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Alexander Dumas Fils' "The Lady of the Camellias" was based on the true story of Alphonsine Plessis, with whom he had an affair. Alphonsine broke off her connection with Dumas Fils, married a rich man, and died (probably of consumption) at the age of 23. Soon after her death, Dumas Fils was in need of cash and wrote a fictionalized account of the affair with himself cast as the hero.

"I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix."- Sherlock

"There was a curious secretive streak in Holmes which led to many dramatic effects. He pushed to an extreme the axiom that the only safe plotter was he who plotted alone. I was nearer to him than anyone else, and yet I was always conscious of the gap between." -The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes

I have never liked that this author "tells" instead of "shows". No subtlety at all with this one. But I do like the plot, full of action and mystery.

The first existing version of Cinderella was an Egyptian tale of a girl who has her slipper stolen by an eagle. The version we know today is the result of an error in translation from the French word "vair" meaning an ermine-like fur, which was changed to "verre" meaning glass. Cinderella would have been more comfortable with fur shoes, but the idea of glass has stayed in the imaginations of readers for centuries.

This is re-sparking my interest in knitting and crocheting! Bring on the yarn!

"Around the world in 80 Days" may have been based on George Francis Train, an American railroad owner who claimed he could travel the globe in 80 days as a political campaign stunt to gain him votes. He didn't complete his journey on time, due to being arrested in Spain for supporting and aiding revolutionaries. Jules Verne denied that Train was the inspiration for his novel.

"Moby Dick" was based on a real albino whale named "Mocha Dick" after the island of Mocha nearby. Just nine days before it was published, a whale rammed and sank a ship out of New Bedford, fueling book sales and delighting Herman Melville.

So far, I'm impressed with this original fantasy world, but not really enjoying the story itself yet.

"Why are we reading, if not in hope of beauty laid bare, life heightened, and its deepest mystery probed?" - Annie Dillard