Showing results by author "Vernon Lee" in All Categories

A Polish historian visiting Italy falls in love with a 16th-century femme fatale, who murdered a series of enthralled husbands and lovers. When he experiences visions of the beautiful Medea Da Carpi, it slowly turns his scholarly fascination into a fatal obsession.

A Wicked Voice is the tale of a composer haunted by the music of the 18th century and by the exquisite voice of a singer of that period who reputedly sang so beautifully his songs could (quite literally) kill with their beauty.

Being an English author in a new and different culture seems to work its magic when these two are placed together in the same spot with a rich vocabulary; ideas seem more fully formed and characters have another edge to their existence. For the outsider looking in, more can be revealed and shared with ourselves.

One of the most oft-used themes for an author to explore is that of themselves and how they see authors in stories coping with everything around them.

There is something about the number 3. The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two. Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating.

Fifty years ago, the term Byzantine‚ was often synonymous with corruption and decay, and the rich history of the East-Roman Empire was dismissed by many historians as dreary and monotonous. Edward Gibbon famously labeled the successors of Justinian and Heraclius as a succession of vicious weaklings, leaving little room for dissent. However, two pivotal works have since illuminated the true nature of the Byzantines for the English reader Finlays monumental tome from 1856 and Mr. Burys modern volumes from 1889. Today, the Byzantine Empire stands vindicated, recognized for its significant role ...