This is my first foray into a novel by Maud Casey (The Shape of Things To Come, Geneology) and it was mind-bending. The book follows two narratives. Albert’s inner thoughts populate one of them. He is an ambler, a friendly walker who finds himself in the medium merchant towns of middle Europe. When Albert walked,…
REVIEW: DRACULA by Bram Stoker
Novelist Bram Stoker It was absolutely fascinating to look back and see where this whole Vampire obsession started. And as with any original, I wanted to see how modern interpretations reflected their predecessors. I was surprised at how very close and certainly recognizable many of the main characters were: Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Renfield and…
REVIEW: MEDICAL MUSES by Asti Hustvedt
Hysteria in the Nineteenth Century Paris An absolutely stunning and amazing book. There were many overnight hours spent with a little light, awake and reading. Hustvedt demonstrates such thorough knowledge and ease about her topic that her academic precision never overpowers the compelling story of Charcot, Salpetriere and the “star” hysterics. Hustvedt uses three main…