And now, a short historical mystery by Elizabeth Bear and Katherine Addison, begun near the Chapelle Expiatoire, where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette‘s bodies rested after their executions and such revolutionary figures as Manon Roland are interred.
The book‘s great so far, but I completely crashed at about 50% and had to fall asleep immediately. I shall finish it while I wait to see if I can land a (steeply discounted) opera ticket for tonight.
Based on the Aeneid, this play is both an exploration of the devastating meddling of the gods in human affairs and a depiction of the harmful consequences of unrequited love. I haven‘t read the source material but I‘m enticed by the story to consider picking it up. No one gets a happy ending here, which leads me to ask, “Why?” The plot revolves around Aeneas and crew being marooned at Carthage and finding haven with Dido. ⬇️
“Not bloody spears, appearing in the air/ Presage the downfall of my empery,/ Nor blazing comets threatens Dido‘s death;/ It is Aeneas‘ frown that ends my days.”
#CupidMadeMeActThisWay.
#OnThisDay in 1593 an arrest warrant was issued for playwright Christopher Marlowe, following accusations of heresy from fellow playwright Thomas Kyd. Heretical documents had been found in Kyd's rooms, leading to his arrest and torture, during which he claimed the papers belonged to Marlowe. Marlowe was arrested, but quickly bailed out by wealthy friends. His freedom did not last long, on May 30th he was killed in a bar brawl. #HistoryGetsLIT
“I count religion but a childish toy,
And hold there is no sin but ignorance.“
Remembering Christopher Marlowe on his birthday.
pickI enjoyed this imagined telling of Christopher Marlowe, mixed with as much historical accuracy as known (at least at the time of publication), it was very intriguing. It was in its honesty that I was intrigued to read on, rather than some of its fictional imaginings. But it was the final portion of the book that really drew me in and had my attentions captive. I would recommend it for anyone that has interests in the likes of Shakespeare‘s era.
“We are but the guests of life, we begin aghast and end a ghost.”
I‘ve decided to dedicate my reading to focus exclusively on the works of Anthony #Burgess. My main reasoning for this is because of his influence to my life directly, in getting me to become an actual reader, & consequently getting me to expand to other titles/authors.
So I am going back to my roots, to read through the titles I never got to, and with still more in mail, it will definitely be a thing!
In progress:
A Dead Man In Deptford.
pickSpeculative nonfiction (is that a thing??) is the only way I can think of to catagorize this book. That and "all kinds of fun!" Instead of the author trying to convince us that Christopher Marlow really wrote the works attributed to Shakespeare, he assumes that as a fact from the beginning and walks us through Kit's life, including after a faked death, to show how his education and experience informed "his" writings. I was fascinated! The true ⬇️
pickMarlowe‘s history play, written at the end of his short life. It was interesting. Best writing was at the beginning and end, where there were some nice poetic speeches. Recent productions tend to focus on the homosexuality, but the playtext itself seems more complex - there‘s quite a focus on politics (and Edward‘s ignorance of it).
7/10
