[Vwoolf] Shetland and Woolf - now side-tracked

[Neverow, Vara S.]

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple is haunting Shetland — and the village.

Vara Neverow
(she/her/hers)
Professor, English Department and Women’s and Gender Studies Program
Managing Editor, Virginia Woolf Miscellany
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT 06515
203-392-6717
neverowv1 at southernct.edu

I acknowledge that Southern Connecticut State University was built on traditional territory of the indigenous peoples and nations of the Paugusett and Quinnepiac peoples.
________________________________
From: Vwoolf <vwoolf-bounces at lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Stuart N. Clarke via Vwoolf <vwoolf at lists.osu.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2023 4:51:14 AM
To: vwoolf at lists.osu.edu <vwoolf at lists.osu.edu>
Subject: [Vwoolf] Shetland and Woolf - now side-tracked

Yes, very interesting. For despite seeming to be embedded in the place, the success of Shetland relies in fact on the opposite: on a feeling of mystery and menace that only make sense from afar. It relies, no less, say, than The Wicker Man,
Yes, very interesting.

For despite seeming to be embedded in the place, the success of Shetland relies in fact on the opposite: on a feeling of mystery and menace that only make sense from afar. It relies, no less, say, than The Wicker Man, on a suspicion of small community life common to many who do not live in such communities.

I am one of those people who is suspicious of small community life.  More conservative, Conservative; less tolerant; using gossip as a means of social control.  But you are closer to the awful things that happen to people.

The 10yo boy who went on a swimming trip with his school, and had a heart attack on the beach and died.  The farmer who had a heart attack in the field, and died.  The woman who set fire to the family home with herself in it.  The young couple, who held the record for the fastest trip between the two townships on the island, and had a joint funeral.  The farmer’s wife who gave birth to a son who was blind and deaf and couldn’t walk.  She looked after him, practically single-handed, for over 20 years until he died – and she was blamed for it.  The two elderly sisters, left over from the 19C, who had three houses – all of which should have been demolished.  Newspapers on the walls instead of wallpaper.  “Did they offer you a cup of tea?” “Yes.” “Did you accept?” “Yes.” “Oh, Stuart!”  They sold their milk to the dairy, which paid them for it – and threw it away.

Or take our village, no longer an inward-looking community suspicious of outsiders, in view of all the new developments.  A woman who moved into one of the first of the developments told me no one would speak to her.  The farmers used to queue *outside* the little bank, so that they wouldn’t hear one another’s business *inside*.  The main road through the village is called Church [of England] Road, which becomes [Methodist] Chapel Lane – that’s even-handed.  I could get drugs here easier than in London.  Still, we haven’t had anyone firing a gun through someone’s windows for years.  But the gay murder is still unsolved.  The only suspect is a German called Karl – not much to go on.  Two semi-detached houses went on fire a few weeks ago.  They are owned by two cousins.  One of them didn’t look after his property, and an electrical fault set it off.  No roof and not much in the upper floor.  The cousins are now barely on speaking terms.  (If I go on and moan about the power cuts, I should only be slipping into middle-class angst . . .)

Stuart

From: Jeremy Hawthorn via Vwoolf
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2023 9:00 PM
To: VWOOLF at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: [Vwoolf] Shetland and Woolf

Thoughtful little piece on the British crime series "Shetland," which contains an extended comment on TTL. https: //www. malachytallack. com/heart-of-beyond. html Jeremy H Jeremy Hawthorn Professor Emeritus NTNU 7491 Trondheim Norway

Thoughtful little piece on the British crime series "Shetland," which contains an extended comment on TTL.



https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.malachytallack.com/heart-of-beyond.html__;!!KGKeukY!3XzOX25mUfhbnsxwMNIYlXDYNL5TRxBnPziaKOx9rm4DQ5U02halbGAwFyieBrbMAwQLNAg5AdJ3wAAeR0n82IviyI-_$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.malachytallack.com/heart-of-beyond.html__;!!KGKeukY!2boO_WbpneEm-cYDgGs3WkwS6iiKOk0BZCrqkv4TMTQhWjKgX9xziALLfAuymZcbuaDeMisXjhvf0JXTorlTKCLIkh72xPgnuUtmOqE$>



Jeremy H



Jeremy Hawthorn

Professor Emeritus

NTNU

7491 Trondheim

Norway


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