Tag: #literature

Books

Top 5 Literary Mash-Ups That Totally Need to Happen

Aubrey Leaman

Alice 1984

Classic literature is great.  But have you ever wondered what would happen if two of history’s greatest stories were combined into one like some incredible atomic fusion?

Well, I have! Here are some of the ones I’m dying to read:

Alice’s Adventures in 1984 (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland + 1984)

To Kill a Frankenstein (To Kill a Mockingbird + Frankenstein)

The Great Jane (The Great Gatsby + Jane Eyre)

The Secret Women (The Secret Garden + Little Women)

Sense and a Mockingbird (Sense and Sensibility + To Kill a Mockingbird)

 
What book mash-ups would you read?

 

Books

Literary Characters for President!

Aubrey Leaman

Characters for President

Could your favorite character be the next POTUS? Meet the candidates:

(SPOILERS)

Hamlet (Hamlet)

As Prince of Denmark, I already have incredibly valuable experience in politics. My fellow candidates like to point out my inability to act in previous situations[1]. They also like to throw around the term “insanity” in their accusations. But need I remind you that I did get the job done in the end? Anyone who acts impulsively is not fit to rule this country, which is why I am the man for the job.

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

It is high time that the United States of America had a president with a head on his—or her—shoulders. It is true that I do not have the political experience of Hamlet, but while he was dealing with political scandal I was out in the real world, helping to save millions of lives from Voldemort. Yet I am also one of you, coming from a humble family of dentists. Vote for me and we will increase this country’s prestige together.

George Wickham (Pride and Prejudice)

What this country needs is a soldier, and I am just the man for Continue reading “Literary Characters for President!” →

Songs For Every Book

Songs For Every Book: The Great Gatsby (and One Direction)

Aubrey Leaman

Please don’t unfollow me.

But One Direction’s Fireproof = Jay Gatsby about Daisy in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.


 
“It’s been so long, it’s been so long, maybe we’re fireproof
Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do.
…
I think I’m gonna win this time,
Riding on the wind and I won’t give up.”

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Hobbit

Aubrey Leaman

Hobbit robot

(SPOILERS)

Hungarian Rock by György Ligeti

Imagine if Bilbo and the dwarves were robots.

Off they go on their adventure! As robots they can’t feel the hardships of inclement weather or food shortages, so they’re basically happy and oblivious for the entire length of their journey.

(3:01) Suddenly, they find Smaug and things grind to a screeching halt…the dwarves now mourn the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili.

Despite their overwhelming loss, the music ends on a somewhat happy note.  After all, the hobbit and dwarves did fulfill their quest…albeit at a steep cost.

 

Books

Style in Little Red Riding Hood

Aubrey Leaman

Red

What if people were nicknamed based on what they wore, like in Little Red Riding Hood?

“Hello, Suit!”

“Yo, Crop Top!”

“What’s up, Oversized T-Shirt and Leggings?”

“How’s it going, Blue Jeans?”

For me, it would be, “Hey there, Knee Highs!”
 

What would your nickname be?

Songs For Every Book

Songs For Every Book: Ophelia From Hamlet

Aubrey Leaman


 
HAMLET: I did love you once.
OPHELIA: Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.
HAMLET: You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot
so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of
it: I loved you not.
OPHELIA: I was the more deceived.
…
O, help him, you sweet heavens!
–Act III, scene i
 

1965 by Zella Day

“Can we go back to the world we had?
With a love so sweet it makes me sad
Can we go back to the world we had?
It’s the world we’ve been dreaming of.”

Books

How Numbers Can Tell Stories (Guest Post)

Aubrey Leaman

tree_grows_in_brooklyn

This week I was I guest posted on Aman Mittal’s blog, Confessions of a Readaholic, which was quite exciting because his blog is awesome! If you love to read, I highly recommend checking it out!

Without further ado, here’s my post:

How Numbers Can Tell Stories

So let’s talk about math! I know, I know…as readers we tend to hate math, right?  But Francie Nolan (from Betty Smith’s novel, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”) has a passion for both words and numbers and in fact combines the two in creative ways:

“When Francie added a sum, she would fix a little story to go with the result…The figure 1 was a pretty baby girl just learning to walk, and easy to handle…Each single combination of numbers was a new set-up for the family and no two stories were ever the same.”

When I read this passage (of which I’ve only quoted a small amount here), I was blown away by the wonder and magic of it all.  In effect, Francie is like a Victor Frankenstein who imbues life into the meaningless, dead conglomeration of body parts around him.  Now those numbers that were once “dead” are living and breathing people who have unique personalities and ways of life!

Click here to read the full post!

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Sherlock Holmes

Aubrey Leaman

Imagine that Sherlock is playing the violin while pondering a particularly thorny case. Although tantalizingly close to solving it, he knows he’s still missing something important…

His excitement starts to poke through as he gets closer and closer to untangling the mystery, but he tries to remain cautious in case he’s wrong (even though he feels he must be right).

With the final flourishing notes, it is time to find the proof…


What can you hear?

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories #2: Jane Eyre

Aubrey Leaman

BEWARE OF SPOILERS

The Banshee by Henry Cowell

Jane wakes up in the middle of the night to a sense of foreboding…
And then she hears the groaning, shrieks and creepy laughter of Mrs. Rochester as she sets her husband on fire.