disease and illness in literature

My year in books

Here are some random thoughts about a few things I read this year. Best book I read: I’m going to give this one to A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, which is a modern(ish) retelling of King Lear set on a farm in Iowa. It works way better than that sentence suggests. Smiley masterfully creates layer uponContinue reading “My year in books”

Two books about diseases and public health

I’ve mentioned a few times that my research focus during my MA was disease (specifically rabies) and the Victorian novel. I’m still very interested in diseases in general, especially how we construct narratives of disease and how these narratives—often deeply ingrained—influence our ideas about public health. Old (research) habits die hard: whenever I see a newContinue reading “Two books about diseases and public health”

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

I finished a book! Only 48 to go. Unfortunately, this was the easiest read on the list. It’s all 800-page Victorian novels from here on out. A survey of the available covers. I love the middle one with its creepy house and bloody tree. Gillian Flynn is pretty hot right now. She’s aContinue reading “Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn”