It's a Classical Life

Recently re-runs of the classic  Murder She Wrote starring Dame Angela Lansbury has started playing on television. I record them and watch one or two on the weekend or whenever I get the chance to have a sit down. If you don't know it, Murder She Wrote ran from 1984-1996 and follows retired English teacher-cum-detective fiction-write-cum-amateur-sleuth Jessica Fletcher. Due to her curious nature and intellectual observations, Fletcher not only writes about crimes and murders but she often finds herself embroiled in real crimes as well. I love so many things about this show: the cosy mysteries, the stunning film locations, and Jessica Fletcher's classic outfits. I thought it was time that we have another classic style discussion and Jessica Fletcher seemed the perfect choice for us to discuss. Here are 10 reasons why Jessica Fletcher should be your next classic style inspiration. 1. A scarf is always a good idea Source Source Source I think this is the best piece of...

Part of my little Victorian literature collection I started this month on Instagram participating in what is lovingly called #victober. This tag celebrates the diverse and rich history, literature and society of the Victorian era during the month of October. I started the month by reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, then followed that with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (the latter is not technically a Victorian novel, but it is certainly imbued with many facets of Victorian ideals, values and social norms.) It has been a while since I have done a History post, and thought I would love to revisit Victorian Britain in a bit more detail here on the blog. I hope to explain here some of the history of this time that has influenced those books, artists and poets that we know and love from this time. There is a lot to love about this time, but there is also a lot that might shock or sadden our modern...

Crime fiction, and in particular Detective Fiction, is one of the most popular genres in modern literature. People are drawn to the clues, the methodical, logical steps taken by detectives and enjoy pitting their wits against the protagonist to guess "who dunnit" first. Even if people aren't fans of reading this popular and diverse genre, most will have heard of the most famous detectives: Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, and Hercule Poirot (the little man with the funny moustaches) and Miss Marple, both created by Agatha Christie. These three detectives are amongst the most famous, most adapted and most parodied characters in all literature. Yet how did two English writers create such famous characters, when 'detectives' as a form of police investigator weren't even introduced into the English consciousness until 1842? Read on for a little history lesson on the rise of detective fiction.  In his book,  "Murder in Print: A Guide to Two Cent...