Beowulf.

This brings us onto 'Beowulf', possibly the earliest surviving work of English Literature. We don't know who wrote it, or exactly when, but it's estimated to have been first written down between the 8th and 10th Centuries.

'Beowulf' began as one of these epic poems told by travelling Bards or 'Scops'. It seems that somebody had begun to write down a few of these oral tales, however 'Beowulf' is the only one to survive from this same time. It's important to remember that Britain was now a Christian country again, so the pagan tales were re-worked as they were written in order to conform to Christian ideals.

'Beowulf' is a heroic tale involving two Viking tribes; the Geats and the Danes. The Danes are being terrorised by a dragon (Grendel) and call in the noble Beowulf (a Geat) to help them. This was a tradition in this time period-the idea of Blood Feuds. This is the idea that every human life has a literal monetary value, so if you killed someone, so long as you paid their family the correct amount of money, you were ok. That's a very basic description but you get the idea. So, Beowulf's father was guilty of killing someone, but didn't pay the price. Beowulf comes to help the Danes as he is repaying the King (Hrothgar) for settling his father's debt all those years ago, and stopping him from becoming an outcast. Beowulf has to come back later to defeat Grendels' mother (a descendent of Cain from the Bible) too. 

A piece of art based on the tale of 'Beowulf'. (Andrew Mayer.com)

Chivalry, nobility and heroism were big themes in these kinds of tales. 'Beowulf is an epic poem, meaning that it is hella long. Epic poems tended to contain elements of the supernatural, such as monsters, conflict, a hero, an adventure and a visit to the Underworld. You can see a clear link here between 'Beowulf' and Homer's 'Odyssey'.

'Beowulf' is written about the past, so although it was probably written between the 8th and the 10th Centuries, it is thought to be based in an earlier time. It is also thought that there were two writers, probably scribes of the same Abbey (remember, monks were the writers of the past). 

The text is written in a three-part structure, in three different locations. As it was written in the Dark Ages, the scribes aimed to bring a Christian sensibility to this Pagan Tale (the Geats were Pagan). There is only one manuscript of the text in existence, and it has some fire damage. 

The characters' names in this text are difficult to pronounce and they all look the same, so good luck with that! We were told to just pick one way of saying a name and stick to that, wrong or right! These names include: Heorogar, Hrothmund, Hrothulf, Hrethric, Haethcyn, Hygelac and Ongentheow. There are some easy ones though, like: Beowulf, Shield, Beow and Halfdane. I dare say they are easy to pronounce if you know how! But as an English person, I am more used to names like 'James' and 'Amy', so the names in Beowulf produce some awkward noises during our lectures as we try to sound them out! The names contain compound words, just like modern German names. So the name 'Beowulf' is a compound meaning 'glory' and 'spear', which excellently describes his heroic yet boastful character.

There are references to other Germanic-based tales in 'Beowulf', but the disillusion of the monasteries led to the destruction of post of the manuscripts. I remember being told that 'Beowulf' was thrown out of the window to save it.  

An interesting part of 'Beowulf' is that the Scop actually appears in the story at one point, as he re-tells the story of the death of Grendel's mother, to entertain the other characters. Perhaps some similarities could be drawn here between the Scop in 'Beowulf' and Geoffrey Chaucer's character 'Chaucer' in 'The Canterbury Tales'...

Women didn't really play a big part in stories during this time period, although Grendel's Mother is a main character in this text (but note that she doesn't get her own name). There were 'peace-weaver' characters in 'Beowulf'; women who married between tribes to bring them together. Examples in 'Beowulf' are Freawaru and the Queen. The hostess women in the text have a very big and important ritual with the 'mead cup', where they use it to indicate the hierarchy within the tribe. People also inherited through the mother's line, so mothers were very important in this way. Grendel's Mother and Thrif are female characters, however as the evil characters they are anti-peace-weavers. They possess very masculine qualities and aim to kill anyone who enters the Halls. Thrif changes and becomes peaceful with her marriage to Offer, whereas Grendel's Mother is only tamed by death.

Angelina Jolie played 'Grendel's Mother' in the 2007 film 'Beowulf'.

Kennings play a large part in 'Beowulf'. A Kenning is a literary device which is so simple and yet so effective. It is also a convention of Anglo-Saxon poetry. So what is a Kenning? Well here are some examples: 'swan's-road' and 'ring-giver'. Got it yet? It's so simple...it's just another way to say a word. For example, instead of saying 'we crossed the sea', a scribe will write 'we crossed the swan's road', or instead of saying 'the King', they may say 'the ring-giver'. There are some well-known and some lesser known Kennings, but they are quite easy to figure out. 

There are other conventions of Anglo-Saxon poetry besides Kennings. For example, each line will have two halves, with a strong caesura in the middle. Anglo-Saxon is a stressed language, so the meter is based on stresses and pitch. The mid-line pause organises the line and may have been marked by a harp (poetry was nearly-always read aloud in this time period, quite often to a large audience). The initial letter of the first stress of the second half of the line is key to the alliteration of the piece, but the last stress of the line mustn't alliterate. That sounds complicated, but it's not, I promise. What it means is that in this passage: 

"monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs.

She had been forced down into fearful waters, 

the cold depths, after Cain had killed

his father's son, felled his own

brother with a sword. Branded an outlaw," 

(lines 1259-1263, page 69, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume A)

all of the letters in bold alliterate, but the last words on each line don't. This was all done to create rhythm and therefore make the epic poem easier to remember and recite.

Seamus Heaney translated the text from its original Old English into a more understandable English. However, it is important to remember that every person who translates a text puts their own slight spin on it. For example, Heaney begins with the word 'So', as is traditional in Irish tales. He also links the story to the violence in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. 

In the original Old English, the text would have looked something like this:

"frumsceaft fira feorran reccan,"

this translates to 

"[the] origin [of] men from far [time] [to] recount,"

this is line 91 from the text. Obviously the alliteration is clearly visible in this language. I could include more lines in this form as it is quite interesting to try to read, however a lot of the language requires symbols which I do not have on my laptop! 

The original 'Beowulf' manuscript, written in Old English.

That was a very quick and simple breakdown of what I have learned about 'Beowulf'. I hope it is helpful to anyone in search of some quick and simple notes on the subject. To me, the text was murder to read, but this is only because it is 3182 lines long and I was given two days to read it! But I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the classics, who can stick with the poem style and loves a good 'knight-in-shining-armour' tale. For me, the interesting part comes with the history and context of a piece of literature.

The Canon.

***Important Notice, we are not referring to cannons, the weapon:

We are referring to the Canon (one 'n'): the literary model. So think:

 



 

Now you're on the right track.

 

 

The Literary Canon, described very basically, is a list of books that have been decided on as the books that everyone should read/study/know about. The word 'Canon' comes from the Greek 'Kanon', meaning 'a yard stick' or 'a measuring rod'. So the Literary Canon is a model of examples that can be used to measure other books by in terms of greatness.

 

 

A good quote to use if you are writing about the Literary Canon in an essay.

 

 

"The sense of the word [canon] important to literary critics first appeared in the fourth century A.D., when 'canon' was used to signify a list of texts or authors, specifically the books of the Bible and of the early theologians of Christianity. In this context 'canon' suggested to its users a principle of selection by which some authors or texts were deemed worthier of preservation than others."

 

(Jon Guillory, 'Canon', in Critical Terms for Literary Study, ed. Frank Lentricchia and Thomas McLaughlin, 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, 1995)

 

So what texts make up the Literary Canon?

 

Oh, there's a butt-load.  Popular texts in the Canon include:

 

• Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
• The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte
• Romeo and Juliet- Shakespeare
• The Catcher in the Rye- J. D. Salinger
• Hamlet- Shakespeare
• Dracula- Bram Stoker
• The Canterbury Tales- Geoffrey Chaucer 
• A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens
• To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
• Animal Farm- George Orwell

 

And loads more. For a longer, fuller list please visit https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/literary-canon

 

Do these texts sound familiar? They should. All institutions of education, such as secondary schools, choose texts from the canon to study. This is because texts that make the Literary Canon are regarded as the best examples of literature in history. All of the texts I study on my course are part of the Literary Canon.

 

If you hated learning about these texts in school, here's who to blame:

 

Old white men. Yep. They did it again.

 

***Please remember that everything that I put on here has been taught to me by my trained lecturers. Having said that, I am in no way claiming to have all the answers. Please do further research and find accurate sources to reference. Consider me a simple study guide; a starting point.

 

As far as I have been taught, the Literary Canon was created in the Victorian era, when Britain was trying to show literature as its crowning glory. A list was to be produced of the best examples of literature throughout history, to show the rest of the world what we could do.

 

However, it is necessary to remember at this point: who was in charge in the Victorian era? Who would have been coming up with this list?

 

Old. British. White. Men.

 

Which, of course, is not a problem until you realise that this means that most (not all, but most) of the Literary Canon is made up of texts written by old, British, white men. Yep, they're helping themselves. Who Knew.

 

In today's society, we can recognise the problematic issues that arise when discussing the Literary Canon, such as the fact that the texts are mostly written by white males. This obviously excludes women and black authors. This does not mean to say that their writing is not as good, it just shows how Victorian society (and most historical societies) benefitted white men and oppressed all others.

 

Another issue here is the fact that we all have different tastes and opinions. What makes 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte more important than 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle? Who is to say that one carries more literary worth than the other? If you ask a room of students to write a list of books that they would choose to show an alien race, in order to represent themselves, they would most likely choose some books that are part of the Canon, but also many other non-canonical texts that they have enjoyed. That's what we did in my class.

 

These are quite deep and unanswerable questions. I think that when talking about the Literary Canon, it is important to keep in mind that a list had to be produced, and therefore a list was produced. This does not mean that these texts are the be-all and end-all of good literature. It's all done on someone's opinion, so take it with a pinch of salt, but as far as classic and famous texts go, the Literary Canon is a very good place to start.

 

 



English Literature, Where Did it All Begin?

Year one of my degree is made up of four modules (like subjects within English Literature):

1. History of English Literature
2. Literary Criticism
3. Imaginative Writing
4. Myth, Mystery and Metamorphosis

I'm going to try to include a bit of each of these in my blog. Lets see how this goes.

So, let's start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start).

Roots.

English, as a language, started as 'Celtic' between C1-5AD. In this period, Britain was part of the Roman Empire. It was then invaded by pagan tribes from Northern Europe (Angles, Saxons and Jutes). You might recognise the word 'Angles' as it sounds like 'Anglais' (the French word for 'English'. This is because the Angles came from Europe and brought with them their language: Anglisc-this marks the beginning of the English language as we know it today.

Anglo-Saxon/Old English. (450-1100AD)

The Anglo-Saxon invaders (if you live in England then you must have heard of them at some point, Time Team especially like to chat about them) brought with them a very old tradition-oral poetry. Basically, (prepare yourself for a sweeping statement) nothing was written down until the Seventh Century. The earliest manuscripts then began production in the monasteries.

Up until that point, travelling Bards would learn stories off by heart and go up and down the country repeating them. They were often patriotic, heroic, moral and contained SOME element of truth. Most importantly, these tales rhymed and had a meter. This was very important as it made them easier for the Bards to remember (some were thousands of lines long).

Literary Periods and main texts.

• 450-1066- Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period: Beowulf

Also known as the Middle Ages, this period mostly produced written manuscripts of oral poetry. The characteristic literary form of this period is alliterative accentual verse.

• 1066-1500- Middle English Period: Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales

A new period begins here because the Norman Conquest of 1066 has brought significant changes to both the English language and its literature. Characteristic genres are the verse romance, mystery plays and morality plays.

• late 15th- early 17th C-The Renaissance: Shakespeare

This period marks the English Renaissance as opposed to the earlier Italian Renaissance. It spanned two centuries, although the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st is considered to be its high point. The Elizabethan audience were able to view the works of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. After her death came the Jacobean Age, remembered in literature as the age of the Metaphysical poets such as John Donne. The final part of the Renaissance was a very confusing time, involving the overthrow of King Charles 1st and the Interregnum period. One famous text from this era is John Milton's epic 'Paradise Lost'.

• 1660-1745-The Neoclassical period: Oroonoko

This period includes the Restoration Period (1660-1700) in which Britain's first published female author, Aphra Behn, wrote the brilliant 'Oroonoko'. It also includes the Augustan Age (1700-1745) in which John Gay produced his wonderful work 'The Beggar's Opera' (1728).

• 1780s-1830s-The Romantic Period: choose your own from about a Billion texts

I think that this is the period most people think of when they talk about English Literature. Think Victorians, think classical poetry, think of English Literature at its highest point in society. And from this entire period the text I was given to study was...'The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano'. Never heard of it? No, neither had I. But let me tell you, it is a heart-breaking, heroic adventure written by a slave and based on true events. I'd choose that over 'ponsy' Victorian poetry any day.

A Degree in English Literature?!

So the reason I haven't written anything in months is because back in September 2016 I began a Bachelors Degree in English Literature!

I have posted before about how I love English but was unsure whether to do it as a degree as I couldn't see a future in it.....well.....basically I've gone for the 'Follow Your Dreams' method and I'm currently hoping for the best!

I am not trying to become the next J K Rowling or Charles Dickens, I just want to read books and talk about them all day! And that's exactly what I get to do! Honestly, some days I just sit in my lectures smiling like a maniac because I get to discuss Shakespeare all day and it makes me so happy! I am so glad I decided to follow a path that makes me happy, even though I am unsure where it will take me. University is hard and I know that if I had picked a subject with a more secure future, but one that didn't interest me as much, I'd be screwed! It's your passion that keeps you going when times get tough and you have four essays due in at once! I've learnt that if you don't love what you do, it's very hard to stay motivated.

So, I attend a very small university twice a week, where there are only two other students in my class. This may surprise you, however I am not shocked. I live in the middle of nowhere. In my primary school there were 106 students, 10 of whom were in my year. In my Photography college course which I completed last year there were only 5 of us in my class. I like it better this way though, as it means guaranteed one-to-one time with the lecturer, faster marking and a closer knit group which results in less fear to join in in class discussions. Our lecturers can whizz through their presentations and then we can all discuss and debate topics for the rest of the time. I imagine if you attend a major university where there are hundreds of students in a lecture, your questions won't get heard and the lecturer may not even know who you are. Well there's no chance of that happening where I go!

The work is hard. Well, actually it's not. It's reading and writing and thinking, which we can all do. The work LOAD is hard! Seriously, my lecturers will all be like "Over the weekend, read this entire book, answer these questions on it, read these two poems, don't forget to write your 1500 word essay due next week, start your presentation which is due the week after and don't forget to read your own books in your spare time,".........yeah, sure, ok!! I'll just not go to work, not sleep and not socialise!

Sometimes it feels like we're drowning, but as a close-knit group we can support each other and we know we're in this together. The trick is to start things as soon as you get them! Right now I'm off (Christmas Holidays) until the 30th of January, which is a rest I definitely needed, especially as we still had essays to hand in over the Christmas period. During term times I am basically a hermit.

My timetable looks like this:
Monday- Three very long lectures that take up the whole day
Tuesday- Quick! Try do read everything they set!
Wednesday- Bang out some essay material
Thursday- Three very long lectures that take up the whole day
Friday- work (waitressing) all day
Saturday- Quick! study study study! Then its off to the pub for a rare social moment!
Sunday- Quick morning out with the boyfriend, then its back to studying!

It took me a long time to get used to this routine. I used to work 25hr weeks while I attended college, so when the university said I'd only be in 2 days a week, I though 'great, I can work the rest of the week!'...oh how wrong I was! It was clear from the beginning that this course came with a massive amount of homework, but luckily my boyfriend understands how much this degree means to me, and once I told my boss my situation, we were able to sort things out.

All I can say is "Thank God for student loans!".

My Top Reads...

My Top Fifteen Books Of All Time:

 

(until I read some more amazing ones!)

 

 

1. 'Revolting Rhymes' by Roald Dahl
2. 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte
3. 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. 'The Undomestic Goddess' by Sophie Kinsella
5. 'The Moaning Of Life' by Karl Pilkington
6. 'Is It Just Me?' by Miranda Hart
7. 'Its All About Treo' by Dave Heyhoe
8. 'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger
9. 'Between A Rock And A Hard Place' by Aron Ralston
10. 'A Street Cat Named Bob' by James Bowen
11. 'An Ordinary Man' by Paul Rusesabagina
12. 'Through Thick And Thin' by Gok Wan
13. 'A Little In Love' by Susan Fletcher
14. 'Moab Is My Washpot' by Stephen Fry
15. 'The WAG's Diary' by Alison Kervin

1) 'Revolting Rhymes'

'I guess you think you know the story,

 you don't the real one's much more gory,

 the phoney one (the one you know)

was cooked up years and years ago

and made to sound all soft and sappy

just to keep the children happy......'

 

The opening from Roald Dahl's take on 'Cinderella', and yes, I know it all off by heart! Other stories in the book include: 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'Snow White', 'The Three Little Pigs' and 'Goldie Locks And The Three Bears'. All of  them rhyme and of course they are revolting in places! They include rats that chew at Cinderella's feet, and Red Riding Hood's new wolf-skin coat.

 

Maybe not suitable for the youngest children but definitely will be loved by fans of 'Horrible Histories'. The stories are short and easy to read, and Dahl uses a dark humour to make them ridiculous, like when he makes Goldie Locks out to be the bad guy of the story! Thoroughly enjoyable for all ages.

 

2) 'Wuthering Heights'

 

I studied this book amongst many others as part of my A level English course and I was the only one in my whole class who actually liked it. Of course, it did help that my edition of the book came with a handy dictionary at the back to help with all of the old-fashioned words!

 

This novel is generally thought of as a love story between two main families, however I don't believe that the character 'Heathcliff' is really as romantic as he seems to everyone else. For one thing, he tries to hang a puppy, and I don't care what time period you supposedly live in, that is never ok!

 

Nevertheless the story pulls you in with its various eccentric characters. My favourite is 'Nelly', the nanny. She provides the voice of Victorian values throughout the novel, so generally she sits on the fence, tuts at bad behaviour and is an adult's favourite role model, but never a child's!

 

3) 'The Great Gatsby'

 

I read this book on my Kindle over the summer and the very day I finished it I watched the film adaptation directed by Baz Luhrmann. Both versions are AMAZING!

 

The book was one of those that you just can't put down once you've started, it includes characters that you love and that you love to hate.

 

Sometimes when you watch a film after you read a book, the experience can be a little underwhelming or disappointing if directors choose to change bits or miss bits out, but this film just enhanced my views on the book and gave me characters to visualise when I thought about it! And it was brilliantly over the top with bright, fast cars and fabulous 1920's outfits...and of course the (gorgeous) staple that held it all together, Mr Leonardo Dicaprio!

 

When I first read the book, I didn't really like Gatsby, I found him to be cold and bossy, but after watching the film I understood so much more about him and now he's one of my favourite characters of all time!

 

4) 'The Undomestic Goddess'

 

Not necessarily a classic, but a classic to me. I read this book a few years ago now, but I still remember how much I really enjoyed it.

 

If funny is your thing then this book is for you. It is about a highly-stressed office worker who has a bit of a break down after a bad day at work. She gets on a train and ends up in the middle of nowhere. when she realises what she's done, she knocks on a random house to borrow their phone but gets confused for their new au pair. Now, this lady who is used to board meetings and microwave meals has to learn to cook and clean or face returning to her old awful boss.

 

Her new life teaches her a lot and is also where she finds happiness and love in the form of the fit gardener...oh yes...it is a very good book...

 

5) 'The Moaning Of Life'

 

I love Karl Pilkington. I first heard of him on 'The Ricky Gervais Show' a few years ago and I instantly knew he would be a role model for me. Not a conventional role model, but I like the way he has his own logic, he asks all the important questions (such as: 'If Dracula can't see his reflection in a mirror, how come his centre parting is so perfect?') and he just doesn't care what anybody else thinks.

 

I then watched the various seasons of 'An Idiot Abroad' and bought the books of these adventures. Then I bought the hard back edition of 'The Moaning Of Life' and the Kindle version of 'Karlology'. I absolutely love the quirky way that these books are designed, full of bright full-page photographs, cartoon doodles and hilarious quotes.

 

Sometimes it is nice to read a classic novel from the nineteenth century and get your teeth into the archaic language and contextual references of the time. Other times its nice to hear Karl Pilkington say, 'I've got a fat head. There's nothing I can do about it'.

 

6) 'Is It Just Me?'

 

I adore a good autobiography, and who better to learn all about than comedienne Miranda Hart? She's hilarious. In this book she talks in a chatty, friendly way about her life growing up in boarding school and how she struggles to come to terms with growing up and being elegant.

 

I love 'Miranda' the TV show and when I bought this book I was not disappointed. Miranda sometimes says what we're all thinking and sometimes she comes out with new and random statements that are so funny they make me want to be her best friend! Definitely one of my favourites.

 

7) 'It's All About Treo'

 

Amazing. Absolutely adorable and unbelievable.

 

It's about a dog. An army dog. A dog that sniffs out bombs. I love dogs.

 

Treo is a black Labrador Retriever-English Springer Spaniel cross who was donated to the army at a young age. He became partners with his handler Sergeant Dave Heyhoe and the two have been saving each other's lives ever since. Treo is trained to sniff out bombs and ammunition and Heyhoe is trained to read Treo's signals and ultimately save lives. In 2008 the pair were sent to Afghanistan with other British troops, this is where the autobiography takes place.

 

If you love dogs, heart-warming stories or tales of danger and war then you need this book in your life. At points Treo is a bomb-sniffing, life-saving doggy hero, and at other times he is splashing in water and gobbling treats and cuddling up to his owner like any other pooch.

 

The book follows the pair on their nail-biting missions and at one point it all gets very real and scary. But Heyhoe is nothing if not one of the most devoted dog owners I have ever heard of and they help each other through difficult time. It is uplifting and inspiring. (And it includes lots of adorable photos of Treo!)

 

8) 'The Time Traveller's Wife'

 

I also studied this book and the film adaptation for my A levels. A lot of the boys in the class preferred H G Wells 'The Time Machine', but I'm a sucker for a good love story!

 

I usually go for funny books that are generally quite realistic. I struggle to enjoy a story when I'm just thinking, 'well, that would never happen', however this story is so realistic about love that I can overlook the time travelling issues.

 

The story follows time traveller Henry and his wife Clare, and all the difficulties that his condition brings. Niffenegger describes his time travelling as a sort of illness so that it is easier to comprehend. Henry was born with this genetic mutation and he can't control it. At random points he will just vanish and reappear completely naked in an unknown time period. But the book focuses on the affect that this has on his wife Clare as she tries to lead a normal life, with a husband who vanishes. It takes them on an emotional rollercoaster all the way into their adult lives when they hope to have a child of their own. I won't say what happens for the sake of those who have yet to read it, but you need to hurry up because it's brilliant!

 

9) 'Between A Rock And A Hard Place'

 

A lot of people went to the cinema to see '127 Hours', the unbelievable story of Aron Ralston, an experienced hiker who found himself pinned under a rock by his arm in Blue John Cnayon. The film follows his traumatic experience for the next 127 hours as he cries for help, drinks his own urine for survival, hallucinates and eventually forces himself to amputate his own arm with a blunt penknife.

 

My mum lent me this book years before the film and it was just astounding how he could be so strong and survive such an ordeal. The autobiography gives the reader more personal information than the film and includes photos from his camera that he used throughout the entrapment. His struggle is beyond belief and makes you question whether you would be able to survive what he did and it shows you just how quickly you can go from a trained professional enjoying a day out to a situation where you are going to die if you don't act quickly.

 

10) 'A Street Cat Named Bob'

 

Also 'The World According To Bob'. The true story of ex-drug-addict James Bowen selling The Big Issue in London whilst trying to get his life back on track when a stray ginger tom cat invites itself into his flat for warmth. The next day the cat follows him onto a bus and right up to his selling spot. It does the same the next day and the next day. Soon it is called Bob and the two are inseparable. James shares what little food he has with Bob and in return Bob brings hope at optimism to life on the streets.

 

Some passers-by love to see Bob and they knit him scarfs and bring him treats, but others are ignorant feel that it is cruel to keep a cat on the street, and James often has to struggle against them to keep his cat. They just can't understand that Bob chooses to be there.

 

People began to video James (who sometimes also busks with his guitar) and Bob took the internet by storm. Soon a publishing company wanted to help James write a book about Bob, which changed his life. Just goes to show the power of a good pet.

 

11) An Ordinary Man

'The true story behind hotel Rwanda'. 

This book is written by a hotel manager in Rwanda, who saved 1,200 people by sheltering them in his hotel during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. 

In just 100 days, 800,000 innocent people were brutally murdered in Rwanda because of their racial herritage. Paul Rusesabagina considers himself an ordinary man because 'all' he did was stall the militias every day until the genocide was over. 

This traumatic but amazing true story is unbelievable because of the scale and the brutality of the murders, and the fact that neighbours turned on neighbours and friends turned on friends. When it seemed like no one could be trusted, along came one ordinary man...

12) Through Thick And Thin

This autobiography by fashion guru Gok Wan takes the reader on a journey through his struggles with obesity and later anorexia. I read it when I was about twelve years old and it really helped me to understand that eating disorders are not cool, and that they can take over your mind and destroy your body.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Gok also describes his life growing up in his parents' restaurant and how his interests in fashion developed. The book is fun and written in a very chatty and friendly way that makes you feel like you are best friends with this amazing stylist.

13) A Little In Love

My boyfriend bought me this book last year, but he didn't realise what it was about. 'A Little In Love' is Eponine's story from the play/film 'Les Miserables' (one of the greatest films of all time).

'Les Miserables' includes Eponine as a sort of side character because she is in love with a main character, so much that she dies for him in the end. When I first watched 'Les Miserables', I didn't fully understand Eponine's story, because she was just the girl who was poor and hopeless and then dead. But this novel by Susan Fletcher invites the reader to understand what effect growing up with an abusive criminal family had on Eponine, and how she just wanted a kind mother, like the one that Cosette had. All her life, Eponine just wants love. She watches over Marius and falls completely in love with him, but he doesn't notice her affection and just wants Cosette.

The story gives Eponine's character much more depth and emotion and makes you see her in a whole new light. Fans of 'Les Miserables' will need this one.

14) Moab Is My Washpot

An interesting title for an interesting book. This is an  autobiography by actor/comedian Stephen Fry in which he tells the reader all about his life growing up in boarding school and his journey to discovering his sexuality.

He includes his mischievous adventures at school and later on how he began to drink and how he attempted suicide, but of course he is a comedian so the book is not at all depressing. I particularly like how Stephen Fry reminisces about growing up in the rural Norfolk countryside, because that is where I live! And it is every bit as isolated and backwards as he describes!

15) The WAG's Diary

This book is just hilarious. Written by a sports journalist who has witnessed WAGs in all their glory! Tracie Martin is a prime WAG (Wives And Girlfriends of footballers), complete with mini skirts, high heels, fake nails, fake hair and fake boobs. 

The book is written in a diary format and follows the day to day hilarity of life as a WAG, it is just amazing. It's the kind of ridiculousness that you don't take seriously, so it's light-hearted and at times quite unbelievably funny. Also you will NEED to read the sequel, 'A WAG Abroad'. 

Linking Photographic Art With Art In Writing.

So, I'm currently applying to universities to study a BA Hons degree in English Literature and my photography tutor Penny is helping me think of links between photography and literature.

Of course they say 'a picture's worth a thousand words' so I could interpret photos and write essays or poems about them...

Or there's always the 'book art' that I looked at...

But then there's something else...something special...

British photographer Kirsty Mitchell (who has worked for Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan) recently (in 2011) left her fashion career behind to focus on her fabulous art full time.

When her mother became ill a few years before, Mitchell submerged herself in photographing the melancholy she found on local streets in order to let out her inner sadness. Then, after her mother's death in 2008, she began to think about all of the wonderful stories that her mother would tell her as a child.

And this led her to 'Wonderland'...

 

 

Mitchell's other-wordly images each take a lot of pain-staking planning, gathering, painting and setting up before the beautiful final image can be created, and the affect is astounding.

 

 

She has created a photobook of her amazing photos and it has been sold around the world as everyone wants to see the bright yet dainty characters.

 

 

A lot of the photographs even include books, to link them back to the concept of Mitchell's idea.

 

 

What a beautiful tribute to a mother.



(information from http://kirstymitchellphotography.com/about-the-artist/artist-statement/ )



Book Art.

Not everything related to English and books has to be boring or written. Books are a form of expression and therefore a form of art. If you struggle for inspiration or need a hands-on, arty project to wake your brain up in-between your studies, book art is a really fun creative project.


WARNING- you may get to into it and forget to study, eat, sleep or breathe. But it will look brilliant!
  
'Book Art' is a beautiful way of turning old books into a visual art form. It can be very complex or very simple and can range from drawing a picture on a page of a book, or sculpting a shape out of the book itself. You can use an illustrated book or a dictionary, it really doesn't matter, be free to explore your creativity as this will unlock your imagination for writing!




(images from Pinterest.com)







A lot of the Book Art pieces tell the story of the book that they are made out of (such as 'Alice In Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll) which is a really cool idea.


At my secondary school we had a Book Art competition and you can probably already guess that I was really excited to be involved.


I like a budget option in anything so when I found out that the school library was throwing away some old books, I was straight down there to pinch some first. I chose a couple to give me the option of choice later on when I had planned some ideas fro each.


How to choose a good book for Book Art:
-make it big: a pocket-sized book will not allow you enough room if you want to do something elaborate
-make it interesting: it is a good idea to relate your art to the story/theme of the book so pick one that you can easily come up with ideas about
-make it a hardback: of course you can use a paperback book but depending on what you want to do with it a hardback might be better as they hold themselves open
-make it something you will enjoy: enough said.


My Book Art:


I chose a factual book about butterflies with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations.








My art was designed to show how the caterpillar turns into a butterfly. The caterpillars and their surroundings are made from newspaper to show how well they are camouflaged, and the butterflies are made from bright materials and beads and hung from wires to show how they are free.  I used real sticks to cover up the tape and also to add a nice natural finish to the piece. But most of all I had the best fun making it.

Top Tips for Book Art making:

1) use glue and tape to secure everything and keep it neat
2) try to cover your tracks and mistakes with material or coloured paper
3) use pages from the back of the book so that no one will notice
4) plan and mind map and research everything to help you get more creative with your ideas
5) don't be afraid to get messy, art is spontaneous!