#but also charlotte brontë: what the hell

[effysayres]

everything i’m doing with my life right now is just filling time until i meet my destiny (being locked away in the attic by my husband during my 30s)

[bethanydelleman]

I forgot if I already asked you or just thought about it:

Do you think Adele is Mr. Rochester's biological daughter? He doesn't think so and Jane couldn't find any resemblance between them but maybe she just takes after her mother a lot? But I have to admit it's a better look for Mr. Rochester if he takes in the illegitimate daughter of the woman that cheated on him out of pity than his own child out of obligation.

Either way I think Adele is a very sad character although it doesn't seem to bother her. Then again, she's only seven when we meet her.

I think it's impossible to know if Adele is Rochester's or not, because some kids don't look much like their father and DNA testing won't be around for about 150 years. I will always find his confident denial ridiculous.

That said, I think he denies Adele is his child because that makes him more of the hero of Adele's story than just someone acting out of obligation. However, it would also be pretty impossible for anyone to force him to take care of Adele, what with international borders and proof that Adele's mother was unfaithful, so I do think that Rochester's care of his maybe-daughter is admirable, no matter what you believe about her parentage.

Adele does seem to have landed in good hands, so I don't exactly feel sorry for her. She is doing better than the majority of natural children born in this era. Also, I find her characterization freaking hilarious. It's VERY revealing of Charlotte Brontë's prejudices. Here are two quotes:

I e’en took the poor thing out of the slime and mud of Paris, and transplanted it here, to grow up clean in the wholesome soil of an English country garden.

As she grew up, a sound English education corrected in a great measure her French defects; and when she left school, I found in her a pleasing and obliging companion: docile, good-tempered, and well-principled.

It's pretty heavily implied that Adele, either by nature or very early FRENCH nurture, is going to grow up into some sort of harlot unless they ENGLISH her away from the depths of Hell. And the way Jane Eyre talks about the French mother seducing the poor English Rochester, as if he didn't wander into France with the exact intention of finding a mistress... Well Charlotte Brontë seems to think very poorly of the French is all I'll say, despite the fact that she could clearly speak and write French herself.

[pinkheart22]

TTPD The Black Dog, Charlotte Brontë & Dear Reader

Taylor mentions Charlotte Brontë in her opening to her Quill Pen Songs Playlist on Apple Music:

Quill Pen Lyrics are those that Taylor Swift has written with an imaginary quill in her hand, marked by period-piece detail and what she's described as "antiquated" words and phrasing, like language plucked from a Charlotte Bronte novel.

"If I was inspired to write it after reading Charlotte Brontë or after watching a movie where everyone is wearing poet shirts and corsets."

The album color of the Black Dog is Ink Black, which alludes to using ink for a quill pen.

How does The Black Dog relate to Charlotte Brontë?

Charlotte Brontë wrote a novel Jane Eyre.  In the 1847 novel, Jane Eyre, comes across a Gytrash which is a goblin or spirit which takes the form of a horse, mule, or large dog.  Typically found in the North of England, the Gytrash “haunted solitary ways” and often surprised unwary traveler's as they journeyed alone in the dusk.

solitary ways are when you are walking alone; without companions; unattended.

The black dog, while also has the meaning of depression; If we look at it in the context of the Gytrash, the dog can be a death omen, and lead people astray, BUT they can also be benevolent, guiding lost traveler's to the right road. They are usually feared.

Taylor is being led by the Black Dog, or Could she BE the Black Dog?

In dear reader, she says :

Never take advice from someone who's falling apart - depression

Get out your map, pick somewhere and just run - she leaves, alone, running away as a traveler

Burn all the files, desert all your past lives And if you don't recognize yourself That means you did it right - i think without her past she is now unwary. shes started fresh not knowing dangers

When you aim at the devil make sure you don't miss - the dog is a death omen, also could be referred as a hell hound

You should find another guiding light - The Black Dog can guide traveler's astray.

So I wander through these nights - the black dog, and traveler's wander in the dusk

If you knew where I was walking To a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there - solitary

Where I pace in my pen - the color ink black of the album

No one sees when you lose When you're playing solitaire - she literally mentions, solitaire, in this line. she is alone

@taylorswift @taylornation

posted march 4 2024

[writing-with-gore]

Writing A Story Part 1: What Are Themes In A Novel? 

Hello! Today We’ll be talking about themes in storytelling, and what that means for our novel, book, or hell, even fanfic!

I used to think that a book ‘theme’ was unnecessary, since, yknow, the plot is there to do the theme's job.

But now? I realize that a theme is there for the plot to happen. If the theme wasn’t there, it would be like the writing’s genre was missing. So, themes are very important!

What Are Themes?

A theme is the main idea that a story tries to convey to its readers.  It can be the message, or a moral that a story is pushing to its readers. The theme is the underlying message in everything that happens. If you can immediately tell who the bad guy and the good guy are, then the story is probably about Good VS Evil. 

So, themes can be both simple and complex, and it is not uncommon for a story to have more than one theme. It’s okay for your theme to be complicated.

However, it is important that the theme is not confusing. 

Here are some examples you can use in your novel!

1- Forbidden Love:

Forbidden love happens when two people are in love, but shouldn’t be.

Maybe it’s the parents? Maybe it’s society? Class structure, rules, or maybe personal biases? 

Forbidden love can be used in royalty settings, or in a story about homophobia within society. 

EXAMPLE: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

2- Coming of age

I’m sure we’re all familiar with this, but let me explain it for anyone who hasn’t heard this term before: 

This is the most universal experience. The coming-of-age literary theme centers around a character who is growing up in some manner. Sometimes, they’re literally growing from a child into an adult.

Other times, they are an adult and are simply stepping into another stage of their life or passing a milestone. This common theme explores self-discovery, change, and growth, and leads to a character’s inner metamorphosis.

A coming-of-age story always shows how the protagonist overcomes internal conflict, so you should be careful to pay attention to the characters’ personal development is critical when writing about this literary theme.

EXAMPLE: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

3- Righteous Justice

In stories about justice, there is a main character who is entirely driven by getting the justice they think they deserve.

Maybe some sort of revenge? Maybe fixing a problem in the system they live in?

In the righteous justice theme, most readers should agree that the character in question is in the right and feel a sense of satisfaction when (if) the character gets what they want.

If you write this theme right, then your readers should feel sympathy for the main character.

EXAMPLE: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4- Corruption

The corruption theme shows how an external influence changes a character throughout a story and serves as a warning to the reader that they, too, could become corrupted if they’re not self-aware.

EXAMPLE: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

5- Family dynamics

Family themes in literature often challenge readers to look beyond blood and to analyze what the true meaning of family is. For the trope lovers out there, consider this as something resembling found family.

Characters may lose their biological family in some manner and then discover a new one, either with another literal blood family or with a group of friends.

A character’s biological family may also become threatened in whatever way.

Whatever the case may be, a family unit is always an important part of the story and pushes the plot points and conflict foreword.

Interpersonal relationships and character development should be at the forefront for these types of stories with these recurring themes.

In the family dynamics theme, the story examines how family members interact with one another, and how those dynamics are capable of driving a plot.

EXAMPLE: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

6- The power of family

The power of the family theme is always positive. 

These stories show how family is a powerful force that can help a character overcome challenges, both internal and external. 

There are many challenges in a Power Of Family theme. However, by the end of the book the conflict has been dealt with and the main message is that with the power of family, anything can be overcome. 

EXAMPLE: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

Gore's note: I absolutely love this book. I read it when I was nine and I’ve been obsessed ever since!

Hey! I hope you enjoyed today's topic and that it was helpful to you. If you did, then please leave a reply and tell me your thoughts!

Reblogs and Likes would also be very appreciated <3

[oldshrewsburyian]

I am about to embark upon reading Jane Eyre for the first time. Do you have any opinions/knowledge to share about the book? all I know about it is something-something-colonialism, something-something-locked his wife in an attic. So I'm curious what other people think about it.

AHHHHHHHH. Ahem. I am delighted to be asked this question. I have numerous opinions, and some knowledge. Colonialism and the attic are of course part of it, but there is A Lot Going On Here. I shall attempt to be brief. I shall almost certainly fail. Here we go.

I think both Jane Eyre as a novel and Jane Eyre as a character are really great. And I think Charlotte Brontë is doing fascinating things in the novel with how she examines gender, religion, vocation, class, and -- not least -- colonialism. In fact, I’d be very comfortable saying that the novel is attuned to the structural sins of colonialism (and, for that matter, patriarchy. And, not least, organized Christianity) in ways that many adaptations have not been. Colonialism + Jane Eyre would be a whole essay (it is, in fact, a whole subfield) so I’m going to focus on Jane herself here.

Jane herself (who can certainly, I think, be read as both bisexual and biracial, or either) is one of the most satisfying fictional women I know. Her sense of self and her sense of ethics are at the steely core of this novel. To quote her own words, she is poor, plain, obscure, and little... and she is also extremely intelligent and extremely passionate. I firmly believe that she and Rochester have the kinkiest sex of any couple in 19th-century English literature. And yes, that includes John Thornton and Margaret Hale. Jane is, from a very early age, full of blazing anger against all systems of oppression, and has a very clear-eyed refusal to pretend that injustice is anything other than it is. Several decades before Huck Finn, she tells a clergyman to his face that by his standards, she probably is going to his hell, and she doesn’t care. I love her so so much. She is intelligent and wise, and also keenly aware of her unusual, almost liminal social status. She’s been raised in a household of the gentry, but treated there as a servant. At her boarding school, she was raised from a pupil to an instructor. And now, with her skills in art and history and languages, she’s a governess: not of the housekeeper’s station nor of her master’s. Jane is a very solitary little figure, until she meets the man who says to her “here is my equal and my likeness.” Hot damn, I would also marry anyone who said that to me, even if I were not a 19th-century governess, but I also believe it is important that Jane has time to be independent, to be on her own, to make a full and useful life in which she is “not unhappy” (sob) before she comes back to a life that is not only full but rich: in which she can say of her husband “we are flesh of each other’s flesh and bone of each other’s bone,” in which she can be happy in her friends and her home and her own household as a place of the kindness and generosity and joy that she was starved of for so long.

That was a run-on sentence, but you take, I trust, my point. I have not said much about Edward Fairfax Rochester, broody misanthropic problematic science nerd, but I have a whole mini-essay on him here. There is also some really interesting stuff going on with Romanticism and spirituality and religion, and also nature. The book in its first edition was condemned as irreligious, and Charlotte Brontë had to defend it in the second: “Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last.” Go OFF Charlotte. Anyway... I hope you love the book. It’s one of my favorites.

[eyesaremosaics]

Favorite books?

Hmmm… that’s tough, I love a lot of books. I’m an old lady, I prefer classic literature, or historical fiction… horror fiction…. I guess if I had to narrow it down I would say:

--“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. Probably my all time favorite. I really resonated with the “savage” in this novel. Now more than ever…

--“Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice, actually pretty much all the vampire chronicles. The vampire Lestat, queen of the damned, blood and gold, the vampire Armand, pandora… tale of the body thief…

—“Frankenstein: the modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley, I just think it’s a powerful piece of literature. Beautifully written.

—“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, the darkest love story of all time.

—“A Spy in the house of love” by Anais Nin, I love most of Anais’ work, her diaries… delta Venus…

—“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, i know it seems pretentious and cliché—but I love virtually everything he writes. Always wished my birthday was the 24th instead of the 23rd so I could share it with him and Jim Henson😭. “The beautiful and the damned” “flappers and philosophers”… “this side of paradise”… all good.

—“Save me the Waltz” by Zelda Fitzgerald. I always thought her life was very tragic, and since she inspired so much of Scott’s work—naturally I found her a source of fascination as well.

—“the turn of the screw” by Henry James

— “the stranger” by Albert Camus

—“the bell jar” by Sylvia Plath with always hold a special place in my teenage heart.

—“the catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger. I love most of his stuff as well, I really feel Holden Caulfield. He knows what’s up.

—“Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert

—“the Venus in Furs” by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

—“I Capture The Castle” by Dodie Smith (1948)

—“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte (1847)

—“Dracula” by Bram Stoker (1897) classic! Read it so many times.

Harry Potter and lord of the rings I’ve read countless times.

-Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1860), I gotta admit… I love me some Charles Dickens. This one is particularly special.

—Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

I always loved treasure island, and the Swiss family Robinson when I was a kid.

Lord of the flies has always stuck with me.

—“Slaughterhouse 5” by Kurt Vonnegut

I liked the lovely bones… flowers in the attic… I enjoyed chuck palahniuk back in the day.

Oh! I love “The Giver” by Lois Lowry.

A clockwork orange…

I love Stephen King. Pet Semetary is my favorite though.

I love “tuck everlasting” and “bridge to teribithia”.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938) is an all time fav. Love the Alfred Hitchcock movie as well.

Silence of the lambs…American psycho…. Hell House by Richard Matheson (1971),

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (2002), can I just say—Neil Gaiman must be the most prolific writer of modern times. I love so much of his stuff. I met him once in person, he’s a sweet man.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde—one of the best pieces of fiction ever written. I also love how cheeky Oscar Wilde was in general. Also a libra (my team!).

“The Yellow Wallpaper”, Short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Brilliant feminist piece of literature/social commentary on feminine “hysteria”.

“Go Ask Alice” by Beatrice Sparks.

“I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” by Joanne Greenberg

“Girl interrupted” Susanna Kaysen

“Fear and loathing in Las Vegas”, Hunter S. Thompson. I love reading his stuff, he cracks me up.

Too many to name, but there ya go!

[jonismitchell]

what are your all time fave books? I’m looking to add stuff to my tbr and I trust ur taste. also have a great day!

hello! thank you so much for this ask :') i was just thinking how annoyed i was that a book recommendations post i made two years ago is still circulating—my taste has changed quite a bit since then and i would write it a bit differently now. here are my all-time favourite books in a hopefully entertaining list format—but if you just want the titles i've bolded them. below the cut because i talk too much.

wuthering heights by emily brontë. this is my favourite book of all time. if i had to pick one book to take with me to a desert island, one book to read before i die, one book to assign the entire population to read—well, this would be it. the story here is a monstrous one of possession, isolation, and the heights of obsession, rendered in painfully human prose and ultimately returning to hope. [favourite quote: you said i killed you— haunt me, then! be with me always— take any form— drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where i cannot find you!]

the karamazov brothers by fyodor dostoyevsky. i spent a solid half of my life whining about my parents' attempts to make me read the classics (in my defense, who gifts an eight-year-old anna karenina?) and as soon as i engaged with them properly, i became fascinated enough to want to do an english degree. so that backfired. i love this book. i love what dostoyevsky has to say about humanity—in his work, goodness is always possible. [favourite quote: what is hell? i maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.]*

emma by jane austen. this is the romance novel of all time. it tells the story of emma woodhouse, a complex and multifaceted heroine, and her growth as a character is inextricably tied to the love story. it's also great social commentary, and austen was one hell of a wit. (that bit with miss bates at the picnic is funnier than ninety percent of standups today.) emma is my favourite austen heroine for her story of redemption. [favourite quote: if i loved you less, i might be able to talk about it more.]

ulysses by james joyce. i will not lie to my good, dear reader. i read every day, i've been reading since i was two years old, and i found this book difficult. it requires engagement and attention from the reader, a great deal of concentration and insight—and yet, for the devoted reader, it yields so much. it's a great novel, joyce is a brilliant prose stylist, and it provides endless opportunity for interpretation. truly the book that exemplifies italo calvino's 'a classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.' [favourite quote: history, stephen said, is a nightmare from which i am trying to awake.]

les misérables by victor hugo. i read this book only a few weeks ago, but it had such a profound effect on me that i had to include it in this list. hugo weaves a brilliant tale of love, hope, and redemption amidst the vivid backdrop of history. the story of jean valjean, the chapter 'javert derailed', the endless goodness of cosette... AND i got to learn new things about waterloo/fictional religious people/the paris sewer system? one of the greats of all time. [favourite quote: 'you don’t believe in anything.’ / ‘i believe in you.’]

so that would be my top five! more of my favourites (classics edition) are: a tale of two cities by charles dickens, madame bovary by gustave flaubert, anna karenina by leo tolstoy, the master and margarita by mikhail bulgakov, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, to the lighthouse by virginia woolf, franny and zooey by j.d. salinger, the bell jar by sylvia plath, swann's way by marcel proust; and the portrait of a lady by henry james.

in the likely scenario that you want to read something that you wouldn't have to in english class, more of my favourite books include: normal people, beautiful world where are you, and conversations with friends by sally rooney; a series of unfortunate events by lemony snicket; my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh; the goldfinch by donna tartt; play it as it lays by joan didion; and the island of sea women by lisa see.

and a nonfiction favourites section: everything i know about love by dolly alderton; a room of one's own by virginia woolf; strong opinions and speak, memory by vladimir nabokov; right wing women by andrea dworkin; how we survived communism and even laughed by slavenka drakulić; just kids by patti smith; invisible women: data bias in a world designed for men by caroline criado pérez; and girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen.

oh, and while i'm at it might include some favourite poetry collections: ariel: the restored edition by sylvia plath; the waste land and other poems by t.s. eliot; lunch poems by frank o'hara; deaf republic by ilya kaminsky; anything anna akhmatova wrote; and of course crush by richard siken.

hope you find something new to read :)

*my favourite unofficial quote from this book is 'your dad's not your dad if he's a bitch', which i wrote to summarize a monologue given in one of my favourite chapters.

[incorrectsibunaquotes]

Hello! Do you have some headcanons about middle names of HoA teens(with Kira)? If I not mistaken we know only about Alfie and KT middle names

This is a great question, Anon! I definitely have a few.

NINA: EVELYN. I just think her parents would have wanted to honor Nina’s grandmother in this way. It’s fitting.

FABIAN: SUGGUT. Okay, hear me out. It’s a pretentious sounding middle name for a clearly pretentious family (they named him Fabian), and it’s very plausible that Patricia hears this middle name and immediately starts telling people his middle name is Susan.

AMBER: ELIZABETH. I feel like her father would name her after the Queen. I just feel it in my bones that he’d do this. Her mother too, whoever she is/was.

PATRICIA: MARIE. It just fits her. I also headcanon that was her great-grandmother’s name, so I think there’s some irony to it as well.

JOY: VITA. It means life. Her father is an evil man for this one. Need I say more?

MARA: ROSE. It’s pretty and it sounds nice with her name. No other reason.

JEROME: ROSE. I like to cause chaos lol. Also, his sister is named after a flower so maybe his mom was like “Well, we wanted a girl… Rose.” Also now that he’s heard Patricia’s rumors about Fabian’s middle name, he’s on high alert. Poppy tried to reveal it multiple times, but somehow Jerome prevailed.

EDDIE: CASPAR. Mr. Sweet is so wrong for this, but it’s so funny I can’t help it. Eddison Caspar Miller. Eddie hates everything about his middle name, and rightfully so because what the hell. When Patricia finds out she nearly pees her pants from laughing (but doesn’t tell anyone).

MICK: MAXIMILIAN. Another pretentious name for a pretentious family. Explains why and how Mick gives people nicknames.

KIRA: CHARLOTTE. Like Charlotte Brontë.

[johnwgrey]

Summary: Simon, a teacher at the prestigious Highwater Academy, quits his job when he’s offered a post at Pitch Manor. His employer travels a lot but as time passes, Simon builds a friendship with Vera, the governess, and with his pupil, Mordelia, the mysterious Mr Grimm-Pitch’s half-sister. One day, Baz comes back home. He is rude, arrogant and it becomes quickly obvious to Simon that he has secrets. He’s also very handsome and so terribly sweet to his sister and before long, Simon falls for him. But when the beautiful Miss Wellbelove comes to stay at Pitch Manor and seems hell-bent on marrying Baz, Simon will have to choose between heart and reason.

A modern-ish fic based on Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

Chapter Preview:

I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the way his hair tickled my face and the mild pressure of his wrists on the small of my back. I burrowed my nose into his neck, revelling in his masculine scent. “Wanna tell me what this is about?” he asked after a while. I shook my head. “Maybe later.” “Alright,” he replied, letting go of me. I suddenly felt very cold. He had swaddled me in a warm blanket of love and I wasn't ready for it to be taken away. I wanted to pull him back to me. Not yet. Give me more of this. Cold skin against cold skin. Let me warm you up. Tell me you feel it, too, this fire burning bright inside of you.

Read Chapter 7 on AO3!

or start at the beginning

[serenasoutherlyns]

Not a Summer Crush Part One

a/n: calex x reader/ofc. welcome to part one! all feedback is appreciated. forgive any errors. set in au-present day svu. all fluff, allusions to svu type situations.

Part One

You never admit when you have a crush. Not to your friends, not to your crush, and certainly not to yourself. You're a one-night stand type of girl, and ideally with strangers whose names you don’t even know. You got off, they got off, and nobody had to worry about calling in the morning. That was how you'd managed to reach 27 without ever having a serious relationship (and, you thought, having a job in the DA's office at 27 spoke to the efficacy of your strategy). You sure as hell intended on keeping that streak going. But, ever since you started this new job three months ago, something strange was happening.

It was Casey and Alex, that was who was to blame for these pesky feelings. You couldn't help it, they were just infuriatingly sweet when it came to their relationship. Most people in long-term committed relationships were completely miserable at least as far as you could tell, but whenever someone mentioned Alex around Casey she got this energetic glow in her green eyes, like how you got when people mentioned puppies, unadulterated adoration. And when Alex talked about Casey, she went on for as long as anybody would listen about her intelligence, beauty, and cute habits, her interests, and talents. Their whole dynamic was nauseating. And yet, when you saw them, you felt this annoying warmth building in your icy heart. Maybe this was all simple professional adoration, that was a good excuse. You only wanted what they had because they both outranked you, Alex being Bureau Chief, Casey Assistant Bureau Chief. Of course, you admired them both. Yeah, that was it. When you looked into Alex's office and saw Casey there, answering emails on her couch and waiting for her wife to come back from court, the blush in your cheeks was only about Casey's dedication to her work. You certainly didn't have a crush, especially not on two people, not on your superiors.

So, you vowed not to think twice about it when Alex showed up at the office you shared with the other Junior ADAs one Monday morning and placed a cup of coffee on your desk.

"Morning, Haley," she said as you looked up from your work. "You're in early today."

"Yeah, I'm swamped with this St. Benedict's case," you said, explaining your presence. "There are just so many moving pieces, so many people to blame. I'm just trying to figure out my strategy here." You rubbed your temples. You'd rushed out of the apartment that morning, saying a quick goodbye to Ashley and the girls after your shower, you had only gotten a few sips of drip coffee in before rushing away on your bike. You were deeply touched by Alex's kind gesture in caffeinating you. You took a sip, still going on about the case. You pulled back from the cup in surprise as you recognized the taste of honey.

"Is this a café miel?" you asked. She had brought you your favorite special coffee. You expected plain black or a latte, something generic. "How did you know I loved these?"

Alex smiled, thoroughly charmed by your frantic early-morning energy. She wasn't sure why, but while she was in line picking up for herself and Casey, she'd remembered you going on about the virtues of coffee and honey to another poor Junior ADA who definitely hadn't asked. The way you talked about what you liked was cute to her, and watching you thank her now confirmed to her that it had been a good choice.

"I heard you talking Anderson's ear off about it yesterday," she told you. You looked at her sheepishly.

"I think he hates me," you said, fiddling with the outer sleeve of the cup.

No way does anybody hate this girl, Alex thought, but replied, "I was getting coffee for myself and Casey and thought I'd be nice to the new kid." Alex paused, hovered a little waiting for you to say something, but you seemed lost in thought. "Earth to Haley," she said. "Caroline?"

You snapped out of it. Your thoughts were split in two, half picking apart your case and half trying to figure out how to feel and react when your supervisor brings you your favorite kind of coffee. "Oh, I'm so sorry," you said, "I was just thinking about this nun..." You trailed off. At that, Alex actually laughed.

"OK, well, I'll let you get back to work. Let me or Casey know if you need another set of eyes." She started to leave but you stopped her, reaching under your desk for something.

"Wait, Cabot, how much do I owe you?" you asked, your manners catching up to your mind.

Alex only smiled. "Nothing. My treat."

"Thanks," you said as she left. You kept thinking about the conversation all day. How Alex had clearly paid attention to you, gone out of her way to do something nice for you. But it started to feel suspiciously like a crush as you sat on your couch thinking about Alex's slender fingers handing you your favorite drink early in the morning, how special it had made you feel. So, you weren't going to think about it again.

You also didn't think about it when, one warm evening, you literally ran into Casey on your daily run in the big park by the office.

You looked up after your head bumped another runner's shoulder. You tugged your earbuds out, dangling them around your neck, apologizing profusely. You completely zoned out when you were moving, so this happened a lot more often than you might like to admit. Today, you were deep in thought about a case law issue, and the park had all but ceased to exist in your perception.

"It's fine, Haley, calm down," you heard a familiar voice say, making you realize that you'd nearly trampled Casey Cabot Novak. You let out a mortified squeak.

Casey surprised herself. She was not at all bothered like she might usually be upon being rudely collided with on a very wide running path. Instead, she found your focus and bashfulness kind of... cute? Your face and chest were flushed red from exercise, your hair was falling out of its messy bun, and you had on a neon pink shirt with a neon orange running skirt, it looked like a toddler had dressed you.

You kept apologizing until Casey grabbed your shoulders and told you to stop.

"Join me for my last mile?" She asked, and you agreed. You kept the pace slow enough for small talk, Casey asked you, "So, what's up with the neon creamsicle look?"

"Oh my god," you chuckled as you rounded a corner, "a 6-year-old packed my gym bag."

While you showered that evening, you kept going over your afternoon. You were very embarrassed and a little horny, and couldn't get the image of a breathless, sweaty, Casey out of your mind. You decided these feelings were just to be blamed on runners' high and pushed them from your mind.

---

"You know, I really like the new junior ADA," Alex said as she splashed her face with warm water. Casey spit the toothpaste out of her mouth and cupped some water into it, swishing it around.

She spit again and said, "Anderson? He's fine, I guess. A little slow to object, a little quick to make a deal, but he'll get the hang of it."

"Haley," Alex said almost under her breath, patting moisturizer underneath her eyes.

"Oh," Casey replied, slightly flatly. "I've noticed."

Alex gave her a glare out of the side of her eyes as she removed a contact. "Not like that, my love. I just think she's a really good lawyer. Promising."

"She is. But I've also seen how you look at her."

"With professional respect," Alex said, rinsing the lens solution off her fingers. Casey's nighttime routine was much simpler, so she just watched her wife in the mirror, leaning against the shower door.

"Sure," Casey said, letting the silence hang between them. "Lex, you’re my wife. I know how you are when you're attracted to someone."

Alex turned around, leant against the counter, took Casey's hand in her own and ran her thumb across her wedding ring. "Are you jealous?"

"No," Casey said, kissing her wife. "You know, I might be if I didn't completely get it."

Alex sighed with relief. She hadn't exactly intended to get into this conversation.

"She is a bit young."

"If I recall correctly, someone I know was sleeping with Judge Mary Clark when she was that age."

Casey opened her mouth in mock-offense, and Alex kissed it closed.

---

Once it was acknowledged between the two of them, Casey and Alex had an agreement-- neither one of them could fault the other for flirting with you. In fact, they even enjoyed watching each other be sweet to you. And it was pretty harmless, they thought. The moments got more frequent. Alex brought you coffee most mornings, sometimes talking about work, but equally as often, she tried to get to know you. She now knew that you loved baking and crochet and Charlotte Brontë, that you grew up with 6 siblings, you were raised in Oakland, that you'd gone to Stanford. It was like she was collecting pieces of information for an eventual file titled "Caroline Haley: interests." When you weren't in, she left you notes. She even bought you a mug warmer, knowing your tendency to get sucked into a case and forget about your drink.

At the same time, Casey now insisted that the two of you run together whenever you could. She would tease you, complain when you were going too fast. She once convinced you to go for an early Sunday run, and even held your hair back as you vomited in a bush (you neglected to tell her how hungover you were, and she'd forgotten how much 20-somethings could drink). She laughed at you, but she bought you sympathy pancakes to apologize.

While Casey and Alex knew they were flirting, you had no suspicions. You assumed they were just very kind, open people, (and they were, when they wanted to be) contrary to what Anderson and the other junior ADAs had to say. You thought they all must just be frustrated by the difficulty of the job. You were good at staying positive, even in terrible circumstances.

On a particularly unpleasant Friday, Alex watched you from the hallway as you took a phone call, waiting to come in and see if you'd like to have an after-work drink. She watched your eyes light up, saw you smile as wide as she'd ever seen, watched you excitedly shake your hand back and forth in the air and scrunch your nose. Maybe a boyfriend? she wondered as she clicked open the door to the junior ADAs office, shutting it while you packed up your things.

"Hey, Cabot," you said, "I know I'm leaving kind of early, sorry about that, did you need something?"

"It's 6:30. Technically, you're here late," she said as she watched you search your impressively messy desk for something. "But no, I don't need anything, I was actually going to ask if you wanted to get a drink with Casey and me and some other attorneys."

You stopped what you were doing and looked at her with the most accurate yet unintentional impression of a kitten that Alex had ever seen. "Any other day, I would absolutely love to," you told her, “But some people from my studio are going to a salsa night and my partner can actually come to this one. It's been months since we've both been free at the same time to dance together, so I really can't miss it. But please ask me next time if you still want to?"

Alex couldn't resist the way your eyes got big when you asked, the subtle pink in your cheeks and nose, you became impossible to refuse (not that she would want to). She told you that yes, of course, next time, only a little deflated to your knowledge. She has a partner.

"Speaking of," you said as your phone rang. You picked it up. "No, Ashley, your shoes are not in my bag. What would I do with them, babe? Check your old one. Or wear your old ones. Yeah, ok, see you at home." Watching you casually go back and forth with whoever was on the other end of the line was captivating. Ashley must be the partner. That you were both not single and not straight wasn't surprising, but it was a little disappointing if Alex was honest with herself.

"You dance?" She asked you.

"Mm-hmm," you hummed. "I was semi-pro in high school and college, actually. I just got back into teaching a year or so ago when Ashley moved to the city. That flake, god." You snapped your backpack shut (a classy leather affair, but a backpack nonetheless-- Casey adored it, Alex remembered) and changed your tone of voice. "Alex, you guys should come tonight!"

She let out a laugh. "I am as uncoordinated as a baby deer, Caroline."

"I doubt that," you said, rising from your desk. "Because you're good at basically everything. But you don't even have to dance if you don't want to. It's at this place," you wrote down the address of the club on a post-it and stuck it to Alex's cheek. "Live music, drinks, and you get to watch me do my favorite thing in the world, so. Yeah, you should come."

Alex, taken aback by your familiar demandingness (she'd noticed how warm you were with everyone, always professional, yes, but you put people at ease perfectly naturally with your unpracticed air), said "I'll see what Casey says," and watched you excitedly flutter out of the office, trailing close behind you.

---

Casey agreed to come dancing. She had also been a little hesitant, but when Alex described how sweetly you asked, how your face lit up when you talked about it, she wasn't in a position to say no. She and Alex sent their apology texts to Pippa, Rita, Sophie, Serena, and Gillian, receiving very characteristic replies.

Casey: Sorry, Al and I have to raincheck, Haley invited us out dancing???

Rita: Ha, have fun with the little energizer bunny, you two.

Pippa: Rita, be nice.

Rita: No.

Rita: I once saw her actually bounce down a hallway.

Serena: Alex Cabot dancing? I wish I was coming.

Alex: :( ouch, Ser.

Pippa: Have fun, you two.

Sophie: Wait, is something happening with Haley? Why do you guys never keep me in the loop?

Gillian: Aw :.(

Alex: Nothing is "happening," Rita's just cruel.

Rita: Haley's impressive, all I'm saying.

Casey. OK. Anyway, we're going to go somewhere we've never been to watch our junior colleague dance instead of having the same whisky as always with you people.

Pippa: 👯‍♂️

---

part two

[indigoire]

Sometimes it's really nice to read about a character being miserable. Sometimes it envokes sympathy, and you get emotional witnessing their plight and want them to succeed...and sometimes you really need the schadenfreude of someone being worse off than you.

Like last night, or really this morning; I have my car in the shop because of a minor accident (long story) and I've been using a ride share service to get around. Well last night I also had to work late, and apparently 2:30 am on a Sunday is the worst time to try and get a ride from any service. I had three people cancel on me. Guess there's not enough Sunday partiers to supply any real demand. Anyways, me being me, it being 2:30am, mad as hell that no one would come and get me, tired of waiting for a ride that will never come, knowing that all my friends and family have work bright and early on Monday, I did what I thought best: I decided to walk the eight miles home.

Now before y'all get worried, I'm out in the sticks. There was no one around. There were cars but they were mostly blue collar workers hauling pallets or supplies, and then as the night wore into morning a few early bird commuters going to work in town. I had a flashlight and good boots and determination. I was going to get home no matter what.

So I put on an audiobook of such utter misery that it couldn't help but make my circumstances feel light and breezy: Jane Eyre.

Now, don't mistake me at all here. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. I love every aspect of it, but Jane Eyre, the character, is in for a whole host of miseries throughout the book. Especially the early bit, and I started from the beginning. From the start she desires independence from her abusive relatives, even if it means going to a truly shitty school. Plus there is so much walking in that book, so so so much walking. "If Jane can endure it, so can I," I thought to myself.

So, all through Jane's horrible early home life, neglect, and eventual shipping to said shitty school where she's starved and forced to walk to church in the snow, I walked steadily home. The night was cool, it had rained a few hours prior, and the honeysuckle on the side of the road smelled heavenly. There were stars out, and I could faintly make out the tail of Ursa Major. I was lucky, I thought as I trudged along--no sidewalk to guide me, just my flashlight showing a path--I was free to make my own choices, able to eat when I wanted, and not forced to deal with such awful people. Plus walking on a nice spring night is much nicer than walking in the snow to a cold church.

I walked for three and half hours. I got through Jane's childhood until the typhus outbreak, at which point I got home and turned off the audiobook. I definitely don't think I could have done it without the miseries conjured up by Charlotte Brontë, which helped spur me on even as my out of shape body screamed at me to stop with all the bloody walking.

And that's why sometimes all the motivation you need to go on is reading or listening to a character being put through absolute hell. Schadenfreude or no, it makes life feel less awful when things are going absolutely dogshit.

Also if any kind souls who just read this post feel like helping me pay for car repairs, I've enabled tipping on my blog.

[lit-in-thy-heart]

you know what, what's the point of being on this platform if you don't get to bellow into the void about your interests in the hope of finding someone with the same interest?

in light of this, let me inflict a lowdown of the victorian literature (mostly novels because poetry is difficult to collate) that i've read for my module this year upon my mutuals

i'll do a separate one for vampire novels and reblog with the link

because what are the victorians without vampires? straight

bleak house (dickens): what a ride that was! yes, it was nearly a thousand pages and, yes, some chapters i was like can we move on please, but that's dickens for you. honestly, i loved it. if you're looking for thinly-veiled lesbianism, this is the book for you (esda all the way, if they even have a ship name). unfortunately i already knew one of the plot twists due to watching dickensian five years before, but there are plenty more to go around! if you can get through the first chapter describing nothing but fog and the law courts, you're in for one hell of a treat -- just don't google anything about it until you've finished because you will get spoiled (or don't share a house with me, where i'll tell you the entire plot as i'm reading it). definitely recommend, but marking it down for the heteronormativity with allan. (9.5/10)

villette (c. brontë): where to fucking start. i, quite frankly, do not care for charlotte brontë, and when reading the earlier novel agnes grey by anne, i could see some more things that charlotte has filched for this travesty. no victorian novel is going to be without problems, but this one was xenophobic, ableist and, of course, racist. the protagonist doesn't really give anything away, which is meant to make her more mysterious, but it just renders her an empty vessel. oh, and she tells you stuff that she's figured out waaaaaay after she says she's figured it out, a bit like she's allowing you to feel smart for making a connection before going 'oh yeah i knew that like twelve chapters ago, keep up'. some of the passages are really striking and there's maybe one character who's likeable but that's about it. i'd say it's more a story of omission than repression tbh. (4/10)

janet's repentance (eliot): wait, have i even finished this? no, no, i have not. it's fine, i wasn't going to tell you the ending anyway. i did get hooked eventually, there were just a LOT of names thrown around in the first few chapters, and a word that i didn't know was used frequently (turns out it was a name for the followers of this guy). i did get strong hester prynne/arthur dimmesdale vibes from some of the main characters, but janet is a very sympathetic character which, after reading villette, was nice. slightly depressing in some places, but a good enough read if you're not cramming it in the day before your tutorial, because it is mildly dense. (7/10)

the wonderful adventures of mrs seacole in many lands (seacole): not what i'd been expecting to read on my module, what with it being a biography, but enjoyable nonetheless. horrible histories lied to me, though, she was in her 40s/50s when she treated people in the crimean war, not in her 20s, but that's minor. it was actually quite funny??? like she was very reluctant to give away to give away her age and almost slipped up a couple of times, and also made some very biting remarks about people who were passing comment on her skin colour. for a biography, it wasn't hugely biographical, in that she was married for what seemed all of five minutes before her husband died, when in fact they were married for several years, but if you want an in-depth depiction of war, this is for you. not what i'd usually read, but some of the descriptions are so vivid that it does read like a novel in places, though sometimes the descriptions were so detailed that i did tune out at odd intervals. (9/10)

the happy prince and other stories (wilde): if you're feeling low, don't read these. don't. especially not 'the nightingale and the rose', because that was honestly heartbreaking. really well-written, some passages were just beautiful, i just wasn't in the right headspace to fully appreciate it. it also has a lot of death, i should probably explicitly say that. (8/10)

agnes grey (a. brontë): chef's kiss, honestly. if i'd read this last year then i think it definitely would have hit a lot harder, what with agnes moving away from home for the first time and struggling with loneliness around people who she is different from. beautifully written, i'm irritated at myself for not reading it sooner, even though i've owned a copy for about four years or so. agnes does come across as a bit wet sometimes, but those moments are rare and far between, she's overall a resilient character who is trying to make her own way in the world. seeing as i managed to get through the whole thing and didn't lose focus on what i was reading, i rate it higher than jane eyre (which is a rip-off of this anyway). we stan anne. though i am marking it down for the underdeveloped romantic relationship that just pops up (9.5/10)

now for some old classics that weren't taught on my module, but i can't not mention them

a tale of two cities (dickens): this was my first dickens book and oh my word what a book. yeah, okay, lucie is a bit of a wet dishcloth and has basically no personality, but there is definitely something there between her and her maid. sydney is my baby and oh so gorgeously dramatic ("you have kindled me, heap of ashes that i am, into fire"), which was perfect for the pangs of unrequited love. the plot is slightly confusing, and you don't really understand everything until right near the end, but i loved finding parallels in the chapters set in france with the chapters set in britain. oh and the showdown between miss pross and madame defarge is wonderful. i had a tradition of reading it on the run-up to christmas, just because that was the period when i read it for the first time, but i haven't done that for the past two years just because of exams and stuff. now, bleak house just pips it at the post, but i still love it dearly. (9/10)

wuthering heights (e. brontë): i couldn't review victorian literature and not include this. there are very strong similarities between this and villette (seems charlotte really drew on her sisters' work), particularly in terms of me not liking a single one of the characters except hareton. everyone is called cathy. literally. and heathcliff/cathy one is a toxic ship that should not be boarded. it is obsession, not love. the second volume is basically a repeat of the first one, thus showing that humanity will never move past its vices and will be caught in a vicious cycle of self-destruction for the rest of time. again, though, beautifully and vividly written. the characters are the type that you love to hate. (8/10)

the tenant of wildfell hall (a. brontë): what. a. book. this was a book that was simultaneously loved and condemned as scandalous when it came out. there's mystery, there's a woman escaping a horrible situation and making her own living, and there's a well-developed relationship! and the characters are likeable (i love rose, she's great, completely goes off at her brother when she has to do things for him all the time), which always puts it onto a winner. there's one chapter with gilbert that i have to skip just because i hate what he does in it. there are quite a lot of religious references, with redemption playing a huge part in the novel, but even the religious views brontë expresses went against a lot of the teachings of the anglican church at the time. do i even need to say that it's beautifully written if it's anne? marking it down for gilbert's behaviour and arguable control of helen's narrative. (9.5/10)

far from the madding crowd (hardy): i love this book. a little more uplifting than tess but still with the drama and murder you'd expect from hardy. maybe my review is influenced by my tiny crush on bathsheba: she's not the best role model but damn what a woman. gabriel isn't quite bae but i love him all the same, i'm so glad he's happy in the end. (9/10)

[deansbaby-1967]

Tagged by @jazthespazz 💜

1- how many books are too many books in a series?

That's a tough one for me because on the one hand, when I get engrossed in a story that I really love, I never want it to end. But on the flip side, I'm generally broke & can't afford to just shell out for dozens of books just to get the whole story. That's why I love interconnected series that can be read as standalone novels.

2- what do you think about cliff-hangers?

Hate 'em. As stated above, I can't always afford to buy an entire series, so cliffhanger endings are a real suck-fest.

3- hardback or paperback?

I adore a good hardcover, but ALL books are beautiful. Old, new, hardcover, paperback, eBook. All beautiful.

4- least favourite book?

Honestly, idek. I know I've read some books that just straight up pissed me off, but due to that fact, I've blocked out all memory of them, apart from the fact that one was just so badly written that I never finished it & deleted it from my eLibrary, & another was part of a long confusing series full of cliffhangers, time travel, & if I remember correctly, you have to read the books out of order to be able to follow the crazy-ass timeline.

5- Love Triangle, yes or no?

Unnecessary & tedious.

6- the most recent book you just couldn’t finish

I don't remember the title or the author, but it was just really poorly written, seemed to be completely unedited & like nobody bothered to proofread it... I just couldn't... I had to bail on that shit show.

7- book you are currently reading

The last book I started was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

8- last book you recommended to someone

Don't remember. Probably Outlander.

9- oldest book you read

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, published in 1817

10- the most recent book you read ?

Most recent book I completed? I think it was MacAdam's Lass by Glynnis Campbell.

11- favourite author?

I'm pretty much always gonna name Tolkien, but I also really dig Diana Gabaldon, Glynnis Campbell, & Charlotte Brontë.

12- buying books or borrowing books?

Buying.

13- a book you dislike that everyone else seems to love

I don't think I've ever read & dislike a book that was widely loved by others.

14 - bookmarks or dogears?

What kind of insufferable heathen dog-ears an innocent book?! What did that book ever do to you?!

15- The book you can always reread?

Tossup between The Hobbit & Jane Eyre

16- can you read while listening to music?

Nope. It's hard enough for me to focus on what I'm reading with other people in the room, talking. I generally need silence & solitude to read comfortably.

17- one POV or multi POV?

As long as there are clear transitions between them, I'm fine with multi-POV.

18- do you read a book in one sitting or in multiple days?

I'm a bit of a slow reader, I think I've only ever completed a book in one sitting 2 or 3 times in my entire life. It's typically a matter of days or weeks, depending on how badly my focus is suffering at the time, & how many distractions I'm dealing with. Hell, if it gets too bad, I'll sometimes take a break, mid-book, for literal months until I feel able to continue.

[claudia1829things]

“LITTLE WOMEN” (2019) Review

"LITTLE WOMEN" (2019) Review Ever since its release in movie theaters back December 2019, many moviegoers have been in rapture over "LITTLE WOMEN", filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel. The movie did acquire several acclaims, including Oscar nominations for two of the film’s actresses, Best Adapted Screenplay and an actual Oscar for costume design. I never got the chance to see it in theaters. I finally managed to see it on the HULU streaming service.

Anyone familiar with Alcott’s novel knows that it conveyed the tale of four sisters from a Massachusetts family and their development from adolescence and childhood to adulthood during the 1860s. The first half of Alcott’s tale covered the March sisters’ experiences during the U.S. Civil War. In fact, Alcott had based the March family on herself and her three sisters. Unlike previous adaptations, Gerwig incorporated a nonlinear timeline for this version of "LITTLE WOMEN". There were aspects of "LITTLE WOMEN" I truly admired. I did enjoy most of the performances. Or some of them. I thought Saoirse Ronan gave an excellent performance as the movie’s leading character Josephine "Jo" March. I thought she did a pretty good job of recapturing Jo’s extroverted personality and artistic ambitions. I do wish that Gerwig had allowed Jo to convey some of the less pleasant sides to her personality. Do I believe she deserved her Oscar nomination? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Although I thought she gave an excellent performance, I do not know if I would have considered her for an acting nomination. But I was more than impressed by Eliza Scanlen, who portrayed third sister Elizabeth "Beth" March. Although her story more or less played out in a series of vignettes that switched back and forth between the period in which she first caught the scarlet fever and her death a few years later; Scanlen did a superb job in recapturing the pathos and barely submerged emotions of Beth’s fate. It seemed a pity that she had failed to acquire any acting nominations. One last performance that really impressed me came from Meryl Streep. I have always regarded the temperamental Aunt March as a difficult role for any actress. And although I do not regard Streep’s interpretation of the aging matriarch as the best I have seen, I must admit that for me, she gave one of the best performances in the film. The movie also featured solid performances from the likes of Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Bob Odenkirk and Florence Pugh, who also received an Oscar nomination for her performance as the youngest March sister, Amy. About the latter . . . I really admired her portrayal of the older Amy March. But I found her performance as the younger Amy rather exaggerated. And a part of me cannot help but wonder why she had received an Oscar nomination in the first place. Jacqueline Durran won the film's only Academy Award – namely for Best Costume Design. Did she deserve it? I honestly do not believe she did. I did enjoy some of her designs, especially for the older Amy March, as shown below:

I found the costumes worn by Pugh, Streep and many extras in the Paris sequences very attractive and an elegant expression of fashion from the late 1860s. Otherwise, I found Durran’s costumes for this film rather questionable. I realize both she and Gerwig were attempting to portray the March family as some kind of 19th century version of "hippies". But even non-traditional types like the Marches would not wear their clothing in such a slap-dash manner with petticoat hems hanging below the skirts, along with bloomers showing, cuts and styles in clothing that almost seemed anachronistic, and wearing no corsets. The latter would be the equivalent of not wearing bras underneath one’s clothing in the 20th and 21st centuries. Someone had pointed out that many of today’s costume designers try to put a "modern twist" to their work in period dramas in order to appeal to modern moviegoers and television viewers. I really wish they would not. The attempt tends to come off as lazy costuming in my eyes. And this tactic usually draws a good deal of criticism from fans of period dramas. So . . . how on earth did Durran win an Oscar for her work in the first place? I understand that "LITTLE WOMEN" was filmed in various locations around Massachusetts, including Boston and Cambridge. A part of me felt a sense of satisfaction by this news, considering the story’s setting of Concord, Massachusetts. I was surprised to learn that even the Paris sequences were filmed in Ipswich, Massachusetts. However, I must admit that I was not particularly blown away by Yorick Le Saux's cinematography. Then again, I can say that for just about every adaptation of Alcott’s novel I have ever seen. There were scenes from "LITTLE WOMEN" that I found memorable. Those include Jo March’s initial meeting with her publisher Mr. Dashwood; Amy March’s conflict with Theodore "Laurie" Laurence over his behavior in Paris; Jo’s rejection of Laurie’s marriage proposal, and especially the montage featuring Beth March’s bout with scarlet fever and its consequences. However . . . I had some problems with Gerwig’s screenplay. As I have stated earlier, "LITTLE WOMEN" is not the first movie I have seen that utilized the non-linear plot technique. I have seen at least two adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel, "Jane Eyre". Two more famous examples of this plot device were the 1995 film, "12 MONKEYS" and two of Christopher Nolan’s movies – 2000’s "MEMENTO" and 2017’s "DUNKIRK". How can I put this? I feel that Greta Gerwig’s use of non-linear writing had failed the film’s narrative. It simply did not work for me. Except for the brilliant montage featuring Beth’s fate, it seemed as if Gerwig’s writing had scattered all over the place without any real semblance of following Alcott’s plot. If I had not been already familiar with Alcott’s story, I would have found “LITTLE WOMEN” totally confusing. I also feel that because of Gerwig’s use of the non-linear technique, she managed to inflict a little damage on Alcott’s plot. Despite the excellent scene featuring Laurie’s marriage proposal, I felt that Gerwig had robbed the development of his relationship with Jo. I also believe that Gerwig had diminished Jo’s relationship with Professor Bhaer. In the film, Bhaer had expressed harsh criticism of Jo’s earlier writing . . . without explaining his opinion. But he never added that Jo had the potential to write better stories than her usual melodrama crap. Why did Gerwig deleted this aspect of Professor Bhaer’s criticism? In order to make him look bad? To set up the idea of Jo ending the story as a single woman, because that was Alcott’s original intent? Did Gerwig consider the original version of this scene a detriment to feminist empowerment? I am also confused as to why Gerwig allowed the March family to push her into considering Professor Bhaer as a potential mate for Jo? This never happened in the novel. Jo had come to her decision to marry the professor on her own prerogative. She did not have to be pushed into this decision. Come to think of it, how exactly did Jo’s fate end in the movie? I am confused. Did she marry Bhaer after rushing to the train station in order to stop him from leaving for California? Or did she remain single? Whatever. And why on earth did she position Amy and Laurie’s first meeting after the former’s hand had been caned by her school teacher? Gerwig had transformed an incident that had taught Amy a lesson about self-respect and generated the Marches’ righteous anger against a schoolteacher’s abuse to one of comic relief and a cute rom.com meet for Amy and Laurie. What the hell? Someone had once complained that Gerwig may have assumed that everyone was familiar with Alcott’s story when she wrote this screenplay. And I agree with that person. Earlier I had questioned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ decision to award the Best Costume Design statuette to Jacqueline Durran and nominate Florence Pugh for Best Supporting Actress. But I also have to question the organization’s decision to nominate Gerwig’s writing for Best Adapted Screenplay. I honestly believe she did not deserve it. There were aspects of "LITTLE WOMEN" that I found admirable. I was certainly impressed by some of the film’s dramatic moments. And there were a handful of performances from the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen and Meryl Streep that truly impressed me. But I cannot deny that the other members of the cast gave either first-rate or solid performances. In the end, I did not like the movie. I believe "LITTLE WOMEN" should have never been nominated for Best Picture. Greta Gerwig’s use of the nonlinear technique did not serve Louisa May Alcott’s plot very well. If I had not been familiar with the novel’s plot, I would have found this movie confusing. Aside from Ronan’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, I feel that the other nominations and Best Costume Design win were undeserved. And a part of me feels a sense of relief that Gerwig had never received a nomination for Best Director.

[deathvsthemaiden]

3 4 6 11 13 17 & 23 !!! 🤠🌻

AAAAA ty Annie! 😳💌📖💕💕

3. top 5 books this year?

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson*, By Light We Knew Our Names by Anne Valente, and Bound by Evelyn DaSilva! And this is cheating but I read way less than usual this year and it’s hard to compile a top 5 because of it, so: I read the short story collections The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen and How Long ‘til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin and my faves from each respectively were I’d Love You To Want Me and The Elevator Dancer.

I’m gonna cheat again and list one manga (Spy x Family, unbelievablyyy satisfying and fun) and some of my favorite works by mutuals also. This year Eve @pinkafropuffs published plenty of fanfics in addition to Bound, but if I had to choose one recent favorite I’d say: May Flowers Bloom Wherever You Wander. Such a spectacular, magical end to a delightful series, everything fell together so so wonderfully 💞🌸 highly recommended reading her fanworks even if you’re not familiar with the fandoms!! Ari @haldimilks published Burnish, Burn, a Heathcliff centric Wuthering Heights story that I think about and revisit often<33 You also don’t necessarily have to read Wuthering Heights before reading it and the website it’s on classifies it as a 10 min read so! you have nothing to lose 👀🔥 Ilika @sheherazade wrote and it went unsaid. a Queen’s Thief one shot that blew me away! Her love for this series is contagious and she perfectly nailed the complicated feelings and sincerity between Gen and Irene imo 👑📚

*It came out this year but I only read the preview chapters, so like barely a fraction of this brick of a book, but like.... it’s the fourth book in the series and I know in my bones I’ll love it and I deliberately didn’t screen myself from 60% of spoilers because I’m so impatient and I’m so so EXCITED to finish it next year uff 🤒🤒 and hopefully do the same with the same author’s new novella, Dawnshard, also.

4. Any new authors you love?

Grady Hendrix (my kind of horror/supernatural thriller! love his ideas and he executes them very well too), Toni Morrison (I could read her prose forever. was legit sad for a bit when I reached the end of TBE)

6. anything you meant to read but never got to?

GQISJWJ so many books.... SO many it’s not even funny! I have this thing about reading a landmark number of books every year because anything else makes my brain itch uncomfortably so I was gonna read 5-10 more books than I did last year (125) and had to bite the bullet and chop it down to 75 books last month...the universe’s way of gently knocking me down a peg and reminding me the one thing I can never be is consistent 😌 (I’m kidding) anyway I complied a list of books I DEFINITELY plan to tackle come 2021 and a lot of it is compromised of books I had planned to read and/or started this year! Like The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby, Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes by David Stuart Davies, The Book of Collateral Damage by Sinan Antoon, Thorn by Intisar Khanani, The Professor and Vilette by Charlotte Brontë, and The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden. (So mostly a bunch of Sherlock Holmes adjacent stuff and fairytale retellings.... mecore as hell 🤭)

11. favorite not newly published book?

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin hands down but also most of Sherlock Holmes in general. Some of my top favorites of what I’ve read so far are: A Study in Scarlet, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Beryl Coronet, The Speckled Band, The Norwood Builder, A Case of Identity, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, and The Adventure of the Gloria Scott.

13. least favorite books of the year?

Mexican Gothic by Silvia-Moreno Garcia (I was SO excited for this one! it just felt unpolished in terms of plot direction and I questioned a lot of the writing choices... it’s title is basically just a concept and that’s what the book felt like and it unfortunately wasn’t satisfying), The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley (short story collection and McKinley’s works in general are hit or miss for me and this was a collection of misses 🤕 too much description and not enough plot or substance in these particular retellings that were played too straight, like no twists or changes leapt out at or hooked me), And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (I went into it knowing the original title and more about Christie in general than I wished to, but even without that... I just did not feel for any of the characters and was relieved every time one of them finally bit the dust), A Woman is no Man by Etaf Rum (don’t get me started.... I’ll just say I’m unfortunately aware of why non-Muslims ate this one up and I don’t like it. Tragedy p*rn and not even of the author’s own experiences. Reinforces too many stereotypes and is not a story about Muslims I think American/Western/whatever readers need to be exposed to rn.)

17. surprised by how good they were:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (that end!! Very excited to see how the main characters’ lines progress in the next few books), The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (this was SUPPOSED to be a popcorn read but I got SO invested it was magical), Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (one of those meandering books that follows generation after generation, dull at times but ultimately I liked the level of detail every other character got like? The author clearly knew what she was talking about and I enjoyed the overall picture she painted of the time periods the book takes place in. The duller parts were necessary and worth it), When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka (I just loved the prose of this one and how quick a read it was. None of the main characters had names either which intrigued me a ton and worked in the story’s favor)

23. fastest time it took to read a book?

Mm. The audiobook to The Yellow Wallpaper was like 45(?) min long GWHSHWH I also read Dostoyevsky’s short story A Novel in Nine Letters, which was short and snappy, and I’m also in the middle of reading An Honest Thief and Other Stories, also by him, which I probs won’t finish till next year but the first story was also easy breezy. I’ve mostly read short stories in 1-2 sittings this year, to keep me sane in between homework and freaking out, so I could go on but those stick out to me!

[thesunnyshow]

Name: hi, i am nyx  Age: 20 years old Writing Blog URL(s): jungcity.tumblr.com | v-asl.tumblr.com 

Nationality: filipino Languages: english, filipino Star Sign: pisces! MBTI: infp-t Favorite color: white accentuated by silver Favorite food: it’s sweet and spicy chicken garlic!! Favorite movie: hmmm, it’s prolly flipped because that movie was so cute :,)  Favorite ice cream flavor: rocky road!! Favorite animal: it’s gonna be cats!! although i love lions so much because of narnia :,( Coffee or tea? What are you ordering? coffee :,) Go-to karaoke song: i don’t sing agskh the world would end if i would 

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)? i think it’s me writing about jaehyun??? since he’s the king of fanfiction, especially in ncity nowadays. 

What fandom(s) do you write for?  nct + wayv

When did you post your first piece? three days ago!! that would be august 4 i guess???

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why? i don’t really much write fluff since i don’t have any idea how to write a good fluff!! :( this has been an issue every time i write some au’s. so im always ending up writing and focusing more on angst. it’s the genre i know best. well, crack… it’s hard to make the readers laugh when you can’t even make their tooth ache from sweetness with your fluffy writings. :( smut… i don’t write smut explicitly any more. i’m more on the suggestive side rn. 

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc  i write OC’s especially when im writing a series!! to diversify my writing. but i usually am on the x reader side. ships? not that much. 

Why did you decide to write for Tumblr? uhm, back in 2017, i was searching for some website where i could publish my works. ive always been a tumblr-girl since i am that wanna-be-aesthetic kinda person :D then i had found that i could write and publish on tumblr so yeah that’s pretty much why i am on this app rn

What inspires you to write?  ooh, music has been a great help for sure!! whenever i don’t feel like writing something, i always listen to music and the idea would flow like a river. classic poems helps, too. :)

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most?  supernatural!au’s, fantasy!au, medieval!au. i feel like it’s easier to write something out of pure fantasy. i have a hard time writing modern!au’s since i lack the humor and the knowledge for modern slangs. 

What do you hope your readers take away from your work?  ooh, i always always always am careful with the way that i craft all my works. i try to feel what my characters feel to give them a certain validation. i put my shoes on the scenarios i have in mind even though i haven’t yet experienced everything ive written. and i do love writing strong female characters, whether it’s oc’s or female readers. that’s my main priority whenever i write. and i want them to know that girls could do just as much everything boys could. women are powerful. 

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively?  i read a lot to get back on my foot. i also try to re-read my past works so i’d be inspired to better my writing on my current draft.

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful?  my favorite work is the one i’m still writing rn, which is entitled 505. it’s a hendery fic in which he is a bandit and the female reader is a sacristan. it’s my fave since i relate myself so much to the female reader. :) my most successful one is the childhood best friends!au taeyong x female reader. it’s about to reach 600+ notes i guess? and im so grateful of all the feedbacks i got from it. 

Who is your favorite person to write about?  it’s jaehyun and hendery :) 

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose?  character wise, perhaps. since you already have a face value in fanfiction, but in an original prose, you would have to craft everything from 0. 

What do you think makes a good story?  a good story is something that doesn’t romanticize the bad things going on in the world. a good story is something that is emphatic to the hardships of others. a good story is something that gives comfort to those who are in the dark. a good story is something that boosts the hearts of the readers and makes them feel things!! 

What is your writing process like?  first, i think of a plot! (this happens oftentimes when im washing the dishes) when i have the plot, i think of the ending. when i have the ending, it’s time for me to device a fitting title. and the plot would develop from then on. 

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story?  i don’t think so… this is scary. since some people think of fanfics as delusional works from delusional authors. it’s kinda sad. 

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand?  i love love love enemies-to-lovers trope!! one that i couldn’t stand and do my best to not read is probably… hmm… no, i love all tropes!! i just love e-t-l most!

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you?  it means a ton. since it could really boosts me up. heavy sigh. it’s the best thing when you write something— the feedbacks. even though it’s a simple reblog with the ‘#ATKSHSKSHSKAHAKSGAHGEGSJA’ or ‘#myfave’. i would smile like an idiot whenever i read it.

Dream job (whether you have a job or not)? i want to be a successful writer someday!

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? teleportation!! 

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose?  ancient greek + victorian era

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you?  yes!! im so hell deep in indecision right now so i want to restart to make everything right

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken?  100 chicken-sized horses!!

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been?  enemies-to-lovers trope agsksj LOL

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures?  YES!!! perhaps they are lurking somewhere here on earth and we don’t know it yet ;)

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know?  oh… i don’t really know what to write. i don’t give much attention to my personal details agsksj

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged?  yes!! ugh, there’s this recent issue wherein stan twt called fanfic writers as freaks. and it broke my heart. i mean, most fanfic writers get inspirations from their idols and that shouldn’t be a bad thing. we aren’t delusionals as one might think. we are simply doing our craft. 

Do you think art can be a medium for change?  yes!! our country’s hero ‘jose rizal’ had somehow stirred the nationality of the people back in the old days because of his writings. i do believe that art changes things!! it has the ability to pierce the heart of the people.  

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself?  yes. i feel this whenever im writing smut. i mean, let’s be real, your works would do better once you’ve included some steamy smut scenes in it. when i was writing my first fanfic after three years, i didn’t think that i’d ever include smut. but the fear of not getting feedbacks crept up in me, so i forced myself to write some sexy scenes. i know that’s like… weird. but i’m trying not to dwell on feedbacks any longer. and i also have decided not to write explicit smut anymore. honestly, i feel better now that i don’t force myself to do something that i think would please others rather than me.

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times?  uhm, as far as i can remember, nope— still hasn’t felt that way. :)

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr?  yes!! my best friends irl knows about it. my sister knows. my parents are also aware of my passion in writing, and they do know that i write. but where and what, that remains obscured from them :D 

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers?  that it’s okay to be vulnerable. it’s okay to make mistakes. it’s okay to fail sometimes. it’s okay to feel things. because like a good book, there is always a character development and you have the pen to write your own version of happy endings. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there?  i’ve been there: the scared and conscious part. but one thing i would say is, you have to dare yourself!! you won’t know how your writing would have impacted so many lives and touch the hearts of people if you won’t grab your pen or your gadget and start your draft. 

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr?  nope, there aren’t. the community has been lovely to me ever since i started writing. :,)

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey? yes!! oh my god. i’d like to take this opportunity to thank my mutuals who’s done me nothing but kindness— @legendnct (hannah), whoo!! you know how much i love you, right? thank you for always being there to listen to me. :) @cloudysuh des, since day one you’ve supported me. i couldn’t ask for more. thank you for the never-ending praises, keyboard smashes, for the tags, and for always boosting me up. @bohoes georgie, you know i love you. since 2017 you’ve been with me— praising my works and supporting me. thank you. @cherr-e cherry!! thank you!! for teaching me how to better my writing. i hope endless happiness for u and please take care. @writermoon hello my babe!! thank you so much for reading my works with such vivid imaginations. i love you. @jaeyongf amy!! the bestest person :,) thank you for always leaving me feedbacks!! thank you for being kind to me. thank you for always supporting me. i love you guys so much and let’s be mutuals for a long time!! 

Pick a quote to end your interview with: 

“If the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.” — Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë