Monthly Archives: October 2015

Encyclopedia Britannica

Several days ago, I fell into conversation with an acquaintance while enjoying a convivial pint in my favourite pub. During our chat he mentioned that the charity shop in which he volunteers has received a 24 volume set of the 1969 encyclopedia britannica. The person in charge of the shop was minded to send encyclopedia britannica for pulping, for which the charity would receive a small payment.

I (along with my acquaintance) where horrified at the thought of this work of reference being destroyed in such a manner. The book is in good condition. Granted much of the content is out of date but that to my mind adds to the intrinsic interest of the work. It is fascinating to look back at how our understanding of the world has changed. For example anyone opening the 1969 encyclopedia britannica will find the Soviet Union portrayed in all it’s “glory” together with references to Persia which, of course no longer exists. Again the explanation of computers is very outdated which adds to the historical interest of the 1969 encyclopedia britannica.

Leaving aside the beauty of the book (it’s binding etc), the work is a collectors item. encyclopedia britannica is no longer available in a print edition (at least in it’s traditional form of many volumes occupying much shelf space) and has been replaced by an online portal, Britannica.com. Looking online for encyclopedia britannica, I found the 1969 edition is available on Ebay at an asking price of £323. Consequently quite apart from the barbarity of trashing this piece of history the book is, in fact much more valuable in tact rather than as pulp.

I haven’t bumped into my acquaintance since our conversation regarding encyclopedia britannica. I sincerely hope that when we next meet he will impart the news that the 1969 encyclopedia britannica has found a good home on a bibliophile’s bookshelves!

Kevin

The Mermaid

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“Jump in

and swim.

The water is cold

but the bold

will find gold

in the dank cave

which the brave

mermaid

may explore”.

Mermen adore

the rocky sea floor

and will implore

you to play

as the day

darkens.

The wise mermaid harkens

to the gull

who cries above,

“it is not love.

‘Tis better to stay on the sand warm

than have your heart torn

asunder

by mermen who plunder”.

The waves thunder

And the mermaid does wonder

About gold dust

Lust

And sin.

The Best Edgar Allan Poe Stories

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Sadly my braille edition of Poe’s “Tales Of Mystery And Imagination” (which runs to 9 volumes) is missing several of them. It being a collection of stories, this is not the end of the world and the book still resides on the bookcase in my bedroom. Kevin

Interesting Literature

10 great Edgar Allan Poe short stories everyone should read

Compiling a list of the best Edgar Allan Poe short stories is always going to prove controversial, because he wrote many more classics than a ‘top 10’ list could ever dream of comprehensively capturing. So the following does involve some omissions – ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, and several other well-known tales – because our list is designed to showcase the sheer variety of Poe’s stories, and the various genres which he helped to develop (Gothic horror, ghost story, science fiction, detective story). Do leave your suggestions for the best Poe stories in the comments below (and tell us how you’d change our selection here!).

10. ‘The Balloon-Hoax’. Published in 1844 and originally presented as a true story in The Sun newspaper in New York, ‘The Balloon-Hoax‘ tells of a European man’s journey across the Atlantic in a…

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The Fairy Ring

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The ring is no longer magic

but the tragic

fairies continue to dance.

There is no romance

yet as a magnet to the metal

man can not settle

and is drawn

to this sight forlorn.

The flesh tires.

Desires

cool

but the fool

plays with the burning coal.

Man’s goal

is the salvation of his soul.

The fairies cease their play

as day

breaks.

Man as from a dream awakes

and forsakes

for a time

the circle, once thought so divine.

Time

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The reaper moves

In time with the pendulum.

No rush

Or fuss

He has plenty of time.

My patient friend

whose tick portends

my inevitable end.

You rest in state

on my bookcase.

Tick tock

I can not stop

time’s sithe.

None can survive

his cut.

Though in a cupboard my clock be shut

death can not be put

aside

The sickle chops

And the heart will, one day, stop.

Family Life

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The hoary

old Tory

finds glory

in the upper house.

his socialist spouse

drinks champagne

and cudgels her brains

about the renationalisation of trains.

Their Communist girl

Her head in an idealistic whirl

Buys expensive clothes

For she knows

That money on ancient trees grows.

And so the world goes!

A Short Analysis of ‘Adlestrop’ by Edward Thomas

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A wonderful analysis of one of my favourite poems. Kevin

Interesting Literature

A short introduction to the poem ‘Adlestrop’ by Edward Thomas

The latest in our series of short analyses of short poems takes Edward Thomas’s ‘Adlestrop’ as its subject. Before we get to the analysis, then, here is the wonderful sixteen-line poem, which was once ranked Britain’s 20th favourite poem:

Yes, I remember Adlestrop –
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. What I saw
Was Adlestrop – only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whit less still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

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Siren

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Rocks and bar stools.

Men are fools!

She combs her hair

Oh man beware!

Cupid’s arrow is shot

And duty forgot.

She is giving him the eye.

The gods sigh.

Her voice so sweet.

Those dainty feet.

Passion into his heart creeps.

“Come play with me in the ocean deep.

In my warm embrace you may sleep

Locked in the arms of love

As Venus smiles above”,

She says

Her song musical as the waves.

But all singing ends

As to the depths they descend.

The Modern Day Penny Dreadful

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An amusing and interesting take on a subject which will, I am sure run and run. Kevin

Have We Had Help?

While many authors and certainly the entire literary world turn up their noses at the phenomena of the eBook, there is no getting away from the fact that being able to buy a book cheaply, or more often than not these days, getting it for free to download to the ereader of your choice, resonates with the public at large, particularly in the United States. But if you expect to get your next read for $0.99 or less, don’t complain when the book that has taken your fancy is not a literary masterpiece.

Time and time again some authors together with assorted literary snobs, armchair critics and pedants, endlessly decry an eBook for its lack of literary quality. All too often they take great delight in pointing up any given eBook’s faults.

But does it really matter when it is free or priced so cheaply? The short answer is no…

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