Psst… Fight Club is Really All About Daddy Issues
Recently, I decided to give Chuck Palahniuk’s infamous Fight Club (1996) a read. As many would know, the novel has become quite the cultural phenomenon – I have heard the line “the first rule about fight club is you don’t talk about fight club” quoted a zillion times and David Fincher’s film adaptation has long […]
All About Love
To knowing, finding and receiving love
The Question of Love in Kokoro, by Natsume Soseki
僕の心The Question of Love in Kokoro, by Natsume Soseki
Sushi and Tapas: Female Empowerment Through The Telling of Personal Stories
We all travel through different journeys in life based on a myriad of factors, as things like social status, birth place, and life outlook, among many others, can influence and shape our life trajectories in very intricate ways. And while our lives can be so different, we are still able to find common experiences, share […]
Finding Hope in Art: Reviewing Yamaguchi’s Blue Period
“If it looks blue to you, then anything can be blue, whether it’s an apple or a rabbit.” – Blue Period, Chapter 1. Note: This review attempts to be as spoiler-free as possible, in order to encourage viewers to explore this series themselves! Most of what will be explicitly discussed will be from the first […]
I Was Never A Bookworm
When people think of English Literature majors, they often picture someone bespectacled, lost in a fictional world in front of piles of books in a cafe. Perhaps in your mind, you will even go beyond to imagine them donned in formal clothing, topped off with a neat bow tie. Underscoring these assumptions is the notion […]
The Last Lecture: Life Lessons From Childhood Dreams
When we think of childhood dreams, we may think about simple things like winning the most soft toys from claw machines in game carnivals, or loftier ones like wanting to be an astronaut or a singer in future. For Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, childhood dreams had a special meaning for him […]
The Keepers of Stories: Unveiling the Magic of SingLit
Planning to venture into the world of SingLit now that finals are almost over? If you’re looking for a light and easy read, here’s one I would recommend for a start. I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, magical realism, and fantasy. So, when I first saw The Keepers of Stories, I knew I […]
The Everywoman, Kim Jiyoung
One of my favourite reads this semester is Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo. This book caused quite the sensation in Korea when it was published in 2016 – couples have broken up over the contents of it, and celebrities have come under fire for promoting the reading of it. Curious about what was […]
Memoirs of a Geisha: A trainwreck of cultural violation
Lo and behold: one of the most controversial books I have ever read – and while I see the need to be charitable about books insofar that it represents the authorial self and values, I have no qualms about criticising this. Honestly, even within my reading circle, everyone agrees that this book is quite a […]
No Longer Human, A Japanese Literary Classic
The second best selling novel of all time in Japan after Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro, No longer human is a poignant, heart-wrenching tale of alienation, sorrow and the human condition. As we read the novel, we track the progress of a tragic yet beautiful figure, Yozo Oba, as he offers melancholic yet comic facets of his […]
Secure, Contain, Protect: Diving into the Mythos of the SCP Wiki
What does horror mean to you? Is it the rush of adrenaline that rushes through your veins after a jumpscare? Is it the creeping dread that lingers after an eerie silence in a movie? Is it the existential terror that comes from the deep contemplation of your choices in life (whilst procrastinating your assignments)? Whatever […]
On The Road: A Journey on Singapore’s Transformation Through Time
Singapore has come a long way economically, socially, and politically. Our transformation from a humble settlement to a global trading hub, the building up of harmonious racial and religious ties amongst our people, and the inclusion of more diverse voices in our parliament are just some of the achievements we have amassed over the years. […]
What Makes a Story Scary?
With Halloween and the spooky season coming up, Young Goodman Brown (YGB) by Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the first few stories to come to my mind. I remember feeling rather uneasy upon finishing it, pondering over a myriad of unanswered questions. Whether it was the haunting images or the inconclusive ending, something about the […]