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Armadillo (novel)
''Armadillo'' is William Boyd's seventh novel, published in 1998. It was the first of his novels to be based in Britain. Boyd also wrote the screenplay for a BBC/ A&E television adaptation in 2001. Plot introduction The story concerns Lorimer Black, a successful loss adjuster. His original name is Milomre Blocj and he comes from a family of Transnistrian gypsies who arrived in London in 1957 and set up an import-export business linked to Eastern Europe. They now run a taxi cab firm and are always borrowing money off Milo (as they still call him). Lorimer suffers from insomnia and spends many nights at the "Institute for Lucid Dreaming" in search for a cure. He collects antique helmets, listens to African music and is having an affair with Stella Bull, the owner of a scaffolding company. The book includes extracts taken from Lorimer's journal ''The Book of Transfiguration,'' in which he philosophizes on his situation and quotes from Gerard de Nerval. Hogg, Lorimer's overbearing b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Boyd (writer)
William Andrew Murray Boyd (born 7 March 1952) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. Biography Boyd was born in Accra, Gold Coast, (present-day Ghana), to Scottish parents, both from Fife, and has two younger sisters. His father Alexander, a doctor specialising in tropical medicine, and Boyd's mother, who was a teacher, moved to the Gold Coast in 1950 to run the health clinic at the University College of the Gold Coast, Legon (now the University of Ghana). In the early 1960s the family moved to western Nigeria, where Boyd's father held a similar position at the University of Ibadan. Boyd spent his early life in Ghana and Nigeria and, at the age of nine, went to a preparatory school and then to Gordonstoun school in Scotland, and, after that, to the University of Nice in France, followed by the University of Glasgow, where he gained an M.A. (Hons) in English & Philosophy, and finally Jesus College, Oxford. His father died of a rare disease when Boyd was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howard Davies (director)
Stephen Howard Davies, (26 April 1945 – 25 October 2016) was a British theatre and television director. Early life Davies was the son of miner and glassblower Thomas Emrys Davies, from Maesteg, and Hilda Bevan. He was born in Reading, England. He was educated at Christ's Hospital school, Horsham and then studied at Durham University (1963-1966) and Bristol University, where he developed an appreciation for the works of Bertolt Brecht. Career In the early 1970s, Davies worked extensively with the Bristol Old Vic and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and he served as an associate director for both the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he directed ''Les liaisons dangereuses'', ''Macbeth'', and ''Troilus and Cressida''. He also did much work for the Royal National Theatre, where his projects included ''Hedda Gabler'', ''The House of Bernarda Alba'', ''Pygmalion'', ''The Crucible'', ''The Shaughraun'', and ''Paul''., and where he directed Chekhov's ''The Cherry Orchard'' which open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Novels Set In London
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself from the la, novella, a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ''novellus'', diminutive of ''novus'', meaning "new". Some novelists, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Ann Radcliffe, John Cowper Powys, preferred the term "romance" to describe their novels. According to Margaret Doody, the novel has "a continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", with its origins in the Ancient Greek and Roman novel, in Chivalric romance, and in the tradition of the Italian renaissance novella.Margaret Anne Doody''The True Story of the Novel'' New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996, rept. 1997, p. 1. Retrieved 25 April 2014. The ancient romance form was revived by Romanticism, especially the historic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Novels By William Boyd (writer)
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself from the la, novella, a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ''novellus'', diminutive of ''novus'', meaning "new". Some novelists, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Ann Radcliffe, John Cowper Powys, preferred the term "romance" to describe their novels. According to Margaret Doody, the novel has "a continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", with its origins in the Ancient Greek and Roman novel, in Chivalric romance, and in the tradition of the Italian renaissance novella.Margaret Anne Doody''The True Story of the Novel'' New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996, rept. 1997, p. 1. Retrieved 25 April 2014. The ancient romance form was revived by Romanticism, especially the histor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1998 British Novels
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently shadowed craters near the Moon's poles. * January 11 – Over 100 people are killed in the Sidi-Hamed massacre in Algeria. * January 12 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning. * January 17 – The ''Drudge Report'' breaks the story about U.S. President Bill Clinton's alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky, which will lead to the House of Representatives' impeachment of him. February * February 3 – Cavalese cable car disaster: A United States military pilot causes the deaths of 20 people near Trento, Italy, when his low-flying EA-6B Prowler severs the cable of a cable-car. * February 4 – The 5.9 Afghanistan earthquake shakes the Takhar Province with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (''Very strong''). With up to 4, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Novels
The novel in Scotland includes all long prose fiction published in Scotland and by Scottish authors since the development of the literary format in the eighteenth century. The novel was soon a major element of Scottish literary and critical life. Tobias Smollett's picaresque novels, such as ''The Adventures of Roderick Random'' and ''The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle'' mean that he is often seen as Scotland's first novelist. Other Scots who contributed to the development of the novel in the eighteenth century include Henry Mackenzie and John Moore. There was a tradition of moral and domestic fiction in the early nineteenth century that included the work of Elizabeth Hamilton, Mary Brunton and Christian Johnstone. The outstanding literary figure of the early nineteenth century was Walter Scott, whose ''Waverley'' is often called the first historical novel. He had a major worldwide influence. His success led to a publishing boom in Scotland. Major figures that benefited included J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Fox
William Fox (born 19 May 1939), known professionally as James Fox, is an English actor. He appeared in several notable films of the 1960s and early 1970s, including '' King Rat'', ''The Servant'', ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' and ''Performance'', before quitting the screen for several years to be an evangelical Christian. He has since appeared in a wide range of film and television productions. Early life Fox was born on 19 May 1939 in London, the second son of theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. His elder brother is actor Edward Fox and his younger brother is film producer Robert Fox. His maternal grandfather was playwright Frederick Lonsdale. Like several members of the Fox family, he attended Harrow School. After leaving Harrow, Fox took a short service commission in the Coldstream Guards. Career Early career Fox first appeared on film in ''The Miniver Story'' in 1950. His early screen appearances, both in film and television, were made under his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams (born 10 November 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey''. His performance on the show earned him a nomination at the Golden Globes and two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, as well as three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He reprised his role in the feature films, ''Downton Abbey'' (2019), and '' Downton Abbey: A New Era'' (2022). He also appeared in the films ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Iris'' (2001), ''The Monuments Men'' (2014), and the '' Paddington films'' (2014-2023). Early life and education Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams was born on 10 November 1963 in Paddington, London. His mother was a nurse and his father was a urological surgeon. He was educated at Dulwich College Preparatory School and at Sherborne School, an independent school in Dorset. Following secondary education, Bonneville read theology at Corpus Christi Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea ( ; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in films such as ''V for Vendetta'', ''Michael Collins'', ''Interview with the Vampire'' and ''Breakfast on Pluto''. Rea was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Neil Jordan's thriller ''The Crying Game'' (1992). He has had important roles in the Hugo Blick TV series '' The Shadow Line'' and ''The Honourable Woman'', for which he won a BAFTA Award. In 2020, ''The Irish Times'' ranked Rea the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all-time. Early life Rea was born in Belfast; his father was a bus driver and his mother a housewife. He studied English at the Queen's University Belfast and drama at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. In the late 1970s, he acted in the Focus Company in Dublin with Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney. Career After appearing on the stage and in television and film for many years in Ireland and England, Rea came to international attention when he was nomina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catherine McCormack
Catherine Jane McCormack (born 3 April 1972) is an English actress of stage and screen. Her film appearances include ''Braveheart'' (1995), ''The Land Girls'' (1998), ''Dangerous Beauty'' (1998), ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' (1998), ''Spy Game'' (2001), and '' 28 Weeks Later'' (2007). Her theatre work includes National Theatre productions of '' All My Sons'' (2000) and ''Honour'' (2003). Early life McCormack was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. She is of part Irish ancestry as one of her grandfathers was Irish. Her mother died of lupus when McCormack was six years old and her steelworker father subsequently raised her and her brother Stephen.Duerden, NickCatherine McCormack: The play's the thing ''The Independent'', 10 August 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2009. She was brought up as Roman Catholic and attended the Convent of Our Lady of Providence. She went on to study at the Oxford School of Drama. Career Film McCormack's first important role was as the character Murron M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Frain
James Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. His best known television roles include Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime/ CBC historical drama ''The Tudors'' (2007–2009), Franklin Mott in the HBO drama ''True Blood'' (2010), Warwick the Kingmaker in the BBC drama serial '' The White Queen'' (2013), John Sumner in the Sky/Canal+ crime drama '' The Tunnel'' (2013), Ferdinand Chevalier in the BBC/Space sci-fi thriller ''Orphan Black'' (2015–2017), Theo Galavan/Azrael in Fox's '' Gotham'' (2015–2016), and Sarek in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' (2017–2019). He also played leading roles in the BBC dramas '' Armadillo'' (2001), '' The Buccaneers'' (1995) and ''The Mill on the Floss'' (1997). In film, he is best known for playing Daniel Barenboim and Álvaro de la Quadra in the biographical dramas ''Hilary and Jackie'' and ''Elizabeth'', respectively (both 1998), Bassianus in the Shakespeare adaptation ''Titus'' (1999), and Gérard de Villefort in the historical drama ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sue Birtwistle
Susan Elizabeth Birtwistle, Lady Eyre, (born 9 December 1945) is a producer and writer of television drama. Birtwistle has won awards for several of her productions, including ''Hotel du Lac'', '' Pride and Prejudice'' and '' Emma'', and was one of the nominees for the 2008 BAFTA Awards for her production of '' Cranford''. Early life She was born in Northwich, Cheshire, England, and attended Northwich County Grammar School for Girls (now The County High School, Leftwich). She studied drama and English at Coventry College of Education (became part of the University of Warwick). Career She is known for producing well-known costume dramas. Partial filmography as producer *''Oi For England'' *''Educating Marmalade'' * '' Dutch Girls'', 1985 * ''Hotel du Lac'', 1986 * ''Scoop'', 1987 * ''Ball Trap on the Cote Sauvage'' 1989 * ''Or Shall We Die?'' * ''v.'' * '' Pride and Prejudice'', 1995 * '' Emma'', 1996 * ''Armadillo'' * ''King Lear'' * ''Wives and Daughters'', 1999 * '' Cranf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
