A sleepy village in rural England loses contact with the world for an entire day. Strange and mysterious, yes, but alarming? Not so much, for a bunch of proper British folks who wake up and manage to go about their day; cold, but determined. However, a few weeks later, all the females of childbearing age find themselves pregnant, virgin or otherwise. And the babies all share the same feature: golden eyes. And as time goes on, the village discovers that's not all the children share.
The novel is a classic from 1957. It's a little tricky to get hold of, but well worth the effort. It's one of my personal favorites, written at a time when Science Fiction writers were coming into their own. Wyndham is a little ahead of his time as he writes of moral implications and cultural effects. His style is straight-forward and charming, with little mind to the science of the happening, and more on the results in the lives of people.
The title is intriguing! The immediate association, I think, is "Cuckoo" as though "Nuts", or "Wacko", and it certainly fits. However, as a bird, the cuckoo often lays its eggs in another bird's nest...
And the perfect tea companion to this tale of surrogacy is Irish Breakfast Tea: http://shopstashtea.com/050320.html . The tea is also a little tricky to get hold of, but well worth the effort. It's a black tea, strong like English Breakfast, but with an undertaste of malt that comes along after the initial taste to really deepen the experience. Cream and sweetener make this almost a dessert.
Showing posts with label berry tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label berry tea. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne
I find the classic novel a mixture of charm and density of detail. I read in a biography of Verne how he would spend hours in research, and I certainly see the results of that in this particular tale.
The story is told by Axel, the nephew of Professor Otto Lidenbrock, who reluctantly joins his uncle and an Icelandic guide into an inactive volcano--an opening to a pathway that leads to the center of the earth. Axel disbelieves each step of the way; his uncle is a force of determination.
The novel reads much like a geography lesson. There are frequent pauses for the professor to divulge paragraphs of scientific argument (I kept envisioning Verne as the writer, determined to "prove" to his readers, by way of Lidenbrock, that he knew what he was talking about). Perhaps it was due to his time, knowing though the novel was fictional, it would yet need to stand up to the scrutiny of the ever-expanding scientific knowledge of Victorian England.
What spares the reader from being completely buried beneath the science lesson is Verne's ability to use his skill for detail on the characters. The fiery temper of Professor Lidenbrock is true-to-form through the entire story, and even the landscape itself takes on a personality that carries throughout.
So what sort of tea might one drink for the reading of "Journey to the Center of the Earth"? I suggest a fruity herbal--a reader will need patience for this tale, not the effects of caffeine. Be ready to slow down, take the novel at the pace with which it's written. And a light flavor is best, something of a berry blend: http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/black-cherry-berry , to contraindicate the dark depths to which the characters descend. And don't forget the sweetener! I think you'll need it.
The story is told by Axel, the nephew of Professor Otto Lidenbrock, who reluctantly joins his uncle and an Icelandic guide into an inactive volcano--an opening to a pathway that leads to the center of the earth. Axel disbelieves each step of the way; his uncle is a force of determination.
The novel reads much like a geography lesson. There are frequent pauses for the professor to divulge paragraphs of scientific argument (I kept envisioning Verne as the writer, determined to "prove" to his readers, by way of Lidenbrock, that he knew what he was talking about). Perhaps it was due to his time, knowing though the novel was fictional, it would yet need to stand up to the scrutiny of the ever-expanding scientific knowledge of Victorian England.
What spares the reader from being completely buried beneath the science lesson is Verne's ability to use his skill for detail on the characters. The fiery temper of Professor Lidenbrock is true-to-form through the entire story, and even the landscape itself takes on a personality that carries throughout.
So what sort of tea might one drink for the reading of "Journey to the Center of the Earth"? I suggest a fruity herbal--a reader will need patience for this tale, not the effects of caffeine. Be ready to slow down, take the novel at the pace with which it's written. And a light flavor is best, something of a berry blend: http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/black-cherry-berry , to contraindicate the dark depths to which the characters descend. And don't forget the sweetener! I think you'll need it.
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