E. T. A. Hoffmann

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann 1816. This illustration by Artuš Scheiner. Published in 1924 in Prague.
E. T. A. Hoffmann´s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, originally uploaded by josefskrhola.

E. T. A. Hoffmann

E. T. A. Hoffmann´s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, originally uploaded by josefskrhola.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann 1816. This illustration by Dagmar Berková. Published in 1964 in Prague.

Reverberations of the Enlightenment

“At times beneficent in its effects, as when the philosophes campaigned against torture, the Enlightenment has also been disastrous – as when Lenin and assorted neoconservatives endorsed or turned a blind eye to torture as a means of speeding up human progress. No differently from other traditions, the large and quarrelling family of thinkers and [...]

The Old English Gothic

I’m truly delighted to report Valancourt Book’s publication of The Old English Baron by Clara Reeve. The boys at Valancourt have naturally outdone themselves again with their dedication, professionalism and knowledge of Gothic literature. Also included in their edition of The Baron is the complete text of John Broster’s 1799 dramatic adaptation of the novel, Edmond, [...]

An Island of Disorder

“If Britain has a reputation for political stability, it is a reputation of very recent origin. European travellers visiting this country in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were appalled by the disorder they witnessed”
Leslie Mitchell reviews two works on English rebellion in Literary Review

Valancourt Books

In reference to the Northanger Canon I’ve often featured Valancourt Books on this site. Valancourt Books in an independent micro press that seeks out and publishes rare and often forgotten works from the past, including several titles in the Northanger Canon. The boys at Valancourt are doing great things for 18th century literature by editing [...]

Georgian Image Bookmarking

I’ve finally got around to smartening up my image bookmarking page with correct image titles and details. Every image is now labeled properly and if you click on an image to enlarge it, there is now a link to the area of Old Grey Pony or Georgian Resources that features or discusses the image, if [...]

New to the GIB

“Adonis”, King George III’s Favourite Charger
circa 1820
James Ward
Private Collection

Becoming Marketable

Biographical films that meddle with the lives of historical figures and bend the facts to promote their agenda seem to get this little ball of rage rolling inside me. At the same time, I love a good historical film. I am not immune to enjoying historical inaccuracy. A movie like Amadeus (1984) for example, adapted [...]

Books on Tape Techie Time

There are a small handful of Jane Austen related podcasts presently available through iTunes. Among the Austen podcasts however I can only honestly recommend one, but I do so warmly and whole heartedly.
The majority of the present Austen podcast selection is rather mediocre but in the Higher Education category of podcasts there is a unabridged [...]

Four Georges

New and exciting!
Finding that I didn’t like the way that some literature was formatted online, that I wanted one simple home for my resources, and that I wanted to share the sources of my references made here, I decided to start another blog where I can do all that. Introducing!:
Four Georges
The site is in [...]

Plain Jane: Is ‘Becoming’ an Excuse to Morph Austen Into a Pretty Romantic Lead?

Maybe.
I’m not sure if Anglo/American cinema quite knows how to deal with writers who are women & who aren’t notably eccentric or extraordinarily different. Literary figures such as George Sand (the nom de plume of Amantine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin, Baroness Dudevant), played by the ageless and radiantly talented Judy Davis in the 1991 film Impromptu, might perhaps [...]

Old Bits & Bobs from The Beeb

Idly wading through the vast BBC radio archives online this afternoon I came across a few Austen related bits and bobs from the past. To listen to the interviews follow the links and click the Listen to This Item button.
Ten years after playing Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC Pride and Prej, Jennifer Ehle discusses [...]