Agatha Christie, Gwen Bristow, Bruce Manning and reading morality – welcome to episode 136 of Tea or Books?!
In the first half of this episode, we discuss whether or not we take moral instruction from the books we read – does reading make us better people? In the second half, we compare two very similarly plotted books – And Then There Are None by Agatha Christie and The Invisible Host by Gwen Bristow and Bruce Manning. Many thanks to Susan for suggesting this (and sorry for forgetting your name when we recorded!)
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FYI Hargreaves gets very noisy in this episode!
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
Stasiland by Anna Funder
Mrs Dalloway: A Biography of the Novel by Mark Hussey
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior
Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson
Emma by Jane Austen
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Jack by Marilynne Robinson
The Bird in the Tree by Elizabeth Goudge
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
How To Know A Person by David Brooks
Ghosted by Nancy French
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Walkable City by Jeff Speck
Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pamela Smith
Brink of Being by Julia Bueno
Shaun Bythell
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
The Diviners by Margaret Laurence
Catherine Carter by Pamela Hansford Johnson
I have notes about comparing these two books, but I never published them on my blog. So I’m curious what you have to say!
Do let me know your thoughts, Emma!
Another very enjoyable and stimulating discussion – thank you!
On the first question – yes, I do think reading can make us better people. There are psychological studies to prove it- people who read more, especially fiction, are better at seeing other’s perspectives and have increased levels of empathy. They have been shown experimentally to then behave more altruistically (see Claudia Hammond on this BBC 2019 for example). So, the stereotype of the shy bookworm who is painfully awkward socially is debunked! And we have the perfect excuse for indulging our reading addictions!
As for morality though, I think reading can definitely influence our morals. As Rachel said, everything we consume affects us (hence Paul urges the Philippians to think on things that are lovely, pure, true and commendable Phil 4:8). However, alongside Rachel I don’t like being preached at too didactically. As well as some Victorian novels, I think some contemporary novels are so focussed on getting their message across that it spoils them as stories. I agree with Simon and I dislike an author coming across as inauthentic too.
Gilead, Emma, The Warden and The Bird in the Tree are all novels I love so I was pleased they had a shout out!
What a lovely idea to have some of your books for mourners to choose from at your funeral, Simon! I was very struck by that.
I didn’t like the Jest of God (sorry Simon); I will be particularly interested to hear you talk about Perfection, which I will try to get a copy of and read if I can before the next episode.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, as ever, Sarah – I agree about the empathy, and I suppose I was thinking more about directly getting moral instruction from books. Though it’s hard to divorce the two, and my phrasing of the question was ambiguous – but I enjoyed the conversation nonetheless.
But my main shock (sorry if you’ve already said) is that you didn’t like A Jest of God. I’m so surprised, and it goes to show how people with very similar tastes won’t completely overlap. I’ve just re-read my review of it and remembering how astonishingly good I found it – such a perceptive, detailed, human portrait. I want to reread instantly :D What didn’t work for you?
I am starting to doubt myself now in the light of your shock about Jest of God! However, I dug up my trusty review notebook to see what I wrote about it (March 2023). Whilst I did admire the writing and how it evocatively captured Rachel’s pain and isolation, I did not like the amount of sexual detail and I found it rather cold and depressing. Some of that might have been wrong book for me at time but I am not quite persuaded to retry it. However, if Rachel chooses to read it for the next episode after all, and she changes her mind, I might then reconsider!
Ah I can see that – I am quite drawn to sad books, and even cold ones, as long as the characters are interesting. And I thought her insights into Rachel’s character were so piercing. (I don’t mind whether or not a book has sexual detail, but hate violence in a book.)
I think books can make us better people. If we are prepared to listen and feel with the characters.
Here’s hoping!
This was an especially fun and funny episode and I loved when you said “more of the same next time!” :) I read Invisible Host this month having already read ATTWN and found the comparison fascinating. It does kind of point up Christie’s special brilliance, but both very good books.
Another author who writes faith without preachiness is Dorothy Whipple, whom I had never heard of before becoming a Tea or Books fan! I’m thinking especially of They Knew Mr Knight, The Priory, and Every Good Deed. It’s understated but also seems deeply woven in.
Thanks as always Simon and Rachel!
Aw thanks Andrea, glad you enjoyed it! I suspect there will be more of the same :D
Yes, great point about Whipple – I did feel it crossed the line a little into preachiness in Every Good Deed, but the others are perfect examples of how to do it well.
Just caught up with the latest episode, enjoyed as ever!
On the note of what to do with your books when you die, I recently bought a Virago paperback in the book charity shop where I work. On the inside over was a printed sticker with a name and 2 dates, it didn’t say “born, died”( just those 3 pieces of information)but it was clear it was from someone’s collection.
I thought it was a lovely thing to do, and felt quite moved when I saw it.