Two new posts today - I've been stacking them while I've been poorly. I'm on the mend now, I think, so I have a lot more to share. When Mary Hayley Bell’s novel Whistle Down the Wind was published in 1958, it came wrapped in an intriguing premise: what happens when a group of naïve children stumble … Continue reading A Whistle of Innocence: A Detailed and Wry Look at Whistle Down the Wind
Pebbles, Prose, and Pointlessness: Beckett’s Molloy and the Art of Going Nowhere
Question: have you ever sucked a pebble? Samuel Beckett’s Molloy is often heralded as a towering monument of modernist literature, though whether it’s a lighthouse of enlightenment or an impassable granite slab is a matter of perspective. This novel, the first in Beckett’s famous trilogy, plunges us into a world where sucking stones takes on existential significance … Continue reading Pebbles, Prose, and Pointlessness: Beckett’s Molloy and the Art of Going Nowhere
Solveig’s Song, from Peer Gynt: A Love Letter Wrapped in an Emotional Ambush
This week, I’ve been indulging in a bit of painting - not the refined strokes of a portrait, mind you, but rather the far more prosaic task of doors and skirting boards! And let me tell you, when I dabble in a spot of DIY (which I am unashamedly dreadful at), I find it essential … Continue reading Solveig’s Song, from Peer Gynt: A Love Letter Wrapped in an Emotional Ambush
The Painted Veil: A Saucy Dissection of W. Somerset Maugham’s Sublime Slap in the Face
W. Somerset Maugham’s The Painted Veil is a bit like finding a deceptively lovely flower in a poisoned Chinese river. Ostensibly a story of love, betrayal, and redemption, it teases the reader with a delicate veneer of romance, only to plunge us headfirst into a cynical, uncomfortably reflective look at the human soul. If you thought you … Continue reading The Painted Veil: A Saucy Dissection of W. Somerset Maugham’s Sublime Slap in the Face
Forget the Fawkes: Why We Owe the Gunpowder Plot to Robert Catesby
If you ask the average Briton who led the Gunpowder Plot, chances are they’ll mutter “Guy Fawkes” while half-heartedly stirring their tea. Fireworks, effigies, and a roaring bonfire dedicated to burning Mr Fawkes have immortalised him as the nation’s favourite terrorist (or anti-hero, depending on how rebellious you’re feeling). But the truth is, Guy Fawkes … Continue reading Forget the Fawkes: Why We Owe the Gunpowder Plot to Robert Catesby
Wording 