BREAKFAST TREATS (ELIZABETH GASKELL MEETS CHRISTIAN GREY)

HOW I love to read about literary breakfasts! As Jenny Uglow writes, in the 19th century, "Breakfasts were smart social events". Elizabeth Gaskell enjoyed a number of breakfasts during her London tour in 1848, the year Mary Barton was published. Sam Rogers the poet, gave breakfasts at his home in 22 St James Place that were celebrated across Europe, as Charlotte Bronte has noted. Here is my illustration inspired by today's post:

I am still reading Uglow's biography of Mrs Gaskell, and I am enjoying it very much. I love Uglow's language and writing, and have bought most of her books. I just read today that Gaskell collected autographs, and was amazed to hear about the same thing on BBC Radio Four's program Front Row! I also heard that the Elizabeth Gaskell archive, at the John Rylands library, has now been fully digitized.

To return to breakfasts. Charles Dickens described wedding breakfasts with relish. In the neo-Victorian novel Possession, it is a letter describing a literary breakfast (given by Thomas Carlysle, if I am not mistaken) that sets off the amazing plot!

And, of course, breakfasts at Christian Grey's apartment in Escala are always the most interesting events, as anyone who has read Fifty Shades knows!

Have a good Tuesday night xxx