Shelf Bound Books

..."the tall dark man at Spa with the cast in his eye, who used to make my governor tipsy and sent me the sword: his name is Mr. Barry." Out of the mouth of babes did come this frank and honest description of our... Hero? This episode, find out all about Barry Lyndon, née Redmond Barry in his own words with a few choice inclusions from others to temper the image. How well does his life stack up when all is said and done? Will it be the stuff of legends, nightmares, fantasies, or a pinch of each? This week Fred and Dave were unable to find a meeting point in either time or space, so prepare yourself for opinion monologuing of the finest quality we could muster as we each have a go separately and make our independent assessments. In case you missed the book the first time, find it here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4558 Further Reading A broad range of elements have come into this novel by William Thackeray and as such there is a lot to point out to you. Find out who Barry Lyndon was modeled on and a little

  "The next morning - Heaven preserve the world from evil! - it was still raining. LECTOR. It does not seem to me that this part of your book is very entertaining." Next in our intermittent sub-series, 'Of books what are set in France', we trudge along the road with Hilaire Belloc and make out way to Rome. No stone is left un-turned or without description in this sojourn across Western Europe. How far will you go with our author as he meets a cavalcade of interesting characters and spreads their stories amongst his own ruminations? Was the trip a success and ultimately, will it prove to have been worthy of the prized final destination that all books so desperately strive towards; our bookshelf? If you haven't already, have a read of it at the link below and see whether you agree with our summations: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7373   Further Reading For our inquisitive readers and listeners I direct you to an interesting biography that is able to expound on Belloc's life and works more than ou

    "The suburban evening was grey and yellow on Sunday"   This week on 'Cryptic Opening Quotes' we present, what sounds like, 'A Bumbler's Guide to Apocalypse in Suburbia'... Whether we understood it properly, read too much into it, or generally deemed this episode's novel of being worthy of a place on your own capacious bookshelf, are possibly questions we will address. What we can answer is whether T S Eliot will get his only short story onto our infinitely roomy and infinitely imaginary bookshelf. Further Reading T S Eliot was a man who one the Nobel Prize for Literature and was generally more famous more for his poetry and Non-fiction than his fiction, but as he has no fewer than 36 different people who want to talk about his work (less the crazies, presumably) on the ultimate source, I'm fairly happy to leave the discussion to them. Nethertheless, we sought interesting angles for this most famous of authors and managed to find the only non-fiction he wrote. In case you haven't got t

"Some men acquire wisdom at twenty-one, others at thirty-five, and some never." Fred and Dave are back in the mean streets of 19th Century New York once more, but this is no Horatio Alger fairy-tale. Join Jimmy "the Kid" Caulfield as we hear about his adventures in crime, and in prison, in the 'Autobiography of a Thief'. Really worth reading the book this week folks, so head on over to Project Gutenberg now! Further Reading Find out more about the "author", although in reality editor, here at the Hitchhiker's Guide to Earth. His wife was pretty interesting too. Unfortunately there is, perhaps unsurprisingly, not a lot on professional criminal Jimmy, but this account of his possible protege George Appo is worth a look. And on prisons, the Howard League is a good cause worth supporting. Next time It's our twentieth episode, so David's picked something famous right? Well... no, it's poet T.S Eliot's only piece of published fiction, the bizarrely-named Eeldrop an

The title says it all this week as we ask Kipling's exotic animals and A A Milne's honey-grabber to move over for our review of Albert Bigelow Paine's anthropomorphic trailblazer. From the Hollow Tree in the Big Deep Woods we judge this selection of short stories to see whether they can earn a place in the 'written for children' section of our bookshelf. If you've not read them yet, the link to find them is just below: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28192   FURTHER READING For our adventurous readers we have some juicy links for you. This one will tell you a bit about the Author and treat you to some cover art to boot, whereas these enterprising nostalgians (sp?) have their own ideas concerning Paine's universe. And for afters, here's some contemporary opinion of the author's other famous works. We've had our say on this menagerie of concepts, but if you had any views about it you wish to share, send them over to us by e-mail, Twitter or on Facebook by following any of the links at the top of the page

"I'd pretty much pissed away most of my Whuffie... until I'd expended all the respect anyone had ever afforded me"   You might assume that that is a quote from our new read, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, but it's actually from a clickbait article styled 'These celebrities were made immortal! What they look like after a year will amaze you..." In all seriousness, this weeks book does sit somewhere on the clickbait spectrum; the portion that entices you with the words, FREE DOWNLOAD. To that effect it is a real success, as here we are telling you about it and only a few hours of our free time to write in our outgoings column... but was it time well spent? We'll tell you that and more in this week's episode, but if you haven't already, read the book and make your own mind up: http://craphound.com/down/download/   Further reading As usual we have some interesting tidbits for you all to peruse at your leisure, sometimes they are even related to the author or the novel - though we can't guarantee eit

"...since he merely appears in this prologue, there is no need to give his entitlements." And even more wit cut with fear and spooks from this episode's author M R James. Short too, but don't let that fool you, there is plenty here to give pause for thought for even the most under-active of imaginations. Check it out here as the seventh title amongst a trove of ghost stories: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486     Further reading In reading this we were taken to the beautiful East-Anglian coast so we thought we'd pass on the favour by showing you where Parkins hit white balls ineffectually with sticks. Also this week we have some tidbits about the story itself, an interview about the 2010 TV adaptation and the 1968 TV version. In addition to that we have an article included mostly because it validates our opinions, making us feel clever. Should you wish to go the whole hog, head over to a podcast devoted far more singlemindedly and worthily to M R James than we could have managed. Lastly, for

  Join Fred and Dave as they journey to the exotic South Seas to live with the Typees. Yes, it's the novel that announced Herman Melville to the world - but is it one that makes the shelf?   Further Reading Some further listening as well as reading this week - an interesting Radio 4 documentary on Melville is well worth your time. You will find all the materials you might want at the pages for The Melville Society and the Life and Works of Herman Melville That said, a few more worth pointing out include this short article about Melville's writing process and this discussion of his personal life And I'd definitely suggest reading D H Lawrence on Typee and this very interesting article about how "realistic" the book truly was.#   NEXT TIME Don't be fooled by the name, it's not Raffles slash fiction but a ghostly short story - "Oh, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad" Read it online here: http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/owhistle.htm See you in a fortnight!    

"Bully!" Careful phrasing required in this romp around New York with the rough-sleeping, but honorably intentioned adolescent, Richard Hunter. You can read the book here and find out what we mean: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5348   Further reading   As usual we have a feast of extras designed to steal your hard earned work-breaks, including this one, which like a swindle Dick has pointed out to you, will pull you in so that you only realise it was a con when you're halfway home and your wallet's gone from your pocket. Should you want to find a bit more about the author look here, or you can read about how Alger was, after all, writing a fantasy.  We recommend, however, that you put your time into a savings account and use it to read this good old-fashioned parody of the Alger Myth. As ever, should you have anything to say about our soap box orations, make your feelings known to us at podcast@shelfboundpod.com or comment on our Facebook or Twitter accounts.   NEXT TIME We journe

The gift of choice was denied our reviewers as the internet settled upon them a choice suggested by the twitterverse, but for good or ill? Another Fortnight ends and, as we lift the hourglass to set the timer anew, a new episode is revealed. This week Fred and Dave adventure into the bold, shy teenager-filled, dawn of 20th century young adult fiction-fantasy via author J L Bryan.     Follow the link, listen and find out!   In the meantime, if you have a serious moment, see what Ms Jenny Pox might be like if you met her on the street or take a look at where people are studying the types of violence she perpetrates that we may prevent it: http://www.insightconflictresolution.org/retaliatory-violence-insight-project.html After, when you inevitably need a whimsical pick-me-up, move on and read about our author's namesake, a LHB Wisden's Cricketer of the year, no less; alternatively, see how others celebrate the spiritual myth and mystery of Sekhmet, who spirit imbues our book's leading lady with

"You'll never know what the world has escaped." Words to live by as Fred and Dave again discuss a piece from the open bookshelf of liberally licensed literature. You can read the book here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50133   Further reading   Plenty to get your teeth into with Lovecraft and people seem to have run with the idea as the popular author has sprouted fans all over the place. A few of them will be found at his birthplace this summer. He also inspired a wealth of reflective journalism, lists and other articles, so get stuck in and then feel free to tell us what you think. Oh and don't forget the gaming classics! Make your impassioned defenses or vitriolic harangues out to podcast@shelfboundpod.com or comment on our Facebook or Twitter pages.   NEXT TIME As the coming episode is our 13th Episode we put it to our listeners to tell us what they wanted us to read. And we have listened. Next up is 'Jenny Pox' by J L Bryan, a book currently available for free on Amazon Kindl

  "All that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men." Fred and Dave discuss Heart of Darkness. Read the book at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/219 Or listen at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20270   As announced in the show - please send suggestions for Episode 13 to podcast@shelfboundpod.com or comment on our Facebook or Twitter pages.   Further reading Scheduling issues have meant that we've not had the time to curate the usual further reading section. Luckily, the Joseph Conrad Society is a scholarly charity which aims to raise awareness of Conrad's life and works. Their excellent website includes links to a huge number of resources, so what are you waiting for?     NEXT EPISODE: "THE DUNWICH HORROR" DOWNLOAD AT: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50133  

  Time to take a look at a quintessentially British anti-hero, the gentleman thief A.J Raffles. Our own dynamic duo take on the daring exploits of Raffles and faithful chronicler Bunny Manders in this week's episode.   Read the book at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/706 Or listen at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20592   As announced in the show - please send suggestions for Episode 13 to podcast@shelfboundpod.com or comment on our Facebook or Twitter pages.   Further reading   If you read one link this week, make it this excellent piece from The Strand Magazine.   A complete collection of Raffles stories can be found at The Annotated AJ Raffles   As mentioned in the podcast, Raffles and Manders are so often mentioned as an afterthought to Holmes and Watson. Is it time to redress the balance?   If you're interested in the various film and television adaptations plenty of information can be found here.   But apparently the most recent adaptation,

A radical departure from our usual fictional fare this fortnight, as we instead read one of the most influential non-fiction works of modern times. 'An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations' was written at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that changed both Britain and the rest of the world.  The importance of the book is without question - but is it still worth reading? And did Smith actually preach the libertarianism that his name is synonymous with today? Join Fred and Dave to find out... Read the book at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300   Further reading Those with a real interest in economics and associated subjects will know better than us which of the thousands of scholarly works on Smith are worth reading - if you have any particular suggestions, let us know in the comments below. For a more general background, check out the extremely detailed Wikipedia entry and the Encyclopedia Britannica.   If you are interested in the details of Smith'

  Our oldest book to date, probably published in 1682, is one that is surrounded by mystery. Who is the author? Is the book as cynical as it first appears? And does it have relevance to the modern day? Join relative newly-weds Fred and Dave (not to each other by the way!) as they combine literary criticism with the knowledge that their wives do listen to this podcast. Read the book at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13872   Further reading Possible (probable?) author Aphra Behn was a fascinating woman. Learn more about her life from: Oxford University The National Maritime Museum Luminarium "The Aphra Behn page" And if you'd like to learn more about this remarkable author's impact on future generations, you might want to check out: This Guardian article The Aphra Behn Society And for the academically-minded, Aphra Behn Europe   As mentioned in the episode, her grave at Westminster Abbey and the excellent "The Female Pen" by Bridget MacCarthy   NEXT EPISODE: "THE WEALTH OF N

  Lord Dunsany might be one of the most influential fantasy writers of all time, but he's a lot less well known than Tolkein et al. Why is this? And is his lack of fame justified? Find out in this week's Shelf Bound Books. Read the book at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8395 Further reading We discussed the possible influence on Tolkein on the podcast - find out more here And his influence extended toward the "Weird" as well The always excellent Victorian Web has a great resources page on Lord Dunsany Or read a different biography here Read the famous Ursula LeGuin essay, "From Elfland to Poughkeepsie". Discussion of Dunsany starts on page 149 Or read about Lord Dunsany's chess variant   NEXT EPISODE: "THE 10 PLEASURES OF MARRIAGE" DOWNLOAD AT: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13872

  Join Fred and David as they intrepidly dive into the work of one of the 'Bad Gones' of French 19th century literature, Gustave Flaubert. THRILL as they follow the fortunes of Frédéric Moreau from a boat near Paris through the Revolution of 1848 and beyond. MARVEL at how badly French names can be pronounced GASP at the tension...WILL IT MAKE THE SHELF? Make it a MENAGE A TROIS by joining in and reading the book at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34828 and https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27537   Further links It's another long book so if you want to read a precis, Sparknotes have a detailed summary with some analysis Like Flaubert? Read this and this and this review of Geoffrey Wall's biography Dislike Flaubert? Chuckle as he is taken apart here and also here Completing undermining what we said about the lack of historical relevance is this article (free if you register) And finally, what do Flaubert and Jerry Seinfeld have in common? Quite a lot apparently

  Our first play this week and it's a famous one - join Fred and Dave as they try to be witty about one of the world's wittiest playwrights, Oscar Wilde.  Also featuring our first piece of listener mail! Don't forget to contact us with your thoughts, either through comments below, podcast@shelfboundpod.com or the various social media platforms linked to above... Read the play at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/790   Further links Not a lot this week as I'm full of cold while uploading this. But a good place to start is the excellent WildeTimes.net  A pretty exhaustive list of Wildean quips Want to know more about the trial(s) of Oscar Wilde? A very detailed resource here As referenced in the episode, some modern 'culture' in the style of Wilde    

Described by many as the first English detective novel, it could be argued that without the Moonstone an entire genre would not exist. So if you've ever enjoyed detectives from Miss Marple to Morse, or Wallander to Lord Wimsey, pick up the Moonstone and listen along. Read online at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/155 Or watch a film adaptation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpDPFI8qwp8 Lots of bonus content this week: The Wilkie Collins Society has it's own newsletter and academic journal While this website on Wilkie Collins may look like a fever dream from 1997, it's full of excellent resources to explore the author and his works further. Another fantastic trove of content on Victorian Web is worth checking out, particularly this section on his opium addiction Even if you don't have time to read the book this week, this review might help persuade you to get around to it this summer Collins almost certainly based Sergeant Cuff at least in part on the real-life det

  Our first blind pick, of a book neither of us had even heard of. Was it a good idea? Find out in this week's episode, as we cover Sir Anthony Hope's little-known historical romance Simon Dale