Category: Random

Books, Random, Reading

Film Review: Anna Karenina

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Film Review: Anna Karenina

https://i0.wp.com/www.bighonchomedia.com/assets/FocusFeatures/AnnaKarenina-OneSht.jpgLove has finally arrived in theaters! After months of anticipation I have finally seen Anna Karenina. I normally don’t do film or TV reviews/discussions on this blog but I’m totally making an exception since this is a film based on a book…..and since I’ve been obsessing I thought it was only fitting that I do a review.

Anna Karenina has been made into a film many times over so then the question becomes, how is this film different from all that have come before it?

Hands down, Joe Wright’s vision is artistic and romantic. This is a film about love….the mise-en-scene and artful use of color, staging, and costumes really brought out that aspect of the film.

I watched many of the behind the scenes videos on the Focus Features website so I was familiar with the ‘the world is a stage’ concept of the film. One of the things Joe Wright discussed on the behind the scenes feature was how he saw Imperial Russia at that time:

Continue reading “Film Review: Anna Karenina” →

Life, Random

Blog-iversary

by The Lit Bitch16 Comments on Blog-iversary

Well Dear Readers, it is official I have been blogging on the Lit Bitch now for two years!  🙂

I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep it up for so long, my blog has come a long way!

I must also say, it is people like you Dear Readers that make me keep blogging and reading….it is clear that there are others out there who like to hear me talk….or, well….write 🙂

Thank you readers for following a long and supporting my blog . I love you all and cheers to another year of blogging!

Random

Discussion: Women of the Downstairs Staff (A Project Downton post)

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Discussion: Women of the Downstairs Staff (A Project Downton post)

How you would like to work in a great house like we see every week in Downton Abbey? Well it might not be as glamorous as you might think! In this Project Downton discussion post we talk about the domestic staff.

In the Edwardian era which Downton Abbey is set, the domestic service was at its peak. WWI brought the decline of the domestic staff with most of the male staff being drafted to the Great War and the women replacing jobs previously held by men or working in machine factories helping the war effort.

The Victorian era in Britain saw a peak in the numbers of servants employed in households. All upper class houses had several servants, and most middle class households employed at least one or two servants. In 1871 over 4% of the population was employed ‘in service’, the vast majority of them women. Being “In Service” was considered by lower class and women, to be a highly coveted position for surprisingly long periods in history. Continue reading “Discussion: Women of the Downstairs Staff (A Project Downton post)” →

Life, Random, Reading

Help Save Undershaw House (Home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Help Save Undershaw House (Home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A games a foot!

Who could forget the eccentric detective that made forensics so dashing and exciting? Science and investigating became ‘cool’ thanks to Sherlock Holmes. Holmes has become an iconic fixture in pop culture….I hear in the BBC has remade Holmes into a modern day hero in the TV show, Sherlock (which I am dying to watch by the way!), it also goes without saying that the Robert Downey Jr/ Guy Ritchie films have made the classic literary figure and his partner Dr Watson into a charming, sexy heros–thus appealing to new generations and audiences.

As a result of the recent ‘Holmes’ craze, the public is re-discovering Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels. I know I did! After watching the first Sherlock Holmes film, I read the Conan Doyle books (The Hound of Baskervilles was one of my favs!) and I have also been reading lots of ‘Sherlock-ish’ detective novels (The Mary Russell series, the Hatton and Roumande series, and the Charles Lenox series to name a few). Continue reading “Help Save Undershaw House (Home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)” →

Random

Discussion: Architectural History of Downton Abbey (A Project Downton post)

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Discussion: Architectural History of Downton Abbey (A Project Downton post)

Like many of you, I love both Downton Abbey and trifling historic facts! I just finished reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey this week and I couldn’t resist writing a follow up post to my review about a little fun fact I learned from the book.

Images of Highclere Castle–also known as it’s alter ego Downton Abbey–are flooding blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other multi media outlets in a wild frenzy!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I found something eerily familiar about Highclere Castle…..maybe I was Lady Mary in my past life LOL :). But honestly the whole time I have been watching Downton, I see the castle and I can’t help but think….there is something so familiar about this castle!!! Continue reading “Discussion: Architectural History of Downton Abbey (A Project Downton post)” →