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The second meeting of our Between the Lines book club saw our parents and teachers discussing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a classic Gothic novel written in 1818.
Miss Jones shared with us that "Bronte might be a breath of fresh Eyre, but I prefer a little Shelley"! Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment.
Accompanying the evening's celebrations of this literary giant was a themed menu put together by the English department- Miss Jones and her team recommended some spooky sips and bloodthirsty bites for readers to enjoy:
Terrifying Teas
Inspired by the Gothic art of tea reading, sink your teeth into this Gothic classic with a cup of the hot stuff! Recommendations include:
- Traditional black tea, dark like the night sky!
- Pumpkin spiced latte, to bring back memories of Halloween haunts!
- Or feeling more ambitious, try this warming spiced apple cocktail:
In a small saucepan, combine apple cider, honey, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and steep, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain out the solids, then stir in the bourbon (optional) and lemon juice. Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick.
Bloodthirsty Biscuits
Feeling creative? your inner Frankenstein with these spooky biscuits recommended by the BBC Good Food page: Scary Halloween Cookies recipe.
For those of us with less time, perhaps a charcoal Oreo, or a blood-filled Jammy Dodger will do the trick (or treat)!
Further reading
Thank you to our Between the Lines members for the following further reading suggestions:
Miss Gammon: "There's a great film on Amazon Prime (to rent) about Mary Shelley – I really enjoyed it, perhaps because of Douglas Booth- and actually takes root in the origin story of Frankenstein. It's not factually correct in some parts, but a lovely watch."
Watch 'Mary Shelley' here…
Miss Gammon also recommended this fantastic video on YouTube: Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley – YouTube
Mr Sanguino shared with us the following links for the texts which were discussed in the club: 'Romantic Outlaws' and The Guardian's review of 'Romantic Outlaws'.