My Thesis Completion Schedule

Heading into the final year of my PhD, it seems that things are coming together. Three chapters have been completed, two to a decent level, and, as I explained in a tweet yesterday, it "finally feels as though I've tipped the train over the hill and we're all ready to pick up some speed!". Which is good. I'm not denying it's good. Terrifying, too, but mostly good. However, when I stop to think about what's still to be done I freeze and panic. A few months ago I came up with a schedule for completion. Perhaps writing it down here will banish the bogeyman who seems to be following me around lately. One good thing about this is that the original number one (write chapter three by the end of August) has been ticked off on schedule. So, here we go...

1. August - October: Research and write chapter four. I'm on with the research for this but it's quite a bitty chapter involving close reading of several Yates and Collins novels followed by the collation of a hell of a lot of secondary material. A month and a half to finish this when I'm taking a holiday during that time too? Hmm...
2. November - December: Restructure and rewrite chapter one. This needs a fair bit of work as the chapter structure I implemented in chapters two and three is completely absent in the first chapter. However, all the information is there so it is just a case of reworking the jigsaw. I hope that I've been optimistic in giving myself two whole months to do this.
3. January: Fine-tune chapters two, three and four. Two and three are already up to a decent standard and I have notes to explain precisely what needs to be changed. As for four... Ha, ha ha. 
4. February: Write thesis introduction. Theoretically, this should be quite easy because I've utilised much of what needs to go in the introduction elsewhere in my thesis. Bit of chopping and changing should work well. Aside from the critical stuff, though, I need to introduce Edmund Yates without really introducing Edmund Yates. Hmm...
5. March: Write overall conclusion. Least said about this one, the better.
6. April: Reread and revise where necessary. Basically, ensure it flows, makes sense and doesn't repeat itself. Simples.
7. May: Check bibliography/references. Self-explanatory.

One thing that isn't in this list is compiling the appendix which I've discussed with my supervisor. We thought that explaining who the characters are in relation to the complex plots of sensation novels may work better in an appendix to stop the chapters getting bogged down in explanatory segues throughout. This is something I'm going to work on as and when I can. Which means, naturally, that it'll end up being a last-minute rush job. Oh, the fun. 

This feels like a very appropriate video for this moment. And it's also fantastic. The John Wilson Orchestra having a crack at Tom and Jerry - watch out for the plates!

Book Review: Till Human Voices Wake Us by Patti Davis

Till Human Voices Wake Us is essentially an intimate novel about grief and finding ways to endure it. Isabelle Berendon loses her son in the opening pages when he drowns in their swimming pool. The narrative flashes forward to reveal that within a few months she's fallen in love with, and moved in with, her sister-in-law, Iris. The rest of the book deals with the events following Nathan's death and the future after she has moved in with Iris and taken her step-daughter, Margaret, with her, including the emergence of another grief lying in wait around the corner.

I can't say I enjoyed this book, but that wasn't really the point. This is a brutally honest novel that examines parental grief in a minute way. It's also about finding the love to help you through such a situation, although the gender of the person Isabelle finds solace in is incidental. As such, it can seem to take a back seat. That was one of the few things that disappointed me about the novel - I didn't think it explained the relationship alteration between Isabelle and Iris in as much detail as it possibly have.

That's not to say that it wasn't an absorbing read. It's written in a very lucid style, plunging into the past whenever necessary. It demonstrates how grief impedes on even the easiest activities and how your present is directly influenced by your past. Apart from her relationships with her husband, dead son and stepdaughter, we also learn about her criminal father and the effect that had on her mother. The flashbacks are always impeccably handled, though some of them were too curtailed for my liking.

Till Human Voices Wake Us is not a fast-moving book. The plot is very simple and the narrative voice is strong throughout. There is, however, a mystery that pulls at you from the opening pages and the resolution genuinely surprised me. The other characters perhaps aren't as strong as Isabelle but this is her story and it doesn't pretend to be anything else.

Overall, an exceptional examination of grief and love. Some slight niggles but, ultimately, a very heartfelt novel.

Classic Film Review: A Tale of Two Cities (1958)

In this adaptation of the Dickens novel, Dirk Bogarde heads the cast as drunkard Sydney Carton. Alongside him are Dorothy Tutin as Lucie Manette, Cecil Parker as Jarvis Lorry, Stephen Murray as Dr. Manette and Paul Guers as Charles Darnay. A Tale of Two Cities blends revolutionary France with matters of the heart, this adaptation achieving perhaps more of the latter than the former.

To summarise the plot for those unfamiliar: Dr. Manette has been imprisoned in the Bastille for eighteen years. He is released and moves to England with his daughter. She then meets a French aristocrat masquerading as an Englishman, Charles Darnay, and they marry. However, when revolution breaks out in France, Darnay's heritage leaves him a target. Advocate Sydney Carton is quietly in love with Lucie and is determined to save her happiness at any cost.

On the whole, this film is excellent. It deals with the revolution scenes thoughtfully, showing enough to get the flavour but without it becoming a film more about action that emotion. There are certainly some stand-out moments, for instance, when Manette first meets his daughter again and when Sydney drunkenly confesses his love for Lucie. Then, of course, there are the scenes when Sydney makes and sticks to his great decision. Bogarde is astounding in these scenes, as he is throughout the course of the film. The final scene actually brought tears to my eyes thanks to his performance.

There are some niggles, of course. Paul Guers is dubbed, creating some irritating moments when the dialogue and the miming don't fit. It particularly ruined an important scene between Sydney and Darnay. In addition, there were moments of over-acting, though it could just be that, in comparison to Bogarde, other performances were bound to look weak.

It's been a while since I read the book so I can't comment on adaptation accuracy but, as a piece of film, this works exceedingly well. Sydney grows as a character and the last half of the film ratchets the tension up nicely making the inevitable conclusion even more bittersweet.

Book Review: Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Villette tells the story of Lucy Snowe as she leaves England to take her chances in France. She ends up teaching in a school owned by the imperious Madame Beck. She reconnects with old friends and has a tempestuous relationship with fellow teacher, M. Paul Emanuel, which finally becomes the main thrust of the book. Prior to that, we see her infatuation with her godmother's son, Dr Bretton, and his infatuations with their mutual friends, Ginerva Fanshawe and Polly Home.

One of my problems with Villette was how disjointed the first third of the book is. We see a collection of events which seem to have no significance. Although they all conspire to add to the plot later, it is very difficult to feel grounded as we slip from Lucy's time with her godmother to her time as an assistant then join her on the boat to France. Until she joins Madame Beck's establishment, the narrative doesn't really settle. Even then, there are periods where the narrator gets lost in describing one sequence of events and abandons characters for long periods of time. In that respect, it's a difficult novel to read.

I did enjoy the way that Bronte developed M. Paul Emanuel, building his role up gradually until he actually became all I cared about. I had difficulty connecting with Lucy Snowe as a protagonist at first because I didn't really understand her - the later interactions with M. Paul Emanuel, from his fete day onwards, made her a more interesting character for me. Madame Beck, also, is an extraordinary creation who is the compelling presence in any scene she appears in. However, alongside these two fascinating characters you have distinct, and perhaps boring, types of the 'good doctor', the 'flirt' the 'precocious child grown up into a splendid woman'. Half of the novel felt manufactured and the other half felt original.

The descriptions of place were, though, remarkable, particularly when Lucy walks around Villette at night and stumbles upon a party. Equally, the mystery of the ghostly nun adds atmosphere to the centre of the novel. There are some memorable scenes, including the aforementioned fete scene between Lucy and M. Paul Emanuel, but also the moment when Lucy wakes up in a familiar yet unfamiliar setting and finds herself amongst friends.

This novel blends the journey of one individual with the world around her. The religious barrier that erects itself at various times is both integral to the story and frustrating to the reader. I have to say, though, I hated the ambiguous ending. Everybody else got a final send-off but the character I've spent hundreds of pages trying to like is denied finality - it meant I concluded Villette with the same ambivalent feeling I'd read most of the book with.

Classic Film Review: Bachelor Mother (1939)

Bachelor Mother stars Ginger Rogers as sales clerk Polly Parish. She's finishing a temporary Christmas stint at a department store owned by J.B Merlin (Charles Coburn) and David Merlin (David Niven) and, when out searching for a new job, she finds a baby being abandoned at a foundling home. She picks it up and, when the door opens, she's presumed to be the mother. The home contact her boss and David is outraged at the prospect of this 'mother' giving up her child. He lets her keep her job if she'll take back the baby leaving Polly in a bit of a predicament.

I found this hilarious. Ginger Rogers comic timing never fails and she's outstanding opposite David Niven. She also gets to show off some of her dancing skills in a nice scene that involves David storming a dance hall with the baby to try and get her to take responsibility. There are some excellent moments including the New Year's Eve event where David recruits Polly as his date and tells everyone she's Swedish to save her from talking. The romance aspect is lovely but it's the comedy that wins out.

Charles Coburn's role enlarges as the film goes on and I really enjoyed his interactions with David Niven as father and son argued about the baby that Merlin Snr believes is his grandson. Misunderstandings galore but with a few heartfelt moments dropped in for good measure.

Of course, the attitudes which surround this film are out of date but it indulges in remarkably little condemnation either. The problem seems to be that Polly has abandoned 'her' baby, not that she had one in the first place. Worth a watch not only for the nice sparring between Polly and David but also for the cute interactions between Ginger Rogers and her minute co-star. Lovely scenes and an excellent romantic comedy all round.

RIP David Jacobs

I was saddened to learn yesterday that broadcaster David Jacobs has died at the age of 87. As the accompaniment to many of my Sunday evenings as I read and listened to what he called 'our kind of music', I shared many pleasant hours in his company although, admittedly, I only became a fan in the twilight of his career.

His personality seemed - and this is backed up by colleagues' assessments of him - such a warm one and he had a treasure trove of stories about the big names he had introduced and worked with over the years. The only consolation for the future is that he consigned these memories to his listeners for us to smile at over and over.

His shows and his voice were one of the best friends I had. I found a bit of a home listening to him and took a fiendish delight in guessing singers before he named them and guessing which song he'd play next in his 'Common Denominator' slot. I suppose what I have to thank him for the most is the introduction to singers I hadn't previously encountered or paid much attention to them; people like Eydie Gorme (who sadly passed away herself last month) and Dorothy Squires. I have to thank him for expanding my knowledge of singers I did know - for instance, the wonderful Julie London. I also have to thank him for introducing me to some of my favourite songs. The one below is 'If I Were You' by Ray Bolger and Eileen Herlie from the musical All American. David championed this song, playing it quite regularly and calling it one of his favourites. Every time I heard it I wanted to buy it and finally got hold of it on iTunes. Ever since, it has made me think of David and his show. I'm sure that'll be the case for a very long time.

RIP David - thank you for sharing 'our kind of music'.

Some Wise Words - Charlotte Bronte

A while ago, after reading Agnes Grey, I blogged about a passage from that book that resonated with me. Now I've just finished reading Villette by Anne's sister, Charlotte, and a few passages in that jumped out at me. While I didn't really like the book as a whole, some sentences still resonated.

'Who but a coward would pass his whole life in hamlets; and for ever abandon his faculties to the eating rust of obscurity?'

'I did long, achingly, then and for four and twenty hours afterwards, for something to fetch me out of my present existence, and lead me upstairs and onwards. This longing, and all of a similar kind, it was necessary to knock on the head; which I did, figuratively, after the manner of Jael to Sisera, driving a nail through their temples. Unlike Sisera, they did not die: they were but transiently stunned, and at intervals would turn on the nail with a rebellious wrench: then did the temples bleed and the brain thrill to its core.'

'No mockery in this world ever sounds to me so hollow as that of being told to cultivate happiness. What does such advice mean? Happiness is not a potato, to be planted in mould, and tilled with manure.'

I think the next time someone asks me if I'm happy I'll simply tell them 'happiness is not a potato' and see what they make of that...