Review 2015 No. 7 | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, illustrated by Christian Birmingham; C.S. Lewis (1950); Collins 

"I can always get back if anything goes wrong," thought Lucy. She began to walk forward, crunch-crunch over the snow and through the wood toward the other light. In about ten minutes she reached it and found it was a lamp-post. As she stood looking at it, wondering why there was a lamp-post in the middle of a wood and wondering what to do next, she heard a pitter patter of feet coming toward her.

Lucy Looks into a Wardrobe; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; page 9

With these immortal words, Clive Staples Lewis (or C.S. Lewis as he's usually known) conjured up one of the most captivating and unique children's fantasy world's ever created. The Irish Oxford University don created the Narnia world, seen throughout the Chronicles of Narnia's seven high fantasy novels. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published first in 1950 by Geoffrey Bles and masterfully illustrated by Pauline Baynes, whose illustrations are still used in many editions to this day.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, illustrated by Pauline Baynes; Pocket Edition; HarperCollins

Although published first, the story actually comes second chronologically in the series, preceded by The Magician's Nephew, published in 1955. The series sprouted from post-war England and reflects Lewis' conversion to Christianity following the early death of his wife. The Lion is the Jupiter of Michael Wood's The Narnia Code. Wood claims that each of the seven stories represent a planet and that the second is the snowy, icy winter tale representing a pre-Christian world before Jesus Christ's sacrifice, his place taken here by Aslan the lion. Best-selling British writer Philip Pullman has cast Lewis as a Christian propagandist is the guise of a children's author, famously opposing Narnia's religious undertones in his fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials.

The second in the series is set in 1940 and tells the story of how the Pevensie's - Lucy, Susan, Peter and Edmund - originally discovered Narnia in a wardrobe of the old house that they were evacuated to. Along the way we meet Professor Digory Kirke (who we first see as a child in The Magician's Nephew), as well as the White Witch Jardis, Aslan the Lion, and forests of talking animals. 

As a child I was captivated by the idea of finding another world in a wardrobe. It's similar to the Alice Through the Looking-Glass fantasy of a parallel universe lurking behind the mirrors in your house. I think that is why this book instantly became my favourite ever children's story, and why I spent my childhood looking in the backs of wardrobes and watching the 1988 BBC adaptation again and again. It is a crossover novel and is utterly charming. Whatever your beliefs, this is a winter tale like no other.

Watch an interview with the actors who played the Pevensie children in the BBC series adaptation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4PseLl0oZ4

Bookish Things Haul | Little Women Out Of Print

Out Of Print is a company that searches for unique and quirky out-of-print book cover designs to use on book-related clothes and accessories. This beautiful pencil case, with a cover design for an out-of-print copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, is available, along with other Out Of Print products, from Waterstones. 

Visit the website to find out more: http://www.outofprintclothing.com

And then there was July: A month in photos

For more photography see:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/claremcm/

Carpe Diem xx

Review: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I thought that as it is nearly a week since my last post, and just four days until Christmas, it is definately time for another review. I have been reading avidly for a few weeks now, but even so my enjoyment of this classic was rather rudely interrupted by tests. In true-to-form style I came round to reading this children's classic in a backwards manner. I was given a beautiful, old copy of Good Wives a couple of years ago and read it before any of the preceding series. I had enjoyed it, and so in my search for classics that I simply must read, I bought and read this lovely Children's Vintage Classics print. Most Booktuber's whom I have seen talk about this book have the Penguin Thread's edition. Whilst it looks nice, I much prefer the illustrations on the front of this one. The story is beautiful if whimsical. It's a tale of the coming of age of four sister's, and also one steeped deeply in Victorian morality. The March sister's lives are heavily based on the author's own life in Massachusetts, and the personal touch stands out. What is amazing is that this 145-year-old story is still around, and I can see why. It says something about it's time, the emotion of the era. For that alone I recommend it.

Carpe Diem xx

Neil Gaiman and The Power of Reading and Fiction

Prisons are apparently following the same trend as schools. In this time of economic recession and financial cut-backs, prison and education systems across the globe are facing the same issue. Both need to expand with an expanding population, and both need to respond to changes in their respective industries. Best-selling author Neil Gaiman (of books such as Coraline and Stardust) gave thoughtful and well-timed answers to these problems in his lecture for the Reading Agency, an edited version of which was printed in the Guardian (19/10/13) in an article called 'Face facts: we need fiction'. 

Gaiman argues that although you can't state that a literate society has no criminality, there are real correlations between illiteracy and the prison population. You could say brashly that 'fiction is read by literate people and literate people are less likely to commit crime'. The author describes the way fiction works in the lives of its readers in a positive way. Firstly, fiction is a gateway to reading. Once you start reading fiction you climb on a rollercoaster that you never want to end. Fiction is a gateway to literacy and knowledge. 

Second and most importantly fiction builds empathy. Through its characters and plots fiction builds in its readers an ability to understand and imagine different circumstances, and to help them imagine a different world. In Gaiman's words 'it is easy to pretend that nobody can change anything, that we are in a world in which society is huge and the individual is less than nothing: an atom in a wall, a grain of rice in a rice field. But the truth is, individuals change their world over and over, individuals make the future, and they do it by imagining that things can be different'. Fiction largely helps this. So next time you wonder what the point of a library is, or why an individual might not read, try imagining the  boundless possibilities of the power of reading. You are, in a way, already experiencing it. 

Carpe Diem xx

Why, Hello There, Where Have I Been, and Austen

First of all, hello to my readers new and old! I appreciate your perusal of these pages. As you may have noticed, I have been away from blogging for a couple of weeks. I could make excuses but the truth is that I did abandon the blog. There are no excuses for leaving you so blogless and I am sorry! 

Two main things have occupied my time. Firstly, I have been doing full-time work experience in a primary school in preparation for teacher training. Secondly, I have been becoming a more avid reader. I love books and always have, but having dyslexia has made it difficult for me ever to become a real bookworm. I have read Remarkable Creatures (Tracy Chevalier) and The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (Douglas Adams of course...) in the last few weeks, and am currently working my way through Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series at the moment. So please befriend me on Goodreads for more updates if you wish, and here's to more blogging......

https://www.goodreads.com/

Carpe Diem xx

Title Tuesday: Dyslexia and the Summer Reading Bucket List Challenge

A combination of over-enthusiasm, work, slow reading and dyslexia means that my 'to read' pile is now pretty high. So this summer I'm challenging myself to become a bookworm and finish my 'summer reading bucket list'. These are just some of the books I need to get round to reading (after I finish Agatha Christie's 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans?'). 

What's on your bucket list?

Carpe Diem xx

Back To Bloggin': Title Tuesday - Compacts and Cosmetics

I told you I'd be back, so I'm kicking off the upgrading of my blog with 'Title Tuesday', where I will share my favourite pick from my bookshelf that week. As a beauty blogger and amateur historian I have always had a fascination with fashion, cosmetics and body adornment of other eras and cultures.

I first became aware of 'Compacts and Cosmetics: Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day' after watching world-famous celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge's interview with it's author (the interview was recorded in two parts and is available on YouTube), beauty historian and collector Madeleine Marsh. Needless I eyed up the book and it was on my Amazon wishlist for quite a while before I finally took the plunge!

It arrived in speedy Amazon fashion the other day and it definately doesn't disappoint! Charting the progress of not only the cosmetics industry but also the history of women's lives in the 19th and 20th centuries, the book outlines key movements in social history and cosmetics manufacturing. Linking the influence of makeup with women's liberation and vice versa this is a must buy for any beauty addict. 

Like me I'm sure you'll end up flicking through its chapters and gazing adoringly at it's pictures for years to come if you buy this book!

Carpe diem xx