Like a lot of people, I recently watched “Call Me By Your Name” the film on Netflix which spurred me to order the book and read it and OMG this book mixed with the sunny Saturday we are having is the perfect combination.
The novel is beautifully written and slightly poetic and absorbs you into the world of seventeen-year-old Elio who is spending the summer at his parents Villa in Italy when an American House guest Oliver comes to stay. The book is him later in life reflecting on his teenage summer in the 80s. The summer he met Oliver. The novel contains themes like sexuality and romance.
The book explores Elio finding his identity and his infatuation with Oliver. The novel scrutinizes Elios hobbies , him and Oliver spend their days lazing about in the sun or taking part in leisure activities like jogging , swimming or cycling. It makes the reader envy their setting and life. Elio plays guitar and piano as well as being an avid reader and never owning a television due to being the son of a university professor it is clear from the start that Elio is a very intelligent character.
The novel does not have much of a plot by I think that is one of the things I love about it and proves that books can still be well written and enjoyable without having major plot twists and excitement .
I didn’t think I would relate to the character much and came to the conclusion it would be pretentious and I would hate the book , but as I said it is so beautifully written and captivating following this character as he comes to terms with his homosexuality creating the perfect escape and rest bite from our real hectic life’s .
Oliver and Elio share a bedroom which creates intimacy between them. Oliver is twenty four so older than seventeen year old Elio. At the begging of the novel the first thing Oliver says is “ later” to his driver this goodbye signals that Oliver and Elios relationship will only be temporary and introduces the reader to the present theme of Time.
I forgot to mention I haven’t finished the book yet so the ending is still a mystery. I know what your thinking why are you writing about a book you have not finished but it was just so deserving of a review I could not wait. Overall the beginning was very captivating and although some of the reviews I’ve read label the book as a marmite novel (You love or you hate it ) I am definitely on the love it side.
I think this question is very relevant as I am currently writing my last EMA with the open university , after which I will have completed my level 1 YAY!
I have actually written a post listing my study skills and tips on studying with a disability. I will link it here
I struggle with motivation a lot as I have depression and psychosis which takes a lot out of you. However I definitely feel my most productive mid to late afternoon. I feel in the morning I’m too groggy and just want to chill and at night my mental health gets quite bad and I get anxious and low. So im not an early bird or a night owl. I’ve got to say sometimes I’m guilty of leaving things to the last minute so I’m really trying to keep on top of my studies for this last EMA. Comment down below if you also struggle to keep productive.
I really have loved this year and don’t know how some people can find literature dry. I mean maybe if you don’t relate to the novel but I’ve been studying 19th century novels for about three years now , if you include Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde which I studied at college.
This module was more focused on literature which I loved. Jane Eyre and Great Expectations are such great books , and when you start to analyse them and pull them apart you start to understand the characters and techniques used in these Gothic Novels.
I have found with my course there is a lot of material to get through and read and it can be overwhelming. However I find just sitting down and setting a timer for 30-60 mins and breaking it up helps a lot. I watch a lot of YouTubers who can study for hours on end and I just cant get my mind disciplined enough for that. Its better doing 30 mins of work that you actually take in than making notes for hours on end that are not even relevant to your task.
Also I have started making plans for summer and this really motivates me , you don’t want to let your mind wander too much but its good to have things to be excited for , so that when your finished your studies you can just chill. For example I’ve recently secured my own flat which I am going to be moving into in the summer. However it does not have to be a massive thing it could be ordering clothes or buying new makeup , even having time to work on your blog just giving yourself little rewards is good. I mean money doesn’t buy happiness but yeah we all treat ourselves from time to time.
If anyone else is studying this year I wish you luck , we can get through this ! Please like and follow and bash out a comment if you feel like it. Also if anyone else is familiar with these novels or wants to share their own study tips please do.
I love musicals. I grew up watching them and my family definitely loved them. Seven Brides for seven brothers , The King and I , Mary Poppins you name it I watched them all but I thought I would narrow them down to my top 4.
West Side Story – West Side Story made in 1961 contains some serious themes like racial prejudice , class , violence and loyalty. The songs are good and the drama between the jets and the sharks is exciting along with the love story overall very good film.
Sunshine On Leith. I remember watching this film the first time I went into hospital as a teenager. Its a really cheesy Scottish upbeat film released in 2013. I love the Proclaimers songs and this film really helped me escape from my traumatic surroundings. The film follows two soldiers Ally and Davy and their return to civilian life. They both want to find love and settle down , but their lovers want something different. There is a really good scene where they are in a crowded pub and are singing it’s over and done with and all having a great time. However this romance story is not all happy as Ally proposes to Davy’s sister and gets turned down and Ally nearly hits his sisters friend whom he was starting to warm to. This film will stick with me for life and has a place in my heart.
Grease – Grease is such a nostalgic film for me. The film begins with Sandy and Danny having the perfect summer romance on the beach. When the summer is over they don’t think they will ever see each other again. Yet to their surprise they both end up going to the same school but behave very differently under the eyes of their peers. Danny turns into a tough guy , who adopts a don’t care attitude in front of his friends and suppresses his romantic side. Wheras sandy is led astray by a group of girls the leader being Rizzo who doesn’t like Sandy as she is a virgin , who doesn’t smoke and is academic and quite middle class. In the film Rizz sings a song “Look At Me Im Sandra Dee” Where she makes fun of her and at the end of the film Sandy changes her whole personality curling her hair and wearing leather leggings and high heels in order to fit in and be more desirable to Danny.
Les Miserable – I’ve written about Les Miserables before on this blog and it is a very difficult film to go into as it is so complex but yeah definitely up there with my favourites.
I’ve been watching some TikToks recently on the Paranormal and ghosts and it interests me. I’ve never lived in an old house so I’ve never really believed in it but there have been times things have happened. My mother used to clean a church and being alone in such a big old building that has seen so many lives pass through it creeps you out but also makes you feel connected to the past.
Recently my grandfather passed away about a year ago and at his funeral I unknowingly sat in his pew that he used to sit at in church. I know it might seem an insignificant thing but I felt like he was looking over me.
So do I believe in ghosts ? Maybe. I’m an artist and I love art as it gives us a glimpse into the past things like poetry and films, but also personal things like photographs. After my granddad past we found a lot of old photos he had taken of his family and of him at his work , it was strange seeing him as a happy twenty something year old compared to the stubborn old man I knew.
I’m not to keen on horror films but I like to watch ghost documentaries. Usually they break into abandoned asylums and care homes. I feel like these places may have energy’s. I watched a documentary on ghosts and some of the stuff just can’t be explained.
I recently stayed over at my grans on my own , the house I sat in many years ago as a naïve sixteen year old and started this blog. It was eerie , with all the furniture gone , my gran and grandads possessions packed into boxes as my grans moved out now. The old compute still sat in the spare room now gathering dust. Their house where we’d spent our childhood celebrating new year’s eve or eating chocolate toast after a sleepover whilst my grandad read the newspaper. Is now quiet
I’d like to think there is a connection between our world and that where our spirit goes. It makes life easier , makes us feel connected to loved ones. Helps us cope with death.
The question is do you believe in the supernatural ? Do you have any stories or experiences If so please share and don’t forget to follow so you can see every time I post.
I’m going to be honest I haven’t been reading much lately but I have been listening to audio books. One Audio book I’ve been listening to is the Attic Child I read Orphan Sisters by the same author and thoroughly enjoyed it so I have started listening to this book. It tells the story of a young boy Celestine who moves from his home country in Africa to England. He is sent to England by his mother who hopes for a better life for him , after his father is murdered in their village. I’ve not finished the book yet but it is very engaging and I love books that deal with serious themes.
Another book I’ve been reading and studying is Great Expectations. Great Expectations is such a complex book and I am struggling with it. There is so many interpretations out their as it is one of the most popular if not the most popular classic of all time. I enjoyed Jane Eyre more and found it easier however I think I am biased as I find books written by woman easier to relate to and digest.
I have recently finished studying Jane Eyre and It is such a good book to study and dissect. The first chapters of the book when she is telling the story of Jane as a child are very profound. The abuse she suffers under the hand of her wicked aunt and then her hardship suffered at school and losing her best friend Helen all make the reader feel for Jane. Themes like an unhappy childhood , sexism , death and the supernatural are prominent. When Jane is locked in the red room she mixes reality with fear and it is her first encounter of death as her uncle died in the room. She is a very intelligent child and has a love for books as we see in the first chapters but she is still unable to process some emotions like at Lowood school she is humiliated after she drops her slate and made to stand on a stool and shunned by her peers and then when she loses Helen to illness Helen says she is going to God and this experience never leaves Jane.
Moving onto TV. I love reality TV it really helps me relax and just not think about anything serious. I recently watched Big Brother and I miss having the routine of sitting down at nine o’clock to watch the stupid tasks and conversations. I have also been watching Dress To Impress as I quite like fashion and enjoy nothing more than looking sound the shops( its my hobby. )
That’s It really. I watch a lot of TikTok and YouTube so sorry I don’t have more TV or film suggestions . If anyone knows any good shows or books please leave them in the comment bellow as I do enjoy a bit of escapism. Thanks for reading and please like and follow I would really appreciate it. X
“Look at those you’ve ruined them” Andy’s mum scolded whacking him over the head with the back of her hand. Andy looked down at his muddy , scuffed school shoes which he’d played chap door run in and then looked up at his mother with innocent eyes. “They’ll think we’re a family of tinks and look at the state of your face it’s black” she pushed him out of the door way into the small living room.
“I’m hungry” Andy moaned. “The teas still cooking “ his mother snapped “now get those shoes off your getting dirt all over the carpet” She shuffled back into the kitchen and Andy kicked off his shoes and grabbed the TV remote settling himself down on the couch and flicking through the Netflix choices. He settled on Wallace and Gromit watching the colourful characters on the screen as they acted out a performance.
The house was small the curtains and second hand corner couch gave the place a musty smell. the bare floor boards were covered with a cheap rug from B&M that was already turning bobbly.
Andy could smell his dinner cooking in the oven it made his stomach rumbled. He only had a pollo shirt on which had dribbles of gravy down it from his free school meal. His arms had erupted in goose bumps from a draft that blew in from the open back door where his mother was standing puffing on a cigarette. His school bag still lay in the hall where he’d dumped it containing his undone spelling homework.
His dinner consisted of a sausage roll , oven chips and beans. A council classic. His mum bought most of her food cheap from the local farm foods in the dying town centre. She’d bought his shoes second hand for a measly four pound from cancer research and had tried to tidy them up with some black shoe polish. They were already falling apart before he had worn them but he knew better than to protest that to his mother.
Andy sat next to his mum on the mouldy couch watching the chase. His dinner was balancing precariously on his lap. He glanced at his mother. she sat staring intensely at the screen her whole body tensed. 1914 she yelled at the telly the First World War started in 1914 you bloody idiot! Andy spooned a mouthful of beans into his mouth the taste was sickly and too familiar. The person on the screen chose 1912 which was of course the wrong answer. His mother amazed him. She’d been brought up on a sink estate and left school at fifteen. Claimed sick benefits most of her life only doing cleaning jobs and bar work here and there and spoke dirty words and slang like they might go out of fashion. However despite this she was a very sharp woman.
“Is dad taking me to the footie this weekend ?” Andy asked eagerly. His dad was a firm Hearts fan and he used to take him to games every Saturday. They’d buy scotch pies and hot sweet tea and stand with hats pulled over their ears their cheeks red from the cold cheering on the boys (and sometimes swearing at them but he’d never tell his mother that)
“I wouldn’t count on it “ she said with a scoff. This made Andy angry. “Why not” he shouted slamming his plate down on the floor so the beans erupted onto the rug. “You little bugger and I suppose I’ve to tidy that up have I “ she yelled. Andy stomped from the room slamming the living room door.
I think time is a tricky thing. We all dread the end. I think as you get older you see the worlds beauty but also more of its horrors. You become more resilient but also more cautious. Some people are just out for themselves and although my grandad always said people are nice , some people are just ignorant and selfish. You start to see the bigger picture and your place in the world. Status and money means a lot so at the moment I am not doing great in the grand scale of things. I know now that I want to dedicate most of my life to writing as that is my passion but I’d also like a part time job to keep me afloat.
I have regrets like everyone. Perhaps if I’d stayed in school or college I could have been a more traits and skills that employers want like confidence self assurance , diligence.
I actually did an open university class on ageing and it was interesting. People older than me had fears about contracting illnesses. whereas I being young have just started thinking about responsibility and money. As a woman things like having children play on your mind. As someone with clinical depression could I cope? You really start to question yourself as you age. Again money is a factor cause obviously you want to be able to run your own home and don’t want to be living on a low income. There is pressure to get a career and a house and a car and when you’ve not achieved these goals society and yourself deems you a failure. You feel constantly judged.
To conclude we all get older , our minds quality of life and happiness may deteriorate but you also become a more wiser , empathetic person. Overall ageing has its good and bads.
Thanks for reading if you’ve got this far don’t forget to follow and Lets try and get this post to at least 20 likes actually I’ll push the boat out 30 likes 😊
One of my most popular posts on this blog is my favourite films , and I realised I’ve never written about my top books which I really should be as this blog is about literature. So here are my top 5 novels. bear in mind I’m only in my first year of a literature degree so there is still a lot of books I’ve still to discover and I think like music and films books are personal to you as a individual.
5. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – This book is a Scottish classic and delves deep into the human condition and the theme of Good and Evil. You can find a more in dept analysis I wrote here : https://wordpress.com/post/justascottishlassie.uk/3059 overall probably the best Gothic novel of all time.
4. It Starts With Us/ It Ends With Us – I think anyone who turns their nose up at these books are snobs just putting it out there. These are easy to read books but address serious issues like domestic abuse and homelessness. Its one of those rare finds that you can devour in a day , overall a nice romance book.
3. Shuggie Bain – I have to admit I’ve not actually finished this novel yet , but I can already tell its going to stick with me. This book paints a picture of poverty and hardship that nearly has you in tears. You really feel for the characters and what they are going through. This book has themes such as domestic abuse , substance abuse , mental health , sexuality , deprivation. It is not a shallow novel and I think in a few years it will probably be a classic. Again I’ve written an in depth post of chapters 1-4 which you can read here : https://wordpress.com/post/justascottishlassie.uk/3150
2. Jane Eyre – Another classic gothic novel. This book is written like poetry with its beautiful detail. Whilst having a autobiographical style plot which follows Jane and grips you from the first word. You feel what she feels. The book goes from her isolation and abuse at gates head as a young child , to then her hardship at Lowood school where they are punished and underfed through to her adult years as a governess at Thorn field haul where she is lured into nearly marrying the powerful Mr Rochester. The book has themes such as family and loss , love and gender roles. It rightly deserves its place as a classic.
Stolen – This book is my personal favourite. There is controversy over this novel as it does kinda glamorize Stockholm syndrome but I love this fucked up thriller that has you gripped from the first page. You feel for Gemma who is kidnapped but you also feel for Ty her kidnapper and what has happened to him to drive him to do what he does and we unravel this as the book progresses. Furthermore very good book.
That is my favourite books guys hope you enjoyed this and check out some of the books yourself. remember to like and follow and leave a comment on any book suggestions you have x
As its Burns night I thought I would write about Scotlands national bard as he is my favourite poet of all time. Burns was born of the 25th of January 1759 and although he lived centuries ago his work still resonates with others all over the world. His father was a farmer but despite his lowly status educated his children well. Burns was a radical and wrote around the same time as the French Revolution. He battled with poverty spending most of his life doing manual labour on a farm. I first became interested in Burns at the age of 15 when I found a book of his poetry on my grandads bookcase. My grandad’s father was a farmer so I think he enjoyed the poems in the book. There is something so relatable and captivating about Burns poetry.
3 is Out Over The Forth
Out over the Forth, I look to the North; But what is the north and its Highlands to me? The south nor the east gie ease to my breast, The far foreign land, or the wide rolling sea.
But I look to the west when I gae to rest, That happy my dreams and my slumbers may be; For far in the west lives he I loe best, The man that is dear to my babie and me.
This poem I find to be quite obscure and rare as it is almost written from the point of view as a woman. The last lines “For far in the west lives he I loe best , the man that is dear to my babie and me” gives the impression of a woman with a child longing and dreaming for her lover. Its also unusual as Burns is known to have not been that great in his treatment towards women so perhaps this is Burns thinking about his lover and children. overall its a very nice poem that touches your heart.
2 isA mans no a man for all that
s there for honest Poverty That hings his head, an’ a’ that; The coward-slave, we pass him by, We dare be poor for a’ that! For a’ that, an’ a’ that. Our toils obscure an’ a’ that, The rank is but the guinea’s stamp, The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.
What though on hamely fare we dine, Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that; Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine; A Man’s a Man for a’ that: For a’ that, and a’ that, Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that; The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor, Is king o’ men for a’ that.
A Prince can mak a belted knight, A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that! But an honest man’s aboon his might – Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that! For a’ that, an’ a’ that, Their dignities, an’ a’ that, The pith o’ Sense an’ pride o’ Worth Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may, As come it will for a’ that, That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth Shall bear the gree an’ a’ that. For a’ that, an’ a’ that, It’s comin yet for a’ that, That Man to Man the warld o’er Shall brithers be for a’ that.
This is a very radical poem and highlights social injustices. The poem is aimed at the high class elite as well as relating to the lower classes by stating that money is not everything and describing a struggle against poverty that he too has suffered. He begins by describing poverty as “honest” unlike the elite who make their money by lying and deceiving and oppressing the poor manual work is seen in Burns eyes as honest. “That hings his head, an’ a’ that;” this line really touched me. It is seen that the poor should be ashamed of their position , even today individuals on welfare or low wages are made to feel shunned. “Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,” This suggests that lower classes work hard but their work is never valued or acknowledged. “The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,” rank is defining someone’s worth.
In the second stanza “Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine” this is aimed at the rich. He calls them fools for valuing money and status so much. Then at the end of the stanza he states The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor, Is king o’ men for a’ that. This is giving the poor a voice and uplifting them , making them higher on a moral level by using an oxymoron describing the poor as Kings compared to the rich who are fools.
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word, He’s but a coof for a’ that. Stanza three is definitely a radical one. It is challenging authority by again calling them fools and anyone who follows them also as fools for doing so. The man o’ independent mind, He looks an’ laughs at a’ that. This is burns encouraging people to think Independently and not be blinded by money , authority and status.
The last stanzas urge change in society.
Then let us pray that come it may, As come it will for a’ that, That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth Shall bear the gree an’ a’ that. This suggests that burns is wishful of a world where there is more equality and the poor are more valued.
Ye’ll try the world soon, my lad; And, Andrew dear, believe me, Ye’ll find mankind an unco squad, And muckle they may grieve ye: For care and trouble set your thought, Ev’n when your end’s attained; And a’ your views may come to nought, Where ev’ry nerve is strained.
I’ll no say, men are villains a’; The real, harden’d wicked, Wha hae nae check but human law, Are to a few restricked; But, Och! mankind are unco weak, An’ little to be trusted; If self the wavering balance shake, It’s rarely right adjusted!
Yet they whafa’ in fortune’s strife, Their fate we shouldna censure; For still, th’ important end of life They equally may answer; A man may hae an honest heart, Tho’ poortith hourly stare him; A man may tak a neibor’s part, Yet haenae cash to spare him.
Aye free, aff-han’, your story tell, When wi’ a bosom crony; But still keep something to yoursel’, Ye scarcely tell to ony: Conceal yoursel’ as weel’s ye can Frae critical dissection; But keek thro’ ev’ry other man, Wi’ sharpen’d, sly inspection.
The sacred lowe o’ weel-plac’d love, Luxuriantly indulge it; But never tempt th’ illicit rove, Tho’ naething should divulge it: I waive the quantum o’ the sin, The hazard of concealing; But, Och! it hardens a’ within, And petrifies the feeling!
To catch dame Fortune’s golden smile, Assiduous wait upon her; And gather gear by ev’ry wile That’s justified by honour; Not for to hide it in a hedge, Nor for a train attendant; But for the glorious privilege Of being independent.
The fear o’ hell’s a hangman’s whip, To haud the wretch in order; But where ye feel your honour grip, Let that aye be your border; Its slightest touches, instant pause- Debar a’ side-pretences; And resolutely keep its laws, Uncaring consequences.
The great Creator to revere, Must sure become the creature; But still the preaching cant forbear, And ev’n the rigid feature: Yet ne’er with wits profane to range, Be complaisance extended; An atheist-laugh’s a poor exchange For Deity offended!
When ranting round in pleasure’s ring, Religion may be blinded; Or if she gie a random sting, It may be little minded; But when on life we’re tempest driv’n- A conscience but a canker- A correspondence fix’d wi’ Heav’n, Is sure a noble anchor!
Adieu, dear, amiable youth! Your heart can ne’er be wanting! May prudence, fortitude, and truth, Erect your brow undaunting! In ploughman phrase, “God send you speed,” Still daily to grow wiser; And may ye better reck the rede, Then ever did th’ adviser!
An Epistle is a letter and Burns is writing this letter to a younger man perhaps even his younger self and warning him if what he has come across in life.
“But how the subject-theme may gang, Let time and chance determine; Perhaps it may turn out a sang: Perhaps turn out a sermon. “
I love these lines. In the first stanza Burns is addressing the young man and telling him he might have luck in life or things may go terribly wrong. Ye’ll try the world soon, my lad; Again the beginning of stanza 2 is addressing the man directly.
And muckle they may grieve ye: Burns is telling the young man that mankind will make things difficult for him. I’ll no say, men are villains a’; The third stanza is a very grave warning. Burns does not go to the extreme to say all men are villains and evil but that they cannot be trusted and the young man has to be wary.
Stanza 4 introduces some of Burns radical views again by stating “A man may tak a neibor’s part, Yet haenae cash to spare him.” Meaning the poor may be friendly and neighbourly even if they have no money , this again similar to A mans a man for all that is putting the poor on a moral high ground and giving them a voice which had never been done before.
The fear o’ hell’s a hangman’s whip, this line highlights Burns fear. Burns lived at a time of the French revolution and people in Britain were scared of radical ideas spreading , so Burns occupation as a poet from the lower classes and what he was writing about could have even lead to his death. “And resolutely keep its laws, Uncaring consequences” this again reflects Burns fears that if he or the young man tried to challenge the state and be an independent thinker it could end badly.
The last stanza is very powerful. May” prudence, fortitude, and truth,” this list of values is what Burns suggests the young man should keep so strength of mind and honesty aswell as trepidation.
In ploughman phrase, “God send you speed,” Still daily to grow wiser; And may ye better reck the rede, Then ever did th’ adviser!
This is Burns stating that the Young Man should strive to do better than those who came before him and that hopefully he can create a better world.
