Forgive me, but is Stella taking the pee out of the likes of Hardy here? Some say yay, and some say nay. Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm, published in 1932, stands as a triumphant parody that brilliantly dissects and mocks the overwrought romanticism of rural melodramas prevalent in early 20th-century literature. With a deft hand and … Continue reading A Glimpse into Gibbons’ Masterpiece: Cold Comfort Farm
Tag: reading
The Count of Monte Cristo: Revenge à la Française
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, is the literary equivalent of a French seven-course meal: rich, complex, and occasionally leaving you wondering if you just ate a snail. But fear not, for we shall dissect this gastronomic delight with the precision of a food critic at a Michelin-starred restaurant, with just enough humour … Continue reading The Count of Monte Cristo: Revenge à la Française
Delightfully Distracting: Charles Maturin’s Melmoth the Wanderer
Melmoth the Wanderer, the literary equivalent of a gothic cathedral designed by an architect who kept losing his blueprints and decided to wing it instead. Charles Maturin’s 1820 novel is a bewildering masterpiece, a labyrinthine fever dream that feels like it was concocted during an especially eccentric séance. Strap in for a rollercoaster ride through … Continue reading Delightfully Distracting: Charles Maturin’s Melmoth the Wanderer
The Mouse and the Mousetrap: Rodent Rationality and Barnyard Bystanders
What's this? Another fable? Yes. Well, I'm working my way through them. Some time ago, I found myself in the unenviable position of evicting an unwelcome tenant - or perhaps tenants - from our garage. A mouse, or maybe several, had taken up residence among the clutter. Rather than resorting to the traditional, lethal mousetraps, … Continue reading The Mouse and the Mousetrap: Rodent Rationality and Barnyard Bystanders
Toxic Romance: The Perils of Love in Rappaccini’s Garden
I've been spending a little time in the garden recently, which brought to mind... Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter is like a gothic version of The Bachelor gone horribly wrong, blending mad science, romance, and more poison than a reality TV show. Our hapless hero, Giovanni Guasconti, finds himself in a real-life botanical nightmare where the … Continue reading Toxic Romance: The Perils of Love in Rappaccini’s Garden
Wording 