Oh Jeebus, why doesn't someone give me a new job right now? At work we have a sense of where things are going but so far the changes don't look too rough. Slowly trying to boil us alive, I think - they did start using the 'spin' word about our writing but only an idiot wasn't spinning like a top already. Well, outside of the state of my soul and a burgeoning desire to move back to Europe there's no big hurry. The F-word has actually found a position that's on track to legal and I have money to save.
Not much else to say, except to strongly reccommend The Trial of Queen Caroline by Jane Robins. The Economist really liked it and so I read it, only to realize once more the Economist is always right. At least about books. I have to admit I've sort of hated historical biography about women as a genre - turned off by too much Antonia Fraser-esque struggling to make subjects seem like feminist icons who could step into our modern society and start dating Brad Pitt. To me that seems like a sort of huge disrespect to the historical figures written about, as well as to the truth, which has something to do with achievements that are mind-boggling in the face of strong, opposing social strictures - internal and external.
Anyways, The Trial of Queen Caroline makes no such struggle. It examines its subject and the people around her with a voyeuristic eye but most importantly of all, with evidence, with documentation, with a firm grasp of contemporary conditions. Even with all that technical goodness Robins makes the prose really readable and the story, dare I say, exciting. It's about the Stupid Prince Regent, BTW, the one who built Brighton, trying to get rid of his wife - except it's about so much more.
6 commenti:
There's something about going to work after such a great break that makes you think - God! was that what I was in the middle of?! for the love of Christ! How many days can one justifiably procrastinate before getting back into the swing of things? I'm better than this bullshit! (I'm sure everyone feels this way upon returning.)
I know, I know, I know. I've been applying to things that look more intellectually renumerative like a madwoman.
I like your post subject title!
Thanks, honey. Check out the book.
I'm quite surprised I've not read it yet, given my obsession with all things Regency. I will have to put it on my list.
But I can afford to buy no more things this month. And it's only the 3rd. :-(
Oh, then you'd eat it up. It even got the Economist on a little Regency kick wherein they explored the burgeoning power of the press back then.
I waited until the hold lists died down and it was delivered to the library. The only hard covers my cheap ass gets these days are free review copies.
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