Robert Bruce

LATEST ARTICLES ( 529 )

• Next Up: To The Lighthouse

  Hey y’all. It’s time to preview my 89th book, To The Lighthouse by my old dear friend Virginia Woolf.As I’ve mentioned many times here on the blog, I wasn’t a... Read more

  Posted on 22 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Book 88: At Swim Two-Birds

  88 books down.This one was a bit difficult for me to endure. It’s essentially three stories in one. The first, autobiographical, is about an unnamed Irish Lit... Read more

  Posted on 13 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• 9 Donald Trump Tweets About Famous Authors

  I’m not sure how much President Trump reads. But I do know one thing is certain—the man loves to tweet. And he loves to tweet, as Jimmy Kimmel put it at the... Read more

  Posted on 06 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• So What’s Next?

  So here’s where we stand in the 101 Books project.Before my hiatus, I started At Swim Two Birds, so I’ve made good headway into that and will hopefully finish i... Read more

  Posted on 27 February 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Is This Thing On?

  Hey. It’s me. Robert.How are you?So this is one of those dumb blog posts where the writer is like “Hey, sorry for not posting in X weeks. But I’m back and... Read more

  Posted on 22 February 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Next Up: At Swim Two Birds

  Anyone ever heard of this novel? I haven’t, not until I first saw it on the list.So I’m diving in on this one blind. Wikipedia tells me this novel is about an... Read more

  Posted on 05 August 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Book #87: The Painted Bird

  Almost every novel on the Time list is dark in some way. Some more than others, of course, but they all have that element of darkness.None of them, though, reac... Read more

  Posted on 20 July 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• A Quick Note on the Blog

  No, I know my posts are sporadicly sporadic–but much to your chagrin, I’m not quitting.I am, however, taking a small break ( I know what you’re thinking, Isn’t... Read more

  Posted on 01 July 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Painted Bird: Memoir Or Fiction?

  Did you ever hear the one about Jerzy Kosinski passing off The Painted Bird as a memoir?Yeah, that kind of happened.Here’s how our always trustworthy friends... Read more

  Posted on 24 June 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Terrible Things Happen in This Book

  Let’s talk about The Painted Bird.If you read my preview, you’ll remember that our protagonist in this novel is an orphaned six-year-old boy during World War 2. Read more

  Posted on 10 June 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Next Up: The Painted Bird

  Just when I thought this list of books couldn’t get any more depressing, in steps The Painted Bird. This novel by Jerzy Kasinski is the story of an orphaned,... Read more

  Posted on 02 June 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Book #86: The Heart of the Matter

  This book.I don’t know what I expected coming into The Heart of the Matter. I’ve already read The Power and the Glory, which I currently have ranked 27 out of... Read more

  Posted on 27 May 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Bookish Pet Peeve #11: The Interrupter

  Imagine with me, if you will:Crashing waves. Sandy beach. Shaded umbrella. Light breeze. Margarita. Entrancing novel. Maybe a dozing husband or wife by your... Read more

  Posted on 13 May 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Read This Passage Before You Cheat On Your Spouse

  Graham Greene, y’all. The man is such a brilliant writer.I want to share one more passage with you before I wrap this book up soon and move on to the next one. Read more

  Posted on 06 May 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• One Powerful Quote About Forgiveness

  As I’m working through Graham Greene’s famous novel, The Heart of the Matter, I’m reminded of how incredible a novelist this man was.He might’ve been a bit of... Read more

  Posted on 22 April 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Shirley Temple – Graham Greene Connection

  I know things have been slow here at 101 Books lately, and obviously that’s my fault. Season of life, family and work responsibilities, and all that.I fully... Read more

  Posted on 15 April 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• George Orwell Wasn’t A Fan Of This Graham Greene Novel

  How would you like to have your novel—that novel you spent years working on—reviewed by George Orwell?This would be like making your best risotto and serving... Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Next Up: The Heart of the Matter

  Here’s to book #86: The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene.If you’ve been around this blog for a while, you might remember Greene from The Power and the Glory... Read more

  Posted on 25 March 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Book #85: Play It As It Lays

  Have you ever known where a novel’s plot was going before it got there?Sadly, I had a pretty good feeling how Play It As It Lays was headed just a few dozen... Read more

  Posted on 18 March 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE

• 20 Reasons Why Donald Trump Should Never Be President

  One astute blog commenter once said that this blog was “the death of art and meaning.” I kind of took that as a compliment. Do you understand the type of power ... Read more

  Posted on 04 March 2016 BOOKS, CULTURE