High Browse Online

(Editor’s note: Our contributor, an avid comics fan, here conducts his own personal inquiry into the oft-discussed topic of whether comics have taken a decided shift towards embracing darker themes, and correspondingly, heroes who have become more complex, even conflicted personalities.)
Comics are getting darker – that seems to be the vibe going around for quite […]

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The longlist for the 2008 Man Booker prize was announced recently.
Salman Rushdie has been installed as the favourite to win by the British betting house, Ladbroke, for his book “The Enchantress of Florence“. The main reason is because Rushdie was crowned in February 2008 as the “Best of the Bookers” to celebrate the Man Booker […]

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HAPPENIN’ . programmes + events
Two doctors are coming in August! No, the Heartlands Book Club has not diversified into clinical therapy though discussing books is a therapy for some! Two authors with Phds are discussing their books.
For the first book discussion, meet Dr Nigel Barley as he discusses “In the footsteps of Stamford Raffles”. The […]

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MUSINGS: library@esplanade
There’s a lot of hype now about Japanese anime, like D-Grey Man, Hellgirl and so on. You can probably rattle off a longer list than me, but what about Japanese films? Do you still remember the horror hit of 1998, The Ring by Hideo Nakata, and scenes of the creepy long haired woman crawling […]

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HAPPENIN’ . programmes + events
As part of activities to mark National Day Parade 2008, NLB, working in conjunction with NDP 2008 Organising Committee, will be hosting a series of themed bookclub sessions as part of efforts to promote a culture of reading among Singaporeans.
The books that have been chosen are in line with the NDP […]

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HAPPENIN’ . programmes + events
This July discussion is a run-up to the National Day’s celebration around the corner. The books selected - Tangerine by Colin Cheong and Heartland by Daren Shiau deal with issues such as national identity, personal bonding, the heartlands and friendship across national boundaries and cultures.
The details:
Date/Time: 4.00pm, Friday 25 July
Venue: The […]

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WHO’S READING WHAT . reader’s recommendations
Empress Orchid by Min Anchee
Boston : Hougton Mifflin, 2004
English MIN
What goes behind the minds of the powerful and elusive? A figure both historical and romantic, the Empress Cixi is a person who has captured the imagination of the public due to her unprecedented rule—the rule of a powerful woman in […]

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Rawi Hage has won the prestigious award for his debut novel, which is set against the desperate civil war of Lebanon of the 1980s. The book takes its title from the film, Deer Hunter, which starred Robert De Niro. The game in question refers to the rounds of Russian Roulette which De Niro’s character subjects […]

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