Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Mystery and Melancholy

Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Mystery and Melancholy

By Grace Alvarez | January 24, 2024 | Comments Off on Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Mystery and Melancholy

Edgar Allan Poe, a literary icon of the 19th century, is renowned for his tales of mystery, macabre, and melancholy. Born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachussetts, Poe’s life was as enigmatic as his stories. His works, characterized by dark atmospheres and psychological depth, have left an indelible mark on the world of literature.…

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The Visionary Legacy of Theodor Herzl: Architect of Modern Zionism

The Visionary Legacy of Theodor Herzl: Architect of Modern Zionism

By Grace Alvarez | January 6, 2024 | Comments Off on The Visionary Legacy of Theodor Herzl: Architect of Modern Zionism

Theodor Herzl, a name etched in the annals of history, is hailed as the visionary architect of modern Zionism. Born in Budapest in 1860, Herzl’s profound impact on the course of Jewish history and the establishment of the State of Israel is immeasurable. His life’s work, culminating in the publication of “The Jewish State” in…

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In the News: Palm Beach TV Sundays: Raptis Rare Books on Worth Avenue.

In the News: Palm Beach TV Sundays: Raptis Rare Books on Worth Avenue.

By Adrienne Raptis | September 19, 2023 | Comments Off on In the News: Palm Beach TV Sundays: Raptis Rare Books on Worth Avenue.

Matthew and Adrienne Raptis of Raptis Rare Books were recently featured in the Palm Beach Civic Association‘s Palm Beach TV Sunday Newscast which highlights the unique lifestyle of Palm Beach. Palm Beach TV Sundays: September 17, 2023 HUMAN INTEREST | OUR TOWN | September 15, 2023 Leave the fast-paced world behind as we step inside Raptis Rare Books…

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Sylvia Plath: America’s Modern Tragic Poetess.

Sylvia Plath: America’s Modern Tragic Poetess.

By Grace Alvarez | August 24, 2023 | Comments Off on Sylvia Plath: America’s Modern Tragic Poetess.

Sylvia Plath was born in the fall of 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts to parents of Austrian and German descent. Destined to become one of the foremost writers of her time and genre, she was born into an intellectual household. Her father was an entomologist, professor of biology, and scientific author. Plath herself began showing her…

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Gabriel García Márquez: Master of Magical Realism

Gabriel García Márquez: Master of Magical Realism

By Grace Alvarez | July 18, 2023 | Comments Off on Gabriel García Márquez: Master of Magical Realism

Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez, born on March 6th, 1927, was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and screenwriter who cemented himself in history as one of the most significant and influential authors of the 20th century, particularly in the Spanish language. In 1972, he was awarded the Neustadt International Prize for literature…

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The Great American Novels of Cormac McCarthy.

The Great American Novels of Cormac McCarthy.

By Susan Christiansen | June 14, 2023 | Comments Off on The Great American Novels of Cormac McCarthy.

Named by Harold Bloom as one of the four great American novelists of his time (alongside Thomas Pynchon, Philip Roth, and Don DeLillo), Cormac McCarthy published twelve novels over the course of his lifetime, spanning the Southern Gothic, Western and post-apocalyptic genres. Economic in style, his fiction was dark and often violent, featuring characters who,…

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Ernest Hemingway: Spokesman of the Lost Generation.

Ernest Hemingway: Spokesman of the Lost Generation.

By Drew Mercantini | April 1, 2023 | Comments Off on Ernest Hemingway: Spokesman of the Lost Generation.

American journalist and novelist Ernest Hemingway‘s legacy to American literature lies in his economical and understated writing style, which he termed the “iceberg theory” and writers who came after him either attempted to emulate or avoid. After his reputation was established with the publication of The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway essentially became the spokesperson for…

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age.

By Drew Mercantini | March 18, 2023 | Comments Off on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age.

Born in the fall of 1896, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald’s struggles in love, work, and fame became the fundamental motifs and themes of his novels. Despite the losses he suffered, the success of his novels in the years following his early death immortalized his…

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Celebrating International Women’s Day and Notable Female Authors.

Celebrating International Women’s Day and Notable Female Authors.

By Susan Christiansen | March 8, 2023 | Comments Off on Celebrating International Women’s Day and Notable Female Authors.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we invite you to browse some of the most notable works by female authors that have graced our bookshelves in recent years:     First published in 1818, Frankenstein is not only the “most famous English horror novel” but also, by some critics’ reckoning, “the first genuine science fiction…

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Women’s History Month Author Spotlight: Jane Austen.

Women’s History Month Author Spotlight: Jane Austen.

By Drew Mercantini | March 6, 2023 | Comments Off on Women’s History Month Author Spotlight: Jane Austen.

Miss Jane Austen, born in late 1775, lived a life of relative obscurity. Now revered as an exceptional English novelist, Austen’s work provides a thorough social commentary on the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen’s plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favorable social…

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