an April anarchy

Let it be known that bookelfe and Pamela Dean were both absolutely correct in their recommendation of Christopher Fry's play The Lady's Not For Burning. I read it today in study breaks and was unutterably charmed by the whole thing.

In Tam Lin one of the characters describes it by saying that it's about two people who save each other from death, and from life. Which is an excellent way of putting it! It's definitely about love and death in approximately equal measures, which of course puts it so far up my alley it's clawing at the wall.

The writing style -- I don't know, the closest I can come is 'the unholy union of Tom Stoppard and John Webster'. The poetry is gorgeous, the humour consistent and clever, the satire beautifully handled. And at one point someone makes a grand metaphor about genitalia which involves artichokes.

The two main characters are in the Beatrice-and-Benedick mould, except with a lot more discussion of alchemy! and hanging! and skeletons! and how dare the other person waltz around being so inconveniently attractive, they are trying to cultivate an air of disaffected rationalism here!! *_* I love them to bits and now want to name my first daughter Jennet. Jennet is (ironically enough, given the plot) exactly like a Discworld witch crossed with a Jane Austen heroine. AMAZING <3

ILLUSTRATIVE QUOTES BELOW.

( Girl, you haven't changed the world. )