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The Literary Society

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Original post by Mr Porter
I must admit that I've never managed to get through Middlemarch; it keeps staring at me from across my bedside table and tutting.

What's English Literature like at Oxford, if I may ask?


I wouldn't bother. Try Silas Marner instead.

Very busy but very interesting, for the most part.
Original post by Plainview
I wouldn't bother. Try Silas Marner instead.

Very busy but very interesting, for the most part.


Are there any particularly interesting texts you've studied so far, or is it a more canon heavy approach? See, I normally study medicine but this year I'm intercalating in Medicine in Literature, so for me everything is quasi-new, with regards to the study of literature.
Original post by Mr Porter
Are there any particularly interesting texts you've studied so far, or is it a more canon heavy approach? See, I normally study medicine but this year I'm intercalating in Medicine in Literature, so for me everything is quasi-new, with regards to the study of literature.


Well its mostly typical classic stuff but I tend to like a lot of that. I particularly enjoyed the Joseph Conrad I had to read over Christmas.
Reply 6963
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Angury
18
Original post by Mr Porter
Are there any particularly interesting texts you've studied so far, or is it a more canon heavy approach? See, I normally study medicine but this year I'm intercalating in Medicine in Literature, so for me everything is quasi-new, with regards to the study of literature.


That intercalation sounds interesting - what does it involve? What sort of literature do you look at?
Original post by Angury
That intercalation sounds interesting - what does it involve? What sort of literature do you look at?


You join the 3rd year English Literature course and take one course each semester: 'Illness Narratives' and 'Ethics in Medicine'. We read a wide range of literature throughout different historical times, applying literary theory (body, trauma, narrative theory mostly) into the texts we read. You'd be surprised how relevant and permeating medicine is within literature; medical humanities definitely being a hot area of research and interest at the moment.

The first semester started with Herakles and Oedipus Rex, then we moved onto some Chaucer before tackling Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and Antony & Cleopatra. Other lit included Gaskell's Ruth, Romantic poetry (and TB), WWI poetry (and disability), The Bell Jar and finally we finished with plays by Sarah Kane.

Currently in the second semester my reading list comprises of: The Metamorphosis, The Plague, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Cancer Ward, The Passion of New Eve, Poor Things, Trumpet, Never Let Me Go and The Stone Gods.

On top of that we are allowed to take another course in one semester that can be anything as well as, in the other semester, two 'theory' courses that every English Lit student takes. There's also a dissertation that we have to write on which I'm currently massively behind on but hey ho.
Original post by Plainview
To be sure.

Have to read Middlemarch for an essay at the moment unfortunately. Eliot is quite interesting as a person but I find her writing too instructive, and sometimes condescending. Also got some C S Lewis on the go though.


Which CS Lewis? Everyone reads Narnia but I've noted he has some other stuff.
Original post by KatrinaMay
Which CS Lewis? Everyone reads Narnia but I've noted he has some other stuff.


Miracles. Christian apologetics. I find that I need non-fiction to relax after intense study of fiction.
demonata is still my fave book series :h:
Original post by Plainview
Miracles. Christian apologetics. I find that I need non-fiction to relax after intense study of fiction.

surely you're joking mr feyman
Enjoying studying T S Eliot at the moment. Quite an interesting guy.
Reply 6970
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Angury
18
Original post by flou_fboco2
demonata is still my fave book series :h:


This brings back memories - my friends thought I was quite weird though. Have you read The Saga of Darren Shan?
Original post by Angury
This brings back memories - my friends thought I was quite weird though. Have you read The Saga of Darren Shan?


yes! :biggrin: :h: not larten crepsley though (not yet at least :ninjagirl:)
Reply 6972
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Angury
18
Original post by flou_fboco2
yes! :biggrin: :h: not larten crepsley though (not yet at least :ninjagirl:)


Ah yes, I was about half way through that saga. I'd just started reading "Palace of the Damned" then misplaced the book somewhere and forgot about it. :frown: Going to buy it on my kindle now. :biggrin:

I was a big fan of Larten Crepsley. Have you seen the film based on The Darren Shan Series? It didn't seem to get very many positive reviews but I actually enjoyed it.
Original post by Angury
Ah yes, I was about half way through that saga. I'd just started reading "Palace of the Damned" then misplaced the book somewhere and forgot about it. :frown: Going to buy it on my kindle now. :biggrin:

I was a big fan of Larten Crepsley. Have you seen the film based on The Darren Shan Series? It didn't seem to get very many positive reviews but I actually enjoyed it.


Haven't seen the film yet but i dunno the posters did exactly made me want to watch it
Reply 6974
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Angury
18
Has anyone read Many a Summer by Aldous Huxley? Have just added it to my ever-growing to read list, it sounds very interesting.

I have finally decided to start reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami after having it lying around on my desk for so long. I'm also reading The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine by James Le Fanu (I always read one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, which my friends think is weird..)
Original post by Angury
Has anyone read Many a Summer by Aldous Huxley? Have just added it to my ever-growing to read list, it sounds very interesting.

I have finally decided to start reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami after having it lying around on my desk for so long. I'm also reading The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine by James Le Fanu (I always read one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, which my friends think is weird..)


don't you get the plots mixed up
Reply 6976
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Angury
18
Original post by flou_fboco2
don't you get the plots mixed up


Not really, because one is fiction and the other isn't they're not very similar anyway. I sometimes read two fictional books at the same time, and I've never found that to be a problem either. The writing tends to be so different, it's easy for me to get carried away in one book, then come back to another one the next day and dive right in.
Original post by Angury
Not really, because one is fiction and the other isn't they're not very similar anyway. I sometimes read two fictional books at the same time, and I've never found that to be a problem either. The writing tends to be so different, it's easy for me to get carried away in one book, then come back to another one the next day and dive right in.


ahh right
that's a nice brain you have there it can do tasks which i consider very complex :h:
you must have a high concentration level :biggrin:
Hi there, looking forward to being an active member of this group. I've just finished reading a book called 2083, the second in a new series of political science fiction books. Highly recommend the series, the first chapter of the first book is online here so you can see if it's your bag - http://thechroniclesofhope.com/preview/. It's been pushed by richard dawkins and is about an atheist revolutionary humanitarian politician guy on another planet. Won't give away any spoilers but think 1984 meets one flew over the cuckoo's nest. It really gets you thinking and some genius characters in there
Reply 6979
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Angury
18
Original post by DavidQuinn
Hi there, looking forward to being an active member of this group. I've just finished reading a book called 2083, the second in a new series of political science fiction books. Highly recommend the series, the first chapter of the first book is online here so you can see if it's your bag - http://thechroniclesofhope.com/preview/. It's been pushed by richard dawkins and is about an atheist revolutionary humanitarian politician guy on another planet. Won't give away any spoilers but think 1984 meets one flew over the cuckoo's nest. It really gets you thinking and some genius characters in there


I read the first book in the series and can't say I was a fan - I just couldn't get into it. There were some interesting ideas thrown around by the main character but I wasn't a fan of the writing; I may give the second book a go. :smile:

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