Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Picture of Dorian Gray

the-picture-of-dorian-gray

Brahms Waltz No. 3, Op. 39

(Brass version)

The music is slightly creepy and mysterious as Dorian flits around at parties, acting and sounding like the perfect gentleman (especially as the sound gets brighter). But there have been rumors about his horrible actions that leave people unsure of him…who is this man, really??

 

Missed the last one on Peter Pan? Here it is!

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Marvel Edition

 

25066780My Idea: The world is ending. Every superhero has been vanquished, every villain triumphant.  Until…

Ms. Marvel appears on the scene.  She embodies the best traits of every hero before her, making her the ultimate superhero: the strength of Hulk, the fierce loyalty and endurance of Captain America, the sneakiness of Black Widow, the leadership of Thor, the flight of Iron Man, and the archery skills of Hawkeye.  But faced with the nameless power now decimating the city, will she be enough?

Goodreads Summary: “From the moment Kamala put on her costume, she’s been challenged. But nothing has prepared her for this: the last days of the Marvel Universe. Lucky she’s got the help of Carol “Captain Marvel” Danvers! Between Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Marvel Edition”

Songs For Every Book

Songs For Every Book: Jane Eyre

“Tip of My Tongue” by The Civil Wars makes me think of Jane and Mr. Rochester.  A love song in the form of a duet, tinged with mystery…

 

From Jane Eyre, spoken by Mr. Rochester to Jane:

“When you came upon me in Hay Lane last night, I thought unaccountably of fairy tales, and had half a mind to demand whether you had bewitched my horse: I am not sure yet.”

Yay or nay?

Books

Vronsky and Wickham: BFFs

tin-soldiers-208581_1920I bet Vronsky and Wickham would have been friends.

They’re both ladies’ men.

They’ve both gone after high-society women (Anna and Georgianna—hey, their names are even similar).

They’re both soldiers.

They both end up in not the happiest of situations (married to Lydia and trying to get himself killed in the Servian war, respectively).

I can just picture them both sitting in a bar, good-naturedly arguing over whose woman is better while simultaneously complaining about said woman and swapping war stories. Two peas in a pod.

What other literary characters do you think would get along well?

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Fate and the Princess Bride

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My Idea: Is it inconceivable that a love for the movie “The Princess Bride” could result in love between two people?

Apparently not.

Told from a third-person perspective, Wren’s novel alternates between following Adam and Elle as their knowledge of the movie subtly influences their actions and movements in various ways. Ultimately, they both meet in London where they fall in love, invoking the question: how much can a single inanimate object truly influence our lives?

Goodreads Summary: “When Ozarks native Hatty goes ‘whole hog’ during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn’t what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he’s affable, witty, and isn’t put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be short lived, but a force stronger than fate—Hatty’s newspaper editor—assigns her to cover the royals. After spending time together, she and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines instead of writing them.

But challenges loom that are even more complicated than figuring out how to Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Fate and the Princess Bride”

Books

Top 5 Literary Mash-Ups That Totally Need to Happen

Alice 1984

Classic literature is great.  But have you ever wondered what would happen if two of history’s greatest stories were combined into one like some incredible atomic fusion?

Well, I have! Here are some of the ones I’m dying to read:

Alice’s Adventures in 1984 (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland + 1984)

To Kill a Frankenstein (To Kill a Mockingbird + Frankenstein)

The Great Jane (The Great Gatsby + Jane Eyre)

The Secret Women (The Secret Garden + Little Women)

Sense and a Mockingbird (Sense and Sensibility + To Kill a Mockingbird)

 
What book mash-ups would you read?

 

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Peter Pan

Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano, Op 25: IV. Intermezzo

This is like the ticking of the clock inside the crocodile. It seems unthreatening, and to most of the pirates it is—but not to Hook. He is terrified because he recognizes that crocodile as an overhanging and absolutely terrifying threat to him. In return, the creature plays with his fear by pretending to leave or feigning harmlessness, but Hook knows better and feels only an increase in terror. Though it finally leaves, Hook is still nervous as he never knows how far it’s gone, or when it will return, or if it will lose the clock inside of it that warns him of the impending danger…

 

Can you hear Hook’s fear? Do you hear something else?

You can also discover Classical Music Stories about The Great GatsbyWuthering Heights, and more.  

 

Songs For Every Book

Songs for Every Book: Anna Karenina

SPOILERS

“Tower (Don’t Look Down)” by Skylar Grey reminds me of Anna Karenina towards the end of the book when she turns crazy and paranoid, thinking Vronsky doesn’t love her.  (Both she and the song are preeeeeetty passive aggressive.)

On top of that, the guy in the song is supposedly leaving the girl for the sake of his career.  Vronsky is faced with the same dilemma–Anna vs. advancement in the military.  And Anna in her befuddled state doesn’t seem all that convinced that he’s choosing her…


 
“Just leave me here to die
As I watch you climb
Up to the top of your ambitions.”

What do you think? Is it a match?