Gary > Recent Status Updates

A fascinating look at London life in the 1830s.

The plot thickens! Two admissions of murder, but did either of them do the dirty deed? MIss Marple is not convinced ...

Just started as a little light counterpoint to the Dickens essays I'm also reading.

Excellent description of the experience of booking and catching a coach in the early morning – it made me cold just reading it!

This is a collection of Dickens' essays, which are based on his extensive and inspirational journeys on foot all around the capital. He wrote notes as he went and mingled with the ordinary working people, criminals, police, lawyers ansd all manner of others, rich and poor: mainly poor. These gave him the inspiration for his novels, which have gifted us a detailed and fascinagting history of the London of the C19th.

I'm about halfway through and Bendrix is discovering more about his former lover, having been agonising over her loss. He recognises that he destroyed the relationship himself in many ways but struggles without her. Her husband appears, on the face of it, blissgully ignorant of her affairs. This is another in-depth analysis of a relationship by an author who has great skill in portraying them.

Incredibly well researched and comprehensive social history of Germany after the war.

This is pretty amazing – a complete social history of Germany in the late 40s and early 50s. Well researched and explained – fascinating.

This is already gripping.

The Allies are about to execute Operation Market Garden and massively under estimate the Germans' ability to respond with power and precision – disaster to follow ... :-(

Mr Moorehead has given us a detailed description of the liberation of Paris, which is fascinating.

Moorehead was privy to a good deal of information during the war as he was accepted as a sound journalist by senior officers, whom he didn't criticise unfairly.

I am whizzing through this excellent book by Alan Moorehead. I recommend anything written by this author, who makes it all so real and human.

Wonderful stuff. It may be a children's book but I'm loving it just as much as I would have done at 12.

Charming and funny, this history of girls growing up is a modern classic. I am enjoying it very much.

About to begin Chapter 3, and there's been drama already!

I am thoroughly enjoying this funny book. The main character is Ted, a retiree living in a run down house in rural France (the rent is very cheap). He loves the music of a local musical 'hero' and the locals are very impressed that he can sing the songs in an authentic way ... so much so that they decide to exploit this talent on their doorsteps to make them all some money, much to the chagrin of his wife, Daisy.

The adulterers have murdered Therese's husband so they can be together, but they are totally torturing themselves with continual thoughts of him and his rotting face. Oh dear, it seems that crime doesn't pay. Who knew?

Mrs Raquin is already being naughty with her husband's friend, and they have wished aloud how good it would be if he was no longer around ... da, da, daaaah!!

Ive read the back story and now the plot is beginning to thicken. It's a slow burn but all the better for that.

Gabriel Oak has fallen on hard times but saving Bathsheba's hayricks from being burned to the ground has secured him a job – onwards and upwards!

... Such brave people.

1 The Paras have been dropped in the shit
2 The Germans have reacted with lightning speed to pile reinforcements into the Arnhem area
3 XXX Corps, the tanks/infantry supposed to 'drive like hell' 60 miles in 3 days to relieve the Paras, are dawdling. This means the resistance they meet gets progressively worse as the Germans get stronger. The plan was badly thought out and now it's being badly executed.
Bugger.

Oh dear. The paras have only just landed and things are beginning to go awry.

Blimey, what a cock-up!