Reading

I'm (finally) getting back into reading. Ever since reading "A Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, I haven't really been tempted to read anything. I attempted "Frost" by Thomas Bernhard, but the grim Austrian landscapes described in that book made me feel rather weary, therefore my enthusiasm was soon shot down. 

Seeing as I have a real lack of hobbies and possibly ADD, I decided that reading is something that I should try to pursue. Reading is also extremely versatile, it can be done anywhere and can be a real lifesaver. Awkward conversations, blank moments, waiting times and boredom can be reduced by a vast rate (on a daily basis), while learning something.

My first two years of uni saw me ignoring the reading lists, preferring to focus on last minute revision via sparknotes. I am still surprised by the marks my professors thought that I deserved (without reading the text), but will not count on a fluke this time round. I am making an effort to read all the texts before seminars and lectures - 'effort' is an ill-fitting choice as I have discovered that I quite enjoy reading. I have been busy reading books for my "Gender, Race and Sexuality" course:


'L'Etranger' and 'La Femme Adultére' (short story) by Albert Camus
'L'Immoraliste' by André Gide

Unfortunately, it seems that getting hold of two books by Assia Djebar is proving rather tricky - but I can enjoy 'Les Femmes d'Algiers dans leurs appartments' on googlebooks instead.
Painting of the same name by Eugene Delacroix:

I thoroughly enjoyed "Lettres Persanes" by Montesquieu which was all about the repression of women in Oriental harems and problems which arise from repression of sexuality in general, therefore this book about the compartmentalisation of women in Algeria between 1958 to 1978 will prove to be fascinating. I managed to read 'Mademoiselle de Maupin' by Théophile Gautier on googlebooks last year under high exam-time pressure, so this should prove to be a stroll in the park. 

Female emancipation: what a topic! and indeed: 

I know it's a poster for cigarettes, but the message still stands for me: women in the West have come a long way. This is a rather large topic and after reading about the repression of women in Algeria, I may well be better informed and therefore able to create some sort of coherent argument. 
But for now, dinner has been placed infront of me.