I’ve been so busy over the weekend and yesterday that it wasn’t until this morning that I had time to sit down and read Saturday’s Guardian review. I thought I would share a few of my favourite articles, just in case you haven’t seen them.
Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes: The Story of Women in the 1950s by Virginia Nicholson was reviewed by Tessa Hadley here.
Top turrets. Gothic or fairytale castles are everywhere in fiction. Jessamy Taylor chooses 10 favourite fortresses. You can read it here. My favourite real Castle is Stirling Castle but I’ll have to think about fictional ones.
There’s a new exhibition on at the V&A of Alexander McQueen’s designs. You can read about it here. I’d love to go to London to visit several exhibitions but the thought of actually staying in London is more than I can contemplate, oh for that beam me back to my own bed at night gadget!
And finally, Poldark by Patrick Gale which you can read here.
I managed to watch Poldark yesterday on the iplayer. I’m one who loved the original series and then adored the books and I wasn’t impressed with the new choice of actor to play the part of Ross Poldark, nor did I think that the choice of the new Demelza was up to much, for one thing she’s far too tall, just not waif-like as she should be. I’m usually a big fan of Phil Davis of (shake me up Judy fame) but for me he doesn’t cut it as Judd, he and Prudie are far too clean looking, you could just about smell the original Judd through the TV, and the Phil Davis grumbling isn’t a patch on the original. I also don’t think they’re being historically accurate as a lot of folding paper money was being waved about, but I’m sure that the story begins before paper money was introduced, Winston Graham made a point of writing about that in one of the books.
I’ll continue to watch it though, because I love Cornwall, but I’m not even sure about that, I don’t think that all of the filming was done in Cornwall, which is a shame as the buildings there are so like Scottish buildings, grey and solid stone. Buildings in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire are just not going to look right. I’ve no doubt though that there’ll be a whole new generation of fans, many of whom will name their first son Ross – just as before.
I wasn’t even tempted to watch Poldark. I loved the original series and the books and want my memories of those kept intact. I still can’t get over my disappointment in Lord of the Rings, after watching the films – they ruined my visions of Frodo and the other characters, with the exception of Gandalf.
Margaret,
I think I’ll give it one more week but partly just for another keek at Cornwall. I never did get into reading Lord of the Rings. I gave up at The Hobbit and I haven’t seen any of the films either. There are definitely some things which are best left to your imagination.
Now I want to read all those books so I can visit all those fictional castles! I’ve been to my share of real castles and know that I wouldn’t want to live in most of them. Maybe in the summer, never in the winter! It’s hard to beat the views from Schloss Neuschwanstein, though.
I’d forgotten about Poldark. We watched the show in the 1970s, but I’ve never read any of the books. I think I’ll go back and watch the originals.
Joan,
I think you would enjoy the books too. I missed going to Neuschwanstein by one week! I opted to go back home early as I was bored in Bavaria! I don’t know if those castles would ever have been cosy but the tapestries and big fires must have helped, I’m with you though – summer homes only.