Welcome to my Webpage!

Fyodor Dosteoevsky

    I chose Dostoevsky as the first author to bring to light because his work was of great influence. In fact, every one of the authors I have chosen to talk about on this website have been of great inspiration to me for various reasons. In particular, the book that changed my view of what great writing was meant to be and inspired me as a writer is Notes From Underground.

   This book is one of the first existentialist novels, and it is considered one of the best books of all time. It is an intriguing work with European philosophical ideas, in particular that of Nicolay Chernyshevsky. The copy I own has notes in the margins on just about every page. The story itself was not of interest to me; it is the style in which he chose to bring it to life, as well as the philosophical ideas, that truly captured my curiosity.

Victor Marie Hugo

    Victor Marie Hugo was a French author, poet, and novelist during the Romantic movement. He made his mark as one of the greatest authors of all time with his novels Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. He has inspired many authors and filmmakers for more than a century.

   Aside from writing novels, he also wrote plays, and some of his work was not published until after his death. However much world success he has acquired, Victor Hugo was also successful early in his career. His first book of poetry, Odes et Poésies Diverses, published during 1822, was well received when he was only twenty years old; and this earned him a royal pension from the King Louis XVIII. Victor Hugo was a contemporary of Dostoevsky. I came across his work when I was a student at Université de Paris, La Sorbonne, where I also read the works of Balzac, and Jean Cocteau who, like me, was also a student at La Sorbonne.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was a very influential author during his time; his work remains interesting today. Dickens’ novels and ideas can be relatable and still feel so fresh and true to our times. He was an author that was able to entice human emotion and make the reader feel like they can connect well to the story, even if such a story was set in different times. My favorite work of his is Tale of two Cities, but I also liked A Christmas Carol; and although I did not enjoy the book Great Expectations, I loved the 1998 movie directed by Alfonso Cuarón, which was based on his novel.

While I was a student at La Sorbonne, I was able to travel throughout Europe. And during one of my trips to England I was able to visit Charles Dickens’ birth home in London, as well as Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon while on my way to visit the University of Oxford, entirely in search of greater inspiration. I particularly remember the University of Oxford. It was such a lovely trip. I remember sitting on the old chairs at the library while reading original works of art, some printed as early as the 17th century. I loved the university of Oxford and the town! That is my type of environment, where everywhere one walks around one can listen to interesting conversations about philosophy and literature: it was heaven to me.