Fargo: classic flyover country For most of my life, I have lived in cities. Not New York, not London, not Seattle, not Houston: those places are too large and sophisticated for me. I live in flyover country. You know these cities, or do not. Some have gutted-out centers and a pinwheel of thriving suburbs; in…

Thornfield Hall | A Book Blog

25.04.2025

Jocasta’s Wisdom in Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” – Thornfield Hall

THIS ISN'T A POST, SO MUCH AS NOTES After shuddering through the first half of Sophocles' gory tragedy, I thanked the gods for the appearance of Jocasta, the most sensible character in Oedipus Rex. In case you are unfamiliar with Oedipus, he fled his hometown because of a prophecy that he would kill his father…

Thornfield Hall | A Book Blog

26.04.2025

Living off the Grid: Annika Norling’s “The Colony” – Thornfield Hall

"Here’s the thing. I don’t even like nature. I don’t like being outdoors." – Emilie in “The Colony” Annika Norling’s The Colony, translated from the Swedish by Alice E. Olsson, is one of my favorite novels so far this year. Norling explores the dynamics and isolation of a small community of outcasts living on a…

Thornfield Hall | A Book Blog

27.04.2025

To Teach or Not to Teach – Thornfield Hall

We did not worry about the future. The ideal would be to join the Peace Corps; the practical would be to work on a doctorate… forever. And then there was a third option. “Oh, God, will we have to be teachers?” A friend in Michigan taught Latin at a Catholic boys’ school. She wrote that…

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Thornfield Hall | A Book Blog

Books & Literature

Why We Live in Flyover Country – Thornfield Hall

Jocasta’s Wisdom in Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” – Thornfield Hall

Living off the Grid: Annika Norling’s “The Colony” – Thornfield Hall

To Teach or Not to Teach – Thornfield Hall

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