In this blog post, I will carefully examine the dual meaning of the title and the intention of salvation in Gogol’s ‘Dead Souls’ by exploring the similarities and differences between Chichikov and Don Quixote. Chichikov and Don Quixote — Similarities and Differences Now that you’ve turned the final page of this work—which may feel somewhat unfamiliar compared to the works...
Is ‘Chebengur’ a narrative of resistance against capitalist modernity?
In this blog post, I’ll share my thoughts on ‘Chebengur’ and explore the world of resistance and love toward modernity that this work presents. I first read ‘Chebengur’ in 1988, when I was in high school. Although the full text of ‘Chebenkur’ had already been published abroad in 1978, it was not until 1988—when censorship within the Soviet Union had...
Book Lovers: What Is a Guide?
In this blog post, I’ll discuss the history of books, the passion of book lovers, and provide commentary on the three stories featured in this book. The History of Books and the Art of Printing The history of books goes back a very long way. Even before the art of metal-type printing became widely known in the West, the “Papyrus of Ebers”—recognized as the world’s first medical text—was...
What Legacy Did Charles Lamb’s Life and Essays Leave Us?
In this blog post, I will summarize the character and stylistic traits revealed in Charles Lamb’s life and essays, as well as the significance of his work. Life and Family History Charles Lamb was born on February 10, 1775, as the youngest of seven siblings in a poor family; his father was merely a clerk at a law firm. Most of his siblings died at a young age, and the only survivors were...
Was Charles Dickens’ life similar to that of David Copperfield?
In this blog post, we’ll briefly introduce the life of Charles Dickens to readers of ‘David Copperfield’ and explore the similarities between their lives. Readers of ‘David Copperfield’ will quickly realize, upon briefly reviewing the life of Charles Dickens (1812–1870), that it bears a striking resemblance to that of the novel’s protagonist, David. Charles Dickens...
Can evolutionary psychology be the key to understanding human behavior?
In this blog post, I will summarize how we can interpret the human mind and behavior through the lens of evolution—using the core ideas of evolutionary psychology and various everyday examples presented in ‘The Old Toolbox’—and examine the critiques of this approach. Darwin and the Framework of Evolutionary Psychology In the 150 years since the publication of Darwin’s ‘On...
What is the story behind Jules Renard’s life and ‘The Beetroot’?
In this blog post, we’ll take a step-by-step look at Jules Renard’s life, the background behind his masterpiece ‘The Beetroot’, the work’s content and the historical context of its time, and the process of adapting it for the stage. The Life of Jules Renard (Jules Renard, 1864–1910) French novelist and playwright Jules Renard was born on February 22, 1864, in Salon-du-Mén...
Why Do the Chinese Still Refer to Lu Xun as the “Soul of the Nation”?
In this blog post, we’ll explore why Lu Xun, a master of modern Chinese literature, is still referred to as the “Soul of the Nation” today. Focusing on ‘The Diary of a Madman’ and ‘The True Story of Ah Q’, we’ll examine his literary world, his critique of the nation, and his timeless influence. In the history of modern Chinese literature, just as Hu Shi is regarded...
In Search of the Chinese Classic ‘Records of the Warring States’: How to Read the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, and the Qin Unification
In this blog post, we’ll focus on ‘In Search of the Chinese Classic ‘Records of the Warring States’: How to Read the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, and the Qin Unification’ to naturally summarize and examine—in a single sentence—the background, main content, and the core meanings and impressions revealed throughout the text. The Contemporaneity...
What Can We Discover Through ‘Crime and Punishment’?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the questions we can ask ourselves as we read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’ and reflect on them together. As we turn to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s (1821–1881) ‘Crime and Punishment’, let’s imagine ourselves for a moment as earnest young people swept up in passion and pose some profound questions. Though these are weighty...