Copperfield Review's Blog, page 7
March 4, 2020
The Perils of Bonaparte
August 18, 1812 Dearest Josephine, Smolensk is hot, dusty and oppressive. Russian opposition was light, the bulk of their army withdrew as soon as they saw Prince Poniatowski’s uhlans put spurs to their mounts, there was some trifling action at … Continue reading →
February 18, 2020
The Ivory Elephant
More than two hundred years ago, there lived a king in the small kingdom of Gulshanpur in central India. The king, His Royal Highness Rajyavardhan Singh Rajas, was fond of wine, women and war, though not necessarily in that order. … Continue reading →
February 4, 2020
God’s Own Country
Toka, Yorkshire, Spring 1069 My hair flies in the wind as I gallop over thyme-scented turf. The pony is muscular between my legs, its coat hairy and hot. The sea shimmers on the horizon, sparkling blue fading to misty distance. … Continue reading →
January 21, 2020
Henry V, Act II: Deleted Scene
Stunned, I look about me where I stand sentry; but whoever it was that placed this unsettling note in my hand has melted in the crowd that fills the royal audience hall. Moving shapes are everywhere: commoners, nobles, merchants, soldiers, … Continue reading →
January 6, 2020
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He arrived on Sunday, after a winter of sleep and snow. A jester with clear blue eyes, pale lithe hands and white flowers in them. He smiled and said, I come in peace. I ply my trade with buffooneries and … Continue reading →
December 16, 2019
Savior and the Thief
I saw her in glimpses, seraphim in the blinking lantern light. In a way she resembled all that London was in that year 1860 and all that it still is to this day; a beauty revealing itself in flashes, leaving … Continue reading →
December 9, 2019
Ghost in the Bathroom
The little girl slipped out of the church when they brought forth the scrapwood coffin. Through the tawny windowlight, she watched as the long box of splintered planks clumsily jounced atop a garland of brown hands flayed raw by sand … Continue reading →
November 22, 2019
Rembrandt, Self-Portrait with Saskia
The old master studies the canvas for a long moment, then reaches out with shaking hands. He cuts away an excess of cobalt, his knife leaving a sharp shadow at the base of the tall cloud painted against the ultramarine … Continue reading →
November 4, 2019
The Emperor’s Cloak
Chana opens the front door to look up at the ancient elm, hoping the storks have returned, but the nest is empty. Instead she is alarmed to see a cloud of dust in the distance. She hears the clatter of … Continue reading →
October 21, 2019
Eleanor Marx: A Life
Written by Rachel HolmesPublished by Bloomsbury Paperbacks; Reprint edition (November 15, 2016) Review by Bonnie Stanard I stayed up until after 2:00 AM finishing Rachel Holmes’ well-documented biography of Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl Marx. I couldn’t go to sleep … Continue reading →
