Blood Brothers by Willy Russell, a theatre review and discussion by Kate O’Brien.
I had the most brilliant Saturday because not only did I have a great day in town, enjoying great drinks, great food, and great company, but I also went to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre to see Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
Some readers may remember that last August I went on a #theatretrip to see Blood Brothers when the show was being performed in Belfast. If you’re a new reader and you’re interested in reading about the weekend I spent in Belfast then click the link below.
In this piece that was entitled “Blood Brothers in Belfast,” I talked about the cost of going on a little trip like this, because even though it wasn’t the longest trip, things can still get pretty pricey. I love to travel, and obviously it is no secret that I love the theatre and this can be an expensive love, but I do consider myself to be fairly realistic and I do my very best not to impulse buy. I like to sit down and properly think about what is worth a splurge and what is not.
I was honest and transparent in this piece, I broke down the cost of everything we did, what we considered worth a splurge and why, and I also talked about some of the things we do to stay budget friendly so if you’re someone who loves a city break and would be interested in reading an honest breakdown of costs then be sure to click the link and have a read. It was a fantastic break and we ended up stumbling upon an absolutely gorgeous fairytale exhibition, which I’ve written all about and I’ve shared some gorgeous photographs from the trip so take a look!
Blood Brothers is hands down my favourite musical. I’ve said before that it is a masterpiece. If you’re a new reader, you may not have read the piece in which I explained why this show means so much to me. To try and be brief; I studied speech and drama for years. I studied Blood Brothers for years. I was part of an amateur production of the show which was an experience that has truly stuck with me for life. I made lifelong friends, I have incredible memories, and I learned so much. It is one of those shows that I don’t think I’ll ever tire of. Any time I get the opportunity to go and see the show professionally, I jump at the chance. That is why we decided to make the trip to Belfast because the show was not coming to Dublin. I could not miss the show when it was only a two hour bus journey away. Later when it was announced that the show would be returning to the Bord Gáis, I didn’t even hesitate. I knew I had to see it again, and it was just sensational.
Blood Brothers tells the tragic story of Michael and Edward Johnstone, Mickey and Eddie respectively. Mickey and Eddie are the twin sons of Mrs. Johnstone. The story begins with Mrs. Johnstone telling us all about how she ended up with seven children before she was twenty-six. Her husband has walked out on her, leaving her with seven hungry mouths to feed and another on the way.
Struggling to get by, she takes a job as a cleaner in a big house. She works for the very wealthy Mrs. Lyons. Mrs. Lyons is desperate for a child but she has been unable to get pregnant. When Mrs. Johnstone discovers she is having twins, she doesn’t know how her family will survive. Desperate to become a mother, Mrs. Lyons convinces Mrs. Johnstone to give one of the twins to her, with the promise that she can see him everyday when she comes to work.
Scared and desperate herself, Mrs. Johnstone agrees and Mrs. Lyons forces her to swear on the bible. After the deal has been made, Mrs. Lyons fires Mrs. Johnstone and the poor woman is determined to take her son back but Mrs. Lyons won’t allow it. She lies to the superstitious woman, telling her that twins who were parted must never learn the truth because if they do, they will die.
The rest of the story follows Mickey and Eddie as they grow up and become the best of friends, not knowing that they are truly brothers. The story follows the boys as they grow up from the age of seven to eighteen, and as life goes on, they tragically learn that the older they get, their differences will inevitably become more apparent. Mickey grew up the youngest of eight in a very poor family with a mother who loved her children, and did her best, but she could not shield her children from the harshness of their world. Eddie, Edward grew up as an only child in a very wealthy household, with educated and wealthy parents. He had the world, and he never faced the same worries that Mickey did.
Blood Brothers is a tragic tale. It is phenomenal. It is utterly brilliant because it is poignant, and it is tragic, but it is also incredibly funny and witty. It is raw. I think that raw is the best word to use when describing it. Willy Russell did not shy away from highlighting how difficult it is to grow up in poverty. He really captures how sometimes people just don’t have a chance.
Mrs. Johnstone didn’t expect her husband to abandon her. She had to somehow make things work, she had to go out and find work. Very few people helped her, and many people looked down on her and her children but none of them stopped to think about how they’d fare if they were in her difficult situation.
Ultimately it is a story of nature vs nurture, but beyond that it is a story about class differences and what they do to people. Edward was not inherently better than Mickey, he was just lucky that he was the baby Mrs. Lyons picked out of the pram. It could have just as easily been Mickey. Mickey could have just as easily had the charmed, wealthy life and he could have just as easily escaped all of the struggles that poverty entails. It was simply a matter of luck. None of us decide what family we are born into, but how others in society treat us based on something we could not control is extremely interesting. It is a huge point of discussion. It is why I think that Blood Brothers is the masterpiece that it is, because the core theme which is class differences, is a theme that has always and most likely will always be extremely relevant. How we treat those who have less than us, how we think of those who have less than us, is a conversation that needs to be had much more often.
The story is extremely thought-provoking and there are a number of ways that one could discuss it. The dialogue is sharp and quick-witted. There are some really tender moments. The score is catchy and the music utilises repetition in a very clever way. There are many musical themes that are repeated throughout the show and I like to think of it as being one musical thread that keeps expanding. There are a lot of mirroring scenes to show the differences between the two households. We see clearly how one situation works out for Mickey and then immediately we are shown how differently it works out for Edward. There is also a brilliant back and forth between Mrs. Johnstone and Mrs. Lyons and how they mother. Mrs. Lyons may be wealthier and she may be far more educated, but I would argue that Mrs. Johnstone is a much more loving and caring mother. To sum up their dynamic, I would say that Mrs. Lyons is always concerned about how situations make her feel whereas Mrs. Johnstone is primarily focused on how her children feel. Mrs. Johnstone has love pouring out of her, it’s just the lack of money that stops her from giving her children the world. It is a very interesting thing to see play out onstage because it forces us as an audience to stop and think about the assumptions we may have about other people. To see them on the street, many may automatically assume that Mrs. Lyons is the “better mother” or that because they are wealthy that the Lyons family is the “better family”, but this is not necessarily true.
I’ve thought a lot about whether I consider it to be a top or bottom-heavy show (this refers to when one act of a show is fuller than the other) and I’ve come to the conclusion that I think it is a bottom-heavy show. Act-two covers so much ground, but I will say that I think act one does a spectacular job of setting up all of the themes that will be followed through in act two.
The beginning of act one is quite exposition focused, we learn about Mrs. Johnstone and Mrs. Lyons, we see the differences between the two women and their lives, we see the deal being created and made, and then we see the two starkly different lives that the boys have – but as we see all of this play out, we see things that are set up and then we see them mirrored and followed through in act two. It is really satisfying to see the full circle moments in terms of how the story is structured. The show also moves quite quickly.
That is another thing that I absolutely adore about this show, the pacing. I love that from the time the curtains open in act one to the time that they close again, there is not one clap. Usually in shows, there is some applause after each song. The pacing of Blood Brothers captivates the audience, we move from one song to the next and the narrator who is always present and lurking onstage keeps things moving along. There is no time to clap after each song, but this makes for a brilliant atmosphere in the theatre because there are times when the narrator is delivering a monologue and the entire theatre is silent. You could hear a pin drop. We are hanging on his every word and it is incredible. The energy is electric, and I think this is especially impressive when you consider that the narrator tells you how the story will end right at the start. He asks us have we heard the story of the Johnstone twins? Have we heard how they were born and how they died on the same day? Have we heard about how it all came to be? – I get chills just typing this out. He asks us have we heard of Mrs. Johnstone? Then he says bring her on, and see how she came to play this part – and this brings us into the plot.
I think it is amazing that a story and a cast can command such attention, especially in a story like this that tells the audience how it ends right at the start.
I want to take a moment to applaud the entire cast. Blood Brothers is an extremely precise piece and there are so many things that just would not work if one person was not doing what they were meant to do. There are moments where everyone moves their head in the same direction, at the same time, at a certain beat in the music. The lighting also moves with the words at times too. It is a very impressive and precise piece. There is a moment where the narrator takes a photograph of Mickey, Eddie, and Linda and when he hands the camera back to Mickey, he holds the strap for a moment too long so the pair are forced to stand unmoving. It is a great moment because the narrator is on the stage the entire time, he is always present, always lurking, watching as this story plays out, updating the audience when he needs to. The characters are unaware of his presence and he never interacts with them. He helps move props, he hands them props, but he never has dialogue with them so this moment with the camera is incredible. It is almost like a breaking of the fourth wall in a way. I’ve had the opportunity to see Blood Brothers professionally a few times now and every single time, that moment with the camera happens the same way, at the same time, on the same beat. It is precise. This kind of exact timing takes true teamwork and this cast is an incredible team. The cast all bow together instead of bowing one by one and I think this really highlights how much of a beautiful ensemble piece this show is.
So congratulations and bravo to the entire cast and crew.
I can’t say enough great things about Blood Brothers. I would go to see it again tonight if I could.
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. All I can say is that if you get the opportunity to see this show, do not miss it. It is beautiful, funny, sad, and it is a piece that will stay with you for a very long time.
It is that time of year again, Valentine’s Day is upon us. There are ads for flowers and chocolates everywhere, and lots of people are leaning into the romantic atmosphere. Literature discusses all aspects of society and highlights the good, the bad, the ugly, and the things we wish we could change. Naturally, love and romance are very popular topics in literature. Many pieces explore falling in love, the meaning of love, falling out of love, unrequited love, the things we do for love, etc. It is a topic that I imagine will forever be relevant as love is such a huge part of the human experience, and without sounding too terribly pretentious, I think literature will always be concerned about the human experience.
I’ve put together a selection of six of my favourite pieces that I think always pull on the heartstrings. You don’t have to be in a romantic relationship to appreciate lovely literature, so whether you’ve been struck by cupid’s bow or not, these pieces should warm your heart.
I’m going to start with a cliché classic. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18.
This sonnet is often known by its first line, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
This poem has been named one of Shakespeare’s most beautiful and romantic pieces, and I believe that it is sometimes called “The Valentine’s Day Poem.”
Sonnet 18 is famous and I would argue that the poem is synonymous with the idea of romance itself. It is referenced often in popular culture, especially if someone is trying to woo their love interest. The opening line is often the example that is used when someone is talking about romantic poetry. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is used so much that some may find it somewhat cringe inducing, however I think the overall theme and tone of this sonnet is quite beautiful.
The poem is obviously about love, as it speaks so highly about the person it is referring to.
Shakespeare’s form is beautiful, the poem is so smooth and fluid, it sounds so lovely when read aloud, especially when it is read by a speaker or an actor who is not afraid to put their heart into it and really mean it. I would also argue that it could be described as somewhat of a nature poem too, simply because Shakespeare uses so many weather references to make his overall point.
“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May.” (Shakespeare, Sonnet 18, line 3.)
What is the overall point of this poem?
That summer may end, and time may pass, but the love that one person has for another will never fade. The tone is incredibly romantic and also very hopeful, and while this poem has arguably been turned into a bit of a cliché, I do think that the message in it is really lovely.
I think it is a testament to the love that two people can share. Time may pass, things may change, life may bring ups and downs, but the love that I have for you will remain the same.
Up next is another poem, and this one celebrates friendship rather than a strictly romantic relationship.
Let’s look at Emily Brontë’s Love and Friendship.
“Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree, —
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?”
(Brontë, Love and Friendship, stanza one.)
I think that this is a really sweet poem that is simply about appreciating the friends who are always there for us. It can be very easy to get wrapped up in a romantic relationship, especially when it is new, and especially when we are young, but it is important that we do not abandon our friends for a romantic relationship.
We’ve all heard of that experience when a friend disappears for a while when they are dating someone new, only to reappear when that romance does not work out. True friends are there for you during the ups and downs that life has to offer, but that does not mean that taking those friendships for granted is acceptable. This poem is short and sweet and it celebrates those who are always there for us. It can also serve as a reminder about who is always there for us, and how we should let those friends know how much we love and appreciate them.
Piece number three is a song. I am talking about Think of Me from The Phantom of the Opera.
I plan on discussing this book and this show in much more detail very soon, however I will say now that I absolutely love this song. I think it might be my favourite song from the score, but as always I love different songs for different reasons so it is so hard to choose an outright, single favourite.
Think of Me is a song that is performed by Christine and Raoul very early in act one.
These two characters were childhood sweethearts and they sing this song as adults after they have seen each other for the first time in a very long time. I love this song for so many reasons. The music alone is beautiful. It is purely romantic in style, it is sweeping and romantic with some lovely sustained notes, as well as being light and airy. The song is about the excitement of seeing someone again and remembering the love and fondness you have for them, alongside saying that you hope this person still thinks of you fondly.
In some ways it is similar to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 in tone.
“Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade
They have their seasons so do we
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me.”
In my opinion, this is a song all about hope. I hope you remember me, I hope you think of me, I think of you, I think of us fondly. I think this song highlights how eager these two characters are to reconnect, and I think it is so lovely that following this song, that is exactly what they do.
Christine and Raoul still love each other after all this time, and I think this song encapsulates that hopeful, smitten, romantic feeling.
The fourth piece that I’d like to talk about is the little blue book entitled Love Letters of Great Men, edited by Ursula Doyle.
I would almost call this an example of life writing as this collection of letters is not fictional.
This book contains a collection of love letters that were written by well-known historical figures.
There are letters in this book from Victor Hugo, from Lord Byron, from Mozart, from John Keats, and many more.
This collection highlights how feelings of love, devotion, and passion have inspired people to take pen to paper for decades. These letters are deeply personal, and some of them demonstrate the literary genius and passion that their author possessed. There is something really romantic about the idea of writing someone a love letter as arguably that is an act that most likely does not happen often today.
I think one of my favourite quotes from this book is a line from one of John Keats’ letters.
He writes “Your letter gave me more delight than anything in the world.”
I suppose today’s equivalent might be getting excited when you see a text from a certain someone light up your phone, as after all, texts are just electronic letters, however I will admit that I don’t think the impact is quite the same.
I love handwritten notes or a card. I really enjoy sitting down to write someone a card, as I just think it shows someone that we are thinking of them and we are willing to take the time to be personal.
I try to imagine what it must have been like when a letter in the post was one’s only form of communication. I’d guess that the letter’s arrival caused a stir of excitement, and there is something very sweet about imagining a letter being read over and over again.
If you want to see some examples of beautiful, poetic, lyrical writing, and you’d like a glimpse into the thoughts of some of these literary and historical figures, then Love Letters of Great Men is a really fascinating and intimate read.
Next I want to talk about Lemony Snicket’s The Beatrice Letters.
I have to talk about this book because this is a piece that pulls on the heartstrings in ways that I struggle to describe. I absolutely love The Beatrice Letters. I think this book might be one of the most beautiful pieces that I have ever read, and each time I read it again, there is a new line that catches in my throat and grabs my attention.
These letters are beautiful, poignant, biting, and melancholic. This book always leaves me feeling very strange, it is a feeling that I can’t name. It always leaves me feeling as if I am missing something but don’t know what. This book is made up of thirteen letters, and it is considered a prequel to A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Beatrice Letters have been called incredibly heartfelt and absurd, and I think that is the best way to describe them. The letters are a series of run-on sentences, so if you attempt to read aloud, I wish you luck for you will run out of breath. This does however lead to the reader sounding very passionate when speaking, which is of course, fitting.
I’m going to share some of my favourite quotes from The Beatrice Letters.
“I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I see you every Tuesday.”
“I will love you as misfortune loves orphans, as fire loves innocence, and as justice loves to sit and watch while everything goes wrong.”
“It takes years for the land to recuperate from a fire, but even in the darkest of ashes eventually something can grow.”
I will love you until the chances of us running into one another slip from skim to zero, and until your face is fogged by distant memory, and your memory faced by distant fog, and your fog memorised by a distant face, and your distance distanced by the memorised memory of a foggy fog.”
“I will love you even as the world goes on its wicked way.”
(Lemony Snicket, The Beatrice Letters.)
There is something about “I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I see you every Tuesday,” that I just love. I can’t explain it, but this line has always stood out to me. I think it is bittersweet, I think it poignant, I think it is filled with sincerity. The Beatrice Letters just make me wake up and pay attention to good writing. The analogies and metaphors that Snicket uses are brilliant and never ending. He gives intimacy to the most ordinary things.
If you have not read this book then you’re missing out. I cannot recommend it enough.
The last piece I want to talk about is another Shakespeare quote.
This piece is really short and sweet. It is so simple, but it is one of my all time favourite lines from any Shakespeare play.
It is a line from Hamlet.
This line is said in Act 2, scene 2. In this scene, Polonius reads aloud a letter from Hamlet to Ophelia.
He reads, “Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.” – (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2.)
Even though Polonius’ reasoning for reading the letter aloud is not exactly romantic, the quote itself is really beautiful. It is no secret that I am a fan of Shakespeare’s language. I just think that there is something so lyrical about this quote. When it is read aloud, it sounds so sincere, and so full of love. It is reassuring in tone. It says that no matter what doubts you may have in life, never doubt that I love you, and I think that that sentiment is stunning.
There is a bit of an overarching theme in this discussion, I love pieces that explore the idea of telling someone that no matter what challenges lie ahead, you love them. Times may change, and we may face ups and downs, but I love you and I’ll be here for you. This idea can be recognised in nearly every piece that I have discussed so far. I did not intend for this review and discussion to have an overarching theme. I simply picked pieces that I really enjoy. Each piece was chosen because it does genuinely pull on my heartstrings in some way, and it is only when I was putting them all together that I realised that there is an overarching theme to this discussion.
I think that the idea of telling someone you love them and will love them as time passes and life goes on is a beautiful sentiment. It is a sentiment that does not only have to refer to romantic relationships. This can also be said to a friend, to a family member. I consider myself very lucky because I do have friends in my life who have been my friends since I was a very young child, so already we’ve been through many changes together, from school, to college, to working life, some of us have left or will leave Ireland, but no matter what, we’ve always remained friends throughout the years, and we’ve grown up together so it is really comforting to know that no matter what, that bond won’t break. Perhaps that is why pieces with this theme and with this sentiment appeal to me so much. Perhaps it is why I subconsciously chose several pieces that have a shared theme and tone.
This line from Hamlet really sums up everything perfectly – Never doubt I love. It is simple, it is sincere, it is honest, it is reassuring. It can be said to a friend, to a family member, or to a significant other, no matter what happens, never doubt I love.
I hope that my selection inspires you to read some classic literature. Love, whether it is familial, platonic, or romantic is timeless. It is a feeling, and it is a theme that is explored countless times in literature and I think that this will always be the case. I think that love can inspire some very beautiful, very heartfelt, and very lyrical pieces of writing, and I had lots of fun deciding which six pieces I was going to write about. I also really enjoyed thinking about each piece and why I like it so much. I enjoyed exploring why they pull on my heartstrings, and why do I think that they might pull on yours too?
I hope you enjoy these pieces if you follow my recommendations and give them a read.
As always, if you would like to share any pieces that you think I would enjoy, then please be my guest and leave a comment! I love receiving suggestions and recommendations.
Before Christmas I found out that I was being added to the HarperCollins Ireland mailing list in 2023. I was so happy about this as it is really fantastic to receive some #bookmail.
I love the element of surprise as I don’t know what book I will be getting until it arrives in the post, and similar to what I said about the #blinddatewithabook packages, I like getting books that I may not have chosen for myself.
Alex Barclay’s My Heart & Other Breakables was the first book I received in the post from HarperCollins Ireland, and I want to say thank you to the HarperCollins Ireland team as it is a pleasure to be on the mailing list. I look forward to reading and reviewing books throughout 2023.
I also want to make it clear that this review isnot an ad, not a paid promotion.
This review is not sponsored in any way. I have not been paid to write this review & all thoughts & opinions shared in this piece are entirely my own.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s dive into my first book review and discussion of 2023.
Alex Barclay has expertly mixed humour with heartache in My Heart & Other Breakables.
The book is an epistolary novel that allows readers to peer into Ellen Brown’s diary.
Ellen Brown is the sixteen year old protagonist who has just lost her mother, but even though she is processing that loss, her thoughts seem to constantly revolve around her father. She wants to know who her father is, and in true Mamma Mia fashion, Ellen, with the help of her best friend, has narrowed it down to three options.
It would be far too easy if these three men lived in the same place, a journey like this would be no fun without hijinks. Ellen is absolutely determined to get away from her grandmother and find out who her father really is. As you might have guessed, hijinks do ensue.
The story is set in Ireland, and I am biassed of course, but it is always great to see Irish dialogue and local phrases being used. The novel feels very immersive anyways because of the diary-entry format, but seeing phrases that I use myself makes it feel even closer to home, and even more relatable. It was very funny seeing Ellen attempt to explain Irish-isms, and I imagine if you’re not from Ireland then perhaps her explanations won’t make the most sense, however I imagine this happens with any book when it is set somewhere – If you’re from New York and you’re reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s then you’ll know the locations, if you read Dickens and you’re from London, you’ll know the locations. The same thing is happening here, if you’re from Ireland then you’ll really understand some of the sayings.
This is a great story. I would say that it absolutely fits into the wonderful world of YA novels where sometimes the far-fetched and the unbelievable happens and that is perfectly okay.
You can’t think about little details too much otherwise they will hinder your enjoyment of the book. Can you “accidentally” stay in a £500 a night hotel in real life when you’re sixteen? Of course not, it’s far fetched, but if you allow the elements of make believe to happen without question, if you allow yourself to go with the flow and have fun with it, then this book is a really lovely, easy read that will brings lots of laughs and maybe even a few tears, without being too heavy in tone overall.
I would call it a teenage coming of age story because sixteen is that age in the in-between.
You’re not a pre-teen anymore, and you’re not barely a teenager who has just left the age of twelve behind. Sixteen is right there in the middle, you’re inching closer to eighteen, and in Ireland that is the age you can drink alcohol, it is the age you can vote, it is the age that you do the Leaving Cert and leave school, at eighteen you are a legal adult, and when you’re sixteen you’re nearly there, you’re nearly an adult but you’re not there yet. I cannot imagine losing a parent this young. I cannot imagine having to grieve such a significant loss this young, and the fact that Ellen Brown is trying to process her grief and in doing so, she wants to find the only direct parental figure she has left is why I would call this a coming of age novel. Ellen has her grandmother and her aunt, and while things may not always be perfect, they are loving, but Ellen wants to find her father and I can understand this. In grief, we cling onto things, we want something to make us feel anchored and secure. So much of who we are as people can often, not always, but often can be linked to our parents. Ellen Brown lost her mother at the age of sixteen. She has to try to process this loss and live the rest of her life without her mother, she is figuring out how she will do so, she is wondering will she be able to do so? So in my opinion, her wanting to find and meet her father is also a way for her to find herself. She has to navigate her life in a completely new way now, and I don’t think this is something that many of us plan to do at sixteen. No one wants to do this, but now Ellen has to, and I really enjoyed the way the book followed a circular structure. One year of diary entries, we start at one end of the year, and we finish in the same place an entire year later, and as one might imagine, a lot can happen in a year.
One thing is for sure, Ellen comes of age.
One of my favourite things about this story is the relationship between Ellen and her best friend Meg. Meg is a bookworm, Meg is kind, Meg is an extremely supportive best friend and she does her best to help Ellen on her adventures. I love seeing strong friendships in books, especially because our friends can be the people who lift us up when we are down. The support of a true friend can mean the world to us, and I enjoyed seeing that dynamic portrayed so nicely in My Heart & Other Breakables.
Ultimately I would say that this was a really fun and very heartfelt read. I was surprised by how heartwarming and poignant the book managed to be without venturing into melodramatic territory. I find that sometimes in YA narratives, grief, especially a young person’s grief can be a hard topic to write about. Some books do not give young adults enough credit and assume they do not grieve as an adult would because they are young, so this means they don’t fully grasp what has happened. Others delve into melodramatic territory and lack nuance since the protagonist is young, so the grieving process can become one that is full of sobbing and nothing else. Grief is a complex thing no matter what age one is. It is filled with ups and downs, good days, and bad days, tears and laughter, and I think that Alex Barclay captured the right balance in her book. This book is fun, it is heartfelt, and even though there is a lot going on, it is accessible due to the diary entry style. I would recommend My Heart & Other Breakables for readers aged (11-14.)
This film was directed by Martin McDonagh. It was released in October of 2022.
Spoilers Ahead – Consider yourselves warned.
I will also say now that I believe this review and discussion may be slightly more serious in tone, simply because of the themes that are explored in The Banshees of Inisherin.
I found this film very moving. I found it very emotional. I was crying silently while sitting on my sofa and then a few moments later, another scene had me chuckling. I’ve heard some people say that they dislike this film, some said they found it too long, or boring, and I understand that. I will say now that I would consider this film to be one of those films that you either really enjoy, or you really hate. Personally I loved it. I thought it was extremely thought-provoking, and full of some really beautiful, and subtly poignant performances.
I’ll admit, I’m probably slightly biassed, but I thought that the cast was brilliant.
I’m already a fan of Colin Farrell’s work, but I think this could go down as one of his very best roles. I thought his performance was beautiful, and I will be discussing a key scene later on in this review.
The film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as Pádraic and Colm. Set on the fictional Inisherin, an island off the west coast of Ireland, at the end of the Irish Civil War in 1923, this film follows Pádraic in his devastation when he learns that Colm does not want to be his friend anymore.
I want to pause here for a moment so that I can talk about this idea. This idea of an entire film being about the breakdown and loss of friendship, particularly the friendship of two grown men, is what drew me in and made me want to watch this film in the first place. Friendships can be essential relationships. We see so many stories about romantic relationships, about family dynamics, but friendships are a really interesting dynamic. You can have lifelong friends, and these people can become as close as family, making new friends, especially as an adult can be challenging, it can also be really exciting. It can be difficult to maintain friendships, especially when you move beyond school or college because you’re no longer in the same place every single day. It is hard to see people when you live far apart, or if you have conflicting work schedules, or if you’re trying to balance family life with work life, friendships can silently slip into the background and this can be very sad.
The idea of living in a remote place, where everyone knows everyone and every day is the same and having a lifelong friend tell you that they just don’t like you anymore, is a concept that I think is brilliant. At its core, that is what this film is about. Colm tells Pádraic that he just “doesn’t like him no more.” Pádraic has not done anything to him. He has not said anything to him. He has not offended him in any way, but Colm has decided he just does not want to be friends anymore. It is so simple, and yet, this core idea allowed The Banshees of Inisherin to explore some really poignant themes.
Pádraic lives with his sister Siobhán. Siobhán is played by Kerry Condon and I must say that she played this part wonderfully. They live a quiet, lonely life in Inisherin. Their parents have passed away so the pair only have each other. Pádraic is kind and well-liked. He is a hard worker. He loves his little donkey Jenny and to Siobhán’s dismay, he even lets her inside their small cottage.
He is not a perfect person, but he is honest and kind. Colm says he is dull and dim, and Pádraic worries that he is in fact dull and dim, but ultimately he is a kind, earnest man.
Colm is a musician. He lives alone with his dog and he has decided that he would like to spend the rest of his days peacefully composing music. Colm wishes to leave a legacy. He wishes to be remembered when he is no longer on this earth. This longing to be remembered is what prompts him to tell Pádraic that he does not want to be friends anymore. Colm’s character is challenging to write about because I am conflicted. In the beginning, I thought that he was being rather harsh, but I could understand where he was coming from. Everyone has a right to live their life in the way that they see fit. Colm has decided that he has about twelve years of life left and he would like to spend them peacefully. He has the right to decide he does not want to be friends with Pádraic anymore, we all have the right to decide who we spend our time with, but as the film went on, I found myself deeply disliking Colm as a character. I find him arrogant and rude, and very mean at times. I think he is a great character in terms of discussion, his actions and his beliefs open up the themes explored in this film. His actions prompted a brilliant discussion when the film was over so I do think his character serves an excellent purpose, but I don’t like this kind of character.
I need to mention Barry Keoghan because he stole this film in my opinion. He played the role of Dominic Kearney, the son of Garda Peadar Kearney (A police officer for any readers not from Ireland.) Dominic is a character who I would liken to Sammy in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
He is the kind of character who never really had a chance. Dominic is not the brightest torch, he does not always say the right thing. Sometimes he can be infuriating because of how badly he puts his foot in his mouth, but he has no malicious intentions. He tries to be a friend to Pádraic. He tries to help him through the devastation of the loss of Colm’s friendship. He has a schoolboy crush on Siobhán and he earnestly admits this to her even though he knows that she will never return his feelings. This scene between these two actors was beautiful. My heart went out to Dominic when he confessed his feelings because you could see it all over his face that he already knew he would be rejected, and the way Kerry Condon played Siobhán in this scene was so lovely. She was so kind and so gentle, and she let him down with such grace. She did not laugh or scoff at him, she did not recoil. She just very simply, and very kindly told him that she doesn’t feel the same way. It was a really touching scene. Dominic is abused by his father, and this seems to be a known secret in Inisherin. People feel sorry for Dominic, but his father holds all of the power. I found Keoghan’s performance incredibly earnest and endearing. My heart went out to Dominic and I was devastated by how his arc played out – I’ll return to this in a later point.
Before diving into discussing the themes of this film, I want to talk about the backdrop of the Irish Civil War. I believe this setting is crucial to the film. I don’t think that this film would be the same without the heaviness of war going on in the background. The island is safe. It is far away from the mainland. We see the bright flashes of shots being fired from across the sea, but the Civil War is on the mainland. We are given this idea that Inisherin is a place that belongs to itself. It is removed from the frontlines. If you wanted to, I’m sure you could pretend the Civil War was not happening, but news from the mainland is always a source of curiosity. There is a present fear lurking underneath it all, and I think this is essential to the film. Life is changing. People are fighting. People are dying. People are reevaluating what they want and what is important to them. The tensions and the dangers and the fighting is likely what caused Colm to reevaluate his time and the meaning of his life in the first place. I don’t think the film would have the same impact without this setting.
Let’s discuss the themes of this film. I believe that the themes of this film are ideas of friendship and loss. Ideas of legacy and exploring one’s sense of self. Ideas of loneliness and departure, and ideas of the importance of being remembered vs the importance of being kind. I also think that there is a King Lear quality to both Pádraic and Colm. Pádraic really struggles to accept that Colm does not want to be his friend. He desperately wants things to go back to the way they once were. He cannot understand or accept Colm’s rejection, and his desire to be friends again becomes more and more desperate as the film goes on and he becomes more and more frustrated.
At times viewers may think “My God, just leave the man alone,” but it is not that easy to be rejected for no reason at all. It is also clear to see that this sense of loss and the grief that Pádraic feels causes him to suffer with depression. He is lonely and he is hurt, and nothing can fill that void.
The loneliness gets worse when Siobhán moves to Dublin. Siobhán has nothing left on Inisherin. She loves her brother but her life is empty and lonely. She decides to do something for herself and take a library job in Dublin. The scene where she gets on the boat is a lovely moment. She is wearing a bright yellow coat, which visualises how hopeful she is as it is such a bright colour. This is a great example of how visually stunning this film is. It is full of wide shots of very scenic landscapes. The island feels broad and open, yet sparse all at once.
Siobhán is nervous but excited as she leaves and even though she is sad to leave Pádraic behind, she knows that this is something she must do. Pádraic tries his best to be happy for her, but at night he cries in his bed and wishes she would come home. The emptiness of Pádraic’s days are really emphasised, which only adds to his desperate need to make up with Colm.
Colm’s arc is also one that slowly descends into madness. At the beginning of the film, he seems to be the sensible one even if he seems a bit harsh. He just wants to play the fiddle and compose a song, and as the film goes on he becomes increasingly angry and frustrated that Pádraic cannot seem to just leave him alone. He tells Pádraic that every time he bothers him again, he will take his shears and chop off a finger. Pádraic thinks that he cannot be serious, but Colm was extremely serious. When yet another attempt at reconciliation goes awry, Colm does indeed take his shears and he chops off a finger. He leaves the finger at Pádraic’s house. The film keeps moving and Colm loses all of his fingers. This is where I would liken his arc to the arc of King Lear as Colm is a man who is so obsessed with his own ideas, with his own self-importance, that he is actively destroying himself to make a point. He can no longer play the fiddle, and this is not Pádraic’s fault. Colm’s decision to actually chop off his fingers in order to prove that he is serious is no one’s fault but his. He did not have to go so far, he did not have to be so violent, but he is obsessed with leaving a legacy and being remembered. Being the man who cut off limbs to prove a point is a sure way to make sure that you’re remembered.
I want to talk about a key scene. There is a moment where Pádraic is furious and he decides to confront Colm in the pub. Colm is sitting with Peadar, Dominic’s father who is excited to go to the mainland to witness an execution. Pádraic confronts Colm, he demands to know what is going on. This is when Colm tells Pádraic that he is dull. He is dim, and his conversations bore him. Colm wants to be great, he wants to be remembered. He is a music lover and he wants to be like Mozart, he wants his music to be played centuries later and he won’t build that legacy if he is having dull conversations with Pádraic. Pádraic tells him that he is not nice. He used to be nice, but now he worries that he was actually never nice at all.
Colin Farrel delivers a brilliant performance. It actually moved me to tears. He says that he may be dull, but he is nice, he says his sister Siobhán is nice and he’ll remember her. He remembers his parents, they were nice. He asks Colm what does it say about him if he would rather sit with Peader, a man who beats and molests his own son than him? Colm is unmoved by Pádraic’s words, he says that no one will remember Siobhán because she has not done anything great. He wants to be great. It is a mean and nasty thing to say and I was cheering for Siobhán when she corrected Colm and told him that Mozart toured in the 18th century, not the 17th as he had said.
If he is going to so arrogantly proclaim that he wants to be like Mozart, he should at least get the century right.
This is why I disliked Colm, despite appreciating how his role functioned in the story. I do appreciate how his arc has allowed me to explore some very poignant themes. I don’t like the way Colm decided that his longing to be “great” gives him the right to treat people poorly. He so arrogantly declared that Pádraic is dull, but as Pádraic rightly pointed out, he was happy to still sit beside a man who brashly and brutally beats his own son. I can tell you which man I would rather sit beside, and I’ll give you a hint, it certainly is not Peadar.
There was absolutely no need to be so nasty to Siobhán and declare that she is not important enough to ever be remembered. All of Colm’s actions are focused on the after. He wants to be remembered when he is gone, he wants to leave a legacy, but he never stops to think about the way he is behaving in the present. His actions and his words are causing grief and pain in the present, and this idea that he suddenly had about wanting to be great does not surpass the importance of treating people with kindness and respect. I can appreciate that if this happened then there would be no film, but I am discussing this character in depth, so I will say that there was no reason as to why Colm could not have still been friends with Pádraic and treated him kindly. He could have drank with him less. He could have told Pádraic that he does not want to drink every day, he could have said that he wants to spend more time on his music. He could have still composed his song without being so extreme – however if he did this then there would be no plot, but hopefully you understand the point that I am making.
Peadar is furious that Pádraic announced the way he abuses his son to everyone at the pub. He plans to kill him. He intends to beat him severely, but on his way to Pádraic’s house, he is stopped by Mrs O’Riordan.
I am calling Mrs O’Riordan the banshee of Inisherin. Banshees are an important part of Irish folklore. They are said to be female spirits who announce when to expect a death, as they shriek or wail. If you hear a banshee wailing, someone will die soon – so the legends say.
Mrs O’Riordan is an old woman in the village who always wears black. She is a mysterious figure who seems to just observe all that is going on. Colm writes a song entitled “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Pádraic says there are no banshees on Inisherin. Colm says he thinks there are, only they don’t wail. They stand back watching everything, quiet and amused. It is a great description and it is one that fits Mrs O’Riordan perfectly.
Mrs O’Riordan interrupts Peadar when he is on his way to beat/kill Pádraic. She brings him to the lake and when Peadar looks into the water, he is looking down at the body of his son Dominic. He is lying faceup, dead in the water. His eyes are wide open and around his neck there is a hook. In Dominic’s first scene, he is showing Pádraic this hook, saying that it is a great hook that can be used for hooking all sorts of things. Peadar seems to be filled with emotion when he sees his dead son, although we never get verbal confirmation that he regrets mistreating him.
Dominic’s death broke my heart. I wanted more for him. I wanted him to find happiness. I thought his arc was one of a lifetime of sadness. He never had a chance. Again, Barry Keoghan’s performance was fantastic. It was subtle, and quiet, and so devastating. It is a complex part and it could have easily been a really annoying one. This young lad who always seems to put his foot in his mouth could have been a character that we dreaded seeing, but instead Keoghan played Dominic in a really nuanced way. He does want to be Pádraic’s friend, he does try to help, he does say the wrong thing a lot, but he is kind. He is trying. He just wants some warmth and some love. He is devastated when Pádraic lets him down, he says that he thought Pádraic was different, but he is just like all the rest. There was a deep sadness to Dominic and Keoghan portrayed that beautifully. A part like this could have slipped into the background but Keoghan’s portrayal of Dominic stood out and it stuck with me for a long time.
The thing that brings things to a head is when Pádraic’s donkey Jenny dies because she choked on one of Colm’s fingers. Pádraic is devastated and he is furious. He says that it is time to make things even. Colm has gone too far. He tells Colm that he is going to burn down his house while he is in it. He tells Colm to leave his dog outside, because he has nothing against his dog.
Jenny’s death highlights how out of line Colm’s actions are. His actions and his obsession with leaving behind a legacy has hurt and killed a living thing. He has caused extreme despair in Pádraic’s life. Colm goes to confession, and he asks if God cares about little donkeys.
The priest says that he fears God doesn’t care about little donkeys. Colm says he fears that is where everything went wrong. This is a fantastic line, it is a really poignant moment. Colm wins me back slightly in this moment because he realises that he has done wrong, and he is genuinely sorry about what happened to Jenny. He realises that his longing to leave a legacy was not worth hurting Pádraic this much.
Pádraic does burn the cottage down and he does take the dog, sticking to his word to not do the dog any harm, but he does not actually commit murder because Colm is alive and well standing on the beach the next day. He thanks Pádraic for looking after his dog and he apologises for what happened to Jenny, he says that he really is sorry about that. It seems they have come to a truce.
The film ends with the two men commenting that it seems as though the Civil War is coming to an end, and along with it, it seems that their feud has ended too.
This film moved me. I thought it was beautiful. It made me think about the importance of relationships in my life. I thought about how much I think it is important to be present in the moment, because if we are too focused on the after then we can miss things that are happening in the present. It is absolutely fine to want to do great things. It is fine to have passions, it is fine to want to leave a legacy, but arrogantly deciding that some people are not worth your time is not okay. Being kind and being a decent person is always important. People talk about “being kind,” online all the time, to the point that it can sound flippant, but it is important. I would rather be remembered as someone who was kind and warm, instead of being remembered as someone who was good at xyz, but not that nice. The Banshees of Inisherin is a beautiful, moving film that brings human emotions to the surface and lays them bare. In many ways, it is so simple, and yet it is a film that dives into very complex themes. It is a poignant story told by a talented cast. It is storytelling at its finest.
This film was directed by Morton DaCosta. It was released in 1962.
I would call this film a classic, no questions asked. It is cheeky, it is funny, and Harold Hill is a character who you won’t forget in a hurry.
If you enjoy films like Singing in the Rain and Meet Me in St. Louis, then The Music Man will be right up your alley. I love films like this. I don’t exactly know why. I love the costumes and I’m a big fan of musicals, but there’s something else about this kind of film that I really enjoy.
I think it’s the element of pure escapism. This film is fun, it is bright, the songs are fantastic, and there’s enough conflict to keep the plot engaging, but overall it is just a lighthearted watch. Perfect for a rainy day.
As always, there will be spoilers in this discussion. Consider yourself warned.
Let’s dive into the plot. I think this film is very straightforward. The entire story revolves around Harold Hill. Hill is a charming con man and his biggest con to date is travelling around posing as a music teacher. He gets small towns all excited about the idea of a boys’ band. He sells band uniforms, instruments, sheet music, all with the promise that he is going to lead the best boys’ band these towns have ever seen. Here’s the catch, Harold Hill cannot teach music because he does not know how to play. He cannot read a note. That is how he makes his money. He cons the people of the town into spending a small fortune on their children and then he takes off.
The film is set in Iowa, in the small town of River City. River City is the next stop on Hill’s list.
He plans to con everyone in River City just like he has done many times before.
This time though, Hill is not so lucky because the Mayor is suspicious of him and spends the entirety of the film chasing Hill for his credentials. Hill also was not prepared to meet Marion, the librarian and piano teacher in town. Marion is not impressed by Hill’s smooth talking, she sees through him from the start. Hill certainly was not prepared to find himself smitten, but now he will risk ruining his schemes and getting caught so that he might have a chance at winning her heart.
Marion is smart, stubborn, and knows her own mind. She has fallen victim to small-town gossip. Everyone has something to say about the fact that she inherited the library and the fact that she has not married yet. I will say, it is always slightly strange when watching films from a different time period as the age of when people married was significantly younger than what is common today. So it was slightly funny watching everyone treat this young woman as if she was far too old to ever find love. This is why context, especially the context of setting, is so important.
The other main character is Tommy. He is a teenager in River City. He is labelled a “troublemaker” by the adults of the town, again this is funny because we never really see him do anything bad aside from when he pranks one of his teachers. The prank in question being that he causes a loud noise at the school prep rally. Tommy is a good kid at heart. He has a crush on Zaneeta, the Mayor’s daughter, and throughout the film he helps Harold Hill dodge the Mayor and he ends up being front and centre of the boys’ band.
Mrs Paroo, Marion’s mother, also features in the story. She is an Irish woman (the accent is questionable) and she is hopeful that Marion will find someone who makes her happy. While she hopes her daughter will be lucky in the land of love, she also encourages Marion’s independence and her love of literature. She also worries about her son Winthrop. Winthrop is a quiet boy who has a very prominent lisp. He struggles with his self-confidence because of this lisp, so Marion (despite her suspicions) and her mother hope that he will gain confidence if he joins Harold Hills’ boys’ band.
In summary, this is a story about a con man in a small town. He thinks he is going to make a quick buck, but the people of River City pull on his heartstrings. He can’t con them. He ends up finding love and family in the place where he thought he’d find easy money.
It is the perfect setup with the perfect combination of characters.
The small town where everyone knows everyone. A confident, charming stranger waltzes in and ends up finding everything he didn’t know he wanted. A nosey Mayor who is determined to foil this stranger’s plans. A confident, independent woman who sees through all the well-versed con talk, and ends up finding someone who is a great match for her. The teenage Tommy and Zaneeta, the young couple who we are all rooting for. Great music, great choreography, and witty dialogue, all of these elements combine to make a perfect, lighthearted story that really never gets old.
Let’s talk about the themes of the film. I think that it is easy to say that the themes of this film are the ideas of family, love, and finding the place where one belongs. I would also say this film shows how music can bring people together, and on a slightly more serious note, this film does demonstrate how moral panic can be created in order to manipulate a willing crowd – although this is done in a very humorous way.
Harold Hill was money hungry. He never cared about the towns he flew through or the people he conned, he never gave it a second thought until the people in River City opened his eyes and opened his heart. A conscience develops over the course of the film. He falls in love with Marion, he wants to be with her. He has formed a friendship with Tommy and he wants everyone in town to see that he really is a good kid. He wants Winthrop to gain confidence too and he is ecstatic just like everyone else when he starts to speak more and more.
His life becomes about more than just money. He finally finds the place where he belongs and the people he belongs with.
Marion dreams of finding that special someone. Despite her suspicions of him, she finds herself growing very fond of Harold Hill. He has brought a sense of excitement to town and to her quiet life. She is delighted to see her mother and brother so happy. She is overjoyed when Winthrop starts speaking. Harold Hill is a great change of pace from the gossip in her life. She finds that he has expanded the horizons of the town, he has gotten people excited, he has gotten people talking. He has created a sense of community through music even though he does not know how to play. She finds her match. She can be herself with Harold. She can be independent, keep her job, she can still enjoy her books and her life, but now she has found someone to share it with.
Before I talk about how music brings people together, I would like to talk about the creation of chaos. The people of River City live quiet lives. It is a quiet town. There is really nothing to do but gossip until the day Harold Hill comes along. I think the most iconic song in the film is “Ya Got Trouble.” Harold Hill learns that a billiards table has just arrived in town. The Mayor owns the billiard hall. Harold needs to get the people in this stubborn small town interested in a boys’ band, more importantly, he needs to get these people willing to spend money on a boys’ band so he creates the idea that the billiard table is a huge problem waiting to happen. He causes a huge stir, we’ve got trouble he sings. Right here in River City. A billiard table is the gateway to gambling. The youth are at risk, we must think of the children and keep them away from the billiard hall. What better way to keep the kids moral after school than having them join a boys’ band? It is genius. It is so funny, the song is so catchy. It is incredibly quick. It is almost a tongue-twister to perform, but Harold Hill does it with style and elegance. He is a master of wordplay. He uses his quick-thinking and sharp wit to cause a frenzy. Suddenly everyone wants their kids out of the hall and in the band. They’ve done exactly as Harold Hill wanted them to do. This film demonstrates in a lighthearted, but clever way, how manipulation happens.
This is how con men get away with it. They create panic, they create a problem where it does not exist, they cause a stir, and then they gain people’s confidence. I think one of the easiest ways to get someone to do something is to convince them that if they don’t do it then their kids will be in danger. I would say it is fair to assume that everyone wants the best for their children. Harold Hill even calls out to the mothers in town in his song, and now he has got people twisted in another way – If you’re a good mother, a good and moral mother, you’ll have your children in the boys’ band, because this shows how much you care for them. It is a brilliant tactic. This is a very lighthearted film, and all of this is achieved in a witty, musical way, but it is still a great, visual example of how moral panic is created and how mob mentality is fuelled. “We Both Reached For The Gun,” in Chicago is another fun, witty example of how people can be masterfully manipulated into believing something. I tend to think about “We Both Reached For The Gun,” when I hear “Ya Got Trouble,” and vice versa.
The uniting power that music has is evident in this film. Music brings the entire town together even though it all started out as a scam. Harold Hill believes in the “thinking method.” The idea is if you think about something enough then you’ll be able to do it. That is how he avoids teaching the children any music. He tells them that first they have to think about playing.
His confidence is very funny. Harold Hill does bring people together by bringing music into their lives, even though he did not do it on purpose. He sets up a barbershop quartet. The men who used to argue are now the best of friends who enjoy singing together and everyone in town loves to listen. He reminds the Mayor’s wife about how much she enjoys dancing. He gets everyone in town excited about the idea of a band, from the youngest of kids to all of the adults. Marion even points out how even if he did lie about his qualifications, and even if his intentions were originally to con people, he did still bring new life to the place. There is a bit of movie magic at the end. The boys’ do play their instruments despite never being taught how to play. Now to be fair, they don’t play them extremely well, but they do play them and that is a start. There is nowhere to go but onwards and upwards, especially now that Harold Hill is turning over a new leaf. The film ends with everyone in town enjoying a musical parade. The boys’ band struts down the town streets in their bright uniforms, playing their instruments proudly. It is bright, jolly, and lots of fun.
I also want to give a special mention to the song “76 Trombones.”
It is a great song. It always gets stuck in my head any time I hear it. It is so catchy.
I think it is a song that just lifts any mood and gets you humming. It is a song that I would love to hear played live by a full orchestra. The Music Man is a film that I would love to see a full-stage musical adaptation of. I think it would be stunning in a theatre.
Overall I think The Music Man is lots of fun. It is an easy watch. I think it is perfect for a rainy day. It is a little long as the run time is two and a half hours. Personally I don’t mind this, but I know that not everyone enjoys films that are this long. I’ve recently heard a lot of people say that they dislike when a film is longer than an hour and a half so if you’re going to sit down and watch The Music Man, this could be something to keep in mind. If you are a lover of classic musicals then this film is a must watch!
Next week I will be reviewing and discussing The Banshees of Inisherin.
I found this film to be extremely powerful and at times hard to watch, so I am glad that this review is quite lighthearted and easy, as next week’s review and discussion will be more serious due to the nature of the themes explored in The Banshees of Inisherin.
After next week I will be switching things up and discussing some books and plays before returning to films. You can follow me on Instagram @katelovesliterature if you don’t already so that you can see what is coming up next here on Kateloveslitersature.com.
This review is the second part of my two-piece review set of Knives Out and Glass Onion.
As I said in my Knives Out review, these pieces were intended to complement each other, however they can also be read independently as I consider the films to be stand-alone pieces.
You do not have to watch Knives Out to understand Glass Onion, however I feel that Glass Onion steps beyond Knives Out.
This is a phrase I used in the first part of this review set, and it is a phrase that I will explain and expand upon now in part two.
Glass Onion was written and directed by Rian Johnson.
The film was released in September 2022.
I am going to talk about the plot, the characters, the themes, and I am going to talk about whether or not I prefer one film over the other. As always, these discussions are intended to be in-depth so there will be spoilers ahead. Consider yourselves fairly warned.
The only character to return to our screens is Detective Benoit Blanc. He is just as larger than life as he was when we were first introduced to him. I will admit now that I really like this character.
Glass Onion brings to our screens one of my favourite plot devices of all time – Get a group of people with wildly different personalities and trap them in a single location. Allow chaos to ensue.
This film takes place on a private island in Greece, owned by the ultra rich Miles Bron.
The plot is set into motion when he sends mysterious invitations to his friends. They are to join him on his private Greek island for a murder mystery party weekend where they will compete to solve his “murder.” Miles throws these kinds of parties every year, and the group seems delighted to receive invitations.
This brings me to breaking down our cast.
We meet Claire, the governor of Connecticut. She is running for the US Senate. She is uptight, and as the film plays out, we learn that every decision she makes is made with politics in mind.
We meet Lionel. Lionel is a head scientist who works at Miles’s company. Lionel’s co-workers appear to be questioning Miles when the film begins, and Lionel agrees that Miles and his ideas can be out there. Some lead to nothing, but some lead to massive success, and that is why he has the company. Lionel seems to be loyal to Miles and his ideas as he is hoping that the next seemingly “crazy” idea will be the next huge success.
We meet Birdie Jay. Birdie is a ditzy supermodel who is pretending to be a designer in Manhattan. Birdie prides herself on “telling it like it is,” and she doesn’t care if she says things that are politically incorrect and very offensive. She just wants to drink and enjoy herself in Greece.
Peg is Birdie’s assistant. She is trying her hardest to keep Birdie from ruining herself. She takes Birdie’s phone and attempts to dissuade her from posting awful things online. Peg is unfortunately in a bad position herself as her CV largely consists of working for Birdie, and because Birdie is so offensive, she and her CV are not popular either.
Duke Cody is a streamer and a self-proclaimed men’s rights activist. He gets a thrill out of upsetting people online by saying things that are considered wildly offensive and at times, downright misogynistic. In reality, he lives with his mother and she is not afraid to give him a smack if he attempts to give her cheek.
Whiskey is Duke’s girlfriend. She also works for him on his streaming platforms. As the film plays out, audiences learn that Whiskey is a lot smarter than people likely gave her credit for when the film began. The film wants audiences to believe that she is a “dumb blonde” when the film begins, and Whiskey also knows that this is what people assume about her, so she leans into the stereotype so that it will serve her while she is attempting to build a career.
The last two characters, the main characters whom this film revolves around are twin sisters, Helen and Andi. We’ll talk about them later.
All of these characters arrive on the island excited to participate in the murder mystery weekend.
Blanc, who has been itching for a new case is also delighted to be invited, only the plot thickens when Miles reveals that he did not send Blanc an invitation.
Now we must ask two questions.
Who sent Blanc the invite? Why did they send Blanc the invite? These are two key questions, as Blanc tells Miles that an anonymous invite is not to be messed with. Blanc observes the group and how they all know each other. The key piece of information to take note of is the fact that each member of the group is linked monetarily to Miles. He has financial control over each and every one of them. Blanc sees this power dynamic for what it is, and he tells Miles that everyone in the group has a reason to hurt him. He declares this is like “Putting a loaded gun on the table and turning the lights off.”
At dinner, Miles is giddy to kick off the murder mystery. He hired an author to write the mystery. He is so excited for everyone to take part. He keeps declaring that it will take them the entire weekend. Blanc debunks the mystery in two minutes, before the fake arrow has a chance to pierce Miles in the heart. It is a very funny scene. Blanc then declares that he wants to solve the real mystery, who invited him and why?
With the weekend-long mystery now solved, the group are deciding whether or not they will stay the entire weekend or if they will go home early. Miles wants them to stay, they can still have a great time. The music blares, the drinks are flowing. Birdie is dancing. Everyone is drunk and enjoying themselves, happy to stay and just have fun. The real plot begins when things take a horrible turn. Duke dies. At first everyone thought that he was choking, but there was nothing in his throat. He dies. He had just been drinking from a glass, so the next thought is what if he was was poisoned?
Another twist – Duke had taken a drink from Miles’s glass and not his own.
The two glasses were very similar. This means that Duke was not the target. Miles was.
Now Blanc’s original observations take the spotlight again. All members of this group have a motive to want Miles dead. So now Blanc must investigate who attempted to kill Miles.
Andi is the most likely suspect. Andi was Miles’s business partner and the co-founder of the company. When Andi did not agree with a business decision Miles was making, she threatened to walk away and take half of the company with her. Miles tampered with the contracts, causing her to lose her position entirely. Andi tried to sue, as she created their company and sketched out the plans on a napkin in their local bar years ago. Unfortunately, because she could not find the napkin before the trial, this was her word against his. The rest of the group corroborated Miles and his version of events, lying on the stand because of his monetary control over them. Andi lost the case, and lost everything with it, so it would be easy to assume that she wanted Miles dead as a form of revenge.
Before moving on to discuss the murder itself, the whodunit, I want to dive into the themes that this film explores. I would suggest that the main themes of Glass Onion are ideas of money and power, and ideas of relevance and integrity.
Miles is a figure who holds an enormous amount of power and wealth. He continuously uses his wealth to get his way, and his wealth allows him to exert power over the people in his life.
Miles is cocky and greedy, and he is a sinister type because he wants to come across as so chill, as so relaxed, as someone who loves his friends and just wants to have a good time. Underneath the chill exterior, there is a sinister level of control. What he says goes, because he is the one who funds everyone and everything, and he can make people’s lives come crashing down if they don’t do what he wants. Miles has a gigantic ego. He wants his name to go down in history beside the Mona Lisa. He wants to be immortal. He not only wants this, but he feels he deserves this level of glory.
The group is very interesting and the dynamics of the group make it very easy for the plot to explore these kinds of themes. They call themselves “the disrupters.” This is a group of people who pride themselves on causing disruption. They’re proud of themselves. They consider themselves to be a group of brave, unique people who are unafraid to disrupt the status quo.
They tell it like it is, they push the system, they step out over the edge. They’ve got guts!
They are frauds. Andi’s sister Helen says it best. “They call themselves disruptors, they’re shitheads!” (This is a paraphrased line.)
This point brings me to mentioning Andi’s twin sister Helen. What could be better than incorporating identical twins into a whodunit plot? Ah the hijinks that can ensue.
Hijinks do ensue. We learn that Andi is not Andi after all, instead Helen has taken her place on the trip and it was her who brought Blanc the invitation because she needed his help.
Through a series of flashbacks we learn that Andi is dead, and her death was ruled a suicide.
Helen is suspicious, she does not believe that her sister would kill herself. So she has a look on Andi’s computer. In court, Andi’s case fell through because she could not find the napkin that she drew the original idea for the company on. Miles lied and said he drew that napkin, and everyone else in the group lied on the stand. After the case, Andi found the original napkin, one that has the old bar’s logo embossed on it. This is a detail that the fake napkin Miles drew up does not have. This detail will prove that Andi was right and she will take Miles down. Before her death, Andi sent an email to everyone in the group to let them know that she found the napkin.
After this email, she ended up dead. Helen believes she was killed and she wants Blanc to help her uncover the truth.
I’m jumping between plot and themes, similar to how I did in my review of Knives Out.
The film jumps back and forth in time, and so I feel that the best way I can talk about the themes and how they are highlighted by the twists in the film is by jumping back and forth in my writing. I mentioned earlier that integrity is a major theme in this film.
Helen, Blanc, and Andi have integrity. Miles has none, and the rest of the disruptors have none for the majority of the film.
Miles wanted to get big bucks quickly, despite there being safety concerns and tests that need to be done. The huge idea that he wants to put forward is Alpha’s alternative fuel. Andi didn’t want this to go ahead because of the safety concerns. Lionel and Claire don’t want to launch just yet because there is still two years of testing to be done, Miles wants to introduce “Klear” to the world and he wants to do it now. He tells the group that his Greek island is running off the alternative fuel already so there is no need to do more tests.
Lionel and Claire are angry with Miles, but they are going to end up doing as he says because Lionel wants to keep his job, and Claire’s political career is bankrolled by Miles, and if she does not go along with his ideas, he will endorse her opponent. People’s safety is going to be compromised because this billionaire has no patience and he is determined to get his way.
Birdie has no integrity. She has no concept of follow-through. She is a “designer” who made bank after being cancelled during the pandemic, but it is all going to come crashing down because it is going to be revealed that her products were being made in a terrible sweatshop.
Miles has convinced Birdie to take full responsibility for this, as doing so will mean she takes the public fall and it would hide the fact that he was a major investor. Peg is desperately trying to get Birdie to reconsider, and we can see from their chats that Birdie really did not understand the full impact of what a sweatshop actually is. Birdie is ignorant, but she is willing to be cancelled and painted in a terrible public light because Miles is paying her off. She wants the money, she does not care if her character and reputation is ruined or if Peg’s is ruined with her. Birdie’s integrity is for sale.
Duke just wanted to be on Alpha news. He knows he says controversial and offensive things, but controversy is publicity, and he wants people tuning in. He doesn’t care if what he says hurts others, offends others, or teaches younger viewers problematic things. He is in this game for himself. Whiskey is the same.
This film really highlights how money can make people abandon their personal integrity.
When the disruptors lied on the stand, they could not even look Andi in the eye. So they knew what they were doing was wrong, but they sold their souls and morals to Miles a long time ago.
Helen just wants the truth. She wants to know what happened to her sister.
Blanc wants to help Helen find the truth, but he warns her that he may be unable to get her justice. The two form a plan. He will use his connections to stop Andi’s death from being in the press straight away, buying them some time. She will come to the party with him, and she can snoop. Someone there is Andi’s killer, and Blanc warns Helen that they will know straight away that she is an imposter. He is not a bodyguard, he warns her that this is a dangerous plan, but they decide the truth must be found.
Let’s talk about whodunit.
Miles did it. Are we shocked? I don’t think so. This entire film is about deceit being in plain sight. The entire film is an illusion of smoke and mirrors, and details being shown plainly to our faces. When the dancing started and Birdie was spinning around in her dress, Miles told everyone to look at the amazing colours in her dress. When everyone was distracted and looking where Miles told them to look, he handed Duke his glass. Something that I was impressed by, because yes, we did rewind the film to check, was that this was not done in later shots. This happened the first time we saw this scene. The glass never touches the table, Miles does hand his glass to Duke, but it is done silently and quickly while our attention was purposely directed to something else. Duke died due to an allergic reaction. There was pineapple juice in the drink, and he is allergic. Duke tells audiences this at the beginning as the group are getting on the boat. It is a throwaway moment, he makes sure there is no pineapple in the health shot they are being given because “Duke don’t dance with pineapple.” This is such a great line because it could simply mean that he does not like pineapple. This casual phrase does not illustrate how severe his allergy is. Whiskey clarifies later that he can’t even have a drop.
“It’s so dumb it’s brilliant!” Birdie shouts.
Blanc shouts back. “No!!!! It’s just dumb!!”
This might be my favourite exchange.
Miles is the killer twice over. It was him who killed Andi when he found out that she would expose him with the napkin. The news broke while the group was dancing. Duke saw the news on his phone, and leveraged the information so that Miles would have to put him on Alpha news.
Miles could not have this, so he gave Duke a drink that he was severely allergic to. Then he took Duke’s phone and his gun and turned off all the lights. This was Blanc’s idea. This action highlights what an absolute fraud Miles really is. He stole Andi’s idea. He bullies everyone financially even though he does the least amount of work. He hired a writer for his murder mystery, and then he stole Blanc’s idea about the gun and the lights to create panic and distraction. He also shot Helen, but thankfully the bullet missed. Playing dead gave her the opportunity to find the original napkin.
When Helen does find the napkin that was hidden in plain sight in a picture frame, she returns to the group to expose Miles. Miles, cocky as ever, burns the napkin. This destroys the only proof that Helen has. Helen attempts to stand up to Miles, she says everyone saw him burn it, but Miles says that nobody saw a thing, and everyone reluctantly agrees. They say they saw nothing. They are cowards. This is quite a dark moment in a darkly funny film, because this moment highlights how many real life situations sadly play out. The person with the money can bully and intimidate people into singing their tune, and everyone else is forced into the role of the coward who must forfeit their morals and their integrity because they need the money. Helen goes mad. She angrily destroys sculptures, and she sets the Mona Lisa on fire.
The world as Miles knows it comes crashing down. His fuel destroyed a priceless, globally renowned piece of art. Helen granted his wish. His name will always be remembered alongside the Mona Lisa. He is ruined. The disruptors stand up to Miles. They say that they did see the napkin before he burned it, highlighting that they will not be his puppets any longer.
Helen gets to go home feeling satisfied that she got justice for her sister.
I said earlier that this film steps beyond Knives Out.
What do I mean by this? Knives Out brought a classic whodunit to our screens. It was eccentric, it was quirky, it was a bit out there, but at the end of the day it was a revival of the classic whodunit murder mystery movie. It was set in the big creepy house on the hill and the story revolved around the rich, dysfunctional family. Glass Onion steps beyond what this first film does. It is bigger. It is even more out there. I would liken it to the theatre of the absurd. It takes place on a private island that is run by a new form of fuel. Shots fired into one’s mouth means that everyone could have a Covid-free, safe time. The place has an abundance of riches. It seems surreal. It is why I love the line that it is not brilliant, it is just dumb. This film does not do anything that is particularly genius. It all boils down to greed, ego, and parlour tricks. It is just dumb! That is why it is so much fun. It is a film that shows the plot right in front of our eyes, hidden behind smoke and mirrors, and then the entire illusion is shattered. Con men of the past would get people to fall for their schemes by using slights of hand, tricks of the eye, and most importantly, they would gain people’s confidence. Miles was the puppet master. He told everyone to look at the pretty spinning colours and they did, and if it was not for the presence of Blanc, it is likely that he would have gotten away with it because the gang were so taken in by his control.
I also said that I would decide if I preferred one film over the other,
I would have to say that Glass Onion is my favourite of the two films. I thought the plot was very clever and fun. I thought it was very funny. I enjoyed the new set of characters. I loved how out there and almost absurd the plot was. I loved how the film was shot. I loved the breakdown of how everything happened in plain sight, and I adored the irony of Miles getting his wish. He was knocked off his greedy, rich, controlling, cocky high horse and his name will forever be linked to the Mona Lisa. He got his dream, but now it is his nightmare and this was a fantastic moment. I loved seeing Blanc again and I look forward to seeing him in another film although I am curious about what the plot will be. There are only so many ways that you can tell a story like this, however I am intrigued to see where Blanc will go next. With all of this being said, I must say that even though I do prefer Glass Onion, I don’t think this film could have stepped into this wonderfully absurd arena without having the foundation that was laid down in Knives Out.
Knives Out subverted the tropes just enough, but there were classic murder mystery elements to the plot. That film laid down the groundwork, introduced audiences to Blanc and how he works, and that groundwork and our understanding of him as a character allowed him to step even further out there in Glass Onion. Overall I would highly recommend Glass Onion. I think it is a wonderfully absurd mystery that explores some really interesting themes. It is an extremely entertaining watch.
This film was released in 2019. It was written and directed by Rian Johnson.
This is an ensemble piece starring Daniel Craig as the eccentric master detective Benoit Blanc.
I would call this film a parody revival of the classic whodunit murder mystery movie genre, as this film takes classic murder mystery movie tropes and has fun playing with them, and in some cases, subverting them entirely.
This review is the first of a two-part review set. Next week I will be discussing Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. I would not call Glass Onion a direct or traditional sequel, but rather it is the second film in what appears to be a series of films all about Benoit Blanc and the bizarre cases he finds himself investigating. Benoit Blanc is the only character to return to the screen, as Glass Onion introduces audiences to an entirely new set of characters. This is why I would be hesitant to use the word sequel, as in my opinion, Glass Onion can be viewed, understood, and enjoyed as a stand-alone piece. It does not require viewers to have seen Knives Out first. With that being said, I do consider Glass Onion to be a film that steps beyond Knives Out, and I will explain what I mean by this phrase in next week’s discussion.
I consider this review and next week’s review to be a set. The two reviews have been written in a way that hopefully leads to each piece complimenting the other, however as the two films have entirely separate plots and casts, the reviews can also be read entirely independently.
I’ve been trying to decide whether or not I have a favourite film out of the two. It is hard to say, because I really enjoyed both films, and they are so different, however I think I appreciate them in different ways, instead of having a clear cut favourite, and this is another point that I will expand upon as I go on.
Let’s dive into Knives Out.
There will be spoilers ahead, so if you have not watched the film already, you have been warned.
I’m going to dive into a plot overview, and then dive into themes, the murder mystery genre idea, and character types.
The film opens with a stunning yet almost eerie shot of a large mansion that sits on a hill in the middle of nowhere. It is the home of Harlan Thrombey, a wealthy, eccentric mystery writer. How fitting. On the morning after Harlan’s 85th birthday party, Fran the housekeeper brings Harlan his breakfast, only to find him in his study with his throat slit.
The murder mystery movie classic tropes start here. We expect the maid to scream and drop the breakfast tray, followed by a shot of the coffee cup crashing on the carpet. Instead, Fran gasps, almost drops the tray and utters out a not very graceful “Shit!!!” as she realises she is spilling coffee. It is a very subtle thing, but this is the beginning of the tropes being played with.
Knives Out does something that I absolutely love. It is a film that knows what it is. It knows the tropes, it shows us the tropes, and it also has fun with them.
How many times have we seen the maid drop the tray? It is a classic shot, and here it is right at the start of the film, but ever so slightly different.
The detectives have ruled the case a suicide, but the eccentric and famous Benoit Blanc is on the scene. He is a private detective who has been anonymously hired, and he is not willing to close the case just yet. Something compels him to keep looking, and so this is how we get into the plot. The Thrombey family and Marta, Harlan’s nurse who is “like family” – this is a key line- have been gathered in the home for one final round of questions.
As Blanc starts asking each family member questions, it soon becomes clear that each member of the Thrombey family had a motive to kill Harlan. This is a home of vipers and vultures who will not hesitate to stab each other in the back – or maybe even slit a throat.
So now the film asks us, was this a suicide? Or was this a case of foul play?
Let’s take a look at the ensemble.
We’ve got Linda, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
Linda is Harlan’s daughter. She is a “self-made” woman, just like him, and she idolises her father. Linda is proud of herself, proud of her father, and proud of the Thrombey name.
She is intelligent and guarded. She is highly protective of her family, and this is highlighted when she refuses to give into Blanc’s questioning.
Blanc uses a clever tactic, he asks politely probing questions, alongside observations. His goal is to get each family member to spill something about the other. Linda does not take the bait, but her husband Richard sure does.
Richard is a character that I will expand upon shortly in another point, as I’m going to discuss one of the key themes in the film, which is the idea of the “outsider”.
Richard reveals that Linda’s brother Walt had a fight with their father on the night of the party.
Walt runs Harlan’s publishing company and he publishes the books that his father writes.
Walt has dreams about adaptations and films, but Harlan owns the rights to all of his books, and he will not allow them to be adapted in any way. Walt is furious about this, as this is where the opportunity to earn real money lies.
On the night of Harlan’s birthday, Walt pleaded with his father again to allow him to do more in the company. Harlan says he won’t hold his son back anymore, and he is now free to build something for himself. Devastated that he has just been fired, Walt spends the rest of the night sulking.
Harlan Thrombey has three grandchildren. Ransom (Hugh), Meg, and Jacob.
Walt describes Ransom as the “black sheep” of the family because he has never had a job, yet Harlan has always supported him. He describes Harlan and Ransom’s relationship as a “love/hate” relationship and tells Blanc that Harlan and Ransom argued often and dramatically in front of the entire family, but on the night of Harlan’s birthday party, the pair argued privately in Harlan’s study and Ransom stormed off early.
Meg is a college student. She is the only person in the family who seems to genuinely like and respect Marta and Fran. She scolds a police officer for referring to Marta as “the help” and she scolds Ransom when he refers to Fran by the wrong name. Harlan supports Meg’s college education by paying for her tuition and giving her mother an allowance.
Jacob is a sixteen year old entitled brat. He is described as a “literal Nazi” by Richard, but his father Walt says he is “politically active.” It becomes increasingly obvious that Jacob has extreme views and as the film plays out, it is clear to see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
This point leads me to discussing Richard, Joni, and Marta, and one of the key themes in the film – The idea of the “outsider”.
Within the kooky, mysterious, eccentric, almost unbelievable story that is Knives Out, there are some very important, very topical themes being discussed. One of these themes is the idea of someone being an “outsider.” There are even “outsiders” within the Thrombey family.
Richard and Joni are outsiders. I am going to call them “familial outsiders” because they are the people who have married into the Thrombey family. Richard is Linda’s husband. He is Ransom’s father. Linda made Richard sign a prenup before they married, meaning that her fortune is hers and hers alone. It is revealed that Richard also argued with Harlan on the day of his party. Before his death, Harlan discovered that Richard has been having an affair and he plans to tell his daughter Linda all about it. Richard knows that if Linda finds out, she will leave him, and he will not enjoy her wealth anymore.
Joni is Harlan’s daughter-in-law. Joni is Meg’s mother. She married his other son Neil, who died shortly after Meg was born. Harlan looks after her and Meg by providing for them.
Joni also argued with Harlan on the day of the party. Harlan found out that Joni had been stealing from him because his office had been wiring money directly to Meg’s school, but tuition money was also being sent to Joni’s account. She was “double-dipping.” Harlan informed Joni that he would be cutting both her and Meg off and she would not receive another payment from him.
Donna is also an outsider. She is Walt’s wife, but we don’t learn too much about her, aside from the fact that she is money hungry and racist. Her character does not get much screen time.
Richard and Joni are familial outsiders because Richard is at the mercy of Linda. He signed a prenup, so his wealth is not actually his wealth. He is not really part of the elite circle. He knows that once Harlan reveals his affair, he is out. The family is clearly irritated by Joni. She is a free-spirit who loves meditation and yoga. She is very obviously too laid-back for the uptight Thrombey family and one can imagine that the only reason she is still included at all is because she is the mother of Harlan’s granddaughter. When Harlan cuts her off, she will be out too.
The plot thickens because now we know that Walt, Richard, and Joni are about to lose their money so all three of them have a motive to want Harlan harmed.
Marta Cabrera is Harlan’s nurse. She is kind, and loyal, and she became more of a friend to Harlan. The Thrombey family treat her as a true “outsider.” She is even more on the outside than Richard or Joni, because she is not connected to the family in any way. She is not married into the family. She is Harlan’s nurse, and while the family claim to like her, to love her even, they still keep her on the periphery because she is an employee.
The power imbalance is somewhat subtle at first. The family keeps telling Marta she is “like family.” They compliment her, they call her a good girl, and a hard worker, but as the film plays out, it becomes clear that they do not respect her at all. They do not consider her to be like family. When talking about Marta, each family member tells Blanc that she is from somewhere different. She is said to be from Paraguay, and then from Uruguay, from Ecuador, and from Brazil. This is a somewhat subtle detail, but it is a clever one as it highlights that the family clearly didn’t listen to Marta and they don’t actually care where she is from. To go another step further, it demonstrates that this family will list places like Paraguay, Ecuador, and Brazil etc. as if they are all just one and the same.
There are also key moments where subtle actions highlight that the family think Marta is beneath them. She was not allowed to attend Harlan’s funeral. There is a scene where Richard, Walt, and Joni are discussing immigrants in America. Joni is clearly the most liberal, and it does become clear which political issues were most relevant at the time that this film was released. Richard feels that America is for Americans, and he feels that if people want to come to America, then they need to do it the right way. Joni is trying to explain that it is not such a simple issue and that people just want better lives for their children, and she is fiercely against children being detained in cages. Richard feels the blame lies with the parents of those children. He makes Marta join the conversation. She is deeply uncomfortable, but Richard wants her opinion. He parades her in front of everyone, and while he is at it, he very subtly hands her his plate because he is finished with his cake. This moment reveals everything about Richard’s character. He can say what he wants about Marta being someone who has worked hard the right way, so now she too gets to enjoy America, because at the end of the day, he sees her as beneath him. It does not matter how often they say she is “like family”, he sees her as someone who is there to take his plate. Marta is a registered nurse, she is not a maid or a housekeeper, and yet Richard simply views her as someone who exists in that home in a service capacity. It is not her job to take care of his plates, but he feels he is entitled to make her take it off him anyway. I have more to say on this, but I will come back to it in a later point.
Marta was the only person who genuinely valued Harlan’s company. She is honest to a fault, to the extent that lying makes her physically vomit. This is a gag that is used to move the plot along, it is a physical comedic act that will make some people squirm as the detectives know when Marta is lying because she gets sick right in front of them. Marta also played a key role on the night of Harlan’s birthday party, but before I talk about whodunit, and the reveal of whodunit and how they did it, I want to start to dig deeper into the themes that this film explores.
Ultimately I would say that Knives Out is a film about power. Who has power? How do they have that power? Who do they have power over? What will someone do to retain that power? Underneath all of the mysterious smoke and mirrors, in the end all motives are monetary.
For all of the family’s claims about being great, about being self-made, about building things for themselves, they are, at their core, a family of entitled, money hungry vultures. They are hypocrites and they are desperate to hold on to their father’s fortune, and all of the power that the money affords them.
The clawing for money is a point that I will circle back to, but first I want to discuss the reveal of whodunit.
Spoiler Alert – Whodunit?
Ransom did it. At first audiences believe that Marta accidentally killed Harlan by mixing up his medications and giving him a deadly dose of morphine. Unable to find the emergency antidote, Marta panics and tries to get help. Harlan stops her. The pair form an airtight plan so Marta will be eliminated as a suspect. Marta’s mother is undocumented, and Marta fears she’ll be harassed and deported if she is investigated and that comes to light. Harlan knows this, and he tells Marta that she must do as he says to protect her mother.
It is later revealed that Marta did not mix up the medications at all. Ransom tampered with them and switched the bottles, but Marta still inherently knew the difference because she had administered the medication a hundred times before and she is a good nurse. The argument that Ransom had with his grandfather on the night of his birthday was about money. Harlan revealed he was cutting him out of his will, and he revealed that he was leaving absolutely everything to Marta. Ransom came up with a plan, he planned to frame Marta for the death of his grandfather, knowing that if she was found responsible for his death, even accidentally, she could not inherit anything.
This is likely why Harlan slit his throat. He wanted to take as much attention away from Marta as possible, and no one would suspect an overdose when they found someone with their throat slit.
The cause of death really was suicide, but a tangled web was still created.
Before the truth finally comes out, Ransom knew that the will reading would reveal that Marta was due to inherit everything. He also thought she would be found guilty, overturning the inheritance. Ransom was cocky and he was the only family member who was calm at the will reading, and this point allows me to dig deeper into the film’s commentary on money and power.
When the Thrombey family find out that each of them have been cut out of the will, they all go mad. They scream, they shout, they hurl accusations and obscenities at Marta, the one who they claimed to love, the one who they insisted was “like family” because when it comes down to the money, she is not family. Not real family.
When Linda learns that her father cut off Ransom, she tells her son that this could be the best thing to ever happen to him, and Richard tells his son that maybe now he’ll be forced to grow up. Such condescending words from people who are still rolling in their riches.
Five minutes later, when they learn with the rest of the family that they too have been cut out, they are furious, they are devastated, they are thrown into a state of sheer, desperate panic.
Ransom is the person who helps Marta escape the chaos, he tells her to hop into his car and he drives her away while saying “This could be the best thing to happen to all of you” with a smirk on his face.
At this point in the plot, audiences don’t know yet about what Ransom did, so at this moment, I actually found myself liking him. I thought this was really clever. From the start, Ransom is set up to be the worst Thrombey. He is called the black sheep, he fights with his grandfather, he has never had a job so he just uses his grandfather’s money. He is rude to Fran. He considers “the help” beneath him and makes them refer to him as Hugh, not Ransom. He is cocky, he is arrogant, and he has a smirk that you’d love to smack off his face. The dogs don’t even like him. Need I say more?
Chris Evans did a great job in my opinion, because in this second act of the film, he made Ransom strangely likeable. There is something to be said about an asshole who knows that they are an asshole and does not pretend otherwise. We can see that Ransom is not nice, but he never pretends to be. When he and Marta are having lunch and talking about what happened that night, Ransom gets Marta to confess to him about the medications. He tells Marta that she is going to keep the inheritance, that he will help her get away with it, and then she can just give him his share. He hates his family so he feels no loyalty to them, and this way he still gets his inheritance anyway. It is a win win.
At this moment, I was okay with this plan. As a viewer I said “Okay sure, why not. I did not expect him and Marta to team up but why not?”
Ransom turning out to be the true killer is another way that this film played with murder mystery tropes. He is set up as the worst character. At the beginning, it is likely that many people suspected him, but then dismissed the thought as too obvious. The film then leads us to believe that he is actually, maybe alright, still an asshole, but slightly better than his vulture-like family and most people would have likely been satisfied with him helping Marta get away with the medication mistake and get his cut anyways. So when it is revealed that he had malicious intentions all along, that it actually was the most obvious choice all along, this was another brilliant way that Knives Out presented very classic and obvious tropes in new ways.
Ransom is not a good person, but he is not the worst Thrombey. The Thrombey family members are all awful, and all in different ways. Linda is a hypocrite. She is not self-made at all. She did not build her fortune from the ground up like her father, she started out with a million dollar loan from him. Linda as a character is someone who continuously calls herself self-made, she is proud of this. She says that Walt does not really do anything, he just publishes their father’s books. He is not the same as her. No, no, no. She conveniently forgets to mention that million dollar loan from her father when she was just starting out, and I wonder how self-made from the ground up she would have been without that loan.
Joni’s free-spirited, liberal concerns die when her money is threatened.
Walt very menacingly threatens to draw attention to Marta’s mother if Marta does not renounce the inheritance, but Meg, I think Meg may be the worst of all.
Meg, the one who scolded officers and family members on Marta’s behalf. Meg who said Marta is her friend, who said she wanted to help Marta, who said that the family discussed it and they want to take care of Marta, she is the one who I think turned out to be the worst of all.
At first she is horrified when her family members attack Marta. She tells her mother that if grandad wanted to give the money to Marta, then she thinks they should respect that, but the tables turn when Joni reveals she is broke, and she will not be able to pay for Meg’s college.
So Meg calls Marta and she asks her what she plans to do, she tells Marta she should give the money back, because she is not family, not really. Meg tells Marta that her mother is broke, that she will have to drop out of college, but Marta tells her she won’t let that happen, she will pay for college, she will “take care” of her, and Meg learns how condescending and patronising it really is to be on the other end of that sentence. Now I would think that if someone feared they would have to drop out of college, they would be relieved if someone told them that they would not, that their fees would be paid for, but Meg is not relieved, because she is no longer the powerful one in this relationship. Meg was happy to be friends with Marta and be kind to Marta and scold others for not being kind to Marta when she was the one who held the cards. When she was the wealthy one. Now that the wind has changed, she doesn’t like it so much, and so she tells the rest of the family about Marta’s mother being undocumented. Meg gives her family the information they need to harass and bully Marta. I think Meg is the worst kind of character, she is the most sinister kind of character. Ransom is awful, but he never pretends that he isn’t.
Meg on the other hand pretends to be nice, pretends to be progressive, maybe she even truly believes that she is, but as soon as she faced hardship, she stabbed Marta in the back and called her an outsider.
I think having Meg turn out to be the worst Thrombey was a very clever way of highlighting the mindset of a certain kind of person. There are people who sit on moral high horses, claiming that as long as people do things the “right way” then they are welcome to share in the riches, but they don’t ever want that equality to actually happen, because their kindness, their morals, their compassion all depend on being the powerful one in the relationship. They can’t handle actually being on equal footing with someone, because then they have to admit that they don’t really respect the other person at all. They have to admit that they do see others as beneath them, that they do have unfair biases and prejudices. Knives Out was released in 2019, but this is a topic that is still relevant today, and Glass Onion also handles very important themes about money, power, and manipulation that I will discuss next week.
So Ransom’s plan failed, because Marta did not give Harlan the wrong medication after all.
His plan didn’t go as smoothly as he thought it would because Fran saw him tampering with Marta’s medical bag and she assumed that he was poisoning Harlan. At one point it appears that Fran is babbling on about a Hallmark movie, and it is easy to dismiss it as ridiculous chatter, but when you actually listen, you will hear that she is frantically telling Marta about a movie where the protagonist was killed slowly by being poisoned in small doses overtime, and that is what she believes Ransom was doing to Harlan. She also states that her cousin works as a receptionist in the medical examiner’s office. Another sentence that can be easily missed, but it is very important later.
Fran also wants money, so when she gets a hold of the toxicology report, she attempts to blackmail Ransom by sending him the report. “I know what you did.” The report actually reveals that Marta was innocent all along, and Ransom cannot let this be known, so he sends the report to Marta and tricks her into thinking that the report will show the overdose. He then kills Fran with the same medication overdose that he attempted to kill Harlan with.
The station mysteriously gets burned down, destroying all evidence.
Just when we think all is lost and Marta is about to renounce the inheritance, Blanc reveals the copy that Fran hid, proving Marta’s innocence and unravelling Ransom’s web.
It was an intriguing mystery and as I was watching, I had many different thoughts and guesses about how it might play out. I had different guesses about who the killer would turn out to be, because at certain points, it really could have been anyone. That is what made Knives Out so great in my opinion. The Thrombey’s are terrible people, and it really could have been anyone.
All motives were monetary. I thoroughly enjoyed Blanc telling the family off, it was amazing to watch him tell them that they are vultures and they have treated Marta like shit, and that she would be keeping the inheritance. Blanc is a fantastic character and I look forward to seeing him again in more films.
Something that I want to talk about is the attention to detail in this film. It was brilliant, and it was brilliant in Glass Onion too. Knives Out is the kind of film that every time you watch it, you will notice something new. A great example is that there is blood on Marta’s shoe. A tiny, almost non-existent spatter of blood, proving she was in the room, and audiences are not shown the blood stain until the middle of the film. Later, when all is resolved, Marta asks Blanc when he figured out that she was involved in some way. He tells her that he knew from the moment he met her, and he points out the tiny speck of blood on her shoe. When I watched the film again, I caught that in the scene where Blanc and Marta meet for the first time, he does indeed glance down at her feet.
It is tiny little details like this that make all of the difference. Fran’s line about the murder movie is another fantastic example. It seems like such a throwaway thing, but it is so important. Blanc notes how the dogs never bark at Marta and he feels that a dog is the best judge of character. The dogs bark at every other family member, especially Ransom. Linda states early on that she and her father have their own secret way of communicating, she says her father loved games. This could be viewed as simply a sweet thing to say. Linda clearly adores her father, so she feels they can speak in a way that no one else understands. Later we learn that they truly did have a secret language. She finds the letter from her father about Richard’s affair, one that appears blank, but then her lighter reveals the hidden ink. The closing shot of the film is iconic. The fallen Thrombey family members are all outside the house, arguing with the officers who are taking Ransom away. They turn, mouths agape, and stare up at Marta who is standing proudly on the balcony. They always looked down at her, but now she is literally looking down at them. The film ends with a shot of her sipping out of her coffee cup, the cup that Fran did not drop at the start of the film. The cup has a saying on it. It reads “My house.”
It is wonderful, visual storytelling. It was a really enjoyable watch. I was thoroughly invested.
I know that I jumped around to different discussion points in this review, but it naturally happened that way as I was going through everything I wanted to say. I also felt that the film did this too, we jumped back and forth in time, we jumped into different people’s perspectives, and so my own thoughts kind of naturally jumped around too as I was writing. I’m enjoying this new style of writing where I just go with the flow a bit more, but if anyone has any questions or thoughts then please do drop a comment because I’m always excited to read other people’s thoughts, opinions, and interpretations.
I would highly recommend watching Knives Out if you haven’t already. It is a funny yet very intriguing watch. If you have already seen it, and you feel inspired to watch it again, then I would encourage you to keep an eye out for things you may not have caught the first time around. I would also say watch and simply enjoy the fun that is a classic murder mystery.
Enjoy the house on the hill. Enjoy the eccentric detective. Enjoy the arrogant family. Enjoy every twist and turn.
Knives Out is an entertaining revival of the classic whodunit?
It is funny, it is quirky, it is at times a bit ridiculous, but within all of the intrigue, this is a clever film about money and power. A brilliant story told by a fantastic cast. Bravo.
Have you seen these films? Did you guess the killer? Do you prefer Knives Out or Glass Onion?
Be sure to tune in next Wednesday. I will be reviewing and discussing Glass Onion.
In the meantime you can also follow me on Instagram – @katelovesliterature if you don’t already.
Festive wishes & a Christmas book review by Kate O’Brien.
Christmas is my favourite holiday. It is a time that I associate with family, friends, and lots of love. I really enjoy being festive. I enjoy buying and wrapping gifts, I love Christmas lights. I love when my home is filled with Christmas decorations. I love candy canes, I will have hot chocolate even though it is not my favourite…I do however, love a Baileys hot chocolate.
Tis the season after all.
I can’t believe that it is this time of year again. I feel like the year has flown by.
It has been a busy year, but I am very thankful that I can say that it has been a great year.
This will be my last review/discussion of 2022. I will be discussing two books.
After I publish this piece I will be taking a break for Christmas. I love Katelovesliterature.com. It is my passion project, but I work on my laptop, I’m doing my master’s which consists of lots and lots of research and essay writing, and I am always writing reviews so even though I love what I do, and I consider myself very lucky, I’m constantly typing so I think it is important to take time away from the laptop screen every once in a while. I will be writing and publishing reviews and discussions again in the New Year.
Thank You.
Before I jump into my final review of 2022, I want to take a moment to say thank you so much to all of my readers. You know who you are. Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to Katelovesliterature.com. I really appreciate it, and I hope that you all have been enjoying my reviews and discussions so far. I hope that you continue to enjoy them as we move into 2023. There is so much more to come. Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates. I hope that you all have a happy and healthy New Year. Here’s to 2023.
I want to say a special thank you to the Children’s Books Ireland team and to the Beehive Books team. I’m honoured to be a member of the Children’s Books Ireland reviewer team. I’m such an advocate when it comes to encouraging young people to read. I really believe that the books we read when we are young can open up so many doors. Everything that I do now can be credited to the fact that I was an avid bookworm when I was young, and I am so glad that the adults in my life encouraged my love of reading and ensured that I always had books. This is why I am such a fan of the Children’s Books Ireland ethos, which is that every child has the right to be a reader, and every child should have access to good quality reading materials. Every school should have a library. I have huge admiration for everyone at Children’s Books Ireland, and for all of the work that they do, and so I am delighted that I can say that I am involved in some way. #everychildareader.
I’ve also been so lucky this year as I have gotten to know some members of the Beehive Books team. I’ve had the opportunity to attend some book launches and to review some of their books. Everyone whom I have met has been so kind, so lovely, and so welcoming, which is something that I really appreciate. I have a keen interest in the publishing industry, and when you meet people who are doing what you are striving towards, and they are so encouraging, it is really lovely. Thank you to everyone at Beehive Books.
I’m adding social links below. Be sure to check them out!
The Christmas season never passes me by without reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is a classic that is synonymous with Christmas in my opinion. I think it is such a significant read. Everyone should have to read this book at least once, and I do believe that it should be taught in English classes at this time of year. It is extremely hard for me to choose a definite favourite Dickens’ text. He is my favourite classic author. I loved studying his fiction and his journalism. Writing about his works was challenging, but it was a challenge that I really enjoyed. I would highly recommend reading A Christmas Carol first if you have never read any of his other works before, as although it is a dense text, I think it is a straightforward story to get into. The book also does a great job of introducing readers to the writing style of Charles Dickens. He is a very descriptive, evocative writer, and some of the scenes in A Christmas Carol are incredibly vivid because they are filled with such detail. I would argue that is why this book is so cinematic, and why a story like this lends itself to so many film adaptations.
I have discussed A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in much more detail in a previous book discussion. You can read it by clicking the link below.
I’m also looking forward to watching Christmas Carole starring Surrane Jones. This show will be airing on Sky on Christmas Eve, and based on the trailer, I think it looks quite good.
Surrane Jones is obviously taking on the role of Scrooge. She appears to be an uptight businesswoman who scoffs at Christmas and kindness. Following the classic Dickens plot, she will be visited by three ghosts. Some may call this plot predictable by now, and this is somewhat true because even if you have never read the original text, A Christmas Carol has been adapted so many times that by now almost everyone knows the story and how it plays out. It is a little formulaic, but that is okay. That is the nature of a story like this. It is predictable, it does follow a set structure, but nevertheless it is a heartwarming, and very important tale. I’m excited to see this new take on it, even though I already have clear ideas about how the show will play out.
I’m a fan of Surrane Jones, and it looks as though this adaptation has a fantastic cast so I am looking forward to sitting down and tuning in this Christmas Eve. I will do a mini #watchtvwithme on the spot review as I’m watching so be sure to follow along on my Instagram stories @katelovesliterature.
The Holly Pond Hill Christmas Treasury by Paul Kortepeter.
(The second of two book discussions.)
The Holly Pond Hill Christmas Treasury, illustrated by Susan Wheeler and written by Paul Kortepeter is a book that I have had since I was a little girl. I flipped through it again a few days ago, and I was reminded of just how charming this book is.
This delightful book is a collection of festive recipes, Christmas stories, poems, and songs. It is filled with charming illustrations and it is the perfect read for when one is counting down the days until Christmas. The characters of Holly Pond Hill are getting into the Christmas spirit and readers will too when they flip through the pages of this Christmas treasury. I think it is such a sweet keepsake. I’m so glad that I still have it after all these years. I think that a book like this would make a lovely present for a young reader, because it is something that they can have forever. A book like this can become a Christmas tradition because it is one that can be returned to every year. I think my favourite poem in this book is A Call for Snow! It is short and sweet, and perfect for young readers who want to practise reading independently.
I’m delighted that I came across this book. It made for a fun trip down memory lane, and I just had to share it here on Katelovesliterature.com.
I am looking forward to 2023. I have a feeling it will be a great year. There is so much more to come, and I believe that there is no way to go except onwards and upwards.
For now, thank you all for reading. I appreciate every like, and every comment. I love what I do, and it is so lovely that people engage with what I write. Until next year…
Christmas trees, fairy lights, gluhwein, and more. The Christmas markets in Leipzig were a magical sight. Germany has been on my travel wishlist for a long time, and I was so excited to spend a snowy few days in Leipzig.
I wasn’t expecting to travel again before Christmas, but my Mam surprised me with a trip to Germany. It was cold, it was snowy, it was a trip filled with festive fun.
I couldn’t wait to go, especially because Leipzig is a city that has a rich literary history, and there is nothing I love more than exploring a #literarycity.
We flew out on a Sunday and we flew back to Dublin the following Wednesday.
It is fantastic that Ryanair now has direct flights from Dublin to Leipzig.
It may have been a short trip, but it was filled with amazing food, lovely drinks, some shopping, and we explored some fantastic sights. I had the best time, and Leipzig is a city that I will most definitely be returning to, but for now, I’m delighted to be able to add Leipzig to the travel diaries.
If you enjoy reading about literary inspired trips then read on, because I’m going to outline some of the exploring we did, and I’m going to share some of the snaps I took. This city is a photographer’s dream, especially since the entire city was decorated for Christmas.
It was glittering, sparkling, and all things festive.
Leipzig is a cultural hub, and I was especially excited about the city’s musical history.
The city has often been called the city of music, and if you’re a fan of classical music then this city is one you won’t want to miss.
Please note – All images shared are photographs that I have taken myself, with my own phone. They may not be shared without my permission.
St. Thomas Church.
One of the places that I was most excited to visit was St.Thomas Church. (Thomaskirche).
This church is said to date back to the 12th century, and although it has seen some changes over time, it is hard to imagine that a structure has stood in the same spot for such a long time.
After some renovations, today the church is a beautiful, gothic building. It is a sight to behold.
St.Thomas Church is home to one of the oldest, and most renowned boys’ choirs. The St.Thomas Boys’ Choir has sung in these halls since the year 1212, and at one point in time the choir was led by the one and only Johann Sebastian Bach.
Johann Sebastian Bach has a reputation as one of the best composers of all time. He has been called a genius due to the way he composes counterpoints. A counterpoint refers to when melody lines are woven together, creating the harmony at the same time as the melody. Bach was also a particularly talented organ master, and during the church’s renovations, a new Bach organ was installed. This is the impressive organ that visitors will see when they visit the church today.
In a little corner room in the church, I found my dream come true. Instruments and sheet music, all saved and displayed in cases. It was amazing to see handwritten scores that have been saved for all these years. I love music, I studied music, and while I don’t discuss it as much as I should, I adore classical music and music theory.
I love scores. I think that there is something incredible about seeing the work that someone put on paper. Someone sat down and created song, and that is a talent that I wish I had.
Music is universal and immortal. It seems unbelievable that the music of a choir master from centuries ago is still being played, remembered, and respected today, but Bach has left behind an impressive musical legacy and reputation.
I was really hoping to see some sheet music and scores, so I was not disappointed.
Outside the church, a statue of Bach sits overlooking the grounds. I think it is lovely that he is being remembered in St.Thomas Church in Leipzig after all of his musical service there.
It is said that Bach is buried there too. The Bach museum is directly across the street so all of these must-see sights are very easy to find.
This is a stop that music lovers won’t want to miss. Lovers of architecture will really enjoy it too, as this building with its high ceilings and stained-glass windows is just stunning.
I bet that hearing a choir echoing through these walls would be absolutely amazing.
I also want to note that visitors can also view the tower, but unfortunately I could not do this as this tour does not run past November. Oh well! This gives me yet another reason to return to Leipzig, not that I needed much convincing.
I’d also like to share one of my favourite Bach quotes.
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” – Johann Sebastian Bach.
I think that music is something that touches the soul and pulls on one’s heartstrings in a way that not many things can. It is absolutely incredible how a piece of music can resonate with a person so much. That is why I love this quote.
St. Nicholas Church.
The second church we visited was St. Nicholas Church (Nikolaikiriche).
At this church, visitors are not permitted to take photographs.
This church is absolutely stunning, it is a sight you won’t want to miss, however it is a sight that you cannot take photographs of. You can buy a private photo pass in the gift shop for €1, which I did, however these pictures are for private use only. The church states that pictures are not permitted to be shared online or on any social media platforms. I’m sure that people share their pictures anyway, however I’m not going to do so, as I would not like any of my own photos to be shared without my permission.
This church is a gothic building with baroque elements, and I would say that this building has a delicate, almost romantic feel to it. The interior is pink and white, and a huge silver organ sits overhead, looking down at all the pews. This organ is the largest organ in all of Saxony.
Several of Bach’s pieces premiered in this church. This church is only a few minutes walk away from St.Thomas Church so it is definitely worth making a stop at both.
Mephisto Bar.
Mephisto is an elegant bar that you’ll find if you walk through the famous Mädler-Passage. The arcade was built between 1912-1914, and it is a sight of beauty and grandeur. At this time of year, it is also a sight of Christmas trees. Mephisto is a bar that has a wonderfully eccentric atmosphere. The stylish bar is home to Mephisto, who is a demon figure that can be found in German folktales. I just had to visit here as a lover of fairy tales and folktales.
The bar is elegant, with a devilish touch. Mirrors change, and at certain times, smoke and lightning flashes as Mephisto himself makes an appearance on the ceiling.
It is such good fun. Cocktail lovers need to make a stop here, as the menu is absolutely delicious.
Christmas Markets.
The highlight of my trip was exploring the Leipzig Christmas markets. These markets are the second-oldest Christmas markets in Saxony as they date back to 1458. The markets are huge, and at every turn you’ll find fairy lights, Christmas trees, decorations, gluhwein, toffee apples, and more. There are treats at every stall. Mugs, cakes, ornaments, jewellery, I could go on and on.
Exploring the markets while Christmas music played was absolutely magical, and there was a festive joy in the air. I absolutely loved all of the hustle and bustle, even though it was very cold.
I am so happy that I had the chance to tick Germany off my travel wishlist, although I definitely want to return to Leipzig as I know there is much more to do and see. I really wanted to see the Opera House, but unfortunately the schedule was tight. Next time that will be my first stop.
I would absolutely return to the Christmas markets in Leipzig although I do think that the city would be lovely to explore in the summer, and I want to explore other places in Germany too, so be it in the cold or in the sun, I will be visiting Leipzig again.
I really enjoy travelling to places that are filled with rich literature, history, and beauty, and I really enjoy writing about these trips. If you enjoy reading my travel diaries, then be sure to read all about my past trips to Oslo, London, Pompeii, Naples, Florence, and Rome as I did lots and lots of literary things in these literary cities.
2023 is fast approaching and I am really looking forward to the new year.
It is going to be a busy year. I am excited to embrace new opportunities as well as completing my master’s degree.
There is so much more to come here on Katelovesliterature.com as I plan to keep striving onwards and upwards.
I am going to be following a more structured schedule in 2023. I will still be reviewing books and movies. I will still be discussing all aspects of literature. I will still be sharing travel snaps and theatre trips.
I am excited to continue to share my passion for literature, and I will be doing so every Wednesday on Katelovesliterature.com so be sure to stay tuned.
It is lots of fun, and I share lots of snaps and updates on my grid and in my stories.
My latest #literarytrip to Leipzig was absolutely magical. It is a beautiful city that is filled with a rich literary history. My travel piece, alongside the many snaps I took, will be published very soon on Katelovesliterature.com.
Katelovesliterature.com 