This is an honest and well accounted book about his life and death, and also incorporates the impact he had on others, particularly his cruelty to his childhood sweetheart, Jessie. It details well his enmeshment with his mother, the realities of life in a mining village and his true feelings on the futility of war.
Interesting, enlightening and well written.
NetGalley, Gem Fletcher
This is an honest and well accounted book about his life and death, and also incorporates the impact he had on others, particularly his cruelty to his childhood sweetheart, Jessie. It details well his enmeshment with his mother, the realities of life in a mining village and his true feelings on the futility of war.
Interesting, enlightening and well written.
NetGalley, Gem Fletcher
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
This is a fascinating account of the life and work of J M Barrie and the family which inspired what was arguably his greatest work. Reading about the tragic lives of the Llewlyn-Davies family was truly moving and the impact of WWI, mental illness and suicide on the family as a whole was simply devastating. To some extent, Barrie himself remains an enigma with so much of him known only through how he interacted with and felt towards others. The author’s careful research and sourcing of materials in invaluable in this respect.
NetGalley, Louise Gray
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
This is a fascinating account of the life and work of J M Barrie and the family which inspired what was arguably his greatest work. Reading about the tragic lives of the Llewlyn-Davies family was truly moving and the impact of WWI, mental illness and suicide on the family as a whole was simply devastating. To some extent, Barrie himself remains an enigma with so much of him known only through how he interacted with and felt towards others. The author’s careful research and sourcing of materials in invaluable in this respect.
NetGalley, Louise Gray
"All in all, Dickens and Travel offers a rich and entertaining overview of Dickens as a traveler and travel writer. It will please any readers interested in that lesser-known aspect of Dickens’s writing. From end to end, this book gives us the impression of travelling with Dickens to the numerous places he visited during his life. And we get a real feel of what it was like to travel and sojourn in Britain and abroad in the Victorian period."
Dickens Quarterly - March 2024 issue
"All in all, Dickens and Travel offers a rich and entertaining overview of Dickens as a traveler and travel writer. It will please any readers interested in that lesser-known aspect of Dickens’s writing. From end to end, this book gives us the impression of travelling with Dickens to the numerous places he visited during his life. And we get a real feel of what it was like to travel and sojourn in Britain and abroad in the Victorian period."
Dickens Quarterly - March 2024 issue
With so much talk recently about another Tolkien movie potentially in the works, it’s a good time to highlight this book. As it states on the jacket, ‘a great jumping off point for fans of his works…’ this book gives a huge insight into the man, Tolkien, explaining his formative years, friends, and family.
What I would say about this book is that it’s both well-researched and easy to read. There are black and white photographs included too which always helps the reader get a better feel for the subject. There are also diagrams of the Elvin language.
The fact that Tolkien not only entered into world-building for The Lord of The Rings, but also created new languages that scholars still teach today, tells us how invested he was in the story and the characters.
If, like me, you were/are a fan of the movies and characters from Tolkien’s books, then allowing this one to sit on the shelf next to them would be entirely appropriate.
Recommended.
For the Love of Books
With so much talk recently about another Tolkien movie potentially in the works, it’s a good time to highlight this book. As it states on the jacket, ‘a great jumping off point for fans of his works…’ this book gives a huge insight into the man, Tolkien, explaining his formative years, friends, and family.
What I would say about this book is that it’s both well-researched and easy to read. There are black and white photographs included too which always helps the reader get a better feel for the subject. There are also diagrams of the Elvin language.
The fact that Tolkien not only entered into world-building for The Lord of The Rings, but also created new languages that scholars still teach today, tells us how invested he was in the story and the characters.
If, like me, you were/are a fan of the movies and characters from Tolkien’s books, then allowing this one to sit on the shelf next to them would be entirely appropriate.
Recommended.
For the Love of Books
It is fascinating to think of Conan Doyle creating such a logical, reasoning character as Sherlock Holmes while also being almost obsessed with seances, mediums and spiritualists. This book does a thorough job of exploring such facets of the man while also reflecting on his family history and upbringing. Really interesting and well written.
NetGalley, Louise Gray
It is fascinating to think of Conan Doyle creating such a logical, reasoning character as Sherlock Holmes while also being almost obsessed with seances, mediums and spiritualists. This book does a thorough job of exploring such facets of the man while also reflecting on his family history and upbringing. Really interesting and well written.
NetGalley, Louise Gray
The Real Beatrix Potter
The Real Beatrix Potter is a fascinating and revealing biography of one of the world's most cherished children's authors. Beatrix Potter's famous little white books have enchanted generations of young readers who adored the characters she created and of course her own distinctive illustrations. Born into a typically repressed Victorian family it was… Read more...
