books

1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1901.</p><p>The first Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded, to French poet Sully Prudhomme.</p><p>He devoted the bulk of the money he received to the creation of a poetry prize awarded by the Société des gens de lettres. He also founded, in 1902, the Société des poètes français with Jose-Maria de Heredia and Leon Dierx.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Prudhomme" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Prudhomme"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Pr</span><span class="invisible">udhomme</span></a></p><p>Books by Sully Prudhomme at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7695" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7695"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/7695</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Sully-Prudhomme, René François Armand Prudhomme, known as (1839 - 1907), french writer.

In such portraits, he wears a suit with a high-collared shirt and tie, consistent with the fashion of the late 1800s. His facial features, including a prominent mustache and neatly groomed hair, contribute to the dignified and intellectual aura often associated with prominent writers of his time.

Autograph manuscript of “Science et poésie” published in the Nouvelle Revue internationale in 1898, then in Épaves in 1908.

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<p>Arthur Schopenhauer’s Idealism: Is Our World Just a Dream?<br>Schopenhauer argued that the world is but an intricate dream, and what he suggested lies beyond it may shock you.</p><p>By Maysara Kamal</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/arthur-schopenhauers-idealism-is-our-world-just-a-dream/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/arthur-schopenhauers-idealism-is-our-world-just-a-dream/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/arthur-sc</span><span class="invisible">hopenhauers-idealism-is-our-world-just-a-dream/</span></a></p><p>Books by Arthur Schopenhauer at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/3648</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/philosophy/" rel="tag">#philosophy</a></p>

Schopenhauer portrait.

A portrait of Arthur Schopenhauer typically depicts the German philosopher with a serious and introspective demeanor, reflecting his profound and often somber philosophy. His distinctive physical features include a high forehead, sharp cheekbones, and piercing eyes that suggest a deep intellectual presence.

Schopenhauer is often shown wearing formal 19th-century attire, such as a dark coat, white shirt, and cravat, emphasizing his scholarly persona. His hair is white and wild, framing his face in an untamed manner that has become iconic. The background in such portraits is usually subdued, with neutral tones or simple drapery, ensuring that the focus remains on the subject.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1899.</p><p>Robert Browning's book Asolando; Fancies and facts is published on the same day he dies at Ca' Rezzonico in Venice. He is buried in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.</p><p>His magnum opus, The Ring and the Book (1868–1869), is a 12-volume epic poem based on a real-life Italian murder trial. He is particularly celebrated for his dramatic monologues, which reveal the inner workings of his characters' minds.</p><p>Asolando<br><a href="https://archive.org/details/asolandofanciesf00browiala" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="archive.org/details/asolandofanciesf00browiala"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archive.org/details/asolandofa</span><span class="invisible">nciesf00browiala</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/146" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/146"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/146</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Portrait by Herbert Rose Barraud, c. 1888.

A portrait of Robert Browning, the renowned Victorian poet, depicts him as a dignified and thoughtful figure, reflective of his literary prowess. Browning’s distinctive features include a broad forehead, expressive eyes, and a well-groomed beard, which frames his face with an air of intellectual sophistication.

Browning’s expression is typically captured as introspective or gently engaging, embodying the dual qualities of a deep thinker and an accessible conversationalist.

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1y

<p>📣 Reminder: <a href="/tags/meaction/" rel="tag">#MEAction</a> is giving away 2 copies (one paperback, one audiobook) of the book "Pillow Writers Anthology 1: Near-Life Experiences"</p><p>Their "Chronically Complex" podcast has extracts from the book:</p><p><a href="https://www.meaction.net/chronically-complex-meaction-podcast/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.meaction.net/chronically-complex-meaction-podcast/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.meaction.net/chronically-c</span><span class="invisible">omplex-meaction-podcast/</span></a></p><p>Deadline for entry is December 15, winners will be selected the next day</p><p>I can't find an announcement on the <a href="/tags/meaction/" rel="tag">#MEAction</a> website but here's a link to what they posted on Bluesky:</p><p><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/meactnet.bsky.social/post/3lbkjfa4w6c2t" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bsky.app/profile/meactnet.bsky.social/post/3lbkjfa4w6c2t"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bsky.app/profile/meactnet.bsky</span><span class="invisible">.social/post/3lbkjfa4w6c2t</span></a></p><p>@mecfs </p><p><a href="/tags/mecfs/" rel="tag">#MEcfs</a> <a href="/tags/pwme/" rel="tag">#PwME</a> <a href="/tags/neisvoid/" rel="tag">#NEISvoid</a> <a href="/tags/writers/" rel="tag">#Writers</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/giveaway/" rel="tag">#Giveaway</a></p>

Free Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a free paperback copy of the book (limited to the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Canada and Italy) and another winner will receive a free copy of the audiobook (limited to the US and UK).

* Listen to the episode.
* Email podcast@meaction.net by December 15th with "Pillow Writers Giveaway" as the subject heading.
* Please indicate whether you'd prefer the audiobook, paperback, or either version.
* Please include your name, and if you preference is for the paperback, please list your home address so we can mail it to you if you win.

The deadline for entries is December 15th. The winners will be selected the next day.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1854.</p><p>Wilkie Collins's "The Lawyer's Story of a Stolen Letter", published as "The Fourth Poor Traveller" in The Seven Poor Travellers – the Household Words special Christmas number – is the first non-police detective fiction published in Britain.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkie_Collins" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkie_Collins"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkie_C</span><span class="invisible">ollins</span></a></p><p>The Lawyer's Story of a Stolen Letter at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1626" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1626</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The Seven Poor Travellers by Wilkie Collins.

Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, Christmas 1854, p. 1.

https://archive.org/details/householdwords10dick/page/1/mode/1up?q=seven+poor

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What I'm reading tonight: Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan

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<p>"Man is not truly one, but truly two."</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> (and January 9) in 1886.</p><p>Robert Louis Stevenson's horror novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde appears in New York and London. Almost 40,000 copies are sold in the first six months. By 1901, it was estimated to have sold over 250,000 copies in the United States.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Case_of_Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Case_of_Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_</span><span class="invisible">Case_of_Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde</span></a></p><p>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/43</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Title page of the first London edition (1886) of
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

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167d

Do the 2000's Hugo Winners Still Hold Up?

watch?v=wBR9W3jsORA

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1911.</p><p>The U.K. Copyright Act consolidates copyright law in the British Empire and confirms the six libraries to which a copy of every book published in the U.K. must be deposited by the publisher: the British Museum Library (London); the Bodleian Library (Oxford); the Advocates Library (Edinburgh); the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth); Trinity College Dublin; and Cambridge University Library.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Act_1911" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Act_1911"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyrigh</span><span class="invisible">t_Act_1911</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/copyright/" rel="tag">#copyright</a></p>

Cover page of the British Copyright Act 1911, also known as the Imperial Copyright Act of 1911. "Part I Imperial Copyright. Rights. 1.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, copyright shall subsist throughout the parts of His Majesty’s dominions to which this Act extends for the term hereinafter mentioned in every original literary dramatic music and artists work, if..."

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134d

<p>Ebook and paperback: <a href="https://books2read.com/TheInvertedGlass" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="books2read.com/TheInvertedGlass"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">books2read.com/TheInvertedGlas</span><span class="invisible">s</span></a></p><p>After encountering the worst life has to offer, including the death of his wife and child, destruction of his home world, an addiction forced on him by the one responsible and a third of the galaxy falling under the heel of that tyrant, Levi Jacobs, a wizard, seeks to unravel the secrets of time and fate.</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span><br><a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#indieauthor</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#sff</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefantasy/" rel="tag">#sciencefantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

(Left) The cover of The Inverted Glass, by Owen Tyme.

The Background is a pink and purple nebula in space.

The foreground is largely line art, in white, with a black shadow outline.

At the center is an hourglass. The bottom has black sand, with a white figure standing in it. The top has is an inverted mirror image of the bottom, with a black figure in white sand.

The hourglass serves as the balance point for a set of scales, which hold a heart and a feather. The heart is on the left and the feather on the right. The heart is lower than the feather.

(Right) Lying in blue sand is a heart made of the same sand, full of cracks. It glows from the inside in a warm, yellow color. Over that is the following quote:

Nicole felt an extreme kind of loss, realizing she’d been stolen away from the afterlife, just before finding out if she deserved punishment or not!

“How dare you do this to me? Why?”

“I’m always in need of strong spirits and I’ve seen none stronger. You have unique talents I refuse to see go to waste.”

(Bottom) https://books2read.com/TheInvertedGlass

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1y

<p>Replicating Shakespearean-era printing brings its own dramas and comedy</p><p>This video from the London Review of Books (LRB) celebrates the Folio’s 400th anniversary by documenting an audacious attempt to replicate the methods used to print the book at the time of its original release.</p><p><a href="https://aeon.co/videos/replicating-shakespearean-era-printing-brings-its-own-dramas-and-comedy" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="aeon.co/videos/replicating-shakespearean-era-printing-brings-its-own-dramas-and-comedy"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">aeon.co/videos/replicating-sha</span><span class="invisible">kespearean-era-printing-brings-its-own-dramas-and-comedy</span></a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Folio" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Folio"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fo</span><span class="invisible">lio</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/oldprinting/" rel="tag">#oldprinting</a></p>

The title page of the First Folio of William Shakespeare's plays.

The title page prominently features an engraved portrait of Shakespeare, created by Martin Droeshout, a relatively young engraver at the time.

The portrait depicts Shakespeare with a high forehead, a mustache, and a goatee, wearing a doublet with a wide lace collar.
The engraving has been both praised and critiqued for its accuracy. Ben Jonson, in his introductory poem to the Folio, vouched for its likeness, calling it a "true representation" of Shakespeare.

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<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1824.</p><p>The first issue of a radical quarterly founded by Jeremy Bentham, The Westminster Review, is published in London.</p><p>It was published from 1824 to 1914. James Mill was one of the driving forces behind the liberal journal until 1828. Some notable contributors: George Eliot, Harriet Martineau, John Stuart Mill, Mary Shelley, Herbert Spencer, John Tyndall, Caroline Cornwallis, Julia Wedgwood, Elizabeth Clarke Wolstenholme Elmy. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Westminster_Review" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Westminster_Review"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_West</span><span class="invisible">minster_Review</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Frontispiece of The Westminster review v.1 1824.

Full copies are available at Hathi Trust Digital Library:
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008893449

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<p>HAPPY PUBLIC DOMAIN DAY!</p><p>Books which will enter the US public domain:</p><p>William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury<br>Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms<br>Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own<br>Dashiell Hammett, Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon (as serialized in Black Mask magazine)<br>John Steinbeck, Cup of Gold (Steinbeck's first novel)<br>Richard Hughes, A High Wind in Jamaica<br>Oliver La Farge, Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story<br>Patrick Hamilton, Rope</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomain/" rel="tag">#publicdomain</a> <br>/1</p>

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<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1818.</p><p>Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus first appears anonymously in London. </p><p>Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition, which was published in Paris in 1821.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankens</span><span class="invisible">tein</span></a></p><p>1818 edition at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445</a><br>1831 edition<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/42324" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/42324</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Title page of first edition of Frankenstein, Volume I.

Author Mary Shelley; publisher Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones

It includes the following details:

Title: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Volume Information: "In Three Volumes."
Quotation: A quote from Paradise Lost by John Milton:
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?

Volume Number: "VOL. I."
Publication Details:
Published in London.
Printed for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, located at Finsbury Square.
Year of Publication: 1818.

Victor Frankenstein becoming disgusted at his creation. Illustration from the frontispiece of the 1831 edition. Steel engraving (993 x 71mm) to the revised edition of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, published by Colburn and Bentley, London 1831. The novel was first published in 1818.

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1y

<p>Just finished creating cover designs for the 12 days promo Christine and I are launching on DEC 20th. We're offering 12 days of free downloads, ranging from energy audits, mindfulness exercises, manifesting, sales/business playbooks AND MORE. The retail value of the offerings ranges from $97-$497 each. </p><p>Want to learn more? Register for free:</p><p><a href="https://meetfutureu.com/sign-up-for-futureu-updates/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="meetfutureu.com/sign-up-for-futureu-updates/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">meetfutureu.com/sign-up-for-fu</span><span class="invisible">tureu-updates/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/life/" rel="tag">#life</a> <a href="/tags/selfcare/" rel="tag">#selfCare</a> <a href="/tags/mentalhealth/" rel="tag">#mentalHealth</a> <a href="/tags/adhd/" rel="tag">#ADHD</a> <a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

Branded art for FutureU Co-Lab group coaching 12 days of Christmas offerings. Various covers of the free courses are arranged, with a person standing at the left of frame “holding” one of covers. Topics range from reframing mindset, managing uncertainty, profitability, week at a glance, intentions and creating a vision board.

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214d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/1K96Lbx17KNZhgebh4brNu" rel="nofollow">The Strangest Criminals: A Funny and Heartwarming Cosy Fantasy Mystery About Crime, Magic, and Found Family</a> 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 <br>by Blake Polden.</p><p>In a world where the Occult lives along side the Ordinary, a magical mafia family turns bad. Has potential, with some fresh creativity, but the writing is too choppy & disrupted.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#SFF</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://wyrms.de/user/wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>wildwoila@wyrms.de</span></a></span><br></p>

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214d

<p>Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure criticised university elitism – it still rings true today</p><p>by Shelley Galpin</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/thomas-hardys-jude-the-obscure-criticised-university-elitism-it-still-rings-true-today-266009" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/thomas-hardys-jude-the-obscure-criticised-university-elitism-it-still-rings-true-today-266009"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/thomas-har</span><span class="invisible">dys-jude-the-obscure-criticised-university-elitism-it-still-rings-true-today-266009</span></a></p><p>Jude the Obscure at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/153" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/153</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Hardy - Jude the Obscure, 1896.

The illustration depicts a dramatic indoor scene with three figures. On the left, partially visible through what appears to be a doorway, is a man in formal Victorian attire with a bow tie, holding what looks like a candle or lamp, illuminating the scene. In the center and right of the composition stand two other figures - a man in dark clothing and a woman in a light-colored blouse or dress with a dark skirt, both dressed in typical late 19th-century fashion.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Jude_the_Obscure#/media/File:Hardy_-_Jude_the_Obscure,_1896_(page_135_crop).jpg

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<p>Rare set of varied factors triggered Black Death</p><p>Volcanic eruptions in the mid-1340s triggered a chain of events that brought the Black Death to Europe.</p><p>by Jennifer Ouellette </p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/12/how-volcanoes-helped-spark-the-black-death/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="arstechnica.com/science/2025/12/how-volcanoes-helped-spark-the-black-death/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">arstechnica.com/science/2025/1</span><span class="invisible">2/how-volcanoes-helped-spark-the-black-death/</span></a></p><p>Original paper:<br><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02964-0" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02964-0"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nature.com/articles/s43247</span><span class="invisible">-025-02964-0</span></a></p><p>The Black Death at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/698" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/698"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/698</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/environment/" rel="tag">#environment</a> <a href="/tags/epidemiology/" rel="tag">#epidemiology</a></p>

Pieter Bruegel's The Triumph of Death reflects the social upheaval and terror that followed the plague in medieval Europe.

A moral work depicting Death's triumph over worldly things, symbolized by a great army of skeletons ravaging the Earth. In the background is a barren landscape where scenes of destruction continue to unfold. In the foreground, Death, riding a red horse at the head of his armies, destroys the world of the living, who are led to an enormous coffin with no hope of salvation. All social classes are included in the composition, with neither power nor devotion able to save them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death#/media/File:The_Triumph_of_Death_by_Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder.jpg

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1y

<p>"Thus, after pursuing those images, I overtook them. Now I know that I invented them. But inventing is a creation, not a lie."<br>La coscienza di Zeno (1923)</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1928.</p><p>Italo Svevo (Aron Schmitz), returning from an Alpine resort to Trieste, suffers a car accident. He dies next day leaving his novel Il Vegliardo (The Old Man) unfinished in mid-word.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Svevo" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Svevo"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Sv</span><span class="invisible">evo</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Italo Svevo with the preliminary draft of A Life (1892).

Svevo is depicted as a refined, intellectual figure. He has a well-groomed mustache and an intense, thoughtful gaze, reflective of his literary persona and introspective writing style.

Svevo is dressed in formal, period-appropriate clothing, including:
A dark suit jacket and waistcoat.

A white shirt and bow tie, which enhance the formality of his appearance.

A stylish boater hat, which adds a touch of elegance and aligns with late 19th-century European fashion trends.

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1y

<p>"THE times that tried men's souls," are over- and the greatest and completest revolution the world ever knew, gloriously and happily accomplished."</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1776.</p><p>Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled "The American Crisis". Paine signed the pamphlets with the pseudonym, "Common Sense".</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Crisis" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Crisis"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amer</span><span class="invisible">ican_Crisis</span></a></p><p>The American Crisis at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3741" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3741</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

An image of the first page from the first edition of The American Crisis, a pamphlet authored by Thomas Paine.

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213d

<p>What January taught George Orwell about control and resistance</p><p>Like many of us, George Orwell saw January as a month to be endured rather than enjoyed. You can picture him steeling himself against its cold, gloom, rain, frost and wind.</p><p>by Nathan Waddell</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-january-taught-george-orwell-about-control-and-resistance-272860" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/what-january-taught-george-orwell-about-control-and-resistance-272860"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/what-janua</span><span class="invisible">ry-taught-george-orwell-about-control-and-resistance-272860</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Picture of George Orwell which appears in an old accreditation for the BNUJ.

Orwell has dark, neatly combed hair swept back from a high forehead, a thin moustache, and a slender face with pronounced cheekbones. His expression is serious and composed, with a direct, steady gaze. He appears to be wearing a jacket over a collared shirt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell#/media/File:George_Orwell_press_photo.jpg

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1864 (until April 16).</p><p>James Payn publishes his most popular story, Lost Sir Massingberd, in Chambers's Journal. He follows it in the magazine (August 6 – December 24) by Married Beneath Him. Lost Sir Massingberd was published as a book in two volumes in 1864.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Sir_Massingberd" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Sir_Massingberd"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Sir</span><span class="invisible">_Massingberd</span></a></p><p>Lost Sir Massingberd at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37170" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37170</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37171" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37171</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Title page of Lost Sir Massingberd.

The book is in two volumes, with this being Volume I.
Published in London by Sampson Low, Son, and Marston, located at 14, Ludgate Hill, in 1864.
It includes the note: "[The Right of Translation is Reserved.]".

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214d

<p>Peter Kropotkin’s Memoirs of a Revolutionist (1899)</p><p>“Many a man and many a woman have accomplished a great life-work without having led a great life”, the influential Danish literary critic Georg Brandes wrote in his introduction to Peter Kropotkin’s 1899 Memoirs of a Revolutionist. “Many people are interesting, although their lives may have been quite insignificant and commonplace. Kropotkin’s life is both great and interesting”.</p><p>Book at PG:</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73882" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73882</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Drawing of Peter Kropotkin.

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119d

<p>Another notable & interesting title mentioned in our April's newsletter:</p><p>A brief outline of the history of libraries by Justus Lipsius<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78256/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78256/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78256</span><span class="invisible">/</span></a></p><p>Written in 1602, Lipsius's Syntagma de Bibliothecis is a short Latin scholarly treatise tracing the history of libraries from antiquity. It surveys the great libraries of the ancient world — Egyptian, Greek, and Roman — describing their origins, collections, and fates.</p><p>PG's April newsletter:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/newsletter/" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/newsletter/</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/bibliography/" rel="tag">#bibliography</a></p>

A decorative title page printed in red and black. An architectural frame is flanked by two classical draped female figures holding garlands with tassels. At the top, a medallion contains a bust of Athena wearing a helmet. At the bottom, stacks of books flank an oval cartouche bearing the publisher's details.
The title reads: Literature of Libraries in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, V, edited by John Cotton Dana and Henry W. Kent, published by A. C. McClurg and Company, Chicago, 1907.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/78256/pg78256-images.html

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1y

<p>"Nothing is stranger to man than his own image."</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1921.</p><p>World premiere of the science fiction play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti) by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a theater in Hradec Králové. It introduced the word "robot" to the English language and to science fiction as a whole.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R</a>.</p><p>R.U.R. at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/59112" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/59112</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

Cover of the first edition of R.U.R. by Karel Čapek.

Unknown author - Karel Čapek: R.U.R.: Rosumovi Univerzální Roboti. Vydalo Aventinum, Prague 1920. via answcdn.com

This is the cover of the first edition of "R.U.R." (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek, a Czech playwright and author. Published in 1920, this science fiction drama is famous for introducing the word "robot" to the world. The play explores themes of industrialization, artificial intelligence, and the potential dangers of technological advancement.

Edited 1y ago

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