Favorite Text This Semester.

Okay, now to pick a favorite from the semester.

Skin of our Teeth, Finnegans Wake, The Alchemist... no, no, and no. (good just not favorite)

Beckett, Tempest, Haroun ... possibly, certainly great but all three of my literature classes are covering it, good as well and I'm very glad to be turned on to Salmon Rushdie.

The Following Story, Four Quartets? YES and YES! The Following Story is so well written and entertaining to the intellect. It is not something that you just fly through, and is very rewarding. I would like to add that when advising anyone to read this I would also include "Transparent Things" by Nabokov as a sort of sister text to this novel. The themes that are discussed are very similar in spirit and content, and the authors are both extremely creative and intelligent writers (though I'm still a bit partial to Nabokov).

The Four Quartets is SO intelligent, and caught my attention right away. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have read through the quartets probably 9 or 10 times and certain sections countless times. The result: I have barely scratched the surface. There is so much going on that I find myself increasingly intrigued the more time I spend with it. Eliot is criticized for being such a modernist, and in many ways it is true. However, when passion exists behind creative philosophy, then a very strong piece is created, and continues to be created.

I want to mention again Beckett's three novels. I was also very intrigued by this and especially in relation to the concept of Kenosis. I'm quite curious as to what Bloom would have to say about this process in the context of this book. Great stuff, and I plan to read the last two of the novels over the summer.

Professor Sexson, thanks for exposing us to some really great material this semester!