Thanksgiving may be a traditionally American holiday, but what if your favorite book characters celebrated it, as well? Amid the food comas and family visits, here’s what I think they might be thankful for: Continue reading
So the election happened. Maybe you’re happy, maybe you’re not. (Please don’t leave political views in the comments section! This is a strictly book-and-music safe space.) But I think we could all use a bit of a detox. So here are some books to read in the aftermath of the crazies:
1. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
A simple and lovely picture book, follow Madeline into Continue reading
No one captures the angst of Pride and Prejudice quite like T. Swift does. What follows, then, is a trip through this classic novel by means of some of her greatest songs:
1) Mean: When Darcy insults Lizzy’s Continue reading
Do you ever get booklover déjà vu?
“Booklover déjà vu” is a scientific phenomenon (that I made up) that manifests itself in two Continue reading
What if your favorite Pride and Prejudice characters lived in the world of Harry Potter? What houses would they be sorted into and what can that tell us about the similarities between (and functions of) various characters?
Jane Bennett = Hufflepuff
She is incredibly kind. She can’t think ill of anyone! The reader also has a sense of her loyalty to Bingley.
Mr. Bingley = Hufflepuff Continue reading
“Every world in fiction is a mentality – a way of understanding, a means of making judgements, a catalogue of right and wrong. To build a world, we must build our characters.” —Neil MacDonald
I read this on author Neil MacDonald’s blog the other day and was struck by it. Between the two of us, we wondered what would happen if you put a literary character in another book’s setting. How would the setting itself be changed?
What if, for example, someone other than Rapunzel was trapped in that tower?
Here’s how I think the story and setting would change for five characters:
Waltz in E-Flat Major, Op. 18 “Grande valse brillante”
Frédéric Chopin
It is the opening of the Lucas’s ball. Everyone is talking about the rich newcomer and his friend.
We see Jane as she genuinely admires Mr. Bingley: a beautiful, kind, and agreeable girl, though Mr. Darcy’s pride is a bit of a dent in the overall mood.
The music becomes creeping and mysterious as Mrs. Bennett sees Jane and Mr. Bingley together. We keep alternating between Jane and Bingley’s joyful purity and Mrs. Bennett’s clueless Continue reading
