LovelyMay
Stories
93
Chapters
1,516
Words
6.7 M
Comments
0
Reading
23 d, 5 h
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To a Young American Book-Hunter, the journey begins with far more than just shelves and spines—it opens with a recognition of solitude, joy, and the curious discipline that collecting demands. A letter sent to Philip Dodsworth speaks not only with encouragement but with gentle caution. The writer understands how easy it is to be swept away by the charm of books, the smell of paper, and the pride of acquisition. Yet enthusiasm can lead to cluttered shelves and hollow purchases when one lacks a focused…-
72.7 K • Ongoing
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Rochefoucauld stands as one of literature’s sharpest critics of human behavior, wielding his pen like a scalpel to dissect motives and strip sentiment to its skeleton. Writing to Lady Violet Lebas, the author offers an appreciation of the elegance in Rochefoucauld’s prose but raises concern over the bleakness of his conclusions. The maxims, while brilliantly phrased, often cast suspicion on kindness, suggesting it stems not from generosity but from vanity or fear. This persistent reduction of all human…
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72.7 K • Ongoing
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Of Vers De Societe opens with a pointed response to Mr. Gifted Hopkins, whose poetic attempt is critiqued not out of malice, but out of a desire for refinement. The form he attempted, though seemingly light, demands more than charm—it calls for a subtle mastery of tone, wit, and restraint. Unlike other poetic expressions where emotion may roam free, society verse must flirt with feeling without ever losing its composure. The Greeks, despite their lyrical prowess, left little to this genre due to the…
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72.7 K • Ongoing
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On Vers De Société opens a thoughtful exploration into the delicate craft of sociable poetry, the kind meant not for grand epics or deep philosophical contemplation, but for gentle wit, refined charm, and light emotional touch. Rather than originate in the ancient worlds of Greece or Rome, where societal hierarchies and the exclusion of women shaped cultural expression, this genre blossomed later in the elegant courts of France. It was there, in an atmosphere of leisure, subtle flirtation, and cultivated…
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72.7 K • Ongoing
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Gerard de Nerval represents a rare literary figure whose allure lies in the dreamlike quality of his prose and the deep melancholy that permeates his work. In this reflection, shared with Miss Girton of Cambridge, the writer attempts to explain why Nerval remains somewhat inaccessible to many readers, particularly those unacquainted with his abstract take on emotion. It is not a matter of intelligence or gender but rather a question of sensibility—Nerval speaks most clearly to those who feel more than…
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72.7 K • Ongoing
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"ON BOOKS ABOUT RED MEN" opens with a tone of warm nostalgia, where a gentleman writes to a young schoolboy, Dick, about his own youthful fascination with stories of Native American life. The writer recalls days spent pretending to be an “Indian,” trying and failing to make a tomahawk or mimic Hiawatha’s rituals. He shares that the stories weren’t just imaginative fuel but sources of great enthusiasm—so much so that he once stuffed a peace pipe with tea leaves and promptly sickened himself. What…
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72.7 K • Ongoing
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Appendix I introduces readers to a lively moment in 19th-century literary history through an exploration of John Hamilton Reynolds’s spirited parody, Peter Bell: A Lyrical Ballad. This playful mockery took aim at William Wordsworth’s poetic style, anticipating the release of Wordsworth’s actual Peter Bell. Reynolds, deeply embedded in the literary culture of the time, crafted his parody with a mix of irritation and amusement, especially targeting the solemn tone and rustic simplicity that had come to…
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Appendix II turns its gaze to the elusive visual identity of two towering figures in Roman poetry: Virgil and Lucretius. The text journeys through the tangled efforts to reconstruct their appearances, not through surviving sculptures or death masks, but from scattered and fragile artifacts that leave more to imagination than fact. For Virgil, we are offered no reliable marble bust or preserved likeness; instead, hope rests in ancient manuscripts, particularly a well-known one housed in the Vatican. This…
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72.7 K • Ongoing
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Prologue begins not with adventure, but with disbelief. The narrator paints a scene where science meets skepticism, his tale unwelcome in the hallowed halls of established geology. After approaching a Fellow of the Royal Geological Society, he quickly finds his astonishing narrative dismissed, not for lack of detail or sincerity, but because it dares to defy accepted knowledge. The more he insisted on the truth, the more resistance he met, as though science had built walls too thick to let wonder in. Yet,…-
68.9 K • Ongoing
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Chapter I begins with David Innes reflecting on the pivotal decisions that led to the most unimaginable experience of his life. As the inheritor of a vast mining fortune, David chose to invest in innovation, particularly in a groundbreaking invention developed by his partner, Perry. The older scientist had designed a steel machine known as the “iron mole,” capable of drilling deep into the Earth’s crust—a marvel of engineering aimed at revolutionizing resource extraction. Fueled by ambition and…
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68.9 K • Ongoing
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