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***** Illustration shows La Caza Azul, Coyoacan, Mexico once the home of the artist Frida Kahlo, now a Museum. ****** Although I am a great fan of Frida Kahlo as a woman in history, as a strong survivor of horrific injuries, as a woman determined to love the man she loved – I have often…
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Lisa Tuttle in her introduction to this edition quotes Ursula Le Guin: In The Child and the Shadow (1975) Ursula Le Guin wrote, “The great fantasies, myths and tales are indeed like dreams they speak from the unconscious to the unconscious in the language of the unconscious – symbol and archetype.” _____ I am grateful…
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I asked Anthropic’s Claude (accept no imitations) for advice on the best way of sorting my out of control bookshelves. Here is the response. A few quick questions to tailor the system to you! How many books are we talking about, roughly? Q: How many books are we talking about, roughly? A: 500+ Q: What…
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The story concerns Zac Brettler a young man from a Jewish household living in North London. He was the grandson of the famous Rabbi Hugo Gryn, which the author tells us made Zac something like ‘London Jewish royalty’. Zac was bright, clever, sociable, friendly and funny. He was from a close and loving family, had…
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Plants My life at the moment is dominated by 25 plants of the genus fragaria vasca or wild strawberries to most of us. Why? Good question. They are required at a rune family wedding taking place in July and never has a responsibility weighed so heavy. I am currently to be seen running in and…
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Directed by : David Frankel Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestley) Stanley Tucci (Nigel) Emily Blunt (Emily Charlton) Anne Hathaway ( Andy Sachs) *** Even though I know sequels never work – can you believe it’s 20 years since the first one – still this was a chance to sit and stare at a screen and eat…
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“And much that goes on behind Life’s doors is not fixed like the pillars of a building nor preconceived like the structure of a symphony, nor calculable like the orbits of the stars. It is human, fleeting and more difficult to trace than cloud shadows that pass over a meadow.” Title: Grand Hotel Author: Vicki…
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I know the 1961 Club is long over but I thought I would write a little more on The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, having finally finished the marathon read a couple of evenings ago. What a wonderful book on the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti, starting from when the artist was aged 12…
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It’s Kaggsysbookishramblings‘ and Simon Stuck-in-a-Book‘s Year Club week, and the year in question is 1961. As per the norm I was late starting my book with the result that I am only one-quarter of the way through The Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone (1961). The following is therefore my quarter-of-the-way through review! The Agony…
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The Duke by Matteo Melchiorre Translation by Antonella Lettieri. (Foundry Editions, 2026) The Duke is in fact not a duke – that is a semi-affectionate/semi-ironic name by which the locals in Rubino’s bar refer to him- but he is a titled aristocrat, a young man who grew up in a (now sold) palazzo in Berua. …
