Monthly Archives: May 2025

John Berger’s exploration of Pablo Picasso was first published in 1965 when the painter was still alive. The 1989 edition, which I read, contains a short opening chapter and a concluding one both written following the artist’s death. I found it helpful to keep the internet close at hand while reading because the black and white reproductions in the book are dark and dreary while the paintings themselves are often filled with jovial detail and lively color. I am not … Continue reading →

The story takes place in the early half of the 19th century in Rio de Janeiro and the narrator is a rather spoiled wealthy bachelor who has a love affair with a woman married to his friend. A reader hesitant to take on a story set in South America and published in 1880 need not worry. This novel could have been written yesterday, or maybe tomorrow—after all the narrator claims to be speaking to us from the timeless eternity following … Continue reading →