This winter I was pretty busy with university, but thanks to some courses I found a couple of good old classics worth sharing.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

This a novel, by James Joyce, is partly autobiographical, since he tells about his own youth through his fictional alter-ego Stephen Dedalus. Throughout the pages, young Stephen struggles to find himself and his path in the world.

I can’t say I enjoyed the plot that much, but it’s incredibly well written. Joyce has a very particular way with words; his work is worth reading.

But remember: this is not a very easy read, so don’t do it when you’re tired.

Othello

Shakespeare returned to me with Othello.

It’s a play full of love, treason, jealousy and despair (so a classic Shakespearean tragedy). It tells the tale of the Moor of Venice, his wife Desdemona and his friend Cassio, and their misadventures at the hands of the traitor Iago.

I recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good, quick classic.

End of the Game

My beloved Julio Cortázar also made an appearance this winter with End of the Game & other stories.

This collection has 18 very original totally Cortazar short stories. They are darker than the Cronopios and Famas, but I had a lot of fun reading them, as always.

I’ll be reading more of Cortázar this year, so you’ve been warned.