Olga Núñez Miret's Blog: Author Translator Olga, page 67

#Reseñadelibro Jingle Hell de Javier Haro Herráiz (@JavierHaroHerra) Un asesino que no olvidarán fácilmente. Y cuidado con los cascabeles

Hola a todos:

Los viernes normalmente traigo nuevos libros o autores, pero hoy compartí una reseña en inglés, y me dí cuenta de que había leído hacía poco un libro de uno de los autores que ha visitado mi blog en varias ocasiones, pero aún no había compartido la reseña, así que me pareció una buena excusa para traerla aquí, ya que el viernes pasado fue Viernes 13. Bienvenido Javier Haro Herraiz.

Jingle Hell de Javier Haro Herraiz

Jingle Hell de Javier Haro Herraiz

Para la mayoría de la gente el sonido de los cascabeles anuncia dicha y alegría, pero para los habitantes de Yellow Hill es el anuncio de algo horrible, bajo la figura de un siniestro personaje conocido como el Buhonero, vuelto de entre los muertos para llevar a cabo su sangrienta venganza…

Una historia de terror episódica con un malo que no olvidaréis

Mi reseña

Recibí una copia de esta novela como regalo por San Jordi.

Me gustan las novelas (y las películas) de terror. Como en todos los géneros literarios hay ciertas fórmulas que se repiten (la casa abandonada o encantada/poseída, la cabaña abandonada en el bosque, el monstruo asesino, fantasmas, demonios…). En este caso, tenemos unos asesinatos muy extraños, cometidos por alguien sobrenatural o algún fenómeno paranormal. Y el punto común que tienen todos estos asesinatos (grotescos y sangrientos a más no poder) es el hecho de que todos los que fallecen han oído antes el tintineo de cascabeles. Y los que investigan los crímenes encuentran un cascabel con una cinta roja en el escenario de las muertes. Hasta tal punto llega el temor de los habitantes de la población donde se centra la acción, Yellow Hill, que han prohibido los cascabeles.

El autor usa su estilo inimitable (pocas descripciones, lenguaje simple pero impactante, personajes apenas trazados con unas pocas palabras, ritmo vertiginoso) para construir esta historia que se desarrolla a lo largo de varias generaciones, con el fantasma del diabólico protagonista reapareciendo cada pocos años y aterrorizando a los habitantes de Yellow Hill, empeñado en lo que empieza como una venganza diabólica (hasta cierto punto justificada, al menos al principio) y acaba atrapando a testigos inocentes.

A pesar de lo corta y dinámica que es la narración, el autor consigue crear una sensación de pánico anticipado cada vez que se oyen los cascabeles. La pareja de jóvenes que son los últimos en enfrentarse a él, Franklin y Kate, son entrañables y se hacen querer, aunque algunos de los otros personajes aparecen y desaparecen con tal rapidez que es difícil registrarlos o empatizar con ellos.

De nuevo una novela muy visual, estilo cómic, contada en viñetas, que crea suspense y ansiedad, y con un personaje central inolvidable. Yo desde luego no volveré a mirar un cascabel sin que me dé un escalofrío.

Enlaces:

http://amzn.to/1R0T78k

http://amzn.to/1R0T6Bq

http://bit.ly/1R0T78m

La página del autor en Amazon:

http://amzn.to/20RzIC2

Muchas gracias a Javier Haro Herraiz por su novela, gracias a vosotros por leer, y si os ha interesado, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid y haced CLIC!

#Newbook and #Bookreview The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson (@ms_lilyanderson) ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ for YA in a school for gifted kids. A quick-fire delight.

Hi all:

On Friday I usually bring you new books and/or authors. Recently I read a new YA book by a new author and I loved it. I’ve shared the review in Lit World Interviews even before it was published, but by the time you see this, it will already be on sale. I can’t recommend it enough.

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West–and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing—down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben’s, including give up sleep and comic books—well, maybe not comic books—but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it’s time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie’s for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben’s best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben’s cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie’s best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they’re on—and they might not pick the same side.

Stephanie Perkins meets 10 Things I hate About You in The Only Thing Worse than Me Is You, a fresh, romantic debut from author Lily Anderson inspired by Much Ado About Nothing.

Here is my review:

Thanks to Net Galley and to St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I read this book was a modern take of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing for young adults I could not resist. It’s one of my favourite Shakespeare’s comedies and it’s had pretty good adaptations to screen. I am very partial to Ten Things I Hate About You and I hoped this would be as good if not better.

Told in the first person, this novel’s narrator is Trixie (Beatrix, of course), who is a fiercely intelligent and feisty shrew. She’s a geek, loves comic books, TV series (Dr Who among them), and attends a school for gifted youngsters, that is a fascinating ecosystem, with its own rules, its fights for top position and ranking, and it’s aristocracy (all based on merit, intelligence and hard work).  Her two friends, Harper and Meg, are also very clever but very different to her in their unique ways (Harper, who is kind to a fault, lost her mother years back and her family life is fairly empty despite the money, and Meg’s psychologist parents seem to track any behaviours that might fit in some theory or other, and she is always trying to classify friends and actions around her as if they took place in a lab). Of course, there would be no school without boys, and Trixie has a long-term enmity with Benedict (Ben), who shares many of her hobbies and dislikes but who can’t open his mouth without aggravating her. Everybody but the two people involved know the pair are a perfect match, but making them see it proves a hard task. Students start getting suspended and they don’t realise at first that behind exams, essays, tests, balls and functions, there is somebody messing up with pupils’ results with dramatic consequences.

The characters are as clever as is to be expected from the school they attend, and at their age, they know everything. Their references to both pop culture and Culture with capital letters are flawless, witty and make for a great read. The dialogue is fast, clever, and funny (I must confess to laughing out loud quite a few times), and appropriate to the age of the characters. Although they are clever, they are also young, naïve, and at times very innocent and that makes them plausible teenagers. They are friends of their friends, they confront serious moral issues (for their age) and they are articulate, wholesome but sometimes mean.

I remember talking about a young adult book to a reader who told me he couldn’t remember having met girls as clever as the ones in the book. Well, I did, and although perhaps the interests might vary depending on the person and the era of our school years, I appreciate a young adult book where the young protagonists are clever, study, and care for each other. And are very funny too.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anybody who likes high-school young adult novels (I have no doubts adults will like it too), and I’m sure people who enjoy Shakespeare and pop culture references will have a field day. And I look forward to more books by the writer.

Here links:

http://amzn.to/1XoA3bz

http://amzn.to/1XoA3bB

Here a bit about the author, whom I think we’ll be hearing plenty about:

Author Lily Anderson

Lily Anderson is a school librarian and Melvil Dewey fangirl with an ever-growing collection of musical theater tattoos and Harry Potter ephemera. She lives in Northern California, far from her mortal enemy: the snow.

Her page in Amazon:

http://amzn.to/1XoArqG

Here is her website:

http://mslilyanderson.com/

Here a couple of scenes from Ten Things I Hate About You as I keep mentioning it (and I’m not the only one):

And just in case you want to know a bit more about the movie, here is the link in IMDB.

Thanks to Net Galley and to St Martin’s Griffith for the book, thanks to Lily Anderson and plenty of success (she’s touring the book so check where she’s going) and thanks to you for reading, and if you’ve enjoyed it, like, share, comment, and CLICK!

#Feriadelibros en Gales (Llandeillo) Y estoy en la #radio!

Hola a todos:

Os había comentado que iba a una feria de libros en Gales el día treinta de Abril. Quería compartir unas cuantas fotos (malas) con todos. Y deciros que la feria se repetirá por Navidades y el año que viene, por si acaso. Aquí os dejo el post de Christoph Fischer sobre ello.

Lo cierto es que la experiencia fue cansada.

Descubrí que mi banner era la más pequeña. ¡No hay que ser modestos! Gracias a mi amiga Lourdes Vidal por el diseño

Lo que más me gustó fue el conocer en vivo y en directo a escritores a los que había conocido en los blogs o a través de sus libros. Os recomiendo, si vais a una, que llevéis refuerzos si podéis, y eso os dará oportunidad de dejar la mesa e ir a hablar con la gente algo más de lo que lo pude hacer yo. También había charlas y lecturas que me perdí.

Me llevé dulce y desde luego sirvieron para atraer a gente, especialmente niños. No diría que ayudaran con las ventas, pero siempre es cuestión de llamar la atención. Y cuando nos íbamos, repartí los que quedaban entre los autores, para el camino, y ayudó a sobrellevar el cansancio.

Id preparados para cualquier eventualidad. Yo que no tomo té ni café descubrí que no tenían ningún tipo de colas, así que eché de menos la cafeína.

Llevad zapatos cómodos, ya que pasaréis de pie todo el tiemp.

Cuidad la voz y tomáoslo con calma. Yo casi me quedo sin voz antes del final (hablo demasiado).

Bueno, os dejo unas fotos:

El pastel

Judith Barrow a la que tenía muchas ganas de conocer aunque no tuvimos demasiado tiempo para charlar
Christoph Fischer en el escenario anunciando los ganadores del concurso de historias para niños

Ah, y tengo noticias. Os explicaré un poco más cuando pueda, pero ya tengo programa de radio fijo (más o menos) en Penistone FM. Es los jueves de una a tres de la tarde (hora UK). Aquí os dejo el enlace para escucharla en vivo en internet. 

¡Estoy en la radio!

Gracias a todos por leer, y si os ha interesado, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid y haced CLIC!

#Bookfair at Llandeilo. Bad photos and some (non-serious) tips. Oh, and I’m on the #radio!

Hi all:

I know I’ve been talking about my first book fair in LLandeilo for a while. As usual, on checking my pictures of the day I’ve discovered they’re rubbish, but hey, I’ll share a few so you can see (or guess) how it was.

The good news is that the fair will carry on. There is one booked for Christmas time and there will be another one next April. Check Christoph Fischer’s post about it for more information, here. Oh!, and check his other posts about it as you’re there. We’ve even made the papers!

I discovered my banner was the smallest one. Oh well, not good at blowing my own trumpet. Thanks to my friend Lourdes for the design!

My own reflections about the fair (not sure this is advice or tips, but…)

You might want to take reinforcements with you. It’s always handy to have somebody man (or woman, of course) the fort for you (there are so many people to talk to and books to check! And at LLandeilo there were interesting workshops and talks but I couldn’t go to any of them). Fellow writers kept an eye on the stall, but it’s not the same…
Take supplies of drinks and whatever else you might need. There was catering on site, but I’m not a tea, herbal tea or coffee drinker, and there was no cola to be had there… No caffeine for me! (Of course, if you’ve followed the advice on number one, you can either go and leave the troops covering the stall or send them out for victuals).
I took sweets that seemed to attract people, especially children. Yes, I’d recommend it. I wouldn’t say it helped with the sales, but it got some smiles. Ah, and at the end I shared them with the writers (and the staff working at the hall) when we were putting things away, and after a long day they were very welcome.
Take comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing up most of the time. (The author next to me who was pregnant worried me no end, although she was very enthusiastic).
Pace yourself. I worried that I might have lost my voice before the end of the day (yes, I talk too much). It was a close call (sorry, no luck!)
Put your glasses on when you’re taking pictures!
It’s difficult to find time to network with everything else going on, but it was great to meet the rest of the writers there, Hugh Roberts whom I knew from  blogging and hopefully will meet again at the Blogger’s Bash. I did collect information from everybody (I hope!) as I’m planning on featuring writers and books in my radio show.
Of course have change and chat to people. In my case, as I publish in different genres, I never knew well what to open with (pitching 5 different books is not easy). But I tried.
I took some extra stuff to give away (cupcakes book, notebooks…) I didn’t have much chance to give anything away, but of course, the Cupcake recipe book that I had bought for £1 got much more attention than my own books. (When I tried the local market once, the Christmas decorations I got for the table had more success than me. Perhaps I should sell something else).

A few more photos:

The cake

I was looking forward to catching up with Judith Barrow although we were both very busy!
Christoph Fischer announcing the winners of the children’s story writing competitions

 

 

Oh, and I’ve mentioned my Radio programme! Yes, I’ll tell you more about it, but now I have a regular (sort of) programme at Penistone FM, on Thursdays from 1 to 3 pm (UK time). I hope to talk about books and with a bit of luck bring in quotes and information about indie writers (although I don’t have much time to talk). Here is the link to listening online.

I’m on the radio!

Thanks to all for reading, visit Christoph and Hugh’s blogs and don’t forget to like, share, comment, and CLICK!

 

#Autorclásicoinvitado. Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Dramaturgo del Siglo de Oro con alma de filósofo.

Hola a todos:

Es viernes y como sabéis siempre intento traer algún autor invitado o alguna novedad literaria. Desde hace unas semanas estoy intentando compartir algunos de mis posts sobre autores clásicos para asegurarme de que estén en el nuevo blog, y que nuevos lectores puedan encontrarlos. Y después de un par de semanas muy ocupadas, me pareció que valía la pena revisitar uno de los clásicos. Aquí en Inglaterra, donde vivo, ha habido muchos eventos conmemorando el 400 aniversario del fallecimiento de Shakespeare (sí, ya sé que también se celebraba Cervantes) y me hizo pensar en obras de teatro (eso y una novela que me he leído en inglés y me ha gustado mucho). Así que aquí os dejo a Pedro Calderón de la Barca. 

Es viernes y toca autor invitado. Os traigo a un clásico que me vino a la mente hace poco. Me gusta mucho el teatro, y me dio por pensar en lo que yo he llegado a disfrutar viendo obras clásicas. Recuerdo una maravillosa representación de Fuenteovejuna de Lope de Vega en el Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, y aunque por supuesto Lope vendrá de invitado, siempre he sentido debilidad por La vida es sueño así que le ha tocado a Calderón de la Barca. Como siempre os dejaré una breve biografía, una muestra de algunos de sus poemas, y enlaces gratuitos a sus obras.

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Biografía:

Pedro Calderón de la Barca nació de familia bien (hidalgo y padre con un cargo en la corte) en Madrid en 1600. Tercero de una familia de cinco hijos, su padre insistió en que estudiara para ser sacerdote. Tuvo una educación clásica en los Jesuitas de Madrid, estudiando luego en las Universidades de Alcalá y Salamanca. Acabó sus estudios de derecho pero no se ordenó sacerdote. Escribió poemas religiosos y su primera comedia vio la luz en 1623 (Amor, honor y poder). Él y sus dos hermanos tuvieron enfrentamientos con su padre (que se había casado en segundas nupcias al quedar viudo) y luego tuvieron que entablar batallas legales con la viuda para conseguir su legado. Sus biógrafos han sugerido que los muchos enfrentamientos padre-hijo de sus obras pueden tener base en sus dificultades con su padre.

Estuvo al servicio de varios nobles y viajó por Italia y Flandes. También ejerció de soldado y llevo una vida algo desordenada, rumoreándose que estuvo envuelto en un homicidio.

Desde 1625 escribió una abundante obra dramática para la corte, para el Palacio Real y luego, a su inauguración para el teatro del palacio del Buen Retiro. Se ganó el favor del rey (Felipe IV) y se estableció como el más importante dramaturgo español de la época (ya que la fama de Lope de Vega ya había decaído, y habían tenido algunos desacuerdos).

Fue nombrado Caballero de la Orden de Santiago por el rey, y se distinguió como soldado en el sitio de Fuenterrabía (1638) y en la Guerra de Secesión en Cataluña (1640). Entró al servicio del Duque de Alba en 1645. Después del nacimiento de su hijo natural, decidió cambiar de vida (según algunas fuentes) y se ordenó sacerdote en 1661, y al poco tiempo le nombraron capellán de Reyes Nuevos de Toledo. Desde su ordenación decidió no escribir más obras públicas, pero a petición del rey siguió escribiendo para la corte y se le consideraba el dramaturgo más exitoso de la corte. En 1663 se trasladó a vivir a Madrid cuando el rey le dio el título de capellán de honor. Murió el 25 de Mayo de 1681 en relativa pobreza.

Su producción se ha calculado en ciento diez comedias, ochenta autos sacramentales, loas, entremeses y otras obras menores (incluyendo zarzuelas). Aunque siguiendo las pautas de Lope de Vega, sus obras suelen tener menos personajes, se centran más en un protagonista principal, y son más pulidas en cuanto a técnica y forma. Algunas de sus obras revisitan temas de Lope (como El alcalde de Zalamea, El médico de su honra, o El mayor monstruo, los celos).

Calderón fue más allá, y aparte de ahondar en temas como la honra, los celos y la pasión, también creó una forma más simbólica, espiritual y filosófica, como demuestran El mágico prodigioso, La devoción de la cruz y su obra maestra La vida es sueño.

Calderón también se interesó mucho por la escenografía, decorados y puesta en escena, y la música, y colaboró con algunos de los más importantes artistas de la época.

Os dejo los dos monólogos de Segismundo (en La vida es sueño), porque aunque la gente parece preferir el segundo, a mí me gustan los dos:

Primer monólogo de Segismundo

¡Ay mísero de mí, ¡ay infelice!

Apurar, cielos, pretendo,

Ya que me tratáis así,

qué delito cometí

contra vosotros naciendo.

Aunque si nací, ya entiendo

qué delito he cometido;

bastante causa ha tenido

vuestra justicia y rigor,

Pues el delito mayor

del hombre es haber nacido.

Sólo quisiera saber

para apurar mis desvelos

(dejando a una parte, cielos,

el delito del nacer),

¿qué más os pude ofender,

para castigarme más?

¿No nacieron los demás?

Pues si los demás nacieron,

¿qué privilegios tuvieron

que no yo gocé jamás?

Nace el ave, y con las galas

que le dan belleza suma,

apenas es flor de pluma,

o ramillete con alas,

cuando las etéreas salas

corre con velocidad,

negándose a la piedad

del nido que dejan en calma;

¿y teniendo yo más alma,

tengo menos libertad?

Nace el bruto, y con la piel

que dibujan manchas bellas,

apenas signo es de estrellas

(gracias al docto pincel),

cuando, atrevido y cruel,

la humana necesidad

le enseña a tener crueldad,

monstruo de su laberinto;

¿y yo, con mejor instinto,

tengo menos libertad?

Nace el pez, que no respira,

aborto de ovas y lamas,

y apenas bajel de escamas

sobre las ondas se mira,

cuando a todas partes gira,

midiendo la inmensidad

de tanta capacidad

como le da el centro frío;

¿y yo, con más albedrío,

tengo menos libertad?

Nace el arroyo, culebra

que entre flores se desata,

y apenas, sierpe de plata,

entre las flores se quiebra,

cuando músico celebra

de los cielos la piedad

que le dan la majestad

del campo abierto á su huida;

¿y teniendo yo más vida,

tengo menos libertad?

En llegando a esta pasión,

un volcán, un Etna hecho,

quisiera arrancar del pecho

pedazos del corazón.

¿Qué ley, justicia o razón

negar a los hombres sabe

privilegios tan suave

excepción tan principal,

que Dios le ha dado a un cristal,

a un pez, a un bruto y a un ave?

Segundo monólogo de Segismundo

Es verdad. Pues reprimamos

esta fiera condición,

esta furia, esta ambición,

por si alguna vez soñamos:

Y sí haremos, pues estamos

en mundo tan singular,

que el vivir sólo es soñar;

y la experiencia me enseña

que el hombre que vive, sueña

lo que es, hasta despertar.

Sueña el rey que es rey, y vive

con este engaño mandando,

disponiendo y gobernando;

y este aplauso, que recibe

prestado, en el viento escribe,

y en cenizas le convierte

la muerte, ¡desdicha fuerte!

¿Que hay quien intente reinar,

viendo que ha de despertar

en el sueño de la muerte?

Sueña el rico en su riqueza,

que más cuidados le ofrece;

sueña el pobre que padece

su miseria y su pobreza;

sueña el que á medrar empieza,

sueña el que afana y pretende,

sueña el que agravia y ofende,

y en el mundo, en conclusión,

todos sueñan lo que son,

aunque ninguno lo entiende.

Yo sueño que estoy aquí

destas prisiones cargado,

y soñé que en otro estado

más lisonjero me vi.

¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí.

¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,

una sombra, una ficción,

y el mayor bien es pequeño:

que toda la vida es sueño,

y los sueños, sueños son.

Firma de Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Enlaces:

Wikipedia

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Calder%C3%B3n_de_la_Barca

Biografías y vida:

http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/c/calderon.htm

Los poetas:

http://www.los-poetas.com/h/biocalde.htm

Enlaces a obras:

Poemas:

http://www.los-poetas.com/h/calde1.htm

Más poemas:

http://www.buscapoemas.net/poeta/Pedro-Calder%C3%B3n-de-la-Barca.htm

La vida es sueño

http://www.ciudadseva.com/textos/teatro/calderon/la_vida_es_sueno_1.htm

Sus obras gratuitas en 24 símbolos:

http://www.24symbols.com/author/pedro-calderon-de-la-barca?id=120

Hay 859 obras listadas en la Biblioteca virtual Cervantes:

http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/controladores/busqueda_avanzada.php?q=Pedro+Calderon+de+la+Barca#posicion

Hay 220 obras listadas en Amazon pero no me deja ver si son gratuitas en Amazon.es. En .com hay muchas. Echadle un vistazo vosotros:

http://amzn.to/1ZlOzj5

Billete de 25 pesetas con imagen de Pedro Calderón de la Barca

¡Gracias por leer, y si os ha gustado, no os olvidéis de darle al like, comentar, compartir, y hacer clic que es gratis!

#Guestclassicauthors Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. Mother and daughter who helped change everything.

Hi all:

Happy Friday. As you know I’ve been revisiting some of my posts about classic authors (I promise I’ll try to find time to do some new ones soon, but I was surprised when I realised it had been three years already since I posted this one,  and I’m keen on making sure they are in my new blog too) and people seem to enjoy discovering (or in some cases rediscovering) them. As I’ve been talking a lot about mothers recently, with anthologies and events, it seemed of justice that I should share again the post about Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley. Two fascinating women who did much to change the way women were seen. And both lives, unfortunately, marked by personal tragedy. Here they are.

As you well know I like to bring you classic authors on Fridays. This time I thought I’d bring you a mother and daughter. Although unfortunately Mary Wollstonecraft died when her daughter (also Mary) was only a few days old (I’ve read 10 or 11) the two make a very interesting combination. Both are interesting women, both broke conventions (in the case of the mother, in particular, that haunted her reputation for years, even centuries, to come) and both are examples of the will to be yourself and to discover your own gifts and create yourself.

Writing in the 18th century, Mary Wollstonecraft is often hailed as the founder of liberal feminism. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mary Wollstonecraft.

There are many detailed biographies and I won’t attempt to give you all the details of her fascinating (although short, she died of puerperal fever at 38) life. I’ve left you some links but feel free to investigate by yourself.

She was born in London, in April 27th 1759. Her father has been described as violent (there are mentions of Mary sleeping across the door of her mother’s bedroom to prevent her father from beating her up) and very poor at managing his financial affairs and that resulted in the family having to move often. Her mother died in 1780 and she decided to earn a livelihood, not easy for a woman of a certain class and education at the time (as we’ve noted before, working class women have always worked. Women in rural areas have always worked in the fields apart from keeping a home and family). With her sister Eliza (who had left her husband and child encouraged by Mary) and fried Fanny, they established s school in Newington Green (1784). Based on her experiences there she wrote a pamphlet called Thoughts on the Education of Daughters (1787).

When her close friend Fanny died (in 1785), Wollstonecraft went to work as a governess in Ireland. Although the children of the family really loved her she did not enjoy the job and never got on well with lady Kingsborough, taking her as a model of the worst of aristocratic women, only interested in their appearances, vanity and status. She went back to London three years later and started working with Joseph Johnson, helping him set the Analytical Review, and becoming a regular contributor. She wrote one of her best-known works A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792. She denounced the position of women in society advocating for them to have access to the same educational opportunities as men (she also advocated for women’s vote).

In the same year whilst visiting a friend in France (it was the time of the French Revolution and many English intellectuals visited) she met Captain Gilbert Imlay, an American timber merchant. They started living together although they never got married and she had a daughter to him, Fanny. The relationship was fraught with problems and she visited Scandinavia in an attempt at keeping the relationship going, although he left her. She wrote: Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark that became her most popular book of the time. She tried to commit suicide twice (once by drowning jumping into the Thames, the other one possibly by Laudanum poisoning).

Back in London she met again William Godwin, founder of philosophical anarchism. Although both were against marriage, they did get married when she got pregnant. She had a baby girl, Mary, but had a difficult labour (18 hours) and the manual removal of the placenta resulted in infection and she died a few days later (10th of September 1797).

Godwin published her unfinished work Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman, where she gave voice to a prostitute and also acknowledged female sexual desire, a scandal at the time. He also wrote a biography giving a detailed account of her life, including her suicide attempts and having had a child whilst unmarried and that gave prominence to the scandal rather than to a serious view of her work. In more recent times her work has been greatly vindicated by the interest of feminist historians and also philosophers and educationalists.

 

Links to Mary Wollstonecraft:

In Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft

BBC History:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/wollstonecraft_01.shtml

Spartacus Educational:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wwollstonecraft.htm

Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/

OregonState page and link to read A Vindication of the Rights of Women on line.

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/wollstonecraft.html

Another link to A Vindication of the Rights of Women

http://www.bartleby.com/people/Wollston.html

Free Links to her books and writings (See also above for internet links):

Vindication of the Rights of Women:

http://amzn.to/1WNl36B

Letters on Sweden, Norway and Denmark:

http://amzn.to/1WNl36F

Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman

http://amzn.to/1ZlNg3D

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Born in London on 30th August 1797 (we know all about that). Her father William Godwin looked after her and Fanny (Mary’s first child by Imlay). Although it wasn’t a very formal education, her father had plenty of connections and she had access to interesting ideas and met some of the most brilliant thinkers and writers of the time when she was still very young (Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth), including her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley. She liked to read and daydream and also started writing at an early age.

Her father re-married Mary Jane Clairmont in 1801 but Mary never got on well with her step-mother. She had two children from a previous marriage and had a son with Godwin. Mary got on well with one of her stepsisters, Jane.

In the summer of 1812 she went to Scotland to stay with friends of her father, William Baxter and his family.

In 1814 (still very young) she started a relationship with Percy B. Shelley who had been a student of her father and was still married at that time. They ran away together accompanied by her stepsister (Jane Clairmont) and that alienated her from her father. They got married on 1816 when Shelley’s wife died (committed suicide).

They travelled through Europe and Mary lost two children. In 1816 during a summer when they were in Switzerland with Jane Clairmont, Lord Byron and John Polidori, on a rainy day and after reading ghost stories, famously Lord Byron suggested that each one of them should try and write their own horror story. Mary Shelley started writing Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. (I understand that Polidori wrote a vampire story…) The finished version was published in 1818. This was published anonymously. The book was a big success and as Percy Shelley had written the introduction many thought it was his.

Her relationship with Shelley was difficult, they lost two other children but she had a son, Percy Florence (1819) who lived to be an adult. Her husband drowned whilst sailing in 1822.

She had to support herself and did it by writing (that wasn’t very easy for a woman at the time). She wrote several novels, including a science-fiction book (The Last Man, a dystopian novel). She also dedicated herself to promote her husband’s work.

She died of a brain cancer on 1st February 1851. She is buried at St Peter’s Church in Bournemouth alongside her father, mother and the ashes of her husband’s heart.

William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, St Peter’s Churchyard, Bournemouth (Photo credit: Alwyn Ladell)

Frankenstein is and will remain her most famous work; it has an enduring hold on people’s imagination, and it has seen many adaptations, to theatre, TV, film…

Links to Mary Shelley:

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Shelley

New World Encyclopaedia:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mary_Shelley

Links to movies based on her writings:

Biography.com page:

http://www.biography.com/people/mary-shelley-9481497

 

Free Links to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s books:

Frankenstein:

http://amzn.to/1WNl36J

Proserpine and Midas:

http://amzn.to/1WNl36L

Mathilda:

http://amzn.to/1WNl3n1

The Last Man:

http://amzn.to/1WNl629

Thanks for reading. And don’t forget if you’ve enjoyed it to comment, share and CLICK!

Related articles

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects download (usxoliwu.wordpress.com)
Enlightened monsters (3quarksdaily.com)
Science fiction’s invisible women (theguardian.com)

#Reseñadelibro. La isla tranquila de Mo de la Fuente (@ModelaFuente). Una isla, un misterio y unos personajes inolvidables

Hola a todos.

Este martes os traigo la reseña de una novela de una autora que había aparecido ya en mi blog, pero no sé por qué esta obra se me había pasado por alto. Y me ha fascinado.

La isla tranquila de Mo de La Fuente

La Isla Tranquila de  Mo de la Fuente (Autora), Javi de la Fuente (portada), Hernán Maíllo (fotógrafo)

Justo antes del amanecer, en una tranquila isla mediterránea, la habitual calma del lugar se verá rota al descubrirse la desaparición de una adolescente. El inspector Villanueva, trasladado temporalmente al lugar, y la subinspectora Esteller, que lleva tiempo retirada de su cargo, tendrán que enfrentarse a una ardua investigación para descubrir qué ha ocurrido en un lugar donde nunca pasa nada.

http://amzn.to/1WNjSUD

http://amzn.to/1WNjSUJ

http://bit.ly/1WNjSUR

Mi reseña:

Una isla, un misterio y unos personajes inolvidables

Recibí una copia de esta novela gratis a cambio de una reseña honesta.

No leo un género en exclusivo, aunque reconozco que me gustan los thrillers y leo bastantes. En parte porque son como  un puzle que intentamos solucionar a través de las pistas que nos proporciona el texto, en parte por ver cómo el escritor aportará algo nuevo al género. Y para mí, en cualquier género que lea, personajes interesantes y con los que pueda conectar son lo más importante.

Esta novela transcurre en la isla de Tabarca, en el Mediterráneo, cerca de Alicante. Como comentan varias reseñas, leyendo la novela le entran a uno ganas de visitarla, por las descripciones maravillosas de esa tranquilidad, el pensar en un lugar sin coches, sin contaminación, y tranquilo. En un lugar tan pequeño, donde todo el mundo se conoce (aparte de los turistas, claro está), y donde nunca pasa nada, la desaparición de una chica es un evento que trastorna a todos. Y cuando Clara aparece muerta, las cosas solo empeoran. La combinación de los hechos y el lugar con los investigadores: Hernán, el inspector al que envían allí castigado no sabemos bien por qué, Mónica, que había sido subinspectora en Barcelona pero decidió dejarlo por circunstancias personales, y Raúl, que es el único que no escapa de nadie y es totalmente feliz en la isla, funciona a la perfección.

La investigación se ve complicada por las circunstancias (incluso con la llegada del inspector, solo son tres, y no hay laboratorios, ni forma de hacerlo todo siguiendo protocolos estrictos) y la falta de medios (una excelente reflexión sobre la situación actual en España) y poco a poco vamos descubriendo más detalles sobre los habitantes de la isla y sobre los policías. El final me gustó mucho (pero no comentaré nada para no descubrir la sorpresa) y redondea la novela que aunque corta es más que suficiente para intrigarnos y emocionarnos.

La historia personal de Mónica, que está muy relacionada con el caso, me pareció fascinante y desde luego daría para otra novela (o más de una). Aparte de la historia, para mí destaca la forma en que la autora refleja la carga psicológica y las reacciones de los personajes,  gracias al uso de varios puntos de vista, que ayudan al lector a meterse en la piel de los personajes compartiendo sus emociones y sus vivencias. Para mí Mónica, María (la madre de la víctima) y la isla de Tabarca son los grandes aciertos de la historia.

La recomiendo a lectores a los que les gusten las novelas de misterio que se salen de lo corriente, los thrillers psicológicos y los escenarios extraordinarios.

Aquí os recuerdo un poco de información sobre la autora:

Autora Mo de La Fuente

Biography

Mo de la Fuente (Salamanca, 1968) cursó estudios de Traducción y de Comunicación en la Universidad de Salamanca y en la Universidad de Westminster (Londres). Se ha dedicado a la traducción y “Ojalá Paula” es su primera novela. Además de la literatura, es guionista y realizadora de cortometrajes.

Si quieres conocer más sobre la autora, su obra y sus intereses, visita su blog

http://ojalapaula.blogspot.com.es/ 

Y su página de Amazon:

http://amzn.to/1ZlLJKS

Y si queréis echarle un vistazo a la novela…

 

Muchas gracias a la autora por su novela, gracias a todos vosotros por leer, y si os ha gustado, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid y haced CLIC!

#Bookreview #RBRT Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Maker by D. E. Haggerty (@denaehaggerty) Cupcakes, pole dancing, murder and amusement #TuesdayBookBlog

Hi all:

It’s Tuesday and as I did a bit of travelling over the bank holiday weekend (yes, for the Llandeilo Book Fair. I promise to tell you all about it as soon as I can, but in case you want to catch up with the brain behind everything, fantasic author and organiser extraordinaire, Christoph Fischer, here you have his post about it) I read (or rather listened in the car) a fair bit, and here comes a review of a fun book, in case you want a light (but with not some fattening recipes added at the end) read.

Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Maker by D.E. Haggerty

 

Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 1) Cupcakes, pole dancing, murder and amusement

byD.E. Haggerty

I am reviewing this book as part of Rosie’s Book Review Team and I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

From the description I thought this book sounded like a fun and light read, and indeed it is. We have the adventures of Callie, a woman who had to work hard to get her doctorate and now teaches at university, although only on a part-time basis, whilst also running a bakery with her friend, Anna. She’s just come out of a disastrous relationship that hasn’t done her self-esteem any good. She’s being pursued by a police detective, who according to all women who meet him is a Mr Hottie, but she can’t believe he’s serious as she feels she not in his league because she’s overweight and does not feel sexy. In an attempt at changing her perspective, her friend enrols both of them in a pole dancing class. Unfortunately this ends up quite badly, not because of lack of skill (that too) but because their instructor is killed and Callie becomes the main suspect. Not only that, but her position teaching at university is put in jeopardy because of this and she decides (with Anna by her side) that if the police won’t do anything to investigate and clear her name, she will.

Each chapter in the novel starts with an amusing quote related to cupcakes and the book moves at a good pace, with twists, turns, new clues and threats at every turn.

As is to be expected in cozy mysteries, the protagonist is quirky (she describes herself as a nerd and when nervous she tends to quote facts as if she were Wikipedia), self-deprecating and with a sense of humour. The male in the story is gorgeous and insistently pursues the protagonist no matter what (he seems too good to be true, perhaps a bit on the overprotective side, but that’s usual when the genre involves big doses of romance). I liked Anna, with her pink hair and her no-nonsense attitude. She is all up and go and drags her friend into action, like it or not. I hope we’ll get to know more about her as the series progresses, as in this one we don’t know much about her personal life other than that she gets propositioned by Dolly, the pole-dancing instructor (who although attractive, isn’t at all nice. Not by a long shot).

Perhaps because I read more straight thrillers than cozy ones, the investigation part of the novel for me stretched the imagination and required more suspension of disbelief than I’m used to. There aren’t that many clues but the few ones available keep being dismissed by the police (than other than Ben, the hottie detective, seem utterly useless) and the ending is satisfying, although seems to be brought on more by the guilty party than by the investigative skills of the police and the main characters. But there are enough twists and turns to keep everybody guessing, and quite a few characters you’d love to hate.

Overall it’s an amusing and light read, includes a delicious recipe, and it is a good start to a series that I hope will develop further the characters and the stories.

Links:

http://amzn.to/1X2pvim

http://amzn.to/1X2pviq

And if you want to check a preview of the book:

 

Thank so much to Rosie for creating this fantastic team for authors and reviewers, thanks to D. E. Haggerty for her fun book, and thanks to all of you for reading. And if you’ve enjoyed it, don’t forget to like, share, comment and CLICK!

#Reseñadelibro El color de la venganza de Kim Headlee (@KimHeadlee) ¿Hasta dónde llevarías tu venganza?

Hola a todos.

Si me seguís recordaréis que hace unas semanas os hablé de una historia corta de la autora Kim Headlee, ‘El reto’ (podéis echarle un vistazo al post aquí) y os comenté que otra de sus historias también estaba disponible en español y planeaba leerla en cuanto pudiera. Y por fin os traigo mi reseña.

El color de la venganza de Kim Headlee
El color de la venganza (Las Crónicas del Dragón y la Paloma) (Spanish Edition) Kindle Edition

by Kim Iverson Headlee (Author), O. Gary (Translator) ¿Hasta dónde llevarías tu venganza?

El Color de la Venganza “esta historia de amor, coraje y venganza está escrita brillantemente por Kim Headlee, una autora experta en leyendas Artúricas.” ~ David del blog Crónicas Creativas.

 

Cuando los ladrones de ganado Angli matan a su esposa e hijo, Dwras hijo de Gwyn jura vengarse de sus asesinos. Pero, ¿cómo puede un simple granjero prevalecer contra bien entrenados y despiadados guerreros? Dwras no debe buscar la respuesta en su espada, sino en su corazón.

Aquí mi reseña:

Hace poco leí otro de los relatos cortos de esta autora en la misma serie que revisita las leyendas artúricas,  pero concentrándose no solo en las aventuras sino también en investigando a fondo los personajes y las tradiciones más antiguas.

Si en el Reto la protagonista era la reina Gwyn, esposa del rey Arturo, aquí el protagonista es un campesino que ve, impotente, como su familia es exterminada por unos criminales ladrones de ganado. Lo ha perdido todo y cuando el rey Arturo aparece y confía en él decide seguirle y convertirse en soldado, para vengar a su familia. Un hombre normal y corriente, en circunstancias extraordinarias, que llegado el momento se convierte en un arma mortal.

Aunque muy corta, la historia se concentra en los pensamientos y los sentimientos de Dwras, que los lectores comparten al experimentar con él sus emociones, sus miedos y su venganza. Llegado el momento, Dwars  debe decidir qué clase de hombre es y hasta dónde puede llegar sin perder su humanidad. ¿Qué haríamos nosotros si estuviéramos en su lugar?

Una historia corta que combina acción y escenas de lucha con emociones y cuestiones del bien y el mal y la moralidad. No solo entretiene sino que inspira y hace pensar. Espero que las novelas de la misma serie estén disponibles en español dentro de poco.

Enlaces:

http://amzn.to/1NOqhx8

http://amzn.to/21py3jz

http://bit.ly/21py4E1

Muchas gracias a la autora por su historia, gracias a todos vosotros por leer el post, y si os ha interesado, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid y haced CLIC!

#Mother’sDayMagic. A book anthology for a very good cause. An interview with Allyson R. Abbott (@AllysonRAbbott)

Hi all:

If you follow my blog you know I’ve been talking about this anthology for a while. Mother’s Day in the US is this weekend, and one of my author friends, Tamara Ferguson, told me about an initiative she was taking part in. A wonderful collection of books to commemorate mother’s everywhere, and for a very good cause, to support the research of Multiple Sclerosis. She also gave me the opportunity of getting to know some of the writers. Today is the last interview I bring you of another British writer whom you will love to meet. A true character. Allyson R. Abbott.

Mother’s day Magic…

with love

Every mother’s heart holds a bit of magic…her children’s love. Enchantment awaits in a dozen brand new, previously unpublished-stories, written by #1 bestselling and/or multi-award winning authors from across the globe. Whether it’s a captivating tale of romance or fiction fashioned from loving memories, these poignant stories are sure to touch your heart.

10% of proceeds from this anthology will go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society toward research.

Links:

http://www.mybook.to/MothersDayMagic

Amazon

USA http://amzn.to/1QBkiXk

UK http://amzn.to/1QBkiXn

CAN http://amzn.to/1QBkhTw

AUS http://bit.ly/1QBkiXs

iTunes

USA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1077026791

UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id1077026791

CAN: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/id1077026791

AUs: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/id1077026791

NZL: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/id1077026791

Barnes and Noble

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940152738933

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?fcmedia=Book&query=9781524222727

AN INTERVIEW WITH Allyson R. Abbott  One of the Authors FROM  MOTHER’S DAY MAGIC Anthology

Author Allyson R. Abbott

#1 Best Seller and 4 times 5★ seal award from Readers’ favorite

 

The Story I’ve Contributed Is An English Rose. A Mother’s  Love, A Love Inspired

An English Rose. A Mother’s Love, A Love Inspired by Allyson R. Abbott

At eighty-five, Rose fears her usefulness and independence are shrinking. Her grown daughters have full lives, and Rose worries if she’s a burden to them. After meeting Bill, a spark of laughter and purpose comes flooding back into her routine, especially when her happy healthy family reveal a few cracks and turn to her for advice and support. And Rose blossoms, opening her heart to accept new challenges.

Allyson R. Abbott, British romance author, always finds a way of encouraging the reader to become attached to her characters. Using wit, humour and real life situations the protagonists could be your friend or neighbour.

 

What Was The Inspiration For Your Mother’s Day Magic Story?

My own mother. She is a great inspiration for me, even at 86yrs old, she is always on the go and her social life is more active than mine, even though she is visually impaired. She has a wicked sense of humour and laughs at everything, enjoying all she can in life.

 

How much research was involved in writing your story? How did you go about it?

I just sat and thought about my mum, it was easy and pleasurable.

 

How often do your characters surprise you by doing or saying something totally unexpected?

I’m a panster, and write as I go along. Bill, In An English Rose, was a total surprise, he came out of nowhere, but is such a loveable, jolly character.

 

Do you miss spending time with your characters when you finish writing this story?

I have a habit of trying to think about a follow up book, to keep the characters alive.  I just can’t let go. I am the character, when I am writing, so I know they have so much more to give. I find it hard to remove myself from a book.

 

  What writer has been your biggest inspiration?

I am great lover of the classics, especially by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. I love the way they subtly use humour. Most of my books have a humorous element. I also enjoy a Lee Child book and now, of course, having found his books, Cary Allen Stone. I am always in awe of writers who can weave a good plot. To round of my inspirations, I also need to add Janet Evanovich to my list. I love a book that makes me laugh out loud, and the Stephanie Plum series are so funny, I have read them all. I have just found a new author, Aimee Horton, her book Mother’s Ruined, had me howling with laughter. 

 

What non-writer had the most influence on your life and why?

My husband, only recently married, but he has such faith in my abilities and is so supportive, he makes me believe that I can do anything. When you have someone at your side to lean on and trusts you explicably, if gives your live a boost and opens so many doors. 

How important is the choosing of character names to you? Have you ever decided on a name and then changed it because it wasn’t right for the character?

The name of the character usually pops into my head as I write. If it doesn’t I will just leave a line XXXXXX until it reveals itself to me.  As most of my writing is about people over 40yrs old, and sometime a lot older.  I often think of friends or relatives names, of that era, that will suit my characters.

Do you allow others to read your work in progress, or do you keep it a secret until you’ve finished your first draft?

I usually share my work with my husband, by reading it aloud to him.  This also helps me to edit it. If it is clumsy in speech or just doesn’t sound right then I can change.

 

What inspired you to write your first book? 

For the first time in my life I actually found I had time on my hands. I had always wanted to have a go at writing a book, I think most people do, but I realised that there was an indie movement, and now was a good time. When my niece-in-law to be, celebrated her first published book, it took me by surprise.  It gave me a push. I thought if my niece can do, so can I.  So I took pen to paper and started writing.

What might we be surprised to know about you?

I like nothing more than to sit in an English pub with a pint of real ale in my hand. I really miss a good British beer, during my travels. I spend most of my time on the road, or at least abroad somewhere, flitting from one continent to another.  It is a great life.

 

In Addition

An English Rose, was inspired by my mother. She is 86yrs old and has macular degeneration and is now registered as blind.  Along with her deteriorating hearing, diabetes, asthma and extremely delicate thin skin, she drags herself to church every Sunday to make her peace with God. Her middle name is Rose, and she is a happy and active senior. Now she has a mobility scooter, she is never at home. Nothing seems to slow her enthusiasm for life down. Losing her sight has stopped her from her many hobbies of Green Bowling, painting, pottery, sewing, reading, but she still struggles on with her knitting, and laughs about all the air-holes that appear through dropped stiches. She talks about her numbered days, and then books a holiday abroad.  I just love her to pieces.

The fabulous line up of Mother’s Day Magic

About the Author

I love to travel, but I also need to work. Being an author allows me to combine both of activities and has the added bonus of life being an adventure. I never know where I will be sitting writing from one year to the next. As I write this, I am in South Africa, in February I travel to Spain for a few months and by June, in the USA. It is a great life, if you don’t mind a little insecurity.

I try to bring a little of my adventurous personality into my stories. Being a ‘mature aging gracefully’ woman, I feel akin to the problems of aging and relationships. I spent many years on my own before finding my truly remarkable and very patient partner who I happily gave up my whole world for. My stories are about mature relationships with mature people. People who have character and humour, who have a history; people just like us.

I like to call it Hen Lit, Not Chick Lit, but they are not just about falling in love. They are about real relationships and adventure.

Allyson R. Abbott’s Hen Lit
Goodbye, Hello by Allyson R. Abbott

LINKS:

Email Address Allyson.Abbott@hotmail.com

Webpage http://www.AllysonRAbbott.com

http://bit.ly/1NopBMl

Twitter https://twitter.com/AllysonRAbbott

http://bit.ly/1E180bd

Facebook www.facebook.com/AllysonRAbbott

http://on.fb.me/1gRmOOY

Pinterest                             https://www.pinterest.com/aabbott0517/

http://bit.ly/1TPJ5P4

LinkedIn                              www.linkedin.com/in/AllysonRAbbott

Google Play                       http://bit.ly/1NBlDxP

Goodreads                         www.goodreads.com/AllysonRAbbott

Blog Page                            http://allysonrabbott.blogspot.co.uk/

http://bit.ly/1z8f6Te

Google+                             http://google.com/+AllysonRAbbott

 

Thanks so much to Allyson R. Abbott for talking about her contribution to Mother’s Day Magic, thank to Tamara Ferguson for this opportunity, and you know what to do, like, share, comment and of course, CLICK!