The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Thursday, February 26

In the latest edition of the daily Tottenham Hotspur blog, the self-styled “hoddler-in-chief” reopened the community feature “What are you reading right now?” after a month-long hiatus, revealing a turn toward classic gothic literature that has already ignited conversation among the club’s well-read online supporters.

The columnist, who traditionally mixes Spurs chatter with cultural asides, disclosed that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has finally moved from the to-be-read pile to the bedside table. Having previously devoured Bram Stoker’s Dracula—described as “one of the most haunted texts I’ve ever encountered”—the writer framed the pairing as a “monstrous duo” worthy of exploration.

Attention was drawn to textual nuance: the copy in hand is an 1838 edition, prompting curiosity about the better-known 1831 revision that Shelley herself re-worked. Early impressions centre on the novel’s epistolary opening addressed to Elizabeth, a device that evoked memories of Stoker’s style, though the blogger concedes the comparison may be “superficial” at this stage. Plans are already afoot to compare the 1831 and original 1818 versions once the current read is complete.

Beyond plot, the column outlines three lenses through which the book will be assessed: gothic and romantic themes, the symbolic weight of Frankenstein’s creation, and—through the prism of the author’s self-professed Deadhead identity—the novel’s unlikely influence on Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia more than a century after publication.

The musical footnote of the day belongs to Wolf Alice’s “Don’t Delete the Kisses,” offered as the soundtrack for commuters scanning the morning links.

Those links themselves are succinct but eye-catching. The Guardian highlights Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt’s “crazy” mid-week Champions League upset of Inter Milan, while the Telegraph reports that Sheffield Wednesday’s proposed takeover has collapsed just three days after the club’s relegation to League One.

With Spurs fans still awaiting fresh developments on the pitch, the blog’s blend of literary reflection and European football roundup provides the daily dose of distraction until the next whistle blows in north London.

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