Skip to content

Moving Toyshop

"The time is out of joint", and so am I. (Byron – Don Juan)

  • About

Month: May 2009

The Tiger in the Smoke

On May 20, 2009May 20, 2009 By nick2209In mysteries7 Comments

Margery Allingham's The Tiger in the Smoke (1952) is not only one of her greatest books, and possibly her best, but one of the true masterpieces of British mystery fiction. It is one of those books to which I am always somewhat nervous to return in case in should prove that my memory has played me false, that …

Continue reading The Tiger in the Smoke

Crabbe – Tale 7: The Widow’s Tale

On May 15, 2009 By nick2209In crabbeLeave a comment

My original comments..... >>>A simple narrative and moral here. Nancy Moss is a farmer's daughter who has been away at school in 'town'. When she returns to the farm she is disgusted by the eating and living habits, and her father's expectations that she will attend to household tasks. He also wants her to marry …

Continue reading Crabbe – Tale 7: The Widow’s Tale

Crabbe – Tale 6: The Frank Courtship

On May 15, 2009May 15, 2009 By nick2209In crabbeLeave a comment

Mt original comments.... >>>Jonas Kindred (great name!) is a stern Puritan, a domestic tyrant who rules his wife and daughter, Sybil, with a rod of iron. When Sybil goes to stay with her Aunt, who is definitely not a Puritan, she learns of worldly pleasure. Jonas however finds a serious young man, Josiah, whom he …

Continue reading Crabbe – Tale 6: The Frank Courtship

Crabbe – Tale 5: The Patron

On May 15, 2009May 15, 2009 By nick2209In crabbe1 Comment

My original comments.... >>>This is a typically contradictory Tale which can be read in two ways. The story is, as usual, simple. A prosperous farmer's son, John, takes to writing poetry. When his father backs a local Lord at an election, John writes a satiric verse in favour of this Lord which brings him attention. He …

Continue reading Crabbe – Tale 5: The Patron

Crabbe – Tale 4: Procrastination

On May 15, 2009May 15, 2009 By nick2209In crabbe2 Comments

My original comments... >>>The basic story is simple. Young lovers Rupert and Dinah do not got married because Dinah has a wealthy aunt who basically manipulates Dinah into putting Rupert off. He departs overseas to seek his fortune. She stays with the aunt, and gradually becomes more and more attached to a rich and comfortable …

Continue reading Crabbe – Tale 4: Procrastination

Crabbe – Tales 1-3

On May 15, 2009 By nick2209In crabbe2 Comments

I intend to proceed by reproducing the comments which I have so far written on Tales 1-7. These were posted to ECW (see link on right) and I apologise for the problems with formatting. I will then add a summary of any discussion which ensued and my responses. I start with Tales 1-3 taken together because …

Continue reading Crabbe – Tales 1-3

Compulsion and The Changeling

On May 14, 2009May 14, 2009 By nick2209In books, television, theatre2 Comments

An ITV film called Compulsion written by Joshua St Johnston and directed by Sarah Harding was shown on television on  4th May. It was claimed that Compulsion was 'inspired by' Middleton and Rowley's  Jacobean tragedy The Changeling; as I could not even recall if I had seen, let alone read, this play I was impelled …

Continue reading Compulsion and The Changeling

Crabbe : An Introduction

On May 7, 2009 By nick2209In crabbe2 Comments

I started to read George Crabbe as part of a group read on Eighteenth Century Worlds (link on right) in April 2008. At that point I  really knew nothing of the poet other than that one of his poems formed the basis for Britten's opera Peter Grimes. When I look back at what I first wrote …

Continue reading Crabbe : An Introduction

Byron and Women (and men)

On May 6, 2009May 11, 2009 By nick2209In byron13 Comments

'Byron and Women (and men)' was the title of a one-day Conference held at Nottingham University on 2nd May which I attended. A one-day Conference has many advantages for me in terms of not having to leave home for the night and Nottingham is an easy drive. The Conference was quite small and thus not …

Continue reading Byron and Women (and men)

A burst of Leigh

On May 6, 2009May 6, 2009 By nick2209In movies2 Comments

A little burst of Mike Leigh material - a lengthy Mark Lawson interview, a documentary on Abigail's Party, a reshowing of his 1976 TV film Nuts in May, and a viewing of his most recent film Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) - provide a chance for some reflection on this director's work. Leigh is a man who tends to …

Continue reading A burst of Leigh

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

Recommended Blogs

  • Highway Queens (essential for fans of female Americana – and related genres- artists)
  • Ellen and Jim Have A Blog
  • Under the Sign Of Sylvia
  • Mystery Mile (my crime fiction blog)

Archives

  • August 2021
  • March 2021
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2015
  • April 2014
  • April 2013
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • July 2011
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • Moving Toyshop
    • Join 255 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Moving Toyshop
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar