Book Reviews

Eastern Spirit, Western Mind: How to See the World Through Poetic Eyes

Parallels between the lives of Rainer Maria Rilke and Natsume Sōseki and their path to poetic genius.

Nov 10 •

Vashik Armenikus

Brodsky: On Grief and Reason

Essays by Joseph Brodsky

Oct 20 •

Vashik Armenikus

Archetypes of Creativity: Director, Clown, and Poet.

From Faust: A Tragedy, Book I, Dedication and Prelude on the Stage.

Oct 13 •

Vashik Armenikus

How to Use Your Enemies

‘Enemies are of more use to the wise man than friends are to the fool.’

Sep 29 •

Vashik Armenikus

Petrarch or Dante: Who Will Guide You in Life?

Note: I am currently reading Joseph Luzzi’s book on Botticelli’s drawings of The Divine Comedy.

Sep 22 •

Vashik Armenikus

Nietzsche, the Armenian language, and the Search for Meaning.

The word ‘wisdom’ in the Armenian language is ‘imastutyun’ (ee-mas-tu-tyoon) which literally translates as ‘meaningfulness’.

Sep 9 •

Vashik Armenikus

Jorge Luis Borges: Why literature is ahead of science?

“Writing is nothing more than a guided dream.”

Sep 1 •

Vashik Armenikus

How to Read Like Leonardo Da Vinci?

A reader should be careful with his reading diet and try not to contaminate himself.

Aug 18 •

Vashik Armenikus

How Alexander the Great Taught me How to Live

At the age of 33, Julius Caesar stood in front of the statue of Alexander the Great and wept.

Aug 11 •

Vashik Armenikus

Undressing The Allegory Behind Lady Liberté

Reading the concealed references in Delacroix’s painting.

Aug 4 •

Vashik Armenikus

Pierre Hadot: Reading as a Spiritual Exercise

This article is the third part out of a three-part series introducing my read-along, which begins in January 2025:

Jul 28 •

Vashik Armenikus

Great Books Only: My Reading List for Next 10 Years (Part II: List Included)

Here's the list of books I am going to read one by one, year by year for the next two decades of my life.

Jul 21 •

Vashik Armenikus

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