In the annals of British history, the year 1678 stands out as a time of unparalleled paranoia, where the English public was whipped into a frenzy over a fantastical and entirely fabricated threat: the Popish Plot. This elaborate tale, crafted by the masterful fabricator Titus Oates, involved a fictitious Catholic conspiracy to assassinate King Charles … Continue reading The Great Catholic Conspiracy: the 1678 Popish Plot
Tag: Writing
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
Mesmerism and Mortality: Edgar Allan Poe’s Macabre Exploration in ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’
Imagine the audacious organisers of a Hen or Stag party, gleefully arranging for a Hypnotist solely to amuse themselves at the expense of their inebriated guests, who may be compelled to cluck like chickens or strike poses reminiscent of tea pots. The absurdity of such a spectacle is almost Poe-esque in its dark humour, a … Continue reading Mesmerism and Mortality: Edgar Allan Poe’s Macabre Exploration in ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’
The Monstrous Monk: Lewis’ Controversial Masterpiece
Matthew Gregory Lewis' The Monk is a Gothic novel that, upon its publication in 1796, caused such a ruckus that it made the scandals of 18th-century high society look like polite tea parties. Picture this: a book that combines lust, murder, and demonic pacts, all wrapped up in the not-so-holy setting of a monastery - monks behaving … Continue reading The Monstrous Monk: Lewis’ Controversial Masterpiece
Wallowing in the Muck: Bukowski’s Notes from a Dirty Old Man
After yet another curious exploration into the realms of modern and post-modern literature, I've decided to turn my attention to Charles Bukowski. With some dedicated reading and a bit of research - though let's be honest, forming an opinion on Bukowski doesn't require much - I have grabbed the opportunity to channel my deep-seated frustrations … Continue reading Wallowing in the Muck: Bukowski’s Notes from a Dirty Old Man
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