Tag Archives: English Literature

Jane Eyre

Posted on April 11, 2016 by smellincoffee

Jane Eyre© 1847 Charlotte Bronte525 pages   Years ago an online quiz declared to me that of all the characters in English literature, I was most like…Jane Eyre. It may have been a quiz intended for women, but I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Bilbo’s Journey

Posted on April 9, 2016 by smellincoffee

Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of the Hobbit©  2012 Joseph Pearce147 pages The Hobbit begins with the sudden arrival of a pack of dwarves at Bilbo Baggin’s house. Though he is very much the quiet homebody, they have arrived … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Invisible Man

Posted on April 5, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Invisible Man© 1897 H,G, Wells149 pages The Invisible Man opens with the arrival of a Mysterious Stranger to a country inn. He is covered from head to toe, and remains so even after he takes a room. The townsfolk don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Lord of the Flies

Posted on April 4, 2016 by smellincoffee

Lord of the Flies© 1954 William Golding156 pages A group of boys marooned on a tiny Pacific Island must work together, battling the elements and one another. If they don’t adapt, they’ll be voted off the island — or thrown … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Great Expectations

Posted on April 2, 2016 by smellincoffee

Great Expectations© 1861 Charles Dickens544 pages Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Brideshead Revisited

Posted on March 30, 2016 by smellincoffee

Brideshead Revisited: The Secular and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder© 1945 Evelyn Waugh350 pages My theme is memory, that winged host that soared about me one grey morning of war-time. These memories, which are my life–for we possess nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

When Gourmands Write Fiction

Posted on March 30, 2016 by smellincoffee

I rejoiced in the Burgundy. How can I describe it? The Pathetic Fallacy resounds in all our praise of wine. For centuries every language has been strained to define its beauty, and has produced only wild conceits or the stock … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Posted on March 3, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Picture of Dorian Gray© 1890 Oscar Wilde180 pages Dorian Gray is the picture of youthful innocence, but his portrait is one of deathly corruption. After sitting for a painting rendered by his friend Basil, Dorian becomes a source of … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Adieu to you, and you and you and you —

Posted on January 5, 2016 by smellincoffee

As 2015 was ending I finished up a couple of works which merit mentioning. Firstly is Jane Austen’s Emma.  I have read Austen before (Pride and Prejudice), intrigued by mention of Darcy as a model gentleman,  Emma was thus my … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tom and Viv

Posted on October 10, 2015 by smellincoffee

Tom and Viv is not based on a book, and I cannot even say that I have read the first bit of T.S. Eliot.  But this movie haunts me in such a way that I figure it’s worth saying a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | 3 Comments