Autumnal Mood

Ah, October! Hot pumpkin spice lattes, warm blankets, cardigan weather, falling leaves and everything orange! It is hard not to get in the Autumn mood especially if you live in England as I currently do - for is there a country that brings more fall feelings then the ultimate rainy state?

"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life. The rich colours of grass and earth were intensified by the mellow light of a sun almost warm enough for spring..."

- A Taste of Death, P.D. James

Some  see in Autumn, much like in Spring, the beginning of a new life. 'Crisp' is what comes to mind to many of us when describing this beautiful season:

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The Morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple."

-  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K.Rowling

...Then there is Hemingway, whose vision is a bit more different, but immensely beautiful:

“You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason.” 

- A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway

However, it seems like Autumn is one of the most inspiring seasons when it comes to period drama (which is why, I thoroughly recommend some classic English period pieces as the perfect fall reads):

"I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

- Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

“There was a filmy veil of soft dull mist obscuring, but not hiding, all objects, giving them a lilac hue, for the sun had not yet fully set; a robin was singing ... The leaves were more gorgeous than ever; the first touch of frost would lay them all low to the ground. Already one or two kept constantly floating down, amber and golden in the low slanting sun-rays.” 

- North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell

"Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn - that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness - that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling."

- Persuasion, Jane Austen

...Speaking of poetry:

I Remember You As You Were

 I remember you as you were in the last autumn.

You were the grey beret and the still heart.
In your eyes the flames of the twilight fought on.
And the leaves fell in the water of your soul.

Clasping my arms like a climbing plant

the leaves garnered your voice, that was slow and at peace.

Bonfire of awe in which my thirst was burning.

Sweet blue hyacinth twisted over my soul.

I feel your eyes traveling, and the autumn is far off:

Grey beret, voice of a bird, heart like a house

Towards which my deep longings migrated

And my kisses fell, happy as embers.

Sky from a ship. Field from the hills:

Your memory is made of light, of smoke, of a still pond!

Beyond your eyes, farther on, the evenings were blazing.

Dry autumn leaves revolved in your soul.

 Pablo Neruda

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5 best: Quotes from Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens. His humour has proven timeless just as his books - some of the most loved ones in English literature. He is the brilliant writer who has left us with such endearing characters such as David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickelby. In this post, I have decided to share with you five of his best quotes (as there are so many good quotes from his work, choosing just five was a struggle, but you have to begin from somewhere).

1.  'Love, however, is very materially assisted by a warm and active imagination which has a long memory, and will thrive, for a considerable time, on very slight and sparing food.'

     - Nicholas Nickelby 

2. '...we know, Mr Weller - we, who are men of the world - that a good uniform must work its way with the women, sooner or later.'

    - 'The Gentleman in Blue' The Pickwick Papers

3. '... although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion, if you can keep him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complementing other people.'

     - Nicholas Nickelby

4. 'No one who can read, ever looks at a book, even unopened on a shelf, like one who cannot.'

    - Our Mutual Friend

5. 'Tell Mrs Gamp to come up-stairs,' said Mould. 'Now Mrs Gamp, what's your news?'

 The lady in question was by this time in the doorway, curtseying to Mrs Mould. At the same moment a peculiar fragrance was borne upon the breeze, as if a passing fairy had hiccoughed, and had previously been to a wine-vault.'

   - Martin Chuzzlewit

So, what are some of your favourite quotes from Dickens?

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The 13th Juror: Review

Author: John Lescroart

Type: Crime drama

Originally published in: 1994

A court drama that will keep you guessing till the very end.

You might have already heard of John Lescroart as he is a New York Times bestselling author. For the rest of you: his crime novels have been quite popular ever since he wrote Sunburn in 1981. So, I am quite happy I stumbled upon him as I was looking through my mum’s books – I can see why his work turns into an instant bestseller, and here is why.

The 13th Juror is the story of a woman, Jennifer Witt, who is accused of murdering her husband, her son, as well as her first husband, some nine years earlier. Dismas Hardy is the lawyer who takes on her case with the heavy task of proving her innocent when all evidence are against her. But the hardest task is to convince the 13^th juror – the judge.

Now, The 13^th Juror is the fourth book including Dismas Hardy as a main character, but this does not mean you need to be familiar with the first three books in order to understand this one. On the contrary – I would not even guess there were other books with him till after I finished this one, and I researched the author. This is, if you do not have the time to read a series of books, you could easily just pick up on of them, and your reading experience will not suffer. Or if you really like it, then there are 15 books with Dismas as the main protagonist, waiting for you.

The 13^th Juror is a page turner. There is no other way to say it – it is an easy read, and thanks to Lescroat’s understanding of the legal system, everything is well described and explained. As a result, even if your knowledge of American laws and court practise is not so good, you will still understand all the processes followed in the book.

However, why I thoroughly recommend this book, is due to the delicate subject it touches – domestic abuse. The 13^th Juror is a gripping story of a woman, who has been physically abused by both her husbands. This book goes deeper than just describing her sufferings – it examines her mental stability, her very nature. It does not just show the consequences of abuse on a person’s mind, but also how Jennifer has grown up, and what could be the long-term effects of growing up in an abusive home on a young girl’s mind.

Give this one a read if you are on the hunt of a good crime thriller.

Have you read any of the John Lescroart’s novels?

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Happiness through Books

There are a lot of things that can make people happy - a hug from a loved one, listening to a favourite piece of music, getting the keys to a new house...the list is endless. But then there is those of us that can find happiness just as easily in the smell of a new book...or of an old favourite.

“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy."

The perfect morning: The Great Gatsby and a cup of hot coffee

I can find happiness in reading The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's classic story of the man who wants to relive the past, can be considered quite a sad read, but there is a beauty in those kind of books that cannot be conveyed in other types of literature. I am utterly in love with Jay Gatsby, I feel his longing for the past, and I want to go back in time and live in the roaring twenties. However, although this read always brings me some nostalgic feelings (and quite a lot of anger during the end of it), I also feel happy. And this is the kind of happiness that only a great book can bring you - for as sad as it may be, it still makes you read it again and again, and again.

“Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” 

Another American classic, The Catcher in the Rye, is one more book that makes me happy. The humour, Holden Caufield, the language - there is nothing not to make you smile. This, of course, does not mean that this is the most cheerful book - truth is, in the right hands, it could be quite thought-provoking. Salinger is an author with such a unique style, he makes Holden sound not only believable, but as if everything he thinks, comes from the reader himself. Definitely a book, every young person should read at least once. And then re-read when they are older, for suddenly, the book has a new meaning, that you did not quite grasp the first time round. And it is a different meaning to every one.

So, what about you? Which books make you happy?

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Italian Summer

While travelling across Italy and indulging into such traditional pleasures as drinking wine under the sun in Tuscany, or shopping on the streets of Florence, I couldn't help but remember all the various films set in that beautiful country. Films that make you wish you could immediately teleport yourself to the gorgeous scenery you see on the screen.

And what about books? I remember reading Astrid Lindgren's Katy in Italy years ago, when I was a young girl, wishing I could visit the same places, see the same things. Basically, wishing I could be Katy, freely enjoying my time in sunny Florence.

Fast forwards to a few months ago, when I first noticed Nicky Pellegrino's books in my local library, and this feeling was instantly revived. When in Rome and The Food of Love Cookery School turned into instant favourites. The way she describes life in Italy is warm and lively just like her stories. The characters are engaging, but it is the ancient city of Rome or the marvellous island of Sicily, that creates that gorgeous atmosphere - that feeling that you want to visit every little place mentioned.

I recall reading about the Italian wonders briefly in The Count of Monte Cristo -  a marvellous description of the mystery of Italian streets. 

What about you? What books situated in Italy would you recommend? 

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5 Amusing Stories from Elizabethan England

1. Sense of humour. Level: Shakespeare

During one performance of Shakespeare’s Richard the Third, in which Richard Burbage plays the title role “a female member of the audience grows so smitten with Burbage that she urges him to come to her that same night. She tells him to knock on her door and announce himself as 'Richard the Third’. Shakespeare overhears their conversation and goes to the lady’s chamber first. When the appointed hour arrives, Burbage knocks on the door and announces that ‘Richard the Third’ has arrived – only to hear Shakespeare reply from within: William the Conqueror came before Richard the Third.”

2. Queen Elizabeth, too, was famous for her humour:

“One day the earl of Oxford breaks wind as he bows down in front of her. Mortified, he leaves court immediately and does not return for seven years. When he finally does come back, the queen greets him cheerfully with the quip, ‘My lord, I had forgotten for the fart.”

3. …speaking of Elizabeth, did you know that she is considered one of the ‘greatest patrons of fashion in history’?

By 1600, in her royal residence could be found that“she has 102 French gowns, 67 round gowns, 100 loose gowns, 126 kirtles, 136 foreparts, 125 petticoats, 96 cloaks, 85 doublets and 99 ‘robes’… Additionally she kept 2 robes, 26 French gowns, 14 round gowns, 27 loose gowns, 23 kirtles, 58 foreparts, 27 petticoats, 41 cloaks and 38 doublets at the Office of the wardrobe at Blackfriars.”

4. Many of the words that were used in Elizabethan England and are still used today, have changed their meanings. For instance:

The word ‘nice’ used to mean ‘exact’ or ‘accurate’; the word ‘cute’ means ‘sharp’, while ‘mean’ refers to something little or humble, e.g. ‘the meanest woman in town’ reflects on poverty. Also: ‘several’ meant ‘separate’; ‘ecstasy’ = ‘madness’; ‘cheap’ = ‘market’; ‘budget’ = ‘bag’, and so on…

5. A remarkable man of Elizabethan England has to be Sir Richard Grenville:

“In 1591, after fighting for a whole day single-handedly against a Spanish fleet, with forty men dead on deck, no gunpower left, gaping holes in the side of his ship and six feet of water in the hold, you might think he surrender. Nothing of the sort: Sir Richard vows to fight on, to the death.”

To learn all you need to know about Elizabethan England, and to read first-handedly all these stories and more: get your hands on The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer.

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What to read: Books about Paris

I consider this as quite a popular type of post. Personally, I have read numerous articles dedicated to the best books situated in Paris, or more generally in France. However, I must admit I am purposely on the look for those kind of lists as reading about France has always been close to my heart. Unsurprisingly, one of my all-time favourite books is Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo – it is a classic, and if you have never read it, make sure you find the time – I thoroughly recommend it (do NOT rely on watching some Hollywood movie version of it as they like to completely alter the plot). I am definitely going to dedicate a post specifically for classic French literature as it is among my favourites. This is not that post. Here I offer some titles that you might have not heard of, but are still worthy of your attention if you want to read about Paris. Some of them are better in quality than others but all of them are good in their own means.

1.   The Girl at the Lion d’Or by Sebastian Faulks

Starting with the one of the highest literary quality. The name of Sebastian Faulks might ring a bell? That is due to his popularity because of another one of his novels – Birdsong. The Girl at the Lion d’Or has that same feeling of a timeless classic that you might get from his other work – it is a beautifully written story, full of utterly believable, engaging characters.

Set in a little French village between the two world wars, the story is about a passionate love affair between a young girl, whose life is marked by abandonment, and a rich married man, a veteran from the Great War. Both of them have been affected by the war in two very different ways, and in their eternal struggles they find another person to care for. Faulks is great when it comes to historical fiction and this is not an exception – the narrative is so flawless, it removes the ideas of time and space, and suddenly rural France in the 30s feels like the most natural and well-known place that the reader could find himself in. The descriptions of the people, the landscape, the tiny streets of Janvilliers, all of it comes to life under the hand of a masterful artist – Faulks paints the perfect picture of a time, when people are still trying to come in terms with the greatest war they have seen – yet, the feeling of a new threat is on the horizon, and there is still some air of uncertainty about the future.

The perfect read if you want to know something deeper about France – not just the prettiness of Versailles, but the history that defines a nation.

2.    The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Keeping it in the past with the second novel I highly recommend: The Paris Wife is set in the best time a book about Paris could be set in – the roaring twenties! The times when Paris is more in than ever – everyone wants to be there and run into the great bohemians of the age in a charming café in the Latin Quarter. And this book is dedicated to no other wife, but Ernest Hemingway’s first wife – Hadley.

Paula McLain beautifully writes this from first person – so, as a result the reader witnesses everything from Hadley’s perspective. We are there to meet Hemingway for a very first time, we are there being besotted by his persona, we are with him when he moves to Paris. But most of all, through Hadley, it is easy to see all the struggles that come with being a genius – a literary master, whose books are today sold in millions around the world, but whose beginnings were quite humble. This is the perfect read to get to the heart of his story – through his first marriage, it is easy to gain some idea of his character and even to understand more thoroughly, why decades later, he would be the man to take his own life. Furthermore, the book offers a wonderful insight into the period when Hemingway was writing The Sun Also Rises, making this a valuable read for literary buffs. But above all, this is a story about Hadley – a woman that might be overlooked when considering Hemingway’s life, but who should definitely not be easily forgotten.

3.    Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard

Fast-forward to Paris in the 21^st century and you get Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris. Now, this is a more practical read as it gives you the idea of the Paris of today (plus some insight into the places to visit). I rank this book very highly as it is a perfectly charming read that can easily transport you to the city of lights due to the lightness of the language, and the effortlessness of the narrative.

In this book, Bard tells us her very own story of meeting her French husband, and deciding to completely change her life by moving to Paris with him (honestly, who can blame her?). What makes the book utterly delicious is the inclusion of French recipes at the end of each chapter – duck, goat cheese, sardines, trout, scallops, macaroons – there is something for everyone. But what really makes this book a must is that it proves to me that a modern author can write a beautiful, true story set in Paris, full of emotion. That is, in an age where we are constantly bombarded by chick-lit of low quality, and constantly reminded that the authors are usually women…it is quite refreshing to know there is a woman who can write in such a beautiful way without falling into the clichés of the trade. Give Lunch in Paris a read and you won’t regret it.

4.    The Art of French Kissing by Kristin Harmel

And here is something that definitely falls in the aforementioned category of the chick-lit. The Art of French Kissing is for the women who want a quick escape to Paris but have no time for it, or the ones who are, indeed, going to Paris in a few weeks, and want some more ideas into places to eat and drink. No, this is not a guidebook, but yes – it gives some good insight into where to go to enjoy the best coq au vin or tart tatin in Paris (the characters visit quite a few restaurants and bars along the pages of the book, and their whereabouts are conveniently shared with the reader).

As for the story, it is nothing ground-breaking in the chick-lit genre – a good-looking American girl just loses her fiancé, her job and her place in the matter of a couple of days, so she jumps into the opportunity to visit an old friend who lives in Paris. There, she is included in her small PR company, handling a new big French rock star. The story is charming, but the author does underestimate her readers – for me, the ‘big’ twist is visible from miles away, even without wearing glasses. Nevertheless, you can easily enjoy this short novel for what it is – charming, easy to read and fabulously set in Paris. 

My favourite quote from The Art of French Kissing - spot on

And what is your favourite book set in Paris/France?

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