Shakespeare

I have just read this book about Shakespeare and it was quite enjoyable and accessible. But I love Bill Bryson´s books in general. And I love Shakespeare. So, perhaps I am being a bit biased here.

By the way, have you seen this site about Shakespeare? If you like The Bard, you must!

Also, check this site where you can listen to Shakespeare´s sonnets.

The British Library

The British Library has got a fantastic website. I´ve just found out about their literature section where you can read - and listen to - manuscripts by Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen, and other great writers. Also, do not forget to check the online gallery and the site Sounds Familiar. You can listen to different accents and dialects of the UK. This is almost as good as visiting the library in London.

What makes a good short story?

Is it the plot? The language? The resolution? If you want to know more about what makes a good short story, visit this site. You will be able to read "A Jury of Her Peers", by Susan Glaspell and also learn more about the elements of a good story.

Mark Twain

Have you ever tried to learn German? Well, I have. I love the sound of the language, and to learn it properly is one of my goals. I find this short essay by Mark Twain, The Awful German Language , very interesting. You can also listen to the text here.

Katherine Mansfield

Katherine Mansfield wrote so many wonderful stories that it was difficult to choose just one to post here. I hope you enjoy The Daughters of the Late Colonel.

Also you can watch this short documentary about her life. And if you want to know more about Katherine Mansfield, you can visit her Birthplace or read about her here.

Obama Fever!

It is neither a short story nor a fairy tale, but Barack Obama´s victory means so much to so many that it is impossible to ignore what is going on in the USA today.

The other day some of my colleagues were talking about the elections and Martin Luther King´s famous speech was mentioned. You can compare it with President Obama´s victory speech.

Also you can see Barack Obama´s flickr photos here.

Fairy Tales

When did you become a reader? Like most people, my first reading books were fairy tales. They were the beginning of a lifelong passion for stories.

I was happy to find these recordings of Hans Christian Andersen´s tales. Hope you enjoy listening to them.

A. S. Byatt

Dame Antonia Susan Byatt won the Booker Prize in 1990 with her unforgettable novel Possession. She found herself at the centre of a literary controversy when she gave her opinion about the Harry Porter books.

Raw Material is a real treat. Hope you enjoy reading it.

You can visit A.S. Byatt´s website.

You can also listen to A. S. Byatt here.

Kazuo Ishiguro

I am a huge fan of Kazuo Ishiguro´s books. He is one of the writers that best encompasses British current zeitgeist. His book A Pale View of Hills is one of my favourite books of all times. I have read - and loved - all his other novels, but not his short stories. Until now, I mean.

I hope you like A Family Supper.

You can listen to the story here.

You can read an inteview with Ishiguro here.

You can buy his books here.

You can watch Kazuo Ishiguro talking about Never Let me Go here.

And you can watch my favourite scene of The Remains of the Day here (This is what happens when you have the perfect story, the perfect director and perfect actors).

Graham Greene

Graham Greene managed to be, at the same time, very popular and greatly respected by literary critics. I Hope you enjoy the irony in The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen as much as I do.

If you want to know more about Greene, you can visit his Birthplace Trust or read about him here.

Also you can listen to his famous interview to the BBC here.

Jorge Luis Borges

To say that Borges was a literary master is an understatement. His stories remain with you long after they are read. I think that "The Gospel According to Mark" is a fitting story for an All Saints' Day. My translation students may find interesting to compare this version read by Paul Theroux with the English and Spanish texts here.