Take a Literary Tour of London
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will bring their children to London, as the British capital will be their home for some time. Pitt will star in the sequel to "World War Z", which will be released on the summer of 2017. Max Brooks, the author of "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War", will pen the script for the sequel. It remains to be seen if Marc Foster will be back in the director's chair, but London can be more than a distraction to their kids. It's not about the places of interest, which include the iconic Big Ben. It's rather a literary tour of the metropolis. Pitt might have thought of it, as his recent features included an adaptation of a biography ("12 Years a Slave") and a non-fiction ("The Big Short").
There's more to London than the Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the London Eye. And you must need to be a literary aficionado to appreciate this kind of tour. Here's a sample:
The George Inn. It's not hard to imagine this pub as a disreputable place during Shakespeare's time, but this could be the spot where he loafed for hours. And he came up with brilliant ideas for his plays. Charles Dickens would have looked at it differently, though. After all, his humble background became an inspiration for his tales on young orphans and their good fortune later in life. Fans of the Bard might see the playwright's spirit after drinking a few cans of beer.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum. The Regent's Park is home to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective. His fans will find a shop instead, where they'll be tempted to buy a few memorabilia. They should be worried if they spot a character who looks like Professor Moriarty. It might be their travel guide, who is waiting for them for nearly half an hour.
Platform 9 ¾, King's Cross Station. There won't be any form of magic, which will disappoint Harry Potter fans. But it might prompt them to recite a few lines from J.K. Rowling's bestselling series. Some might be a snob, as they will point out the Earthsea Cycle. This is Rowling's inspiration (to pen the novels), but it will be better of think of Ursula K. Le Guin when they travel to the northern regions.
Fitroy Tavern. Some might find it hard to visualize George Orwell in this part of London. Did he ever thought of totalitarianism while sipping beer in this pub? Maybe he had newspapers clips, which discussed the alarming state of the continent. Alcohol could play tricks on one's mind, but it gave Orwell a vision instead.
44 Tite Street Chelsea. This was once the residence of Oscar Wilde, who spent his final years in the continent. His fans won't experience a Dorian Gray moment unless they notice dirt in their face. It may be the pollution.
If the tour won't be enough, then there's a daily train ride to Oxford. It will only take an hour to reach the University of Oxford. This hollowed ground is the setting for Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. But fans won't witness different realms. They better read the books.
