John Boyne: The Heart’s Invisible Furies

‘Yes, it’s true,’ he continued, ‘that there are homosexuals all over the world. England has lots of them. France is full of them. And I’ve never been to America but I imagine they have more than their share too. I wouldn’t think it’s all that common in Russia or Australia, but they probably have some other repulsive thing to compensate. But here’s what you have got to remember. There are no homosexuals in Ireland. You might have got it into your head that you are one but you’re just wrong. It’s as simple as that. You’re wrong.’

Let them eat cake

Posy Simmonds: Cassandra Darke

Lorelei

You all know the story of Lorelei, who lures sailors to death with her beautiful song.  But what happens if Lorelei realises she’s been conned?

Little Women is 150 years old

 

 

“Moral pap for the young,” Louisa May Alcott said of her writing for girls.

Ash on an old man’s sleeve…….

Anne de Courcy: The Husband Hunters

 

At $2 million to build, with another $9 million spent on its furnishings…it was inspired by the Sun King’s Grand Trianon at Versailles. Two sweeps of drive rose towards its portico, held by four Doric columns the height of the entire two-storey house; its fifty rooms needed a staff of thirty-six servants. The hall and staircase were built of yellow marble, the dining room of red; the walls of the Gold Room were covered in gold leaf applied by hand.  (131)

The Disgusting Food Museum

Fair shake of the sauce bottle, cobber. It’s a bit unfair to put Vegemite on the same plane as sheep’s eyeball juice and fruit bats or roasted guinea pigs.