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| Is Corto Maltese real or a dream of the past? |
Venice is drying up due to low tides caused by the super blue blood moon and lack of rain.
The canals are empty of water and The Beans have decide to go for walks across the city and search a palazzo to buy it and live there during its visits to the city.
The family is deciding between two options. Both of them are beautiful and wonderful places and it's difficult to choose only one but it's an investment and paying attention to the last news from Wall Street, they must be clever in their selection.
Protecting the environment is a must and we must take concience of this terrible problem to protect our planet, its resources, its flora, its wildlife, its landscapes and, definetly, its people. Venice is one of the most affected zones by the climate change. If we don't protect these special zones since now, they will disappear.
Finally, the search of Corto Maltese continues without success and The Grandma is a little sad.
More information: Recycling Vocabulary
The canals are empty of water and The Beans have decide to go for walks across the city and search a palazzo to buy it and live there during its visits to the city.
The family is deciding between two options. Both of them are beautiful and wonderful places and it's difficult to choose only one but it's an investment and paying attention to the last news from Wall Street, they must be clever in their selection.
Protecting the environment is a must and we must take concience of this terrible problem to protect our planet, its resources, its flora, its wildlife, its landscapes and, definetly, its people. Venice is one of the most affected zones by the climate change. If we don't protect these special zones since now, they will disappear.
Finally, the search of Corto Maltese continues without success and The Grandma is a little sad.
More information: Recycling Vocabulary
Today, it's the 206th anniversary of the birth Charles Dickens, one of the best writers of the Universal Literature. The Beans, who are still enjoying the Carnivale, have decided to homage the English writer and they have decided to read Pictures from Italy during these days.
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| The cover of Pictures of Italy |
Pictures from Italy is a travelogue by Charles Dickens, written in 1846. The book reveals the concerns of its author as he presents the country like a chaotic magic-lantern show, fascinated both by the spectacle it offers, and by himself as spectator.
In 1844, Dickens took a respite from writing novels and for several months traveled through France and Italy with his family. They visited the most famous sights: Genoa, Rome, Naples (with Vesuvius still smouldering), Florence and Venice. In his travelogue the author portrays a nation of great contrasts: grandiose buildings and urban desolation, and everyday life beside ancient monuments. But it is his encounters with Italy's colorful street life that capture the imagination.
Dickens is particularly drawn to the costumes, cross-dressing, and sheer exuberance of the Roman carnival. From the book we learn that Dickens was an early riser and walker, and that he enjoyed touring the major attractions on foot.
Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812-9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the 20th century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. He edited a journal, novels, short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers. Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity, famous for his humour, satire, and keen observation of character and society. His novels, most published in monthly or weekly instalments, pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication.
Cliffhanger endings in his serial publications kept readers in suspense. The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback. For example, when his wife's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities, Dickens improved the character with positive features.
His plots were carefully constructed, and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha'pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers.
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| The Grandma in a Victorian picture |
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre.
Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction.
Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction.
Dickens has been praised by fellow writers (from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G.K.Chesterton) for his realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free.
Charles Dickens
