PERIOD & MORE PERIOD - WAR, PEACE AND A RESTLESS PRINCE

Are you watching War and Peace? 

I am and I like it so much!  I knew I had to wait on a bit to understand if I could love or hate this adaptation of Tolstoj's masterpiece, because I was not particularly enthusiastic at the end of  its premiere. But episode after episode,  I started appreciating the cast, the locations, the performances and the rendition of a story I already knew quite a lot about.  I read the book (war scenes included!) a few years ago, what about you? Have you succeeded in going through the whole thick volume?

The Russian Darcy

Have you got a favourite character? I have and I guess he is a favourite of many. Andrew Davies, who adapted and sexed-up the novel for the small  screen, defined Prince Bolkonsky as the Russian Darcy, and who better than Mr Davies would recognize a Darcy-like hero? Brooding and restless, reckelss and complicated he is perfect new addition to our gallery of romantic, charming heroes, isn't he? 

HOW ROMANTIC IS FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD? FROM THE BOOK TO VINTERBERG'S MOVIE (2015)

The story

Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex, Hardy's novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.

HAND OF FIRE BLOG TOUR - INTERVIEW WITH JUDITH STARKSTON + GIVEAWAY

First of all welcome and thanks a lot for accepting to answer my questions, Judith. It’s a great pleasure to have the chance to present you and your debut  novel,  Hand of Fire, to my readers. How excited are you on releasing your first book?

It’s great fun to see the positive reaction to my book. Such a long journey to get published and now I feel proud. My book launch at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore was fabulous and we sold twice as many books as the staff had predicted. How thrilling is that!

My first question may be quite tricky, but let’s try. What’s the difference between a good historical fiction novel and a brilliant one?

I’m so glad you asked. According to Helen Hollick, editor of Historical Novels Review and author of Forever Queen,”But what is the difference between a good historical novel and a brilliant one?

I suggest you read Judith Starkston’s Hand of Fire and you’ll discover the answer." I would never argue with a pro like Helen and any other answer would take a few hundred pages!

ART, MUSIC AND LITERATURE BASED COMMUNITIES

(by guest blogger Vanessa Gallo) 
People are driven by inspiration, ambitions and needs in life. It is the zeal and passion towards life that makes them aspire for many things in life. Different people have different interests and passions. Some may find satisfaction in art, some others may love music and certain others will be fond of reading literature. Many people will not be happy to read a book, watch a movie or listen to music. They may want people with similar interests to talk to. Every individual is unique with different view points and opinions.

People who are interested in art, music and literature have many advantages on the web. They can create communities online and share their thoughts regarding these topics. Many people love to join with people with similar or related interests. Artists have a relatively more flexible schedule and hence many art communities have appeared all over the world, especially in the United States. Gatlinburg Artists’ Community, John C. Campbell Folk School and Sedona are a few art communities of the United States. Gatlinburg community is located in Tennessee where most of the artists of the US live and work. All their studios are open to the public and the artists specialize in themes related to the Great Smoky Mountains. This community attracts many tourists.

CELEBRATING SHAKESPEARE IN A VERY BUSY FORTNIGHT

Another busy fortnight has passed at work. The end of the school year rapidly  approaches with its haunting burden of deadlines, decisions to be made, reports to be written. A nightmarish fortnight ahead and then some relax, I hope. 

What have you been dreaming of or  actually doing these latest couple of weeks? Unfortunately,  I could grant  myself very  little rest, hence I didn't have enough time for proper blogging, reading or reviewing but I could watch new TV series, go on with the ones I had started seeing and even go to an event in Rome to celebrate old Will's anniversary. I must do something different from the housework and schoolwork,  if I want to remain sane.  Women on the brink of a nervous breakdown has never been one of my favourite titles but it is simply perfect to describe my life.

HOMES OF CLASSIC LITERATURE

At many a time we can become lost between the pages of a good book. Immersed in its fantasy and mysterious tales, the captivating characters, scenes and a little imagination can easily take you there. This infographic delves into some classic stories from The Hobbit to the depths of The Secret Garden to show you nine of the famous homes found within these tales. Ready for the tour?

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: DIGITAL LIBRARIES, OLD BOOKS & NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Like many of you I  initially  resisted the  invasion of e-books and e-readers  into our safe world made of shelves crammed with  printed books. I really didn’t accept such a dramatic  change and looked at the new strange objects with great suspicion. I couldn’t think of a book without its  reassuring smell of dusty paper or its smooth,  black- inked white pages. Anyway, again like many of you,  I had to surrender, to accept their presence in my life and even recognize their charms and practicality. I can now honestly say that I love e-books, though differently than my unforgettable first love, printed books.

Though I still treasure the hundreds of books I’ve been collecting all my life through on my shelves, I’ve recently discovered how easy and incredible is to have your favourite titles, all of them and even more, stored in your iPad or e-reader and be able to keep them  hidden  in your own handbag . That means you can always carry them with you and everywhere!  

What  I  want to share with you today is one of my latest  precious discoveries, related to my relatively new love for e-books. It’s a real treasure for someone like me with a high interest in classic literature and drama. It's ForgottenBooks,  an online digital library with thousands of books that can be of great interest to avid readers, students, academics and scholars of several different fields.

BOOKS TO MOVIES GIVEAWAY HOP - WIN AN E-BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE!

Do you like reading books adapted for the small or big screen? Do you like to compare and contrast? Are you extremely strict and demanding when it comes to judging the adaptations of your favourite books? Then, this giveaway hop is just for you ... Bookhounds and I am a reader, not a writer organized this hop and I'm glad to be part of it and to offer you an e-book of your choice (kindle edition) among the following. They are all books I wrote about in the latest months and books which have become movies or series. Choose your favourite, leave a comment below with the title and then take as many chances as you can in the rafflecopter form. This giveaway ends on September 3rd and is open worldwide.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF WOMEN IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen in Becoming Jane

(Guest post by Maria Kruk, an author for Books.so)

The treasury of English literature is full of many remarkable authors and authoress. In particular, the names of Jane Austen, George Eliot and Bronte sisters still hold popularity in literature and, more notably, in cinematography. In the 19^th century female writers could undermine their male opponents in some way, which is probably associated with women feature of overacting and perceiving life events more closely. In very deed, the problem of a woman state in the society was widely discussed in the Victorian Age.

Best Places To Travel Based On Classic British Literature

(by guest blogger Marcela De Vivo) England is full of literary history and culture, much of which is not only available via the printed word, but can also be visited as popular travel destinations.

For those who are interested in classic British literature, who might be planning on visiting England in the near future, it’s worthwhile to do some research on what locations are inspired by classical writings, and then plan to visit them accordingly. 

Whether you’re a fan of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens or Agatha Christie, there’s probably a touristy destination for you based on your favorite British classic novel.

Why Reading Classic Literature May Give Advantages in Your Education

(by guest blogger Pam Johnson)

Reading classic literature has never really been your idea of fun. However, you have started to realize that doing so might have some serious advantages for your career. Instead of pushing these novels to the wayside, start to consider the possibilities that they can offer to you.

Understanding Allusions

Whether it is in modern literature, history or class in general, allusions are often made to works of classic literature. Basically, an allusion is a reference to something else in its most simple form. However, if you do not read these classic works of literature, then you are not going to understand the allusions. This lack of understanding might cause you to fall behind in the coursework or to not fully understand what it is that the professor is trying to explain.

ON ROBIN HOOD, HISTORICAL ACCURACY & BOOKISH MEDIEVALISTS

Those of you who have been following  my activity online for a while, are well acquainted with the fact that I am a teacher, that I love my job, that I also run a blog for my students and what I usually do is teaching English as a foreign language or English Literature to Italian students.  What I want  to share and discuss with you today is something which happened to me on LearnOnLine, after posting a lesson  with video clips taken from BBC Robin Hood, addressed  to  a group of 15-year-old students to whom I teach grammar and language, as well as to a second group of 16-year-old students to whom I teach grammar and language but also "pills" of literature (from the origins to the Elizabethan Age). 

It was not the first time I used those materials, as I usually don't teach my younger students literature or history in a very academic way. My approach is rather  focused on what teenagers may like more than on the accuracy of information (which I respect as much as I can). I may be wrong, but this is what I generally do. They are not really interested in sound devices or rethoric figures at their age, they hate being forced to memorize facts and dates which they consider useless. They do like stories, legends, heroes and myths. They also like when the lesson is not merely listening to the teacher speaking or reading in front of them. That is why I use videos and music, multimedia tasks and sources quite often in my lessons.

That happened also in my lessons about the medieval popular ballads. I don't want to bore you, but I'd like you to understand before I ask you to join me in the discussion.

TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES - A PURE WOMAN, A DEVIL AND AN ANGEL

A scene from Tess of The D'Urbervilles (2008)

I've just finished rewatching BBC "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" (2008) to prepare the last  lesson of a series on this novel. I've been choosing the bits to show in my wrap up class to elicit discussion from my students after reading with them some pages and reflecting on the theme that has been our focus lately: the woman question in the Victorian Age. 

This is the reason why I played and have been rewatching this DVD tonight.
I started with the intention of looking for the right scenes to show and analyse and finished being absorbed again, touched and deeply emotional,

THE LADIES' PARADISE BY EMILE ZOLA - BOOK REVIEW

The Ladies' Paradise is a compelling story of ambition and love set against the backdrop of the spectacular rise of the department store in 1860s Paris. Octave Mouret is a business genius who transforms a modest draper's shop into a hugely successful retail enterprise, masterfully exploiting the desires of his female customers and ruining small competitors along the way. Through the eyes of trainee salesgirl Denise we see the inner workings of the store and the relations and intrigues among the staff, human dramas played out alongside the relentless pursuit of commercial supremacy. 

My review 
(beware of spoilers! ) I came to read this book after watching the BBC adaptation, The Paradise, which gave the story a British setting. The series  scriptwriters worked many changes on the original text, which usually disturb people fond of literary classics, but not me and not in this case. I think they quite  improved both plot and   characterization,  instead.

Zola's text aims to depict  the department store, The Ladies' Paradise, as an ambiguous symbol of progress:

"It helped women to establish themselves historically in the public sphere, and it may appear to have increased the customer's power and autonomy; but, as Zola shows, the new codes of social behaviour and social discourses which it entailed for the shopper simultaneously organized a powerful network of constraints, providing a mere illusion of freedom and fulfilment. The department store, in its embodiment of consumer culture, was - and is - a giant, precision-made dream-machine" (Brian Nelson)

The department store is a model of the new capitalism, designed to seduce more than to supply. The mechanisms of seduction described in the text are numerous: the policy of free entry, the establishment of fixed prices, the system of returns, the seduction of the eye with an almost "orgiastic" display. To create the need, to awake new desires is the main philosophy at The Ladies' Paradise.  

DICKENS 2012 - THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICK NICKLEBY

“Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes.” ― Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

Have you seen Nick Nickleby? I don't think many of you had the chance to meet the lovely boy, actually. Watching the 5-part modernization of Charles Dickens' s classic of which he was the protagonist was not for anyone . The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby was on at daytime , which doesn't usually  and obviously  get big audiences. That was a pity, because it was a really good one.
You know I wouldn't miss an adaptation of a classic for nothing in the world, so I wanted to see this new one too and, fortunately, I did it. But most people could not, since they couldn't be at home on weekdays at 2.15 p.m.

SIX OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS EVER WRITTEN

by guest blogger Sarah Stone

Books are the heart and soul of life. The written word, since time immemorial has been used to enrich the soul. The written word, remains an enigma even in the 21^st century-which is an age largely dominated by computers and less hard copy text.  And if you are going to college, books can help you grow and develop more. Books can enrich your vocabulary, occupy you and sometimes, help you dream. Inspirational books can help you have the energy to wake up every day. This is magical. This article consists some of the 6 most inspirational books ever written by man.

Cheri by Colette

For someone who is going to college, you still treasure the life you have in your teen hood.  Those moments were great and magical. At least that’s what I assume. You need to move on from those moments. This book is triumphant, strong and emotional. It helps you remember the high school days, falling in love the first time and letting go-when it doesn’t work. Living with this reality as you go to college can help build a strong character in life as you mature.

FRANKENSTEIN AT THE CINEMA - MY REVIEW

Dannis Boyle’s Frankenstein, the  pluriawarded 2011 theatrical production,  has been a terrific success live on stage at the National  Theatre in London and it has after that also been shown worldwide in movie theatres in the original language.  It arrived in Rome yesterday (Cinema Lux) and it’ll be on tonight too (Cinema Barberini).

I can’t imagine how exciting it must have been for the lucky ones  in the audience at the theatre, but it was amazing and enthralling to watch it on screen last night for me. It was like being on stage with the cast, so with  a really privileged perspective on the spectacular staging.

I’ve always been astonished by the idea of a 19th century woman, Mary Shelley, writing such a modern,  evergreen, disquieting  story and at her young age (19 years old).  However, Nick Dear, whose adaptation Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee - Miller brought on stage, surprised and moved me with his brilliant work, which turns the novel into a  touching play.

The originality of the show is in the idea of a symbiotic relationship between created and  creator, the monster and the scientist who gave him life, unusually rendered with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee-Miller alternating and taking turns to play the two main roles, that of Victor Frankenstein and that of his unnaturally created monster.

The version I saw last night was with Cumberbatch as the creature and Lee-Miller as Victor Frankenstein. 

FOUR BOOKS THAT TEACH IMPORTANT VALUES TO YOUNG STUDENTS

(by guest blogger Nadia Jones)

There are several solid works of literature that teach the values of tolerance, good citizenship and humility, among other life lessons. These values are important and should be taught on a regular basis to young children and young adults. Literature is the perfect means for learning important principles, because readers are allowed to think through the themes at their own pace, without the distraction of other’s opinions. 

Several educational systems across the world have recognized not only the academic value of reading literature but the social value, as well. In the United States, several books with moralistic undertones can be found on the required reading list for public high schools. Although only two of the following four books are currently on that list, they are each equally worthy of reading by everyone, young and old.

Citizenship Papers: Essays

Written by National Humanities Medal recipient, Wendell Berry, this collection of essays is one of his finest works. Covering the topics of agriculture, global trade, home, family and sustainability, Citizenship Papers is less an explanation of why you should be a good citizen in terms of government and more an explanation of why you should be a good citizen in terms of stewardship. These essays cover important issues that many people living in developed economies never think about but that are the foundation of human survival. Wendell asks the question; “If our current economic system were to fall apart today, would you know how to grow your own food, make your own clothing and shelter and find fresh water?” The answer is a scary realization that should be seriously assessed by younger generations.

FIVE CLASSIC BOOKS YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD READ

(guest blogger Paul Taylor)

Think back to your childhood and you probably remember spending nights snuggled up next to your parents as they read to you, or huddled under covers with a flashlight far past bedtime, sneaking in a few more pages of your favorite book. Many parents look back fondly on the books they read growing up, in a time that was far removed from the technology crazed society we live in today. However just because video games and TV shows have become the social norm doesn’t mean our children should go to sleep devoid of bedtime stories. These five books will appeal to children of varying ages, and are classics from previous generations that continue to make their mark on current ones:

THREE COMMON BOOKS ASSIGNED FRESHMAN YEAR TO GET EXCITED ABOUT - GUEST BLOGGER MELISSA MILLER

If you are just starting your first year in college, or if you are preparing for this experience next year, trust me, you have much to look forward to. Not only will you be experience an independence of sorts for the first time in your life, you'll me meeting new friends, living in a new town or city, and just generally coming into your own. For those of you who are bookworms, college will be the best time of your life. Even if you are more interested in contemporary fiction, here are some classic books typically assigned your freshman year of college to look forward to. Although they were written in a different era, they still resonate for many.

      Huckleberry Finn

Although Huckleberry Finn may not sound like the most appealing book, it's packed with adventure, humor, and perfectly encapsulates the urges and