Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... The Seagull by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Yes, this is the Chekhov. The one with the gun. Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short story writer who, despite a relatively short life and literary career, still has a reputation as one of the all-time great dramatists and a pioneer … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #55
Category: Ongoing Series
Today on Project Gutenberg #54
Another day, another weird rabbit hole. Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Life in a Tank by Richard Haigh Pop quiz! When was the modern tank introduced into warfare? Believe it or not, we can trace it down to an exact date. Like many things which are good at killing people, the modern military tank … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #54
Today on Project Gutenberg #53
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Gladiator by Philip Wylie I'm cheating a little bit this time around. I selected this title ahead of time rather than stumbling across it at random. Why? Because I've read most of it before, and because it fits the themes that have been on my brain recently. That's right, … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #53
Horror Is Universal: “House of Frankenstein” (1944)
If Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man was the Batman v Superman of this cinematic universe, then House of Frankenstein is its Justice League or The Avengers. Assuming, of course, that those movies had the members of the crossover turn up one at a time, never interact and made sure to kill off each character before … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “House of Frankenstein” (1944)
Today on Project Gutenberg #52
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... The Story of the Alphabet by Edward Clodd We all know our ABCs, but where did they come from? The evolution of our Latin alphabet was a complicated process lasting thousands of years, and many books could be written on the subject. This is one such book. Edward Clodd … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #52
Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Ghost” (1944)
I have a confession to make. Or perhaps a retraction. After completing my last review, I put off watching this movie for a couple of weeks. Why? Because I thought I knew what it was going to be. I have made no secret of how much I hated The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Tomb. … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Ghost” (1944)
Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” (1944)
I deliberated for a while about how to begin this article. I like to open these articles by posing a question or thesis statement, or I'll just try to write something that I think is funny. But in this case, I'm hard-pressed to do either. I can't think of anything to say about this movie … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” (1944)
Today on Project Gutenberg #50
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... London's Underworld by Thomas Holmes The Victorian era turned the subject of poverty into a veritable subgenre of literature. The most famous of these books would be Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, written throughout the 1840s and formally published in 1851. Today's book, London's Underworld, follows … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #50
Today on Project Gutenberg #49
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Motor Matt Makes Good; or, Another Victory for the Motor Boys by Stanley R. Matthews Way back in the olden days of American publishing, we had these things called five-cent or ten-cent weeklies. An example of the dime novel, weeklies hit the peak of their popularity in the late … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #49
Today on Project Gutenberg #48
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... King Henry IV Part 2 by William Shakespeare Another Shakespeare! And one of the history plays, no less! I must sadly admit that Henry IV is where I'm somewhat lacking in knowledge of the Bard's work. I've watched performances of Richard II (a prequel to this) and Richard III, … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #48