Recent cultural impressions, February 2025

The most memorable catches of last month.

Milos Forman — Man on the Moon

First time watching this famous movie — absolutely charmed by the story and Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Andy Kaufman. I don’t watch comedies often, but this one had me laughing way too much!

John Steinbeck - Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Steinbeck is my all-time favorite writer. Returning to this book after 15 years, I was amazed by how fresh and relevant it still feels. I love his portraits of people and the US. Hope to travel this route myself one day.

Ivan Kurilla - Americans and all the rest: Origin and meaning of the U.S. foreign policy

A month of books about the US — maybe current events sparked this deep dive? Kurilla explores and explains the history of U.S. foreign affairs, offering many new insights and perspectives. Learned a lot!

Diane Ademu-John, Alison Schapker - Dune: Prophecy

I love the original Dune novels and have reread the main series multiple times. These new additions, written by other authors, are met with skepticism, but I generally enjoyed the series. The aesthetics and plot are solid, and it's always interesting to explore more of the Dune universe’s background.

God of War (2018)

Finally tried this well-known game. The gameplay felt a bit repetitive — combat-focused with simple puzzles — but the scenery and characters were excellent. I didn’t expect such a deep exploration of father-son relationships and enjoyed it.