Jane Gardam and messages in books – welcome to episode 121!
In the first half of the episode, Rachel and I discuss whether or not we think books should have a message. In the second half we pit two Jane Gardam novels against each other: Old Filth and the same story from another angle, The Man in the Wooden Hat.
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The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
A Helping Hand by Celia Dale
Sheep’s Clothing by Celia Dale
Margaret Laurence
Road Ends by Mary Lawson
Brian Moore
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Love and Salt Water by Ethel Wilson
The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro
An End to Running by Lynne Reid Banks
The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks
The Double Heart by Lettice Cooper
The New House by Lettice Cooper
National Provincial by Lettice Cooper
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Jodi Picoult
Passing Go by Libby Purves
Holy Deadlock by A.P. Herbert
Palliser series by Anthony Trollope
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Hard Times by Charles Dickens
Jane Austen
Hostages to Fortune by Elizabeth Cambridge
Ian McEwan
Middle England by Jonathan Coe
Lady Audley’s Secret by M.E. Braddon
Wilkie Collins
Agatha Christie
Dorothy L. Sayers
‘The Case of Miss Dorothy Sayers’ by Q.D. Leavis
Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Ethel M. Dell
Last Friends by Jane Gardam
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Barbara Pym
God on the Rocks by Jane Gardam
A Long Way From Verona by Jane Gardam
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
I would say – not always… It depends on the book, and although some do more obviously than others, it isn’t essential. If I’m reading for pure entertainment e.g. a GA crime novel, then I’m not looking for a message. But if I’m reading something more substantial I do tend to look for underlying themes…
I think I’m going to save this episode until after I’ve read the Gardam books that are still waiting for me on my shelves. I’ve read A Long Way from Verona; The Stories; and Crusoe’s Daughter. I also have the 3 books from the Old Filth trilogy on my shelf (along with The Flight of the Maidens) but, embarrassingly, have not yet touched them. I’m hoping that the anticipated ‘treat’ of listening to this episode of Tea or Books? will get me reading my remaining Jane Gardam’s very soon!
So glad you loved Vancouver! Other than Old Filth my favorite Gardam is Queen of the Tambourine.
I think in fiction the message can sometimes be at the expense of character development, which detracts from my enjoyment.
I very much enjoyed the two Gardam books. I had read them before but a long time ago. I read Last Friends too in order to complete the trilogy and learn Veneering’s perspective. Like Rachel, I thought the way the characters’ upbringing affected their emotional development and relationships was very striking and believable. My favourite part was the way Veneering and Old Filth developed a friendship in their last years.