stories written by Phoebe

Haven't written much recently, been away etc, but thought I would write about Falling Leaves, by Adeline Yen Mah. It is the adult version of Chinese Cinderella, and for me is much more moving, and more about emotions that she and her family feels, than a story. It is very touching when she sees her 'Ye Ye' in his last years of life, and also her emotional struggles as she sees her father, unhappy yet unable to fully reconcile herself to the wrongs he did her. I would recommend reading it, as it is a beautifully written book.
As I said earlier, I have been away, in Dorset. We stayed in a gorgeous cottage, Owl cottage, near Ringstead Bay. It's set in truly beautiful surroundings, with sea views and many walks close by. I recommend the Smuggler's Inn at Osmington Mills, particularly the fish and chips. Now much refreshed by fires and windy walks.

This spell-binding film follows the coming-of-age of Jenny(Carey Mulligan), a young, suburban school-girl in the 60s who dreams of going to Oxford. She plays the cello, has coffee with her friends, and delights in all things French and is happy with life. Then she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a 30-ish man who soon seduces her with his worldliness and knowledge.
Stars/5:*****

Written by J.B.Priestley and currently being shown at the Novello Theatre this is an excellent social commentary. The casting is a bit weak, however Eric (the hopless, alcoholic younger brother) is amazing. The set is quite good and is quite deep. Outside is 1945- socialist society and inside is protected conservative 1912. Therefore when Sheila and Eric step outside we see that they are becoming more socialist. Mrs Birling was a bit too solidly built and over-bearing and Mr Birling had a very fake Northern accent. Sheila was a bit too drunk-s he is meant to be upset about the death and instead is giggling. Gerald is also a bit weak, not quite developed enough.
Stars: ***
Location: Novello Theatre

This is a play on at the Globe about Thomas Paine, an activist in the French and American Revolutions. It is reasonably humorous and has lovely costumes. There is lots of music and people walking through the audience. However the characters are not fully developed and at some points in the play you are left wondering who the characters are. It also tries to cover too much while still maintaining an almost overly slow pace.
Stars:***
Location: The Globe theatre London

我 喜欢苹果，面包，鸡蛋 和菜。 我不喜欢咖啡。

This is Robert Graves's autobiography and one of the most humorous books about the first world war that I have read. It tells of his pre-war years and of his life in the trenches watching his friends dying around him. Indeed at one point he is commanding company 'B' -a company of 5 men. It also tells of the adaptations he has to make to peace and living with a wife and two chldren. The great thing about this book is that you actually feel his cynically humorous outlook at the beginning of the war and his almost depressive sadness towards the end. 

One particularly poignant episode is when the armistice day was declared and he remembers all his freinds who have died. The news sent me out walking alone along the dyke above the marshes of Rhuddlan (an ancient battlefield, the Flodden of Wales), cursing and sobbing and thinking of the dead. 

Siegfried's famous poem celebrating the armistice began:

Everybody suuddenly burst out singing,

And I was filled with such delight

As prisoned birds must find freedom...

But 'everybody' did not include me.

However the book has some very funny moments.

.A great read. 

Stars/5: *****
Author: Robert Graves

publisher: Pengu

in Autobiography

Price: £8.99

Telling Tales is a new exhibition at the V&A. It has three rooms- The Forest Glade, The Enchanted Castle and Heaven and Hell. My favourite pieces were both in the Forest Glade. They were the Bath boat by Weiki Somers. I thought it was imaginative and it combined two water based subjects.
My other favourite was the Linen-Cupboard-House by Jurgen Bey. This was a little bed made from things that the artist had found like a little cupboard and a mattress.

These are both by Alison Weir and they are both novels based on fact. The Lady Elizabeth is about Queen Elizabeth I before she became Queen. It is about her childhood with the mercurial temper of her father. You also learn about the constant suspicion she lived under during Mary's reign. you can really feel her feelings and I strongly recommend reading it.
The Innocent Traitor is about Lady Jane Grey and it is if anything even better than teh Lady Elizabeth. It is from many points of view so you get the full story and the end is really sad I cried the whole way through the last chapter.
The Lady Elizabeth (/5):****
The Innocent Traitor (/5): *****