Comments on: World Book Day, fate and serendipity http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/ Sinéad Gleeson's blog Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:03:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Stellanova http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/#comment-1724 Stellanova Tue, 07 Mar 2006 15:54:00 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/#comment-1724 Jamaica Inn is kind of bizarre - it's literally in the middle of Bodmin Moor, and isn't even in a village. So you can look around and see miles and miles of moorland, with wild moor ponies rambling here and there. The inn itself is more or less what would would expect a rambling old stone pub with of course a shop that sells all sorts of tat (and the book, of course - that's where I got my copy. It's got a Jamaica Inn stamp on the inside!). But attached to it....well, I'll just cut and paste from my LJ entry of the time: <i>The next day, Angeline drove me and Patsington to Bodmin Moor, in her gorgeous 1967 Austin (cutest car ever), where we visited the famed Jamaica Inn. In the Inn's grounds is the infamous Potter’s Museum of Oddities, which is the collection of freakish things made by a 19th century taxidermist. Basically, he stuffed little animals and put them in tableaux, like ‘The Kitten’s Wedding’, in which all the kittens are dressed and posed in full Victorian wedding garb. It’s the most fucked-up thing I’ve ever seen in my life – well, after the museum's many stuffed “animal freaksâ€? like the several two-headed lambs, who scared the bejaysus out of me (I hid my eyes when we passed “the lamb with two bodiesâ€?, after hearing Patsington’s cries of “Jesus Christ!â€? when he reached it). Despite all the genuinely disturbing weirdness of it, we had great fun (especially when we saw the stuffed "rabbit with tusks", which set us off in fits of slightly nervous hysteria), and drove off to Looe (cue toilet humour) before heading west that night to Paar Sands...</i> Alas, the Museum of Oddities apparently moved to new premises shortly afterwards (we visited in September 2003), so Jamaica Inn is probably slightly less disturbing these days... Jamaica Inn is kind of bizarre - it’s literally in the middle of Bodmin Moor, and isn’t even in a village. So you can look around and see miles and miles of moorland, with wild moor ponies rambling here and there. The inn itself is more or less what would would expect a rambling old stone pub with of course a shop that sells all sorts of tat (and the book, of course - that’s where I got my copy. It’s got a Jamaica Inn stamp on the inside!). But attached to it….well, I’ll just cut and paste from my LJ entry of the time:
The next day, Angeline drove me and Patsington to Bodmin Moor, in her gorgeous 1967 Austin (cutest car ever), where we visited the famed Jamaica Inn. In the Inn’s grounds is the infamous Potter’s Museum of Oddities, which is the collection of freakish things made by a 19th century taxidermist. Basically, he stuffed little animals and put them in tableaux, like ‘The Kitten’s Wedding’, in which all the kittens are dressed and posed in full Victorian wedding garb. It’s the most fucked-up thing I’ve ever seen in my life – well, after the museum’s many stuffed “animal freaksâ€? like the several two-headed lambs, who scared the bejaysus out of me (I hid my eyes when we passed “the lamb with two bodiesâ€?, after hearing Patsington’s cries of “Jesus Christ!â€? when he reached it). Despite all the genuinely disturbing weirdness of it, we had great fun (especially when we saw the stuffed “rabbit with tusks”, which set us off in fits of slightly nervous hysteria), and drove off to Looe (cue toilet humour) before heading west that night to Paar Sands…

Alas, the Museum of Oddities apparently moved to new premises shortly afterwards (we visited in September 2003), so Jamaica Inn is probably slightly less disturbing these days…

]]> By: Sinead http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/#comment-1709 Sinead Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:18:02 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/#comment-1709 I picked up a copy of Jamaica Inn secondhand in Leitrim recently so I look forward to that. What's the real place like? Sadly, I'm going to have put Rebecca aside for a couple of days as I have to read a pile of Jay McInerney stuff for work. Boo hiss. I picked up a copy of Jamaica Inn secondhand in Leitrim recently so I look forward to that. What’s the real place like?

Sadly, I’m going to have put Rebecca aside for a couple of days as I have to read a pile of Jay McInerney stuff for work.
Boo hiss.

]]> By: Stellanova http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/#comment-1697 Stellanova Mon, 06 Mar 2006 09:26:37 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/02/books-and-serendipity/#comment-1697 I'm another Du Maurier fan, but I think I prefer <i>Jamaica Inn</i>, which is really pretty scary. I read it and <i>Rebecca</i> at the same time - I found a copy of <i>Rebecca</i> in an Oxfam in Bath while on holiday in the south west of England, and then bought <i>Jamaica Inn</i> in, well, the actual Jamaica Inn in Cornwall a few days later - the perfect place to read both! I was slightly disappointed by the ending of <i>Rebecca</i>, if only because I was totally convinced that there was going to be a specific twist (can't say more without spoiling it for those who haven't read it yet) which never actually occured. I’m another Du Maurier fan, but I think I prefer Jamaica Inn, which is really pretty scary. I read it and Rebecca at the same time - I found a copy of Rebecca in an Oxfam in Bath while on holiday in the south west of England, and then bought Jamaica Inn in, well, the actual Jamaica Inn in Cornwall a few days later - the perfect place to read both! I was slightly disappointed by the ending of Rebecca, if only because I was totally convinced that there was going to be a specific twist (can’t say more without spoiling it for those who haven’t read it yet) which never actually occured.

]]>