Any reader of Victorian literature, or any student of the history of the period, will be aware of the concept of the fallen woman. If not, the Wikipedia page is a good place to start. It's a depressingly detailed page. For an era in which society began to move away from the government of Christianity… Continue reading ‘Alias Grace’ and the Concept of the Fallen Woman
Category: Fiction
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (1962)
I had been wanting to read this for a while and finally got round to it last week... and it was just so brilliant. So weird. So good. Suffice to say, I gave it five stars on GoodReads. Even before reading I loved the premise, what I knew of it, and as with The Haunting… Continue reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (1962)
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Re-reading: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Last year I wrote about wanting to re-read some books that I either loved, or had sort of forgotten but was sure I liked. Jane Eyre wasn't on that list, but for some reason I recently felt compelled to re-read it. It might be because I wanted to finally get around to reading my copy… Continue reading Re-reading: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
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In Praise Of: Horror!
Yes, horror. As in the genre, not the feeling in real life. When I think of the horror genre, I think first of movies. I have always been a bit a scaredy-cat with them and let them get into my head, and find it hard to sleep after watching them. But this has begun to… Continue reading In Praise Of: Horror!
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Meeting Persephone Books: Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey
I purchased Cheerful Weather for the Wedding while out with other bloggers and book-tubers when we visited the lovely Persephone shop on Lamb's Conduit Street in London, and it is the first Persephone I have ever actually read, despite having admired their books for some time. I would encourage a visit to the shop if… Continue reading Meeting Persephone Books: Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (1951)
I had never read anything by Shirley Jackson before this, and I don't know what it was specifically that made me choose this book, Hangsaman, over her others. Possibly because it was just not the one that everyone has been talking about recently (that would be We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which honestly… Continue reading Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (1951)
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The Sense of an Elephant by Marco Missiroli (tr. Stephen Twilley)
A rare deviation from me here - I actually read and am actually reviewing an unsolicited review copy! I know, world gone mad. I usually leave these to mould on the shelf before they get passed on to a friend/family member/charity shop, but I actually decided to give this one a go. Not least because… Continue reading The Sense of an Elephant by Marco Missiroli (tr. Stephen Twilley)
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Adventures with Audiobooks: The Smart One by Jennifer Close
I used to listen to audiobooks as a child, but they haven't really been part of my 'library' as an adult. We listened to A Song of Ice and Fire and Lord of the Rings on road trips, but that was about it. My new job requires me to take a 30-minute bus to and… Continue reading Adventures with Audiobooks: The Smart One by Jennifer Close
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A Little Life is a little challenge
There is a LOT of buzz and hype around A Little Life, the second novel from American author Hanya Yanagihara, which would usually put me off - but this book genuinely appealed to me and I felt a genuine sense of excitement and possibility about it. I was lucky enough to read an early copy… Continue reading A Little Life is a little challenge
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Hideous Creatures by S. E. Lister
Well this was an odd one. Purchased on a whim (something I do quite rarely these days) and never before heard about, I decided to take a chance with Hideous Creatures. And boy was it taking a chance. The premise is relatively simple: ‘youngest son of an illustrious line’ Arthur Hallingham flees from scandal in… Continue reading Hideous Creatures by S. E. Lister
These Little Words 