Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Hey I'm Kyrin and I review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (i.e., not recent releases). Join me as I cover the basic details before diving into the themes, ideas and learnings we can take away from the fascinating realm of literature. Weekly live episode on Thurs 10am AEST (Wed/Thurs Midnight UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan every now and then.

http://blubrry.com/3214540/

Eine durchschnittliche Folge dieses Podcasts dauert 16m. Bisher sind 496 Folge(n) erschienen. Dieser Podcast erscheint alle 0 Tage.

Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 6 days 7 hours 56 minutes

subscribe
share






Chivalry At It's Finest | Sir Gawain And The Green Knight (Unknown Poet) BOOK REVIEW


Would you have the fortitude to stick to your principles, even in the face of certain death?'Sir Gawain And The Green Knight' by an unknown poet is a story from a 14th/15th century manuscript. It tells of Sir Gawain, a knight at Arthur's round table who accepts a challenge from a mysterious & magical being. This requires him to willingly offer up his life whilst first being tempted by the most beautiful lady in the land...


share








   29m
 
 

A Different Type Of Travel | The Innocents Abroad (Mark Twain) BOOK REVIEW


Let's travel back to the days when people didn't take offense so easily ...... or did they?'The Innocents Abroad' by Mark Twain is a compendium of his adventures whilst travelling for 5 months across Europe & The Middle East. It is told in his usual humorous style of witty anecdotes and droll sarcastic one-liners. The bulk of it relates to visiting historic landmarks & places of cultural significance, with some parts on the actual travel journey itself...


share








   26m
 
 

Classic Feminist Literature | A Room Of One's Own (Virginia Woolf) BOOK REVIEW


Righteous anger can be useful .... if applied to the right people.'A Room Of One's Own' by Virginia Woolf is an essay critiquing woman's literature and female authors. Her core argument is that the lack of financial means, privacy and strict social norms has resulted in the inability for females to write great books. And that it is not due inherent feminine weakness or lack of genius...


share








   27m
 
 

Overthinking Love, Death & Sex | Confessions Of A Mask (Yukio Mishima) BOOK REVIEW


Can you think yourself to death?'Confessions Of A Mask' by Yukio Mishima follows a young rather frail boy called Kochan in the 1920-40's period in Tokyo set against the backdrop of WW2. We see his homosexual desires for another boy Omi emerge as well as a morbid fascination with blood, death and love. He tries to force himself to fall in love with a girl called Sonoko but struggles to combine this with his true feelings...


share








   18m
 
 

Tiresome Edwardian Etiquette | A Room With A View (E. M. Forster) BOOK REVIEW


Manners, decorum, morals, tact, niceties, propriety. Doesn't this all sound fun!'A Room With A View' by E. M. Forster is the tale of a young woman who is constrained by the conventions of her time. Lucy Honeychurch lives in 1900's England and meets the strange George Emerson whilst travelling to Italy. After a brief but intense contact she returns home and becomes engaged to the uptight Cecil Vyse...


share








   28m
 
 

Crazy Is As Crazy Does | Death Of A Salesman (Arthur Miller) BOOK REVIEW


Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.'Death Of A Salesman' by Arthur Miller is a play that showcases the tragic life of a simple man with delusions of grandeur. Willy Loman is nearing the end of his days as a travelling salesman and the return of his son Biff pushes his instability into overdrive. Through a series of flashbacks we see how the whole family is suffering from their excessive pride before reaching an ultimate breaking point...


share








 February 22, 2024  17m
 
 

When Real Life Gets Real Weird | Picnic In The Storm (Yukiko Motoya) BOOK REVIEW


Drop the dishes and let's get JACKED!!!'Picnic In The Storm' by Yukiko Motoya is a series of 11 short stories of everyday life in Japan, but with a twist. So inside you'll find stories about a housewife getting jacked, a cat that won't stop peeing everywhere and couples that keep merging into one entity. They were kind of fun although I found them more random than anything else...


share








 February 15, 2024  17m
 
 

A Kind Man Becomes Ruthless | The Winter Of Our Discontent (John Steinbeck) BOOK REVIEW


Fret your silly head not, you won't leave this book discontented.'The Winter Of Our Discontent' by John Steinbeck takes place in the fictional New Baytown where Ethan Hawley has become dissatisfied with his life. The lingering legacy of his family is in stark contrast to the life of grocery store clerk trying to support his family. He decides to change his circumstances but must act ruthlessly to gain what he wants...


share








 February 8, 2024  27m
 
 

Propaganda I Can Get Behind | The Moon Is Down (John Steinbeck) BOOK REVIEW


A hidden gem of war time literature!'The Moon Is Down' by John Steinbeck is a short simple tale written to encourage passive resistance. A small town in an unnamed country is taken over by an invading force. The townsfolk unhappy with this situation turn the tables by creating a hostile atmosphere that makes it a living hell for the aggressors...


share








 February 1, 2024  32m
 
 

The Digital Revolution Vs Printed Text | Book Wars (John B. Thompson) BOOK REVIEW


How much has the digital revolution changed the publishing industry?'Book Wars' by John B. Thompson is an overview of how the internet and digitisation of books changed the publishing industry. It mostly covers the 2005-2018 period when Ebooks started gain popularity and momentum. It goes into extreme depth so be prepared to read through a lot of history, which makes it a comprehensive book...


share








 January 25, 2024  39m