Abraham Lincoln: A Life
Book
In the first multi-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln to be published in decades, Lincoln scholar...
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Movie Watch
Of the three Grace children, Jared (Freddie Highmore) has always been thought of as the...
The Forbidden Zone: A Nurse's Impressions of the First World War
Book
Mary Borden worked for four years in an evacuation hospital unit following the front lines up and...
war world war 1 nurses
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Our Hideous Progeny in Books
Aug 15, 2023
Mary is a keen scientist, helping her husband Henry in his geological work. Without wealth and connections though, there is little they can do to really make their names in the field. So when she discovers Victor’s papers, she and her husband decide that there is only one thing to do. So they take themselves off to Henry’s old family home in Scotland to try and create a monster of their own.
Henry is a bit of an idiot though, and has managed to make himself some enemies, and one such turns up on the doorstep demanding money. When they explain to him what they’re doing, he demands to take part - and then things start to go wrong.
I really liked the female characters in this: Mary, and Henry’s reclusive and sickly sister, Maisie. They are determined (even in Maisie’s illness she isn’t a walkover) and intelligent. It was quite frustrating to see Mary treated so badly, whilst at the same time the men relied on her to do a lot of the work. It is her moral compass that grounds the endeavour, but to be fair, they don’t seem to listen to her much (of course, they know better!).
There’s a real sense of time and place in this - from the attitudes of the men towards the women, to the attitudes of the upper classes towards the lower. Horse and carriages, steam trains and bathing houses all entrenched the novel firmly in the Victorian age.
This really is a phenomenal read, and I loved it. There’s nothing like a strong female character or two having a go at the patriarchy to make my day!!
Sneakers (1992)
Movie Watch
Robert Redford leads an all-star cast in one of the most satisfying suspense films! Computer expert...
3Ps in a Pod
Podcast
Being an educator in the 21st century is indescribably complex. There’s a constant pressure to...
Get Your Life Back: Learn to Cope with Stress Anxiety Depression
Book
A 12 WEEK JOURNEY TO PEACE OF MIND Will help anyone who experiences any of the following: Stress at...
Livingstone
Book
David Livingstone (1813-1873) is revered as one of history's greatest explorers and missionaries,...
The Framing of Harry Gleeson
Book
In November 1940 the body of Moll McCarthy, an unmarried mother, was found in a field in Tipperary....
Think Again – a Big Think Podcast
Podcast
We surprise some of the world's brightest minds with ideas they're not at all prepared to discuss....