Susan Owens

Excellent overview of how ghosts—their clothing, their aims, and even their existence—have changed over time in England, based on changes in contemporary life. Owens shows the changes through reference to art, literature, drama, and stage shows, up to present-day depictions in television and movies (although the latter only briefly), and traces the way that depictions in one medium influence work in others (e.g., Dickens’s depiction of translucent ghosts in The Christmas Carol coming show more from projected images in the theatre).

An enjoyable read, and an excellent survey of ghostly literature, should you be interested in exploring more deeply. show less

An enjoyable journey through visual culture of England over the past few hundred years as it pertains to representing the natural landscape. There are references to literature however the author's strength is really her grasp of the artistic tradition in drawing and painting. Its only in the 1600s that things start to get interesting (at least from my reading and perspective), and from this point onwards I discovered many paintings and artists who I was unfamiliar with and enjoyed discovering.