Emile Zola, Noel Streatfeild, and romantic books – welcome to Tea or Books? episode 130!
In the first half of this episode, we do a topic suggested by Lindsey – do books need a romantic storyline? In the second half, we compare two novels set in department stores – The Ladies’ Paradise by Emile Zola (both of us read the translation by Brian Nelson) and Babbcombe’s by Susan Scarlett aka Noel Streatfeild.
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The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre
Timebends by Arthur Miller
Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
Unless by Carol Shields
Larry’s Party by Carol Shields
Rereadings ed. by Anne Fadiman
Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman
High Wages by Dorothy Whipple
Babbett by Stella Gibbons
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
The Love-Child by Edith Olivier
The Provincial Lady Goes Further by E.M. Delafield
The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen
The World My Wilderness by Rose Macaulay
Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
To Bed With Grand Music by Marghanita Laski
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Emma by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Anthony Trollope
Zadie Smith
Ian McEwan
Chimananda Ngozi Adichie
Sally Rooney
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Journey’s End by R.C. Sherriff
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Hard Times by Charles Dickens
Translations by Brian Friel
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Strangers by Taichi Yamada
One Year’s Time by Angela Milne
Which Way? by Theodora Benson
I very much wish everything didn’t seem to hinge on romance. We see this in music as well. It’s hard to find music about any other kind of love (settled love, family, friends) or any other aspect of life. Songs about anything outside of young love or lust must not sell as well. It is interesting that as a species, we seem largely uninterested in seeing any life experience reflected in our arts except courtship and mating. So boring.
For a good mix of musical themes I go to Elvis Costello. Shipbuilding is about the romance of a community with work and skill and pride.
It’s probably the first episode where I have read the two books you are discussing, and, being French, I was delighted that you chose to talk about The Ladies’ Paradise. It’s my favorite Zola so far, it’s so good, I love the heroine and the details the author goes into to describe the department store, and the clothes. Zola always did a huge amount of research for his novels, no matter what environment it’s situated in (I would recommend Germinal, centered on a family of miners, it’s fascinating and poignant). He’s one of our most respected novelists, but he is also very famous for his defense of Captain Dreyfus during the Dreyfus Affair, in his blaring article entitled “J’accuse”. Babbacombe’s was very enjoyable, but it didn’t leave a very deep impression on me.
And I must say that as English people you are very lucky not to have to bother with a “tu” and a “vous”: I often think that a French equivalent of the unique “you” would save us trouble and awkwardness.
Thanks for another great podcast. I agree with you both about the romance question. Like Shannon above, I prefer novels which reflect a broader range of relationships – friendships, between siblings or other family members, settled married love and others. I am much more interested in how characters develop through a novel, whilst also helping me to think about aspects of others’ lives and general ‘finding meaning’ type issues.
I found the middle question interesting as I have recently been rather surprised that my son has studied Great Expectations and Lord of the Flies with a view to GCSE. I did those at school in the 1980s!
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on Babbacombes and The Ladies Paradise. I did actually borrow the latter from the library last year but wasn’t in the right mood to feel like reading so much detail about all the displays etc. I am still not quite sure I am persuaded to try these – perhaps when my tbr is looking less likely to topple! I’ve read Which Way already though, not long after it came out and I have One Year’s Time to hopefully read in time for next month.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and felt like a good discussion and debate was had by all. I’m just not sure who won, although I don’t think it matters. It’s just a joy to hear books spoken about with love and care. Thank you both for sharing your enthusiasm. I’m not convinced that novels have to be about romance. One of the best books I read last year was The Dambusters in which Guy Gibson got married in between sorties but little romance seemed to be involved. Yet, when I think of Captain Wentworth in Persuasion I still go weak at the knees. Look forward to your next episode.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it! Often I forget who has voted for what, you’re right – it’s not the ultimate point of it.