3.5 stars. Diary of a Provincial Lady humorously capture every day life of that era. I enjoyed it, but after a while the humour started to wear thin, 3.5 stars. Diary of a Provincial Lady humorously capture every day life of that era. I enjoyed it, but after a while the humour started to wear thin, and it did not expand in any other such as plot. Therefore, while a short book, I took longer reading it, as it was more suitable to dip in and out of than to be deeply drawn into. There's a touch of the humour A.A. Milne uses in Winnie-the-Pooh - compare 'Robert, in this crisis, is less helpful than I could wish, and takes up characteristically masculine attitude that We are All Making A Fuss about Very Little, ...' with '“All right,� said Eeyore. ‘We're going. Only Don’t Blame Me.�' and ' ..anxious about Roo that she would do a Good Thing to Do without thinking about it.'....more
While I did enjoy the classic 'The Time Machine', the other stories in the collection did not appeal, and struggled to engage me. Unfortunately they aWhile I did enjoy the classic 'The Time Machine', the other stories in the collection did not appeal, and struggled to engage me. Unfortunately they also showcased strongly some of the views and attitudes of the time and a great quantity of them would be considered offensive now. When reading older works one expects to come across some dated language etc. but this was not just a case of skim over and move on and enjoy the rest of the book....more
Was Paul McCartney inspired by this when he wrote Mull of Kintyre: 'But Odin replied: "Far have I travelled, much have I seen and many beings I have kWas Paul McCartney inspired by this when he wrote Mull of Kintyre: 'But Odin replied: "Far have I travelled, much have I seen and many beings I have known" ' (p. 114)!?...more
Initially Not So Quiet... was proposed to the author as a parody of All Quiet on the Western Front (All's Quaint on the Western Front', but instead beInitially Not So Quiet... was proposed to the author as a parody of All Quiet on the Western Front (All's Quaint on the Western Front', but instead became a book that is complementary to it, but serious and powerful in its own right. Having read All Quiet on the Western Front recently one can see the parallels and influence, but it also stands firmly on its own two feet, not leaning too heavily on its influencer, and also being readable and enjoyable even if one hasn't read its influencer.
The author heavily studied the diaries of Winifred Constance Young, so while the work is a work of fiction, and its shaping to parallel All Quiet on the Western Front is clearly seen, it is also very real and experientially accurate, even if the narrative and language is tailored. For me, I found Not So Quiet... a more powerful book than the classic that influenced it....more
3.5 stars. D. H. Lawrence's writing is gentle and evocative, and kept me reading despite the books flaws and its length. I enjoyed the world and chara3.5 stars. D. H. Lawrence's writing is gentle and evocative, and kept me reading despite the books flaws and its length. I enjoyed the world and characters he created. However, at times the writing got a bit too abstract, and I also struggled to understand some of the character's decisions. The writing did keep me engaged, and tips my rating to just over 3 stars....more
Margaret Armstrong's illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and easily worth 5 stars! Books like this really make me feel there should be more illustraMargaret Armstrong's illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and easily worth 5 stars! Books like this really make me feel there should be more illustrated and picture books aimed at adults. Sadly I don't think a physical copy with her illustrations is easy to get hold of, but thankfully it is on the , being out of copyright. The poems themselves I did not enjoy quite a much, and were a bit mixed, hence the overall rating of 4 stars....more
I think this has made me understand why I didn't like traditional tales and fairy tales when I was young despite being a fantasy lover: the plots ofteI think this has made me understand why I didn't like traditional tales and fairy tales when I was young despite being a fantasy lover: the plots often involve a lot of repetition, the characters are 2D and the writing lacking atmosphere. The repetition has to be the biggest thing though, and this collection particularly demonstrated this with even certain phrasings cropped up in more than one story,. Kay Nielsen's illustrations are distinctive and evocative, and suggest of the atmosphere and creativity that these stories could be fleshed out with, and help the imagination fill in the gaps....more
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