Critical Thinking

Beyond the Binary: The True Nature of Things

2025-08-04
A truly mature mind doesn’t get trapped by “either/or” choices. This is a false dichotomy. You think it’s one thing, or the other. You’re asked: “Is food better if it’s nutritious or if it’s delicious?” This is not a choice. This is a trap. You can…
Book Recommendations

A Guided Reading Path for the Works of Leo Tolstoy

2025-05-04
A successful journey through the works of Leo Tolstoy depends on a reader’s background and goals. While his monumental novels can be intimidating, a strategic approach can make the experience both accessible and rewarding. This guide offers two distinct paths, tailored to different types of…
Book Recommendations

A Guide to the Golden Age of Russian Literature

2025-04-28
Russian literature follows a distinct and fascinating lineage, a literary tradition that starts with its founding father, matures through a succession of realistic novelists, and culminates in a master of modern drama. To truly appreciate this canon, one can approach it chronologically, following…
Book Recommendations

Reading Dostoevsky: From Essential Works to Key Critical Studies

2025-04-20
Reading the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky can be a profoundly transformative experience. His novels are monumental and complex, but a strategic approach can help new readers navigate his vast literary world. This guide provides a structured reading path, starting with his primary works and moving to…
Poetics

The Poetics of Form: Why Rhyme Matters and Why It Doesn't

2025-02-02
Why do some forms of poetry rely on rhyme, while others do not? The answer lies not in arbitrary rules but in the inherent nature of language itself. John Milton’s famous dismissal of rhyme as a “barbarous invention” is a case in point. While his critique is well-known, it is best…
Literary Criticism

The Indispensable Value of Reading Literary Classics in Full

2024-08-30
The value of reading a literary classic in its entirety, rather than a mere summary, hinges on a reader’s purpose. For those seeking to gain a profound understanding of society and human nature, the meticulous study of a primary text is indispensable. This approach is rooted in a fundamental…
Literary Criticism

The Art of Scale and Dialogue in the Novel

2024-06-25
Two of the most common complaints about novels concern their length and the perceived unrealism of their dialogue. Yet, these criticisms often misunderstand the very nature of the novel as an art form. Length is not a measure of a novel’s quality or even its genre, and fictional dialogue is…
Literary Criticism

The Two Meanings of "Classic": From Ancient Style to Modern Masterpieces

2024-02-08
The term “classic” has a dual meaning rooted in its Latin origin, Classicus, which initially referred to a member of the “first class” of citizens. In Western languages, the word “classic” can either denote works from ancient Greece and Rome or refer to any work…