Adventures in Reading: "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Lewis Stevenson

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

It's such a well known reference that I really don't even need to expand on what the story is about. And I think that's what fascinates me so much about it.

The story is short and simple, yet it has become a prominent and ubiquitous symbol of the good and evil resident in each of us. I realize that this is not the only story to discuss similar ideas, but it is one of the few that has stuck so soundly to the conscious of our culture that almost anyone would understand the reference if it were mentioned.

Isn't that amazing? 125 year after that story was published, we're still talking about it. It is engrained in our cultural dialogue.

On some level, I think this is what all writers are striving toward: creating something that is enduring and relevant. Finding a way to express something within us that is universal.

Oh...Hello there!

Well hello, blog! Long time no...anything.

Seeing as this is the first post I've made in about four months, you would think I would have a LOT to say about all the reading and writing I've been up to. Well, you would be mistaken.

For several reasons, I haven't actually done much reading or writing during my blog absence. That seems really strange to me, but when I look back at the last few months, life has been FULL! I actually have been reading during this time, but it has all been rereading, so there isn't really much to say about it. As for writing...after I found out that I would not be going to grad school this fall, I just didn't feel much like working on anything. I have been feeling much more inspired to start again, though, so hopefully that will see some fruition in the near future.

I believe the pace of life has begun to slow down a bit again, and with that, my desire to read and write are picking back up.

So, since Borders is going out of business (boo!), I now have a lovely little stack of books to get through (yay!), which means that I should be updating this little online archive a bit more often. Hope to talk with you again, SOON, blog :)

Oh, and about "The Count of Monte Cristo"...my former roommate noticed the strange pattern that every book I had read since moving into my then-new house had something to do with suicide. He thought I needed a break from that, so he recommended his favorite book, which he promised was suicide-free. Unfortunately, the library needed it back before I could get very far into it. Luckily for me, though, I found an inexpensive copy and plan to pick that back up fairly soon.