One of my favorite bloggers does this all the time. Thought it would be a good way of stringing together a bunch of items of interest that have come my way lately . . .
- You don't often hear of stage versions of Bleak House, compared with some of the other novels (seems as if I get a notification about a new production of Oliver! every other week). This one, in Basford, Staffordshire, England, sounds really good. And they've gone all out in creating a mysterious atmosphere on the set and throughout the theater . . . although piping "eerie, disembodied whispers" into the loo may be a bit much.
- A musical based on Our Mutual Friend? It's in the works, according to this press release from a theater company in Utah (what is it about Dickensian musicals and Utah?). Those who attend a fundraising event for the company later this month will be able to hear one of the songs from the show.
- Speaking of OMF, the Six Jolly Fellowship Porters from that book makes this list of the top ten pubs in literature. And speaking of pubs, a real one that Dickens put into A Tale of Two Cities makes a list of the top five historic London pubs.
- A British government official is upset that students aren't learning about Miss Havisham. Wise man. You don't diss Miss Havisham and expect to get away with it.
- This site gives a list of "Professional Fan Fiction" — that is, actual published follow-ups to the novels of Dickens and other classic authors. (Nina, you'll be interested to see that Barrie is in there!) Some of them sound intriguing, some . . . maybe not so much.
- The Omaha World-Herald has an article about the etymology of the name Sidney or Sydney, which pays tribute to Sydney Carton as well as some other famous and admired figures who shared the name.
- Did you know Dickens had a flowering tree named after him? I just found out myself. The Charles Dickens Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) "produces very large flowers, somewhat larger and broader than typical leaves, and brilliant crimson fruits." Large and brilliant — sounds about right. Here's a picture of one of the flowers, courtesy of ibotanical.
Now, if I really knew how to do this, I'd put in a widget allowing others to link their own "7 Takes" posts. Unfortunately, I don't. However, if you've run across any interesting Dickensiana lately, you're welcome to put it in the comment section!
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