Nicola Humble Livres

Sous le vernis d'un genre, chacune des phrases de Jane Austen attaque les conventions, traque les ridicules, et finit avec une grâce exquise par pulvériser la morale bourgeoise, sans avoir l'air d'y toucher. Les héroïnes de Jane Austen lui ressemblent, elles aiment les potins mais détestent les bavardages, grossièreté et vulgarité. La pudeur, le tact, la discrétion, l'humour sont les seules convenances qu'elles reconnaissent... Et si Jane Austen mène les jeunes filles au mariage, c'est fortes d'une telle indépendance qu'il faut souhaiter au mari d'être à la hauteur ! A lire yeux baissés et genoux serrés pour goûter en secret le délicieux plaisir de la transgression des interdits. Anne Barbe, Libération, 1980.

The book explores the often-maligned concept of "middlebrow" literature, particularly focusing on the contributions of female authors like Rosamund Lehmann and Nancy Mitford. It argues that these writers not only shaped new class and gender identities during a transformative era but also challenged societal norms. By reassessing the significance of feminine middlebrow novels, the author seeks to elevate their status and highlight their cultural impact amidst the shifting dynamics of the 20th century.

Presents the history of Britain's culinary evolution through the cookery books which have inspired us over the course of a century, beginning with Mrs Beeton and leading to the rise of the celebrity TV chef.

Covering every aspect of food within literary texts, from experimental cook books to the sumptuous dinner parties at the heart of every Victorian Novel, The Literature of Food is the first comprehensive study of its kind and a must-buy for students on literature and food courses.