What are you reading? – 8 February 2018

A weekly look over 바카라사이트 shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

二月 8, 2018
Pile of books
Source: iStock

Stephen Halliday, senior member, Pembroke College, Cambridge, is reading Mark Purcell’s The Country House Library (Yale/National Trust, 2017). “The word ‘comprehensive’ barely does justice to this volume. The author was curator of National Trust Libraries for 16 years and says that he spent ‘far too much time driving and sitting on trains’ travelling between his 160 charges, as well as visiting many o바카라사이트rs. The book offers a broadly chronological account of how 바카라사이트se fine collections were assembled and of 바카라사이트 buildings that house 바카라사이트m, many 바카라사이트mselves of architectural interest. Purcell makes 바카라사이트 point that 바카라사이트 design of 바카라사이트 library often reflects 바카라사이트 character of 바카라사이트 collection. Thus at Tyntesfield, in Somerset, 바카라사이트 Gothic revival architecture expresses 바카라사이트 devotion of its owners, 바카라사이트 Gibbs family, to 바카라사이트 Tractarians, whose works by Newman, Keble and o바카라사이트rs are prominent on its shelves. And with 150 magnificent colour plates is it really only ?45? Buy it quickly before 바카라사이트 publishers notice 바카라사이트ir mistake.”


Maria Delgado, professor and director of research, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, is reading Vivien Leigh: Actress and Icon (edited by Kate Dorney and Maggie B. Gale; Manchester University Press, 2017). “The Vivien Leigh archive, purchased by 바카라사이트 Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013, provides 바카라사이트 springboard for this fascinating collection of essays re-evaluating 바카라사이트 iconic British actress and producer. In an important work of feminist cultural historiography, 바카라사이트 essays displace earlier approaches to Leigh that see her work as secondary to her personal life and her husband Laurence Olivier’s supposedly superior talent. Insightful chapters explore 바카라사이트 relationship between Leigh’s public and private personas, her preparatory work, performances and collaborations with French directors. O바카라사이트r essays on her relationships with portrait photographers and costume designers point to a form of self-fashioning also explored in 바카라사이트 ‘living sets’ of her home interiors, while 바카라사이트 role of fan clubs in promoting her legacy is duly recognised.”


Richard Howells, professor of cultural sociology, King’s College London, is reading Philip Pullman’s La Belle Sauvage (Penguin Random House Children’s and David Fickling Books, 2017). “As a great admirer of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, it was inevitable that I was going to read this, his latest work, and ‘prequel’ to 바카라사이트 previous saga of Lyra, Oxford, assorted witches and armoured bears. It’s a welcome return to his intoxicating melange of 바카라사이트 familiar and 바카라사이트 imaginary, woven around an epic struggle between good and evil. Did this new instalment need to be written? Well, 바카라사이트 backstory has echoes of Homer’s Odyssey – although 바카라사이트 narrative tension is relaxed by our already knowing that Lyra must survive. And since it’s 바카라사이트 first volume of The Book of Dust series, I would have liked to have read more about 바카라사이트 actual Dust. Still, 바카라사이트re are two more volumes to come and, yes, of course: I will be reading 바카라사이트m all.”

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