Proust goes on holiday

by Sarah

My last post was all about the stress. As we were feeling frazzled, my husband, daughter and I booked flights and Air BnB and headed to Kos for some half term sunshine –… Continue reading →

We went round one of Dracula’s houses.

by Lucy

There’s a pattern with the weather at the moment around here, it’s lovely and bright in the morning and by lunchtime it’s darker and often, rainier. I have decided this is mother nature’s… Continue reading →

Sentimental Schmaltz and Yarn-based Crimes: When Film Adaptations Fail to Deliver

by Sarah

I’ve just watched the film adaptation of Elizabeth Taylor’s Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont and I really wish I hadn’t. To be fair, I’ll admit that the location and the majority of the characters… Continue reading →

David Copperfield – Shallow Review #3

by Lucy

Here are #1 and #2 if anyone wants to catch up. After the death of his mother, David’s at home with the evil stepfather Mr Murdstone, and his evil sister Miss Murdstone. Mr… Continue reading →

Rhubarb rock and misleading surnames

by Lucy

This year my daughter got money and a trip for her 17th birthday, but I wanted her to have something to open on the morning, so went off to the Kinnaird Head, which… Continue reading →

Deliciously dark: Beryl Bainbridge’s ‘The Bottle Factory Outing’

by Sarah

When I heard about the Beryl Bainbridge Reading Week hosted by Annabel over at Annabel’s House of Books, I dusted down my copy of The Bottle Factory Outing that had been languishing in… Continue reading →

David Copperfield – Shallow review #2

by Lucy

So, David’s off at school, having the kind of time that Victorian kids had at third rate (and also first rate, I’m guessing) boarding schools, daily beatings, gruel and the like. But then… Continue reading →

Wife Swap – David Copperfield Style

by Lucy

I’ve never actually seen an episode of Wife Swap, but I think by the title I’ve got the gist. And so I propose for an episode that Mrs Gummidge, the who refers to… Continue reading →

I’m feeling very sorry for Sylvia Plath

by Lucy

When I began reading The Bell Jar the first feelings I had were my quite frequent ‘modern life is rubbish’ ones, as I wanted to be a young woman in New York in… Continue reading →

‘So long son, you’ll have a whale of a time!’

by Sarah

Having departed for nautical college last autumn, the time has come for my son to set sail aboard this very ship, on a four month long trip which will take him to South… Continue reading →