Do you enjoy ‘who-done-it’ murder mystery stories by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle? Then you will love the Russian Christian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky. He was a master at using graphic crime stories to create the most remarkable psychological/philosophical novels ever written. You will be puzzled as you try to figure out which of the four Karamazov brothers killed his … [Read more...] about Dostoevsky’s conflicted Brothers Karamazov
New resolutions for January 2023
Everyone believes in change, as long as it involves someone else. Each New Year in January, many of us make New Year’s Resolutions about how we are going to change. After Christmas season, people often feel remorse for having over-eaten and under-exercised. In early January gyms are flooded with new recruits, often lasting until February when our muscles begin to ache. So … [Read more...] about New resolutions for January 2023
The Messiah of Handel
Beethoven once said: “Handel was the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb.” King George III called Handel “the Shakespeare of Music.” George Bernard Shaw commented that “Handel is not a mere composer in England: he is an institution. What is more, he is a sacred institution.” In North America and England, at the very … [Read more...] about The Messiah of Handel
Jimmy Stewart’s Wonderful Life
One of our favourite Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life where Jimmy Stewart plays the part of a generous but discouraged businessman who discovers that he really was making a positive impact. You will remember how the Christmas angel Clarence had to earn his wings by helping out Jimmy Stewart (aka George Bailey). George was so distraught at Christmas that he was about to … [Read more...] about Jimmy Stewart’s Wonderful Life
The intense humanity of Tolstoy’s characters in Anna Karenina
Perhaps more than any other book, Anna Karenina is Leo Tolstoy’s novel that readers consistently say they cannot stop reading. If you are still mystified to why Russia recently invaded Ukraine, read Anna Karenina. The intense humanity of Tolstoy’s complex characters allows us to read it again and again with new insights about the Russian soul. Many consider Anna Karenina to be … [Read more...] about The intense humanity of Tolstoy’s characters in Anna Karenina