BleakChesneyWold

                                   Very Poetic and Atmospheric  historical novel - Magnificent  Alan Humm edits the arts journal 'One Hand Clapping' and has had two poetry collections published. 'The Sparkler' is his first novel, published by Vine Leaves Press.  This is certainly quality writing. Alan Humm uses fiction as a means of  exploring what he considers to be 'gaps' in historians' knowledge of Dickens's life: A surprising challenge at first as Dickens has had so many biographers, and some potential readers may feel that the novel veers towards the 'unknowable' Dickens.At any rate, Mr Humm has cited the two books that have inspired him in creating 'The Sparkler' as being 'Becoming Dickens-The Invention of a Novelist' by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst and 'The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi, Laughter, Madness and 'The Story of Britain's Greatest Comedian' by Andrew Mconell S...

                                            One of Hardy's Neglected Novels  The term 'Laodicean'  comes from the Book of Revelation, chapter 3, meaning 'lukewarm' and 'non committal' or even 'incapable of making a real commitment'. [ 14 ] And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; [ 15 ] I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [ 16 ] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth I can not trace any TV,radio, or stage adaptations. A screenplay  has been written with an audio version uploaded on to You Tube in seven parts, not sure if this was ever performed. This highlights the storyline's more comic elements.  Hardy was ill in bed when constructing working...