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In the weeks that followed Paul and Jenny continued their embraces to the accompaniment of Jenny’s music. He said that he found some of it rather difficult, but would like to hear more and would like to understand better. She started with Glen Gould playing the Goldberg Variations, and then …

A few days later Paul rang the bell at Jenny’s flat. He was earlier than usual, but hoped that he’d catch her in. Susan answered the door. “Is Jenny in?” asked Paul. “No, but come in anyway. I’m rather bored and could do with some company.” “Are you on your …

Jenny went home to Glasgow during the Easter holidays. Paul went home to his village in the West Highlands for a few days. His parents were glad to see him, but disappointed that he didn’t intend to stay longer. He told them that he had a lot of study to …

That same evening Mark and Paul were in the Prince of Wales once again. Paul had just been at another ‘Yes” campaign meeting while Mark had been studying Chaucer. “What will you have?” asked Mark. “Let’s have a look. I think, I’ll try the porter. What about you?” “I’ve not …

A couple of weeks later Jenny got on a bus that would take her into the country. She’d told Paul that she was going to see Effie and Petr. It wasn’t as if Paul minded, of course, but he did think it strange that she would stay the night at …

The following Saturday Jenny and Paul were sitting in the Prince of Wales. He’d had to persuade her not to order a pint of real ale, and so she sat with her glass of white wine and he had his pint. “Let me try,” she said. “If you must, but …

It was still pleasant on Sunday when he arrived at Jenny’s flat. In the kitchen he met Lorna and Susan. “So it seems you have some news, Paul,” said Lorna with a smirk. “I think, I stumbled over a couple kissing last night,” said Susan. “It couldn’t have been, you …

No one had mentioned the word ‘boyfriend’, but having someone take you to the ball was sort of like having a boyfriend. She’d known Paul for ages. But for the longest time he’d just been one of a series of men she’d known who turned up at the flat. She …

In early February 2014 two friends made their way to their favourite pub just off Union Street. They went there because it was the place most likely to serve what they called proper beer. Paul from the highlands had pretty much never tasted anything other than lager until he met …

Chapter 8 Despair is the Sickness unto death I first read Dostoevsky’s ‘Demons’ (AKA ‘The Possessed’) in English and didn’t much like it. If I had not later learned Russian, I probably would never have read it again. It would have remained one of those books I vaguely remembered as …

Chapter 6 Martyrdom When I first read the Brothers Karamazov there were chapters that I read quickly and without much thought. Either they were to do with description and plot or if they were to do with psychological, philosophical or theological issues I was unable to see the interest. Some …

Chapter 4 If God does not exist everything, is permitted: a Kierkegaardian perspective In The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan Karamazov’s philosophical and theological ideas are complex and develop in the course of the novel. However, near the beginning of the novel, in Book 2 Chapter 6, an idea is attributed to …

Chapter 2 A lady of little faith Katerina Khokhlakova is a fairly minor character in Dostoevsky’s ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. She is the mother of Lise, the little girl who begins the novel as an invalid, but who later develops a close loving relationship with Alyosha. Madame Khokhlakova in the end …

Introduction I first read Dostoevsky when I was at Cambridge doing my Ph.D.  I can’t remember why I decided to begin the Brothers Karamazov. I must have first heard of Dostoevsky when I was about eighteen. I think I saw someone reading Crime and Punishment and asked about it. I came …

Was Tolkien really racist? Cornel Zuegler, CC BY-SA Dimitra Fimi, University of Glasgow In demonising orcs, the ugly, monstrous enemy of the elves, did JRR Tolkien betray a belief that “some races are worse than others”? That’s the debate that has been at the heart of claims in the British …

The writer of the Polish national epic, one of the last epic poems written in Europe, was born in present day Belarus and wrote in the first line of his poem Pan Tadeusz: Litwo, Ojczyzno moja! ty jesteś jak zdrowie; [Lithuania, my fatherland! You are like health] From this you …

We at the Daily Globe and the CRCC stand it support of traditional British culture, no matter whether it comes from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. As such, the fine old English sport of football, is somethink we are proud about and support. Most of our readers were probably …

Recently I saw a video shared around in atheist circles. The video, which can be found here, is a compilation of atheist youtubers putting forward certain arguments against the existence of God, but more specifically, against Christianity. Some of these questions are frankly silly; others are genuinely more of a challenge. …

I’d like to begin this email by saying thank you to all of our subscribers, likers and readers who make the Daily Globe what it is. Our very first article proclaimed that the Globe needed Britain, and it is equally true that the Daily Globe needs readers and supporters like …

With the start of the most viewed and anticipated global sporting event, the FIFA World Cup, many football pundits, fans as well as ardent followers of the game are giving the odds to the usual big honchos such as Germany, France , Brazil , Spain and Argentina with Belgium being …