Archives by Tag 'London'

Review: ‘Liza of Lambeth’ by W. Somerset Maugham

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Tuesday, January 17, 2012

If you were, hypothetically, to have your train delayed by over four hours one evening, taking your total journey home time from a little over two hours (which now seems almost reasonable by comparison) to six and a half hours, you’d definitely need a book or two with you to keep you sane.  Ideally, you [...]

‘Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies’ by Hallie Rubenhold

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Thursday, May 19, 2011

When I was reading Michael Faber’s novel The Crimson Petal and the White recently, I was struck by the frequent references to the infamous More Sprees in London, a little book detailing the different prostitutes available around the town, where to find them, what they charged and to which particular specialties each one would cater.  [...]

‘Diary of a Nobody’ by George and Weedon Grossmith

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2011

One of the best things about taking part in the Victorian Literature Challenge is that it has made me aware that the scope of Victorian literature is much wider than I had previously anticipated.  It isn’t just doorstop sized books featuring worthy governesses, scheming gentlemen and the deserving poor; there’s also a lot of slimmer, [...]