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10 Facts About Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’
1. Aware of her growing popularity, Austen had anxiety over how Emma would be received by the reading public, writing: “My great anxiety...
Marisa
Aug 17, 2021


Literary Cocktail: The French Blonde from 'China Rich Girlfriend'
"As guests walk up the long pebble driveway to the house, a line of French waiters in black Napoleon-collared jackets welcome us with...
Marisa
Jul 29, 2021


A Historic Glimpse of the French Literary Salons
What is a literary salon? Literary salons have their origins in the Renaissance idea of gathering for debate in the courts of Italy and...
Marisa
Jul 26, 2021

Six Facts About the Brontës
With three literary geniuses in the family—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—the Brontës certainly secured themselves a (rightful) place in the...
Marisa
Jul 13, 2021

Book Diversity in Canadian Literature
Explore the vibrant world of Canadian literature with diverse narratives! Discover 13 must-read books.
Marisa
Jun 30, 2021

Capturing the Gothic Life of Shirley Jackson on Film
I finally had the time to sit down and watch the 2020 movie Shirley (currently on Amazon Prime), based on a novel of the same name by...
Marisa
Apr 28, 2021

Charlotte Brontë's Rejected Novel 'The Professor'
On this day in 1816, Charlotte Brontë was born! So, it is only fitting that I recently completed my reading of the first novel she ever...
Marisa
Apr 21, 2021

School Textbooks Reflect our Societal Values
I recently wrote a post about What Makes a Literary Classic in which I was thinking about what we culturally consider a ‘classic’ and how...
Marisa
Apr 11, 2021


Filling the Literary Gaps: English Female Writers 1750 - 1915
Not Just Jane: Rediscovering Seven Amazing Women Writers Who Transformed British Literature (2016) by Shelley DeWees is a delightful...
Marisa
Mar 8, 2021


Reviewing One of the First English Novels
How do you review a book that is 300 years old? The grammar, punctuation, and narrative structure are not like anything we see in today's...
Marisa
Feb 24, 2021

Classic F#@*ing Literature
Not typical classroom vocabulary, but a historical lesson nonetheless! That oft used F word can be a noun, an adjective, a verb, an...
Marisa
Feb 9, 2021


Finding Their Voice: The Female Bildungsroman
Is there such a thing as a female bildungsroman? I break it down for you (including some suggested reading!).
Marisa
Jan 3, 2021

Creating Christmas Traditions with Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) continues to be read, watched and performed after more than 175 years, and is enjoyed by all...
Marisa
Dec 14, 2020


Remembrance Day 2020 #CanadaRemembers John McCrae
You may be familiar with his words, but do you know the man who wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’?John McCrae was a Canadian military surgeon...
Marisa
Nov 11, 2020

Reader-Response Theory: Putting the "You" Back into Literary Criticism!
When diving into literary criticism, I always encourage people to start with reader-response theory because it is something most people...
Marisa
Nov 2, 2020


The Gothic Bluebook: Terrifying the Masses
While reading Franz J. Potter’s book The History of Gothic Publishing, 1800-1835 Exhuming the Trade (2005), I recently stumbled upon the...
Marisa
Oct 30, 2020


Mary Shelley’s “hideous progeny”: Authorial Intent of 'Frankenstein'
Battle of the Editions: 1818 vs. 1831 Many are aware of the myth of how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) came about: one stormy summer...
Marisa
Oct 16, 2020


Tracing the Vampiric Roots of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'
When we think of the vampire of popular culture, we tend to conjure images of aristocrats, seducers, wanderers. Even the sparkling...
Marisa
Oct 15, 2020


Exploring the Tradition of the English Gothic Novel
A brief overview of the English Gothic novel, with recommended reading. Want more info? Check out series 1 of the Le Salon podcast.
Marisa
Oct 6, 2020

Meet Your New Favourite Editions: Broadview Press
These Broadview editions of your favourite classics novels are ideal if you enjoy additional context with the original story.
Marisa
Sep 28, 2020
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