Precious Bane (Virago Modern Classics)

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Rebecca West, a contemporary of Mary Webb, called her, simply, "a genius," and G. K. Chesterton, another contemporary, asserted: "the light in the stories . . . is a light not shining on the things but through them." Prue’s brother, Gideon, is engaged to her only friend, but in his ambition for wealth at any cost, he incurs the wrath of his would-be father-in-law whose act of vengeance results in Prue being accused of murder. Only Kester, who has perceived her true worth, can defend her from the wrath of her accusers. Her writing in general was reviewed as notable for poetic descriptions of nature. Another aspect throughout her work was a close and fatalistic view on human psychology. [12] Prue's narrative voice is a joy. Partly, this is because of the quaint, endearing regional dialect that Webb faithfully reproduces, with colorful turns of phrase that fascinate. (Some of the vocabulary was unfamiliar, but I could usually glean the meaning from the context.) But mostly, it's because of her warm embrace of life, her caring heart for her fellow humans, and her delight in the sheer beauty of the natural world (richly described here in all of its glory, at a time before industrial pollution and urban sprawl menaced and defiled it; Webb clearly shared her protagonist's delight in it). She's one of the most beautiful souls you'll ever meet in a book (on both the inside and the outside; just because a lady happens to have a cleft palate doesn't mean she's not good-looking --and if you don't know that, Webb will educate you!), and as innately classy as any noblewoman in England. (Though I didn't shelve this as an "action heroine" book, at one point she actually does also have to step into that territory, and she rises to the occasion admirably; you'll recognize that scene when you come to it.) Three of Webb's novels have been reprinted by Virago Press. [12] Bibliography [ edit ] Library resources about

Precious Bane | Pentabus Precious Bane | Pentabus

Darkly delightful.. full of wit, invention and charm. Outdoor theatre doesn’t come better than this. The GuardianFrancis, Peter (2006). A Matter of Life and Death - The Secrets of Shrewsbury Cemetery. Logaston Press. p.41. ISBN 1-904396-58-5. Her father, George Edward Meredith was an Oxford M.A. and teacher. He became a great influence in her life. She shared his love of literature and of the countryside. The Celtic influence of her parentage was strong. Her father was proud of his Welsh descent. Chesterton, G. K. (1928). The Collected Works of G. K. Chesterton. San Francisco: Ignatius Press. p.521. ISBN 9780898702941.

Precious Bane | Victorian England, Rural Life, Nature Precious Bane | Victorian England, Rural Life, Nature

Mi piaceva osservare la pasta che lievitava al calore della fiamma, e scaldare il forno con le fascine, raccattandone poi la cenere, e allineare per bene le pagnottine. Era piacevole stare nella cucina calda e piena di luce, in cui si diffondeva il buon odore del pane, e guardare fuori i campi e i boschi grigi, freddi e solitari, e poi chiudere le imposte, accendere la candela, apparecchiare e mettere a scaldare la focaccia di patate sulla brace, e sapere anche che di lì a poco tutti quelli che amavo sarebbero stati al riparo per una notte intera.” This is Prue Sarn's love story, though she never expected to have one because of her disfigurement, a hare-shotten lip. She falls in love with the weaver, Kester Woodseaves, as do all women who see him, because he is a fine figure of a man. What none of them see at first is that he has a good heart, and is a kind man; he sees beyond the surface to what lies underneath. It is also the story of her brother, Gideon Sarn, who also has a love story, but lets his love of money and ambition and revenge ruin everything for him.I've never heard, for instance, of this concept of a "sin eater" before. Of course, in the Christian belief system Jesus Christ, the redeemer, was supposed to have died to redeem the world from its sins. Maybe this was what was being faintly echoed in what these old English folks came up with, as narrated by the principal protagonist here with her grieving mother, her brother Gideon and her dead father about to be buried:

Precious Bane : Mary Webb : Free Download, Borrow, and Precious Bane : Mary Webb : Free Download, Borrow, and

Gideon Sarn argues that “We canna make the world, for it’s made already.” Is Precious Bane a fatalistic novel?Prudence Sarn was born with a cleft palate, her ‘precious bane’, for which she is persecuted as a witch by her superstitious neighbours. Hiding from daily ridicule, she takes refuge in the wild Shropshire countryside, developing a profound love of nature. Furtively, Prue longs to be loved and harbours a hopeless passion for Kester Woodseaves, the weaver. I think, times, that in our mortal language there are no words for the things that are of most account." Pru has a harelip. I like protagonists who are not paragons of beauty, and the difficulty of Prudence's particular disfigurement is that she is considered "cursed", a witch, even. This added considerable interest to her character. The large agonised faces in Mary Webb's book annoyed me ... I did not believe people were any more despairing in Herefordshire [sic] than in Camden Town.