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I went to the library on Tuesday to pick up some stuff to keep me still when I'm supposed to be resting (I get fidgetty)
First thought: "I should watch that other Elizabeth Gaskell BBC series 'Wives and Daughters" now that I've realised it's distinct from "Sons and Lovers". But what's the chances they'll have it?" And they did!
Next thought: "I should read some popular science, haven't done that in a while. But all this stuff I've been learning about feminism and history etc means I'll probably get annoyed by the typical "Procession of elite european men with women/the poorly educated/the rest of the world just following in their footsteps" view"..and there was The People's history of Science!
Huzzah for serendipity.
(I got out some other stuff too, but nothing very exciting afaict)
I just finished watching "Wives and Daughters", and while it's not as compelling a romance or as intense a social commentary as North and South it was still a really engaging drama, and was also at heart a period romance between two science nerds. How many of those do you see? I did have to gloss over the "Yay african colonialism!" subtext, which I imagine will be more annoying in the book without the modern "But the main character isn't racist!" lampshade hanging, but it's not a major part of the plot. I like Elizabeth Gaskell (at least from these two adaptations), she pokes at the class system with the same critical eye as Dickens but isn't as annoying sentimental or sexist. I should read some of her books.
I haven't gotten very far into The People's history of Science but it seems ok so far. I reacted against his complaint that modern science tends to be all "The only REAL science is theoretical physics, all that practical, hands-on squishy stuff is for people to dumb too understand theory" since theoretical hard science is my One True Love, but I guess he has a point. Maybe. He does still seem to genuinely love science, which is the important thing (any criticism of science which doesn't start from the premise that science, despite it's flaws, is still totally awesome, is not going to get me onside)
EDIT: See, and now I read the reviews on that link and see people didn't like it. Aw well, I'll still give it a shot.
And now I have a headache and may nap. Sorry to leave my emails unanswered after my flurry of meta, but I scalded my fingers and now that they've healed enough for me to type I feel crappy :/
First thought: "I should watch that other Elizabeth Gaskell BBC series 'Wives and Daughters" now that I've realised it's distinct from "Sons and Lovers". But what's the chances they'll have it?" And they did!
Next thought: "I should read some popular science, haven't done that in a while. But all this stuff I've been learning about feminism and history etc means I'll probably get annoyed by the typical "Procession of elite european men with women/the poorly educated/the rest of the world just following in their footsteps" view"..and there was The People's history of Science!
Huzzah for serendipity.
(I got out some other stuff too, but nothing very exciting afaict)
I just finished watching "Wives and Daughters", and while it's not as compelling a romance or as intense a social commentary as North and South it was still a really engaging drama, and was also at heart a period romance between two science nerds. How many of those do you see? I did have to gloss over the "Yay african colonialism!" subtext, which I imagine will be more annoying in the book without the modern "But the main character isn't racist!" lampshade hanging, but it's not a major part of the plot. I like Elizabeth Gaskell (at least from these two adaptations), she pokes at the class system with the same critical eye as Dickens but isn't as annoying sentimental or sexist. I should read some of her books.
I haven't gotten very far into The People's history of Science but it seems ok so far. I reacted against his complaint that modern science tends to be all "The only REAL science is theoretical physics, all that practical, hands-on squishy stuff is for people to dumb too understand theory" since theoretical hard science is my One True Love, but I guess he has a point. Maybe. He does still seem to genuinely love science, which is the important thing (any criticism of science which doesn't start from the premise that science, despite it's flaws, is still totally awesome, is not going to get me onside)
EDIT: See, and now I read the reviews on that link and see people didn't like it. Aw well, I'll still give it a shot.
And now I have a headache and may nap. Sorry to leave my emails unanswered after my flurry of meta, but I scalded my fingers and now that they've healed enough for me to type I feel crappy :/
Tags:
- books,
- non-fiction,
- review,
- science,
- tv
no subject
See for me the weird casting decisions in W&D were Geoff from Coupling in a dramatic part, and Mr Collins from Pride and Prejudice as a charismatic poet :)