Amor Towles rarely disappoints. Unlike his other three books (The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Rules of Civility), Table for Two is a collection of six short stories, all set in NYC, plus a novella. The novella builds on Rules of Civility, following Evelyn Ross, a character from that book, to Hollywood. Interesting characters, plot twists, and vivid imagery - what more can you ask for!
On my journey to understand Existentialism better, I have recently taken on the project to read Either/Or by Kierkegaard. This is perhaps one of the most rigorous literary undertakings that I have pursued, for I find it hard to read and understand Kierkegaard. Yet I'm drawn to grapple with this work as it laid foundations for the existentialist tradition through its exploration of aesthetic and ethical life-views. In Either/Or, Kierkegaard asked probing questions, including how should one live life, what constitutes authentic existence and selfhood, how does one find meaning amidst existential dread and anxiety, among other things.
In my quest to understand continental philosophy, particularly existentialism, I came across the work of Romanian philosopher Emil Cioran titled "On the Heights of Despair." In this book, Cioran inquires about human existence and the role of despair and suffering. Through the 66 titled sections, Cioran urges us to confront despair directly rather than avoiding it.
