As seen on screen

You might have spotted our tweet and Facebook post on Monday when we recommended Ang Lee’s new film Life of Pi and let you know that the novel is available for you to borrow at Townhill Library. That got us thinking about some of the other books on our shelves that have made their way to the big screen.

Great Expectations and The Hobbit are two lavish productions that I’m sure lots of us are looking forward to seeing this festive period. Both films are adapted from wonderful novels which are well worth a read (though it’s worth noting that Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit is the first in a trilogy, so you’ll have to decide whether you want to read the book and find out how it all ends before or after you’ve seen all the films!). As for Great Expectations, well, you’ve got to have a bit of Dickens at Christmas, haven’t you? I’m looking forward to seeing Helena Bonham-Carter’s interpretation of Miss Havisham!

Speaking of Dickens, it’s been a while since the last big screen adaptation was released, but A Christmas Carol is always a firm favourite at this time of year. There are sure to be lots of versions popping up on the TV over the next few weeks (A Muppet Christmas Carol is surely the best!), but it’s well worth going back to the source. The spooky tale of Scrooge’s redemption is available in Townhill Library, along with some of Dickens’ lesser known Christmas stories.

 

The due dates for our ordinary and weekly loans have already gone over to next term, so if you stock up on your Christmas reading this week, you can keep the books until the 10th January! (Two-day and overnight loans will still be due back this term, so keep an eye on those!)

Happy birthday Mr Dickens!

Today is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth. There will be events held all over the world this year to celebrate the bicentenary. You can find out more on the Dickens 2012 website. Closer to home, though, why not come in to Townhill Library and borrow one of his novels from us? It's a good excuse to re-visit an old favourite, or a chance to find out what all the fuss is about. Claire Tomalin was in the news last week suggesting that Dickens is too challenging for modern children, but that's not the case for us at Swansea Met! The author's depictions of injustice and the inequalities between rich and poor in society are still relevant today. And not just that, but he's a funny guy. Really! There's real comedy to be found amongst the tragedy and that's what makes a Dickens novel such a great read. Come in and try one.

We'd love you to share your favourite Dickens novel with us, so get in touch if you've got any recommendations for other readers. It's got to be Great Expectations for me. "What larks, Pip!"

What the Dickens?

Charles Dickens, that is! The Victorians contributed a great deal to our idea of a traditional Christmas – cards, trees, and even the ubiquitous Christmas robin can all be traced back to nineteenth-century Britain. Arguably, no Victorian has had a bigger influence on our notion of Christmas than Charles Dickens himself, so it seems appropriate to think about the man and his work at this time of year. He was born in 1812, so 2012 will mark his bicentennial. There are sure to be lots of celebrations and events to mark the occasion, including a Dickens season on the BBC this Christmas. Look out for lots of film and television adaptations, new and old, of the author’s novels and stories!

If you’d like to find out more about Charles Dickens’ life and work, try our databases Oxford Reference Online and Literature Online. Many of Dickens’ novels are available to borrow from Townhill Library, including a collection of his Christmas stories – A Christmas Carol (the ultimate festive tale!), The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man. Perfect for getting you in the mood for some seasonal cheer! If your tired eyes are feeling a bit over-worked this late in the term, BBC Learning has an audio version of A Christmas Carol available on their website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/subjects/english/a_christmas_carol. For you budding primary school teachers out there, there are even teacher’s notes available to accompany the reading!

All this is sure to get you in a festive mood and banish any “Bah! Humbug!” feelings brought on by a busy term! Enjoy this final week, and in the words of Tiny Tim, God bless us every one!