You wouldn't think the story of a child murderer would lend itself to comedy, but this Austrian television production, shot on location in wintry Vienna, sprouts some dark humour. It also has the … [Read more...]
1983
I didn't know they made good TV shows in Poland. I didn't know they made any TV shows at all. . This dystopian thriller is set in an alternative 2003. Poland is subject to totalitarian rule ever … [Read more...]
Wallander, which one is your favourite?
Henning Mankell, novelist extraordinaire I first found Henning Mankell through his crime fiction featuring the melancholy Swedish sleuth Kurt Wallander. That's understandable, those novels have been … [Read more...]
Tacky TV
So I watched the pilot of Reign. After the first 10 minutes of anachronistic folly, I stopped laughing and became, instead, quite cross. Yes, I watched the pilot and the first episode but one can … [Read more...]
Jane Austen, Detective
One of the great pleasures of my life has been introducing Jane Austen to my children. Now here's a side of Jane that I'm going to introduce to you. Who would have thought it? Jane Austen … [Read more...]
You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Sumerian Slave!
Do you ever get the urge to yell "You have too many things!" to your grandchildren? It's not worth giving way to such an urge. They won't know what you're talking about. They brush aside your … [Read more...]