It's a Classical Life

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...

 I recently posted on Instagram that after reading George Orwell's rather chilling yet devastating classic Nineteen Eighty-Four I retreated back to Agatha Christie for some comfort reading. There were a few comments from fellow readers about the authors or series that they classify as 'comfort reading.' What is it about certain books that whisk us away to a place of comfort and familiarity? Why do we return to these books time and again; whether it be during times of hardship, adversity, loneliness or general need to escape? For me, I particularly like books where the characters maintain a positive and courageous outlook whilst facing adversity. This, in turn, brings me comfort and as all classics tend to do, remind me that many have suffered before and it all depends on how we face this suffering. My comfort reads are not usually heavy, intense reads, but rather ones that relax my mind and uplift my mood. Here is a list of some of my favourite comfort reads: Little Women -...

LEISURE What is this life, if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like stars at night. No time to turn at Beauty; glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.                              W.H. Davies  This stirring poem by Welsh poet W.H. Davies was first published in 1911 yet its message, I believe, is still just as important today. I have talked about past-times on the blog before but having read Sense and Sensibility last month, I wanted to look in a bit more detail at some of the leisure activities that these early Victorian women got ...

When I read the classics, one of the things that I love to read about in detail is what the characters are wearing. It helps to create an image in my mind of the characters; not only of their physical appearances but also their attitude towards clothing and style. For example, I notice if they change their outfits regularly (as society often dictated, because, heaven forbid, one should wear the same outfit twice!) or if they were comfortable with their 'uniform' of daily wear. Usually, the classics will focus more on the clothing of women, but sometimes men get a look in too.  For this Classic Style Inspiration post, I thought we could look to some Victorian classics to inspire us. What does, or to be exact 'when' does the Victorian period actually refer to? Well, the term refers to the time that Queen Victoria ruled England, that is from 1837 to 1901. This extensive period of reign marked a number of social and cultural changes in England, Continental Europe and the US...

 The more classic books that I read, the more I am convinced that we should be looking to them for guidance and direction on how to proceed if we are keen to embark on a simple living journey. I have spoken of this before , but feel that I have more to add on the subject - this time using Mary Shelley's classic text Frankenstein as inspiration.  Without giving away too much of the plot, Victor Frankenstein is consumed with the idea of creating life. Through his studies at the university of Ingolstadt he is able to do this, but as soon as he does he is wracked with grief and regret. Much of the first volume of the novel is based around his process and subsequent emotional torment. In dealing with this, what does Frankenstein do? Does he flee to the city to be around people, shops, things, stuff? Does he seek the company of like-minded scientists or rush back to his family to promote or brag about his accomplishments? No to both of these.  Initially, Frankenstein sought so...

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...