Monday 28 February 2011

The Little Book of Cornwall - Emma Mansfield

Emma Mansfield - The Little Book of Cornwall (2007)
Trivia – 180 pages – my copy a present one birthday
- 1 nod out of 5 -


The Little Book of Cornwall is a general assortment of places and people, throughout history and today. The author is keen to impress upon the reader: ‘The things that have started or ended here, the things Cornwall’s people have created and continue to create, the things that have changed and the things, still here, that make Cornwall so special.’

However, this “little book” is nothing more than a bunch of randomly collected tid-bits from the internet; indiscriminately gleamed from any easy-to-find website, a typical copy-and-paste exercise a school child could execute. Such is the author’s enthusiasm to display all of Cornwall’s wonder, there are glaring potholes and question marks surrounding some of the statements, dates and facts.

Of course, Mansfield herself provides a warning in the introduction, stating the book ‘isn’t a history book, a travel guide or a chronological account of the place. The facts and topics included here are not in any particular order… and this collection of information certainly isn’t a scientific research.’ All very well and good; however, one thing the reader/buyer should expect is, at the minimal, the truth. It has become a pedantic hobby of the Worm to look into local history books to verify “facts” surrounding the earls and dukes of Cornwall. Here the book comes a cropper, stating how Edward (the Black Prince, first duke of Cornwall) seemingly reigned from 1345 to 1354; thereby cutting short Edward’s time as Cornwall’s duke by several decades. Any search of Wikipedia would easily disprove this.

An attempt at a fun read through of Cornwall’s past is admirable enough, however, the basic building blocks of a book’s construction must be put in place first. This small book is wonderfully illustrated with scenic and beautifying accompanying pictures; however, the statements themselves – the main meat and potatoes of the whole project – is sadly lacking. Ultimately, it is what it is: a fast published book, catered for the holiday-makers who travel to Cornwall in their droves each and every year. Next up? Why, of course: The Little Book of Devon. Just what the tourists need!

Thursday 10 February 2011

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare – Romeo & Juliet
Play – read as iPhone app in January 2011
- 4 nods out of 5 -

The newly released animated film, Gnomeo & Juliet, shows once again the popularity of two of Shakespeare’s most enduring characters. We never forget the balcony scene, in which Juliet cries out for her Romeo. It has been retold, upon the stage in seventeenth century England, upon black and white in Hollywood, on the silver and small screens, decade after decade.

For those (few) not acquainted with the play, it follows the secret relationship of Romeo and Juliet; both from different families who are fierce rivals in the city of Verona. As Juliet herself says, ‘My only love sprung from my only hate!’ Their search for lasting love is, as with many things of Shakespeare, cut tragically short in the play’s climax.

Despite its popularity, Romeo & Juliet is certainly not one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Both our major protagonists are dull and, despite their language, unconvincing. But for more colourful smaller roles, most notably Mercutio, the play is about the pace of the plot, with unfolding suspense taking us to the book’s brutal conclusion. And because of this, the play is a fantastic read as a book, upon the stage, or even – as recent technology allows – as an iPhone app!

It carries many of Shakespeare’s most identifiable quotes. Not just ‘Romeo, o Romeo’, but also ‘What’s in a name. That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet’; including Romeo’s honest declaration: ‘O, I am fortune’s fool!’ Whilst the lovers’ language is pure poetry, such as Juliet’s lamentation: ‘My bounty is boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.’

The moral of the story? Of course, that true love knows no limits. Yet, more than that, Shakespeare’s play is a promotion of peace between families and rivals. As the Prince of Verona concludes, ‘Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague! See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love. And I for winking at your discords too.’ It is this fierce rivalry, this intense love, that keeps Romeo & Juliet relevant to generation after generation. After an animated gnome format, what next for these two star crossed lovers?