Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture

Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture PDF Author: Kenneth L. Ames
Publisher:
ISBN: 1566393337
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
In this provocative look at Victorian America, Kenneth Ames explores the minds of Victorians by examining some of their most distinctive and fascinating creations. Featuring five once-prominent home furnishings, he reconstructs a vanished culture and demonstrates the centrality of the artifact to historical understanding. Richly illustrated with photographs of surviving objects as well as images from a wide variety of period sources, the five essays discuss specific pieces—hallstands, sideboards, embroidered mottoes, parlor organs, and seating furniture—within the context of broader cultural issues and concerns. Ames reveals not only the major outlines of Victorian culture but also the conflicts and tensions deep within that culture. An extraordinary proliferation of goods characterizes the Victorian world. Throughout the study, Ames considers the relationship of some of these household objects to issues of class, gender, and place. For example, the importance of public image was dramatized by the rituals of the front hall in Victorian homes: its placement within the house, the massive hallstand with its receptacles for calling cards and umbrellas, accommodations for temporary and usually uncomfortable seating. The dining room was a shrine to the notion of "man's" dominion over nature—each elaborately carved sideboard displayed a frieze of slaughtered game and harvested vegetation. Parlor organs, a blending of the sacred and the profane, provided an occasion to display feminine accomplishment and to symbolize the role of the bourgeois Christian lady. Ames also discusses how the prevailing class and gender hierarchy was echoed in the posture of seating furniture and its arrangement. The author is one of the premier interpreters of Victorian culture in America. His witty, provocative, and irreverent commentary on the "quaint" fixtures of the Victorian household will fascinate scholars, antique buffs, and collectors on nostalgia. Author note: Kenneth L. Ames is Chief of Historical and Anthropological Surveys at the New York State Museum and was formerly Chair of the Office of Advanced Studies at the Winterthur Museum.

Death in Room Five

Death in Room Five PDF Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504089847
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Inspector Littlejohn confronts a challenging case across the Channel in this classic mystery from the “venerable” British author (Kirkus Reviews). When Alderman Dawson is stabbed to death while visiting the Riviera with a group of English tourists, Inspector Littlejohn puts his holiday on hold to assist the French police. But the suspects are plentiful. The culprit could be one of Dawson’s fellow travelers—or perhaps someone who encountered him years ago during World War II. While Littlejohn fends off complaints from the impatient members of the tour group and delves into potential motives, he can only hope that his investigation doesn’t go south along with his much-needed vacation. . . . “One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners of the simon-pure British detective story . . . his adroit ironic Inspector Littlejohn is one of the more popular members of the fictional C.I.D.” —The New York Times “Mr. Bellairs always gives good value.” —The Sunday Times

Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture

Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture PDF Author: Kenneth L. Ames
Publisher:
ISBN: 1566393337
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this provocative look at Victorian America, Kenneth Ames explores the minds of Victorians by examining some of their most distinctive and fascinating creations. Featuring five once-prominent home furnishings, he reconstructs a vanished culture and demonstrates the centrality of the artifact to historical understanding. Richly illustrated with photographs of surviving objects as well as images from a wide variety of period sources, the five essays discuss specific pieces—hallstands, sideboards, embroidered mottoes, parlor organs, and seating furniture—within the context of broader cultural issues and concerns. Ames reveals not only the major outlines of Victorian culture but also the conflicts and tensions deep within that culture. An extraordinary proliferation of goods characterizes the Victorian world. Throughout the study, Ames considers the relationship of some of these household objects to issues of class, gender, and place. For example, the importance of public image was dramatized by the rituals of the front hall in Victorian homes: its placement within the house, the massive hallstand with its receptacles for calling cards and umbrellas, accommodations for temporary and usually uncomfortable seating. The dining room was a shrine to the notion of "man's" dominion over nature—each elaborately carved sideboard displayed a frieze of slaughtered game and harvested vegetation. Parlor organs, a blending of the sacred and the profane, provided an occasion to display feminine accomplishment and to symbolize the role of the bourgeois Christian lady. Ames also discusses how the prevailing class and gender hierarchy was echoed in the posture of seating furniture and its arrangement. The author is one of the premier interpreters of Victorian culture in America. His witty, provocative, and irreverent commentary on the "quaint" fixtures of the Victorian household will fascinate scholars, antique buffs, and collectors on nostalgia. Author note: Kenneth L. Ames is Chief of Historical and Anthropological Surveys at the New York State Museum and was formerly Chair of the Office of Advanced Studies at the Winterthur Museum.

The Five Invitations

The Five Invitations PDF Author: Frank Ostaseski
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN: 1250074665
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
The cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project and pioneer behind the compassionate care movement shares an inspiring exploration of the lessons dying has to offer about living a fulfilling life. Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. As a renowned teacher of compassionate caregiving and the cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. In The Five Invitations, he distills the lessons gleaned over the course of his career, offering an evocative and stirring guide that points to a radical path to transformation. The Five Invitations: -Don’t Wait -Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing -Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience -Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things -Cultivate Don’t Know Mind These Five Invitations show us how to wake up fully to our lives. They can be understood as best practices for anyone coping with loss or navigating any sort of transition or crisis; they guide us toward appreciating life’s preciousness. Awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well, forging a rich and meaningful life, and letting go of regret. The Five Invitations is a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us.

The Perfect Death

The Perfect Death PDF Author: Stacy Claflin
Publisher: Stacy Claflin
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
Within a sordid history full of deadly secrets, no one can be trusted—not even family. No one is more mysterious than the reclusive Brannon family, descended from the town founders. When Claire, the eldest daughter and driven lawyer, is found dead from an apparent suicide, her free-spirited sister Kenzi rushes home determined to uncover the truth about this shocking act. Still haunted by their fraught relationship, Kenzi must now care for Claire’s brooding teenage daughter Ember, who believes the family's abandoned mansion hides sinister secrets. Strange occurrences in the home lead them to question whether someone—or something—wanted Claire dead and covered up the crime. With the help of handsome, relentless detective Graham Felton, Kenzi and Ember begin unraveling the family's hidden legacy and disturbing history of violence to uncover the chilling truth behind Claire's demise. But will digging into the cryptic clues put them directly in the path of Claire's killer and make them the next victims? As they untangle twisted bonds of family loyalty and obsession, Kenzi and Ember, once strangers, forge new family connections. Together, they plunge into the chilling secrets hidden within the shadows of the neighborhood's most tragic home.

The 5 Manners of Death

The 5 Manners of Death PDF Author: Darden North
Publisher: Wordcrafts, LLC
ISBN: 9780998395999
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
After a construction worker unearths a human skull on the campus of the University of Mississippi dating to the 1960s, an older woman's desperate attempt to erase history counts down the five manners of death. Dr. Diana Bratton is a surgeon surrounded by bodies after the discovery of her Aunt Phoebe's 50-year-old note detailing the manners of death. Suicide, accident, natural cause, and one death classified undetermined are soon crossed off this list--leaving Diana to believe that only murder remains. When Diana spots photographs in a 1966 university yearbook, Phoebe is linked not only to that death, but to the recent deaths of two local men. Diana is torn between pursuing Phoebe's innocence and accepting police theory that her aunt is involved in the murder of several men she knew in college. In "The Five Manners of Death," Dr. Diana Bratton steals precious time from her young daughter, her surgical practice, and her hopes for renewed romance to clear Aunt Phoebe's name of multiple murder and uncover the significance of the list. Even as Diana searches Phoebe's home basement for evidence, she works to trump the police and outrun the conspiracy between her ex-husband and Phoebe's long-time lover--her quest to expose the truth overshadowed by a need to rebury the past. Even though she realizes there is a chance to save her shrinking family, Diana understands that of the five ways to die, murder is her family secret.

Death in Room Five

Death in Room Five PDF Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Inspector Littlejohn Mysteries
ISBN: 9781913099152
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
The British bulldog does not let go until the murderer is brought to justice. But this is not Scotland Yard, Inspector. This is France...This trip to the French Riviera isn't what anyone signed up for: while Littlejohn loses his vacation, another man loses his life.When Alderman Dawson, the victim of a deathly stabbing, calls Littlejohn to his deathbed, the inspector is left with no choice but to investigate.With twelve suspects in play and motives dating back to WWII, this might be one of his toughest cases yet.More bodies are turning up and the French police are unwilling to investigate... could this be the case that even Littlejohn can't solve? Death in Room Five was first published in 1955.Death in Room Five is the eighth title in Agora's Inspector Littlejohn Mysteries. Reviews "Pure British detective fiction." The New York Times ★★★★★ "This is a thoroughly cracking read for fans of good old British murder mysteries." Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★ "Can't recommend this Littlejohn series of books enough each is different and full of surprise" Amazon Reviewer

Corpse at the Carnival

Corpse at the Carnival PDF Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504088425
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
When a seaside festival ends in murder, Superintendent Littlejohn gets caught up in a baffling investigation in this acclaimed British mystery series. It’s holiday time in Douglas and the town is alive with the local carnival. A brass band and bagpipes lead a procession down the promenade, and the cheering onlookers slowly make their way to the pier. But when the crowd thins and the promenade empties, a man is found dead at the center . . . Detective Littlejohn, who happens to be in town visiting a friend, now faces a perplexing case. In a small town that runs on gossip, nobody seems to know the victim. The waitress who identified him knew him only as ‘Uncle Fred.’ Who would want to murder an anonymous man? It soon becomes clear there is more to Uncle Fred than initially thought. As Littlejohn is pulled deeper into the mystery, the layers of Uncle Fred’s secretive life begin to unravel and the superintendent finds himself racing to prevent a second murder . . .

A Staged Death

A Staged Death PDF Author: A G Barnett
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781980841913
Category : Murder
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
When showbiz gets ugly... The world of showbiz comes to Bexford when the new series of hit TV show Foul Murder is launched there. Soon, life imitates art as a murder is committed, live on stage.Luckily, Detective Sergeant Guy Poole and Detective Inspector Sam Brock are in the audience to take charge of the scene.When it becomes clear that one of their own is the prime suspect, they are determined to help prove his innocence, no matter how annoying he is.

Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five PDF Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0385333846
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Kurt Vonnegut’s masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five is “a desperate, painfully honest attempt to confront the monstrous crimes of the twentieth century” (Time). Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.” An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it. Authors as wide-ranging as Norman Mailer, John Irving, Michael Crichton, Tim O’Brien, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, David Sedaris, Jennifer Egan, and J. K. Rowling have all found inspiration in Vonnegut’s words. Jonathan Safran Foer has described Vonnegut as “the kind of writer who made people—young people especially—want to write.” George Saunders has declared Vonnegut to be “the great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us . . . a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.” More than fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut’s portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

The Murders in the Rue Morgue PDF Author: Edgar Allan Poe
Publisher: SAMPI Books
ISBN: 6585934016
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Book Description
"The Rue Morgue Murders" is a pioneering tale in the mystery genre, in which detective Auguste Dupin uses his acute observation and logic to solve a brutal double murder in Paris, revealing a surprising and unusual outcome.