Continue Reading
Leiden Book Club Book 9 – Persuasion
Jane Austen has never been a particularly large blip on my literary radar. My mother has been a voracious fan since long before I was part of the world; and after I did become a part of it she would often put forward the Austen catalogue as a recommendation to me. I would smile and nod, acknowledging that no bookshelf is complete without a few Austens present, but never quite getting around to taking the plunge. This changed with Emma, which I only picked up in order to impress my future de-facto wife (also Emma). And while I found… Continue Reading