Reading, closely
The Journal
Essays on the books in the library, and the ideas inside them.
May 23, 2026
What is the significance of the ending of Anna Karenina?
The ending of Anna Karenina refuses consolation. Anna's death is the logical conclusion of the trap Tolstoy has constructed around her -- and his argument about what that trap was.
How to read Dostoevsky: starting points and reading order
Start with Crime and Punishment unless you have a specific reason to start elsewhere. This guide covers reading order, which translation to use, and what makes Dostoevsky hard.
Who was Ernest Hemingway and what is the iceberg theory?
Hemingway's iceberg theory is the principle that power comes from what is left out. This biography covers the theory, the wound in Italy, the Paris years, and how he died.
Classic books for people who don't usually read classics
The classics that convert non-readers of classics are the ones that are gripping, short enough to finish before losing momentum, and deal with things that have not stopped being true.
The best free reading apps in 2026
A free reading app in 2026 should give you access to a meaningful catalog, present text well, and add genuine value. These are the apps that meet that standard.
What does Jekyll and Hyde represent?
Jekyll and Hyde represents the Victorian belief that character is divided between a respectable public self and a dangerous private one -- and the terror of what happens when that division breaks down.
What to read after The Great Gatsby
The best next read after Gatsby depends on what drew you to it -- the prose, the American Dream, the era, or Fitzgerald himself. This guide covers all four directions.
Who was Joseph Conrad and why does Heart of Darkness still provoke debate?
Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness in his third language. Chinua Achebe's 1975 lecture on racism in the novella changed how it is read permanently. This biography covers both sides of that argument.
The best Oscar Wilde works to read on Foxing
Wilde published relatively little and almost all of it is first-rate. This guide covers where to start and what to read next -- including all three major works free on Foxing.
Why read the classics? The honest case for old books
The standard answers to why you should read the classics are mostly wrong. The honest case is simpler: they have been tested, they take the long view, and you might actually enjoy them.
Understanding the classics: a reader's guide to themes, symbols, and meaning
Classic literature requires a different kind of attention: more comfortable with ambiguity, more alert to formal choices. This guide covers how themes, symbols, and meaning work -- and how to find them.
The classic authors: who they were and why they still matter
The authors we still read are the ones whose understanding of human psychology and moral experience was precise enough to remain instructive after the world they described has changed.