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  • Reading addiction in the 18th century

    • August 10, 2019
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    • Category: Flashbacks
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      ‘When cultural commentators lament the decline of the habit of reading books, it is difficult to imagine that back in the 18th century many prominent voices were concerned about the threat posed by people reading too much. A dangerous disease appeared to afflict the young, which some diagnosed as reading addiction and others as
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  • The avenging parrot

    • July 13, 2019
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    • Category: Casanova
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    A previous blog (here) covered Casanova’s attempt to commit suicide as a consequence of a disastrous relationship he had with Marie Ann Charpillon.  It was a relationship which saw him being dragged before an English court and almost sent to prison.  Before he left London for Calais he took revenge on his conniving tormentor and
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  • Materialism

    • July 6, 2019
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      Central to the radical Enlightenment were the ideas of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus and his philosophy of atomic materialism which rejected any role for gods in the existence and evolution of the universe.  Melvyn Bragg’s excellent ‘In Our Time’ covers the topic here in a 41-minute podcast.   ‘Casanova in Paris: The Shadows
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