"Rebecca" - an English novel about love and death

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again"

Hello again! Sorry for not writing so long, but I’ve had a lot of school work lately… you know, matura exam next year J. Anyway, recently I’ve read an outstanding book, titled "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier, so I’m going to tell you more about it…

"Rebecca" is a mystery novel about a willfully naive and poor woman in her early 20s, who decides to marry a much older (42 years old), recently met Maxim de Winter. The man is a widower – at the begining of the story we don’t know much about his first wife. After the honeymoon the couple arrives at the man’s great country estate – the Manderley. The woman is extremely shy and can’t get used to her new situation as a new mistress of the huge mansion. She fears that Maxim never really loved and only used her to forget about his loss. What’s more, she can’t get along with the housekeeper, Mrs Danvers. The old woman can’t accept the loss of her beloved first Mrs de Winter… Is Maxim really in love with his young wife? What happened to his first wife? Will "the dead come back and watch the living"? Read the novel and find out by yourself J.

It may seem that the "Rebecca" is the novel’s narrator – the second Mrs de Winter… but actually it’s how the first wife was named. What is interesting we never get to know the name of the second Maxim’s wife… This is very symbolic, as the young mistress always felt she was a complete failture, living in her predecessor’s shadow.

The novel gives the reader a perfect psychological portrait of an insecure woman who has to face the Menderley’s past. Young mistress tries her best to please her husband and feels overwhelmed by her new responsibilities. She can still feel the presence of the first Maxim’s wife and feels bullied by Mrs Danvers.

The novel’s narrator is the same woman, only this time she is more confident and brave. The book is some kind of a retrospection, containing memories from the dark past of the Menderley that was behind her.

"Rebecca" is remembered especially for Mrs Danvers – the main protagonist of the novel. The old woman is very devoted to the dead Maxim’s wife – she used to be her maid when she was a child and cared about her ever since. Mrs Danvers always admired Rebecca – for her intellingence, good manners and beauty. Her death came as a huge shock to the old woman. Maxim’s remarriage is very painful to Mrs Danvers – she tries to break up the couple’s marriage. The manipulative housekeeper despises the young Mrs De Winter, as she is the constant reminder of what has been lost for ever. She often humiliates the new mistress and tries to prove that she will never be as good as Rebecca. One day she suggests that the young mistress wear a particular dress to a costume ball, being aware that Rebecca wore it to the costume ball the previous year. She even attempts to persuade the Maxim’s wife to commit a suicide!

The book was first published in 1938. It shortly became a best-seller and captured the imagination of the legendary film director, Alfred Hitchcock. Therefore, in 1940, the book’s adaptation was made – it has also turned out to be very successful with a box office of $6 million (budget was around $1,29 million). The lead role is played by the Oscar winner, Joan Fontaine.

That would be all for today, I hope I encouraged you to read the book (or at least watch the movie ;)). See you soon!

+some pics from the Hitchcock’s movie "Rebecca", enjoy J

"Who in the world am I? "

Story of the Alice by Lewis Carroll

If you were asked to name some children characters from classic fairy tales, who would pop up in your mind? I’m sure that Alice, young, female protagonist of Lewis Carroll’s children’s novel "Alice in wonderland", would be on the list.

 The first novel about the notorious British blonde was "Alice in wonderland" - written by an English mathematician, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll), in 1865 (it’s over 150 years old!). The sequel was published in 1871 ("Through the Looking-Glass"). Both books were divided into 12 chapters, each illustrated by John Tenniel.

"Alice in wonderland" tells us about the adventures of Alice, a little girl, who visits a magical world of Wonderland. How does she get there? Well, while resting in the garden with her older sister she sees a mysterious white rabbit. She decides to follow it. She falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a strange room with a table with one key on it – the key to the beautiful garden. Alice begins to cry as she realizes she is too large to fit through the door. Fortunately, she discovers a bottle marked “DRINK ME”...

A dream-like world of Wonderland is full of bizzare creatures and objects. It appears it has its own laws and… even logic! The heroine joins Mad Hatter for a tea party, meets the Queen of Hearts and plays croquet using flamingos as mallets.

The plot of "Through the Looking-Glass" is set about six months later than the earlier book. This time Alice jumps into a fantastical world of the Looking Glass, to join the game of chess. Our little protagonist enters the unknown by climbing through a mirror above the chimney. The strange world resembles Wonderland – although everything is backward. Reader meets again with The Red Queen, but there are also many new characters such as Humpty Dumpty and the Unicorn.

One of the most notorious poems,  from the novels, appreciated, is a nonsense poem about the dreadful creature - "Jabberwocky”. It has been found by Alice in a book. At first the girl is pretty clueless about its meaning, but eventually Humpty Dumpty’s explains it to her. The extract is extremely difficult to understand as it’s written in mirror-writing. What’s more, many made-up and nonsensical words appear there. "Frabjous" (possibly a combination of fair, fabulous, and joyous) and

"mimsy" (flimsy and miserable) are only the two of them. The poem is appreciated in linguistics and poetics all over the world. It has been used in the Tim Burton’s movie "Alice in wonderland".

 Many readers were wondering about the novels’ deeper meaning. Some think that drugs had an influence on the storyline. The experts are usually sceptical but…who knows? Although there’s no evidence that Carroll was taking the mind-alterning drugs while writing the novels, this theory has a point. Firstly, Alice drinks mysterious potions and eats pieces of mushroom that change her physical state. Another example - the Caterpillar smokes an elaborate water pipe.

The Caroll’s novel may seem like a nonsensical story, but maybe that’s what makes it so special. It allows us to see the world through the innocent eyes of a child. The book teaches us a lesson – that we shouldn’t take the world too seriously.

Bibliography

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll
•  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland
• https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/dec/23/review-lewis-carroll-alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland
  

+ "Jabberwocky” with polish translation

Lewis Caroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought-
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with his head
He went galumphing back.

And has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Calloh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Stanisław Barańczak
Brzdęśniało już; ślimonne prztowie
Wyrło i warło się w gulbieży;
Zmimszałe ćwiły borogowie
I rcie grdypały z mrzerzy.

O strzeż się, synu, Dziaberłaka!
Łap pazurzastych, zębnej paszczy!
Omiń Dziupdziupa, złego ptaka,
Z którym się Brutwiel piastrzy!

A on jął w garść worpalny miecz:
Nim wroga wdepcze w grzębrną krumać,
Chce tu, gdzie szum, wśród drzew Tumtum
stać parę chwil i dumać.

Lecz gdy tak tonie w dumań gląpie,
Dziaberłak płomienistooki
Z dala przez gąszcze tulżyc tąpie,
Brdli, bierze się pod boki!

Ba-bach! Ba-bach! I rach, i ciach
Worpalny brzeszczot cielsko ciachnął!
A on wziął łeb i poprzez step
W powrotny szlak się szlachnął.

Tyżeś więc ubił Dziaberłaka?
Pójdź, chłopcze, chlubo jazd i piechot,
Objąć się daj! Ho-hej! Ha-haj!,
Rżał rupertyczny rechot.

Brzdęśniało już; ślimonne prztowie
Wyrło i warło się w gulbieży;
Zmimszałe ćwiły borogovie
I rcie grdypały z mrzerzy.

“The Turn of the Screw” as one of the best British horror novels

As I have proved in the previous posts many classic of the World Literature are British, but does it include the horror gendre? Well, in my mind, yes!

One example can be the iconic “Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley (1818), which has introduced the well-known,  grotesque creature. Some amazing modern British authors are James Herbert (“The Rats”) and Ramsey Campbell (“The Mummy”)… and of course we simply cannot forget the notorious "Dracula" by Irish writer Bram Stoker.

 Today, I’m going to tell you more about my favourite British horror novella “The Turn of the Screw”, published in 1898 by Henry James…

The book's action occurs in the country house – during the Christmas Eve. A group of people is sharing ghost stories. One man, named Douglas, decides to read a manuscript written by his now dead friend, a former governess. It tells us a mysterious story connected with her first job. The woman’s employer was the wealthy uncle of two orphans, Miles and Flora. The girl was living alone (well, excluding the service) in a large old mansion, while the boy was in a boarding school. The gentleman gave to the woman the full responsibility of children and the house… on one, strange condition – she was never, EVER to bother him. The woman was, at first, charmed by the mansion and the girls. Then, a few days after her arrival, she received a letter informing that the boy had been expelled from school and was going back home. She decided not to disturb the master about this fact, as Miles seemed very well-mannered and eager to learn. The governess tried her best to satisfy the children, but with the passage of time, she began to suspect that there was something wrong, evil about their behaviour. Meanwhile she started to see the figures of a young man and woman. Her obssesion only grew when they turned out to be the ghosts of the two employees, who had recently passed away under suspicious circumstances… What did they want? What was the cause of their deaths? Did Miles and Flora have something to do about it? And, of course, what happened to the governess? Read and find out :).

 At first, “The Turn of the Screw” might seem like a typical ghost story… but, belive me, it’s much more than that! What’s unique about the book, because of the manuscript’s first-person narrative, the reader can’t be really sure if the ghosts haunting the governess are real. They could be only a  part of her imagination, as nobody execept the woman seemed to notice them. Perhaps the great responsibilities were too overwhelming and caused her mental breakdown? Or maybe the mysterious ghosts were simply very careful?

If you don’t have enough time to read the whole novella, I recommend watching its adaptation, a black-and-white film “The Innocents”, made in 1961 year. It perfectly captures the book's mood and style… and it was also made in the UK.

+ Some images from the film, I hope they’ll encourage you to watch it :D

J. R. R. Tolkien – the British master of high-fantasy

If you’re into fantasy fiction I bet you’ve heard about "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" (or more properly "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again"). These are the most notorious works by the legendary British writer - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, known simply as J. R. R. Tolkien.

J. R. R. Tolkien was born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. At age four, after his father’s death, his family moved to England, near Birmingham. After his mother’s death in 1904, he became a ward of a Catholic priest. Tolkien attended King Edward’s School (Birmingham) and Exeter College (Oxford). He later became a Lecturer in English Language And Literature at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford. In middle 1920s he translated  the famous "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and completed a translation of the "Beowulf". In 1937 Tolkien published the notorious fantasy novel "The Hobbit". What’s interesting, he created over 100 illustrations to it. The book was such a succes that he decided to write a sequel – 17 years later he published "The Lord of the Rings". Although regarded the second book as a single work, it is divided into three parts: "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Tower", and "The Return of the King" (often published separately). Tolkien retired from professorial duties in 1959. He died in 1973 (at the age of 81).

Perhaps, Tolkien’s biography might seem boring at first glance, but when we take a closer look… we realise it’s just the opposite!

At the age of 16, J.R.R. Tolkien met Edith Mary Bratt. The two fell in love, but they were forbidden to meet (or even correspond!) until his 21th birthday. That day he wrote to the woman, but unfortunately she was already engaged to somebody else! Tolkien didn’t give up though and eventually Edith accepted Tolkien's proposal. They got married in 1916 and were happily married for 55 years (until her death). They had four children.

Furthermore, the First and the Second World War had a great impact on Tolkien and his works. During WWI he was an ordinary soldier, fighting in the trenches. He took part in the Battle of the Somme - two of his good friends were killed then. The horryfing events have influenced his works – which is most apparent in the Middle-earth wars and battles. Take the Mûmakil elephants as an example. Their devastating strength was inpirated by tanks. The famous words said by Gandalf - “You shall not pass” - were an allusion to a common WWI propaganda slogan (“No pasarán!”).

Tolkien is without a doubt one of the most influential figure in modern fantasy fiction. Some of the names he made up, such as “hobbit” were even added to the Oxford dictionary! His works were sold in over 250 million copies. "The Hobbit” is a set book in many schools worldwide… and of course his novels "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" were adapted to films several times (the most famous were directed by Peter Jackson).

So, that’s it J. Don’t forget about the original “LOTR” writer! If you enjoyed my work check out my other posts. See ya!

Bibliography

·      http://www.biography.com/people/

·      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien

·      http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zgr9kqt

·      http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/

+ Some of the Tolkien’s drawings (Colored by H. E. Riddett). Enjoy ;)

"The Jungle Book” as an example of the British Empire Colonies’ impact on Literature

British Empire had colonies all over the world for over four centuries. No wonder they have had an impact on British literature (and vice-versa). Enabled to travel to the places previously beyond European’s imagination and inspirated by their culture, many British writers have created works about these exotic places. One work is a novel "A Passage to India" written by E. M. Forster in 1924, which shows life in India under the British rule. Another example, probably the most famous is Rudyard Kipling’s "The Jungle Book".

J.R. Kipling (1865-1936) was an English journalist and a writer. He received the 1907 Nobel Prize in Literature. Kipling was born in Bombay.  Although ha was educated in England at the United Services College, he returned to India in 1882 for about six-and-a-half years . He worked for Anglo-Indian newspapers there. He became a writer of poems ("Mandalay", "Gunga Din") and short stories ("The Man Who Would Be King").  In early 1890s Kipling has published his most notorious work - "The Jungle Book".

"The Jungle Book” is a collection of moral stories featuring humanlike animals (tigers, snakes ect.). They were originally published in magazines between 1893 and 1894, when the author lived in Naulakha. Each tale was illustrated, in part by Kipling’s father.

One of the main characters of the novel, appearing in 3 stories (“Mowgli’s Brothers”, “Kaas Hunting”, and “Tiger Tiger!”), is a boy – Mowgli. He was probbably abandoned by his parents as a little child and brought up in the jungle by wolves. The boy has to survive in the animal world. One of the greatest of dangers is the tiger named Shere Khan. His best friends are Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther and Akela (an indian wolf). Some of the most significant characters of the remaining 4 novel’s stories are Rikki-Tikki, the mongoose who protected an indian family against the cobras and Kotick, a rare white-furred northern fur seal.

The book has been adapted many times for film (most recently in 2016). It is a set book in many schools, all over the world. It's not at all surprising– it shows a mysterious world of wild animals and exotic nature of India. What is interesting, the jungle shown in the book has an actual set of legal codes and every animal must respect them.

All in all, I believe "The Jungle Book” is one of the greatest novels related to India, showing the beauty of its nature and morals of its people. I strongly recommend this book to all of you. Believe me, you won’t regret it, J.

Bibliography

• http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling

+ A picture from wikipedia with all areas of the world that were ever part of the British 

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

By C. S. Lewis

 “The Chronicles of Narnia” are undoubtedly the classics of children's literature and one of the most famous fantasy series of all time. First published in the early 1950s, London and illustrated by Pauline Baynes, they were adapted to several films, stage performances and even radio dramas. I would say it is a sin, not to know “The Chronicles”… having read (and loved) all of them I will try to encourage you all to read at least the first of seven books, called “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”.

The plot of the novel begins in the time of the WWII (more precisely during “the Blitz” - air raids in London). It tells a story of four siblings - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. They have no choice but to leave the dangerous city and head to the old house in the countryside. One day, during a game of hide-and-seek, they find a magic wardrobe. It leads them to the magical world of Narnia…

              What is so special about the book? At first, it awakens one’s imagination. The novel shows a picturesque land of magic creatures, such as dwarfs, fauns and talking animals. Moreover “The Chronicles…” promotes good values – loyalty, honesty or courage. The good triumphs over evil. Edmund’s betrayal or the cruelty of the Witch is shown as wrong. For this reason, these novels are often recommended for children. What is interesting, the series are said to thread to the Christian theology. For example, some see analogies  between the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ and Aslan's Sacrifice. The Great Lion saved Edmund (“son of Adam”) was killed by the White Witch (who is said to represent Satan) to and came to life again…

              Overall, “The Chronicles of Narnia” are very uplifting - they are the kind of books that make you believe in good in the world. They show the power of true love and friendship. I would recommend them to everyone who needs to get through all sorts of problems (not only children! J).

Hope you enjoyed my review. Here are some more pics, from the original books:

“The History of English Literature”

Hello everybody J! I thought I'd start the blog off by giving you a short overview of the British Literature’s Periodization.

The term “English Literature” includes written works produced in the English language by inhabitants of the British Isles (including Ireland). So, yes, it means that creations from the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and New Zealand are excluded. It encompasses works written from the 7th century to the present time.

Basically, we could divide English literature into seven periods:

·       Anglo-Saxon Period (449-1066),

·       The Middle English Period -  also known as Medieval Period (1066-1485),

·       The Renaissance (1485-1660),

·       The Neoclassical Period (1660-1798),

·       The Romantic Period (1798-1832),

·       The Victorian Period (1832-1901),

·       The Modern Period (1901 – present day).

During the Anglo-Saxon Period the oral tradition was very important. A large number of the first works were praising brave warriors or gods. Some of them were transcribed (Latin alphabet was brought by the Christian missionaries). One of the oldest examples is an anonymous epic poem “Beowulf”. It tells a story of the title character – great hero who defeated a monster, became a king and was fatally wounded in the battle with a dragon (which Beowulf, obviously, won). Literature from this period was characterised by strong belief in fate. It often expressed religious fate and gave moral instructions. Due to the Roman’s influence the old ideal - the warrior -  was replaced by a new ideal, the saint.

Catholicism had a huge impact on the literature of The Middle English Period. Many of the authors were Clerics. A large part the works were basically religious and primarily didactic in nature. The majority of the Medieval English Literature was anonymous. Most of the texts were produced in Latin, despite the fact that only small percentage of the population could understand it. It was essentially an oral literature. Significant of works from that period are "The Ancrene Riwle" "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Le Morte d'Arthur".

The  Renaissance was the period of the Elizabethan theatre, the Protestant Reformation, and the invention of the printing press. Its literature of the was characterised by a tendency toward humanistic ideas (such as the dignity of man) and nonreligious, topics. Its most important genres were poetry (sonnets and metaphysical poetry) and drama. Some of the key works of that time are: William Shakespeare’s plays (such as "Macbeth" and "Romeo and Juliet"),  Thomas Wyatt’s sonnets and Christopher Marlowe’s tragedy "Tamburlaine the Great".

After The Renaissance came The Neoclassical Period. Literature became increasingly popular during this time as a result of many people sharing the literature with others. The culture of ancient Greece and Rome strongly influenced this period - many English writers tried to imitate their style. Harmony, stability and wisdom were stressed. Society was driven by logic and reason. Main genres of this period were satire, poetry, novels and essays.  Some of the important written works of the period were: Jonathan Swift’s "Gulliver's Travels", Alexander Pope’s poem "The Rape of the Lock", Samuel Johnson’s  " Dictionary of the English Language" and Daniel Defoe’s "Robinson Crusoe".

During the Romantic Period poets were seen as individuals, distinguished from their fellows. It was the time of protests - the society began to desire for personal freedom. In those times writers were more concentrated on their feelings not their minds. This period has introduced Gothic elements to the English literature. Key Romanticism Novelists were Jane Austen ("Sense and Sensibility ", "Mansfield Park", "Emma") and Mary Shelley ("Frankenstein"). Important Poets were i.e. Robert Burns ("A Red, Red Rose", "To a Mouse"), William Wordsworth ("Daffodils", "The World Is Too Much With Us"), William Blake ("Songs of Innocence", "Songs of Experience ")

The Victorian Period is probably one of the most notorious periods in English history. It has been an inspiration to several films and TV series  (just to name a few - "Penny Dreadful ","Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Sherlock Holmes"). Writers such as Bronte sisters still sell robustly on best-selling books lists. The Victorian Period was the era of the unprecedented growth of industry. Paper has cheapened which enabled poorer people to reach the literature. The class conflict was a popular theme then. The shocking life of “sweat factories” (workplace with socially unacceptable working conditions) and urban poor was highlighted in literature to inspire on reform. It is clearly visible in the works of Charles Dickens. "Oliver Twist" is a shocking story about an orphan forced to lie and steal in order to survive.  The main character of another novel, "A Christmas Carol", is an old miser – a man blinded by his money. In this novella "Tiny Tim" is a representative of the impoverished. That sick boy takes a  large part in Scrooge's change – makes him see what is really important in life. Without the men’s help Tim would have died. Another significant authors of the Victorian Period were Oscar Wilde ("The Picture of Dorian Gray"), Thomas Hardy ("Far from the Madding Crowd") and Lewis Carroll ("Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland").

The Modern Period includes the most recent works. It’s a very diverse era, full of dramatic changes. Modernist literature was a mainly English genre of fiction writing. At the time of the first half of the 20th century English society was strongly influenced by WWI and WWII. The terrifying events made many people question the future of humanity. At that time Virginia Woolf wrote such novels as well-known "Mrs Dalloway" (a story of high-society woman throwing a party in post–First World War England) or "To the Lighthouse". During this period J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his outstanding novels ("The Hobbit or There and Back Again" and "The Lord of the Rings") and C.S. Lewis published "The Chronicles of Narnia". Another important historical event of that times was the colonies’ demand for independence. With the rapid development of technology, the British literature also began to change – becoming more adjusted to the widening the group of addressees. Some of the other key modernism authors are James Joyce ("Ulysses"), George Orwell ("Animal Farm") and T. S. Eliot  ("The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock")

+ If you are more of a visualizer I’ve found an amazing timeline containing all literary periods & history. Enjoy ;)

Bibliography

·       http://gridirongrammar.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/8/3/22833318/intro_to_british_lit.pdf

·       https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature

·       http://www.online-literature.com/periods/

·       https://www.slideshare.net/jeaguirre/timeline-and-characteristics-of-british-literature-5512725

·       http://britlitbernie2012.wikia.com/wiki/BritLitBernie2012_Wiki

·       https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-major-characteristics-of-middle-English-period

·       https://www.reference.com/art-literature/

·       https://www.reference.com/history/

“Welcome!”

Have you ever heard about “A Christmas Carol”, “Howards End” “Frankenstein” or  “Wuthering Heights”? Most of us probably associate these titles with great films and that isn't it a mistake. Nevertheless, those were book adaptations… and guess what? They were all written by English writers and they are all over a hundred years old!

My name is Julia and I’m a high school student. Although I’m Polish, I’ve  always loved English language and British Culture, especially Literature. Recently, I’ve been working on a school project connected with this subject. For this reason, I’ve decided to start a blog, called “British Literature is cool”.

As you probably know by now, this blog will be about British Literature. I’ll place here some my private thoughts, book reviews, thematic analyses, perhaps some comparisons to films J.

So, basically that’s it. I hope you’ve enjoyed the post. I’ll write again soon. See you around J.

+ Little something British ;)