Haruki Murakami: Hopeful Romantic.

Haruki Murakami: Hopeful Romantic.

By Susan Christiansen | April 16, 2021 | Comments Off on Haruki Murakami: Hopeful Romantic.

  International bestselling writer Haruki Murakami is best known for his magical realist novels that explore issues deeply rooted in the human experience. He has often been criticized by Japanese literary circles for being ‘un-Japanese’ because of the heavy influence of Western literature on his writing style. Opposing the Japanese ideal of the strong, independent…

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Philip Roth: Exploring American Identity

Philip Roth: Exploring American Identity

By Susan Christiansen | April 8, 2021 | Comments Off on Philip Roth: Exploring American Identity

One of the most awarded American authors of his generation, Philip Roth created some of the most provocative novels exploring American identity through a masterful blending of realism and fiction. Born in Newark, New Jersey on March 19, 1933 Roth attended Bucknell University and later earned a master’s degree in literature from the University of…

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Celebrating the Life and Work of Patricia Highsmith.

Celebrating the Life and Work of Patricia Highsmith.

By Susan Christiansen | January 19, 2021 | Comments Off on Celebrating the Life and Work of Patricia Highsmith.

Today, Tuesday, January 19, 2021, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of great American novelist Patricia Highsmith, best known for her classic psychological thrillers Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Born in Fort Worth, Texas on January 19, 1921, Highsmith had a troubled relationship with her mother and was sent to…

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The Genius of Aldous Huxley.

The Genius of Aldous Huxley.

By Susan Christiansen | November 4, 2020 | Comments Off on The Genius of Aldous Huxley.

English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley wrote nearly fifty books throughout the course of his lifetime, including his most famous novel, Brave New World, which painted a nightmarish vision of a dystopian future, and The Perennial Philosophy, the apex of his exploration of philosophical mysticism. After graduating from Balliol College, Oxford with an undergraduate degree…

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Collecting Agatha Christie.

Collecting Agatha Christie.

By Susan Christiansen | October 3, 2020 | Comments Off on Collecting Agatha Christie.

Listed by Guinness World Records as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, the “Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie published sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections throughout the course of her lifetime which sold more than two billion copies. A master of suspense, plotting, and characterization, in her prime, Christie was rarely out…

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Collecting Mark Twain.

Collecting Mark Twain.

By Susan Christiansen | September 15, 2020 | Comments Off on Collecting Mark Twain.

    Often referred to as “the father of American literature”, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or Mark Twain as the world now knows him, published a large body of work including several works of both fiction and non-fiction in addition to a vast number of short stories and essays. Raised in the port town of Hannibal,…

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In the News: Rare Harper Lee Collectibles Featured at Raptis Rare Books.

In the News: Rare Harper Lee Collectibles Featured at Raptis Rare Books.

By Susan Christiansen | July 8, 2020 | Comments Off on In the News: Rare Harper Lee Collectibles Featured at Raptis Rare Books.

The following article was posted on The Palm Beach Daily News website: Posted Jul 7, 2020 at 5:30 PM Raptis Rare Books in Palm Beach marks 60th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird with an array of Harper Lee collectibles.     Raptis Rare Books is marking the 60th anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee’s To…

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To Kill A Mockingbird: the Great American Novel.

To Kill A Mockingbird: the Great American Novel.

By Susan Christiansen | July 7, 2020 | Comments Off on To Kill A Mockingbird: the Great American Novel.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the publication of one of the most important American novels of the 20th century, To Kill a Mockingbird, Raptis Rare Books is currently holding an exhibition of rare signed first editions, letters and original drawings by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird was first published by J.B. Lippincott Company…

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Spokesman of a Generation: The Influences and Legacy of Bob Dylan.

Spokesman of a Generation: The Influences and Legacy of Bob Dylan.

By Susan Christiansen | May 18, 2020 | Comments Off on Spokesman of a Generation: The Influences and Legacy of Bob Dylan.

    Born in Duluth, Minnesota on May 24, 1941, Bob Dylan‘s interest in music and performance began in his high school years and, after moving to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota in 1959, he emerged on the American folk music scene. He soon dropped out of college and moved to New York…

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A Leader For All Times: Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Churchill’s Charge.

A Leader For All Times: Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Churchill’s Charge.

By Susan Christiansen | May 11, 2020 | Comments Off on A Leader For All Times: Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Churchill’s Charge.

Eighty years ago on May 10th 1940, one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, Winston S. Churchill, was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain and on the very day that Germany invaded Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In light of the current global pandemic…

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