stapsreads

Don't ever ask me to tell you anything about William Wordsworth. What with this and 'Fair Exchange', my history is hopelessly confused.

In short: Fletcher Christian died shortly after the mutiny on the Bounty (or did he?); Jane Gresham is a respectable post-doc (or is she?); Tenille Cole is going nowhere fast (or is she?); there is more to William Wordsworth than you thought (or is there?)

'The Grave Tattoo' is a valiant attempt to incorporate Lake District legend, scholarly research and police procedural into the same novel, and I'm not entirely convinced by the result. Some of that may be down to the use of Lucida Handwriting or similar for Wordsworth's narrative; it adds a depressingly school-project touch. There were some irritating loose ends (what was the point of the TV crew?). Wise decision not to write Wordsworth's missing epic; there's quite enough Wordsworth in the world already.

All that is not to say that I did not enjoy this book. Certainly it was suspenseful, if not entirely credible. And it's quite fun to see some of the more esoteric areas of Eng Lit dissected. Overall, though, not a keeper.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/9896869

Subtitle: 'Classic Lit signs on to Facebook'

This is a harmless enough waste of an evening: the premise is that various characters from the canon of English Literature have joined Facebook, and their stories are told through status updates. Very funny if you know the stories, not so much, of course, if you don't. Happily I have a degree in Eng. Lit. for just this sort of eventuality.

My favourite was the amalgamated Shakepeare's comedies, of which I quote a very little:

Antipholus of Syracuse, Orlando, Oliver, The King of Navarre, Berowne, Longaville, Dumaine, Lucentio, Viola, Olivia, Gratiano, Proteus and Claudio fell in Love at First Sight! with Luciana, Rosalind, Celia, The Princess, Rosaline, Maria, Katherine, Bianca, Orsino, Cesario, Nerissa, Silvia and Hero.

Oliver, Orlando, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick are in Blood Feuds

Egeon, Emilia, two Antipholi, Viola and Sebastian were Shipwrecked.

And so on. The jokes wear a little thin after a while, as is the way with these things, but it's good for a giggle.


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