Laila Lalami makes history come to life for us in this utterly compelling insider’s account of a 1527 conquistador expedition.
English texts
The Moor’s Account
January 17th, 2016 | by Maarten | published in Engelse literatuur, English texts, FOCUS, geschiedenis | Comments Off on The Moor’s Account
The Uncommon Reader
December 29th, 2015 | by Maarten | published in Engelse literatuur, English texts, FOCUS | Comments Off on The Uncommon Reader
The eponymous reader, as you may have surmised from the crown symbol on the cover, is none less than [spoiler!]. The narrative starts with her, more through accident than anything else, getting her hands on a book that for once she feels obliged to actually read.
Stephen Fry’s Classical Music
December 25th, 2015 | by Maarten | published in English texts, FOCUS, geschiedenis, muziek | Comments Off on Stephen Fry’s Classical Music
[Here] is a deeply personalised account of classical music history. Haydn is quickly put aside as boring, while Wagner receives not only inordinate amounts of attention, but even an eye-catching font of his own. Fry’s love for opera pervades the pages.
Vladimir Nabokov and Sebastian Knight
September 27th, 2014 | by Janantoon | published in Engelse literatuur, English texts, FOCUS | Comments Off on Vladimir Nabokov and Sebastian Knight
The Real Life of Sebastian Knight was Nabokov’s first novel in English. He wrote it in Paris, in late 1938 and early 1939, while in the meantime making efforts towards moving to an English-speaking country. At that stage he thought of moving to England, which may in some part account for the setting of Sebastian […]
following the ninth
September 26th, 2014 | by Janantoon | published in English texts, film, FOCUS | Comments Off on following the ninth
Following the Ninth is a film about the power of music. It is divided in four parts, like the symphony itself.
Interest in finance
September 14th, 2014 | by Maarten | published in economie, English texts, FOCUS, geschiedenis | Comments Off on Interest in finance
In the world of modern finance, I am illiterate.
Desmond Tutu’s plea to the people of Israel
August 22nd, 2014 | by Janantoon | published in English texts, mensenrechten, politiek | 1 Comment »
Desmond Tutu published a special plea in the Israeli daily Haaretz. I quote the text here, because it is so important that people with influence and weight speak out. My plea to the people of Israel: Liberate yourselves by liberating Palestine The past weeks have witnessed unprecedented action by members of civil society across the […]
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian: Soap Drama
August 6th, 2014 | by Maarten | published in andere literatuur, English texts | Comments Off on A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian: Soap Drama
This is a bad soap drama: full of caricatures, gossipy, protracted. Angry phone calls, family intrigues and sex-related gossip pepper each weekly episode — err, chapter.
Scrupulous writer
July 9th, 2014 | by Maarten | published in English texts, FOCUS, miscellanea | Comments Off on Scrupulous writer
A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: What am I trying to say? […]
