The Content Reader

We are half way through the Novellas in November, hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck , and this is my first post. I did manage to read a novella för the first three weeks,  1 – 7 November: Short Classics - The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann - I really loved this book and Hoffmann's writing. A mystery, dark and spooky tale. The Sandman is a folklore character who is said to throw sand in the eyes of children to help them fall asleep. The protagonist and narrator is Nathanael, most likely suffering from post traumatic stress due to an encounter with the sandman in his childhood. The whole story has a dark, psychological and unreal touch taking us into another world. What is real and what is suggested by our thoughts? 8 – 14 November: Novellas in Translation - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka  -   for someone like me who do not like insects it was a rather terrifying read. What does Kafka want to say with the novel? Alienation: people who are different are loo...

  Coming up shortly is Novellas in November  hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . Cathy and Rebecca have set a category for each week – there are no rules as such (although they suggest that 150–200 pages is the upper limit for a novella, and post-1980 as a definition of ‘contemporary’).  This year they will be hosting a buddy read throughout the month. The book chosen is Foster  by Claire Keegan. If you want to join in, you can read Foster online and review it at any point throughout the month. There is also an Irish language film version of Foster – An Cailín Ciúin – which was released this year to rave reviews and is widely tipped for an Oscar nomination. Go to their websites for more detailed info.  1 – 7 November: Short Classics (Rebecca) 8 – 14November: Novellas in Translation (Cathy) 15 – 21 November: Short Non-Fiction (Rebecca) 22 – 28 November: Contemporary Novellas (Cathy) 29/30 November: My Month in Novellas/ New to my TBR I ca...