Notes from the Underground

            Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was a German-American writer and poet known for depicting the harsh reality of American life. His writing is abrasive and blunt, yet often humorous, and even endearing, at times. "The Crunch" , a poem written by Bukowski, perfectly displays each of these characteristics. One of my favorites, the poem, like many of Bukowski’s poems, has been reworked and republished several different times in several different collections.  “The Crunch” is a beautiful depiction of loneliness and despair, with a touch of humor and a sliver of hope.             “Too much / too little / or not enough”, the opening words of the poem, have always caught my attention. There is something attractive in them, though I do not know what it is, that begs you to keep reading. As you continue, Bukowski brutally describes scenes of war, of isolation, and of sorrow. ...

            Parallels and Interactions between Videogames and Literature: Analyzing Harlan Ellison’s I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is the rather lengthy title of the analytical article written by one Georgios Vasilikaris, of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The article was published under the Journal of Anglophone Literature, Culture and Media in 2019. The article focuses on the comparison of Harlan Ellison’s 1967 short story I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream and its 1995 video game adaptation of the same name, and the use of video games as a storytelling medium. The article is a very well-constructed analysis, though wordy at times.             The article, which is separated into two parts, begins by introducing video games as a concept, and how they can be used as an avenue for storytelling, or even as educational devices. Vasilikaris highlights the rathe...

              Designed by New York-based graphic designer Rodrigo Corral, this cover art to Osamu Dazai’s 1948 novel, No Longer Human , is simplistic yet alluring. The cover art features an eye-catchingly bright pink background that is almost offensive, with a globular black mass resembling the silhouette of a person. The figure possesses no distinct features of a human, other than what seems to be a head and a torso. It has no face, no defining characteristics, it exists only as a featureless blob, projecting a semitransparent shadow upon the background. Knowing the plot of the story, this figure likely represents the main character’s view of himself: a vaguely human form, faceless, casting a metaphorical “shadow” on the world around him. The character (both the protagonist and the figure) deems itself unworthy of a face, something to be identified and recognized by. It wants to be forgotten. However, in its desperate attempt to remain unnoticeable, i...

            A Cup of Rage , written by Brazilian author Raduan Nassar, is a short, yet very intense drama. A drama which is acted out in seven emotional parts by two very emotional characters. The story follows a day in the life of a farmer who is in a passionate, yet extremely turbulent relationship with a younger journalist. The story focuses on an argument that breaks out between the two after the farmer discovers that ants had chewed through one of his hedges overnight. This argument, which is more of a battle of egos, becomes a furious power struggle between the two lovers. The fight is filled with cruel insults, childish mockery, and even physical altercation, but it also brings about intelligent observations on ethics, morality, politics, and identity. In the end, despite the mental and physical turmoil between the two, they are inseparable, unable to live without one another. The entire story, told beautifully by Nassar, con...

            “Mine has been a life of much shame. I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being” (21). These are the striking opening words of Osamu Dazai’s 1948 novel, No Longer Human. The story is told through the discarded notebooks of Oba Yozo, an estranged, dejected, wretched, and utterly hopeless man, and our protagonist. We follow Yozo as he navigates his way through his miserable, isolated life. This novel is one of the most bleak and utterly despairing pieces of fiction ever written, yet it is also beautiful, and you should read it.             The story opens with a prologue, featuring an unnamed narrator who, when presented with three pictures of our main character, describes his appearance as something other than human. Oba Yozo was born in a small village in Northeastern Japan to an affluent, “well-to-do” family. From an early age, Yozo felt completely discon...

     Hello everyone, my name’s Kenneth and this is “Notes from the Underground”, a blog about books. Sometimes, when you find something new that you really enjoy or care about, you want to talk about it. The purpose of this blog is just that— to discuss books that I’ve read, and cared enough about, to want to share my thoughts on them. I've always wanted somewhere to share book recommendations and to discuss my my favorite books, so this is a perfect opportunity. I also hope to introduce some new authors to other readers. I wouldn’t say that I read the most underread, underappreciated authors, but I do hope to bring some more obscure (or at least interesting) writers and works to the table. Some of my favorite authors right now include: Osamu Dazai, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Charles Bukowski. Finally, yes, the title of this blog was inspired by Dostoevsky’s book of the same name, though I’ve yet to read it (I plan to).