Robert Bruce

LATEST ARTICLES ( 529 )

• The Isolation of Mr. Biswas

  Yeah, I’m not a big fan of V.S. Naipaul, the person. But, man, can that dude write.The poetic nature of his writing reminds me a little of Fitzgerald. Here’s... Read more

  Posted on 22 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Infographic: When Did Famous Authors Publish Their Breakthrough Novels?

  

  This is a fascinating infographic that was sent my way.The graphic shows the age at which dozens of famous authors wrote their first book, their first... Read more

  Posted on 21 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Worst Quotes From V.S. Naipaul

  A couple of weeks ago, I laid out some of V.S. Naipaul’s best quotes—of which there are many.But many of us might know Naipaul from the long list of... Read more

  Posted on 20 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• What’s The Most Difficult Novel You’ve Read?

  What’s the most difficult novel you’ve ever read?With that question, I don’t mean the “book you hated most.”I think you can like a book while simultaneously... Read more

  Posted on 19 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Let’s Try This Again…On Monday

  Sorry for the sporadic posting this week, guys. I’ve actually had the flu, and I’ve been down for the count. Since we just came off Christmas break, I... Read more

  Posted on 15 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Do You Have Any Reading Goals This Year?

  This year, I’d like to reach book #90 on the Time list.Over the last few years, my pace has slowed, but 12 more books by the end of the year is a reasonable... Read more

  Posted on 13 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• This Is My 1,000th Post.

  So I just clicked on the “publish” button for the 1,000th time since I started 101 Books on August 30, 2010. (Here’s the first post. Read more

  Posted on 09 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Best Quotes From V.S. Naipaul

  Although I’m really enjoying A House for Mr. Biswas, I haven’t had a lot of good things to say about V.S. Naipaul as a person (although his Nobel speech was... Read more

  Posted on 08 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• What If Ayn Rand Reviewed Children’s Movies?

  I love poking fun of Ayn Rand. Since the recent Ayn Rand resurgence thanks to the Tea Party, it’s just too easy.Today, though, I don’t intend to poke fun at... Read more

  Posted on 07 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Mr. Biswas And His “Nagging” Wife

  I’ve mentioned before, specifically in this post, about V.S. Naipaul’s misogynistic reputation.Now, granted, A House for Mr. Biswas is my first experience... Read more

  Posted on 06 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Looking Back On 2014

  Here’s the official 101 Books annual report from WordPress.If you’re a stats junkie like me, then you might find this interesting. Read more

  Posted on 05 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• #1 In 2014: The Harvard Library Owns Books Bound With Human Skin

  * 101 Books is out of office this week. But all week I am featuring the top 5 most popular NEW posts (by traffic) in 2014. I’ll return with new posts on... Read more

  Posted on 02 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• #2 In 2014: The Wake-Up Times Of Famous Authors

  

  * 101 Books is out of office this week. But all week I am featuring the top 5 most popular NEW posts (by traffic) in 2014. I’ll return with new posts on... Read more

  Posted on 01 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• #3 In 2014: What Does It Mean To Be “Well Read?”

  * 101 Books is out of office this week. But all week I am featuring the top 5 most popular NEW posts (by traffic) in 2014. I’ll return with new posts on... Read more

  Posted on 31 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• #4 In 2014: Harry Potter Readers Are Stupid

  * 101 Books is out of office this week. But all week I am featuring the top 5 most popular NEW posts (by traffic) in 2014. I’ll return with new posts on... Read more

  Posted on 30 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• #5 In 2014: This Terrible Book Cover Deserves Its Own Post

  

  * 101 Books is out of office this week. But all week I am featuring the top 5 most popular NEW posts (by traffic) in 2014. I’ll return with new posts on... Read more

  Posted on 29 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays!

  I hope you guys will be drinking a nice beverage and curling up with your favorite book over the next few days.Or, like me, staying up until some ungodly hour o... Read more

  Posted on 23 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• V.S. Naipaul And His Crappy Watch

  In 2001, V.S. Naipaul won the Nobel Prize for Literature.As is customary, Naipaul was asked to give a short, two-minute speech. And as far as stuffy Nobel... Read more

  Posted on 18 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• What’s Your Favorite Christmas Movie?

  With today’s Monday Question, let’s take the focus off books and talk about movies.So what’s your favorite Christmas movie?So many to choose from, right? Read more

  Posted on 15 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The 101 Books 2014 Christmas Gift Guide

  

  Last year’s 101 Books Christmas Gift Guide was a moderate success so let’s give it another go.I try to get a little creative with these. Read more

  Posted on 12 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE