In the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, Pamela Aidan attempts to provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of this enigmatic romantic lead of English literature. During the many rereads of Pride & Prejudice, as much as I enjoyed the goings on of the Bennet household, I often felt shortchanged in my understanding of Mr. Darcy. His reclusiveness adds both to his arrogance and enigma. We only hear of his good deeds from his friends and employees, but…
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Before Bram Stoker made love (or hate) for Vampires mainstream, a 100-page story by Sheridan Le Fanu, written in 1872, laid the foundation for Dracula. Carmilla is a gripping gothic tale steeped in darkness, cold, and death. It begins innocently enough, but even then, the sense of anticipation of something about to go wrong is palpable. The opening lines that describe the estate and its location set the tone for horrors that will unfold. Nothing can be…
Thanks to Orca Publishers and NetGalley for sending me an ARC. Being from India, I have been consciously exploring children’s literature that I can expose to my American-born son. The beautiful cover of this book caught my eye – and this book was exactly what I was looking for. About Grandmother School Grandmother School is written by Rina Singh, a Canadian writer famous for other children’s books on Indian culture. As the name suggests, this…
When Death Comes To Pemberley was released, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. A promising fiction crossover from one of my favorite modern mystery writers wading into popular period literature. I saw it was curious to see how PD James spun off a murder mystery from the most popular romantic classic of the 19th century – Pride & Prejudice. It’s said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Still, I am…
Every once in a while, I like to immerse myself in a proper British mystery novel. And where else to turn to but to the Queen of Crime and her favorite detective, Hercule Poirot. The Mystery of the Blue Train begins with the introduction of distantly related characters, each with their own nuances, dark secrets, and ambitions. The tone for murder is set early. Also, if you have read enough of Agatha Christie, at least…
What’s Palace of Illusions about? In the Palace of Illusions, Banerjee takes on Indian epic Mahabharata, and weaves an imaginative novel around it’s most maligned & suffering female character, Draupadi. A story so powerful that it has transcended thousands of years, the Mahabharata is a timeless epic. Relevant and revered, every Indian is as familiar with its broad construct as the western world is with the Bible. It takes courage to mess around with something…
