Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Rosemary Sutcliff, and the scope of the books we love. Happy February!
In the first half of this episode, we discuss small world vs wide world in novels – do we like small communities or novels where characters move around a lot? In the second half, we find out what the other thought of our recommendations. I thought Rachel would love Blue Remembered Hills by Rosemary Sutcliff; she thought I’d love Seasoned Timber by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Did we get it right?
You can support the podcast on Patreon, find us on iTunes, and rate/review us in your podcast app. We love it when people do – many thanks, sloutro, for your recent review! Do let us know any topic ideas you’d like us to discuss. And here is my LibraryThing catalogue, as mentioned!
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Crimson and the White by Michel Faber
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
The Book of William by Paul Collins
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
Contested Will by James Shapiro
Emma by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Shirley Jackson
Barbara Pym
South Riding by Winifred Holtby
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Charles Dickens
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Everything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Larchfield by Polly Clark
Bleaker House by Nell Stevens
Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Four Days’ Wonder by A.A. Milne
The 39 Steps by John Buchan
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
The Great Western Beach by Emma Smith
The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
The Brimming Cup by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Her Son’s Wife by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Cinderella Goes to the Morgue by Nancy Spain
Look Back With Love by Dodie Smith
Period Piece by Gwen Raverat
A London Child of the 1870s by Molly Hughes
Another great episode Simon and Rachel!
Oh I loved The Bookshop…book and film…mainly for the setting, love that era…all those old books and William Morris wallpaper!
I grew up with Stills Disease too and have never read any memoirs which covered this, so I’ve just ordered a copy of Rosemary’s book…thank you so much Simon for the recommendation.
Ah, I’m jealous of Portobello Beach – and Edinburgh’s buses are brilliant, you can get anywhere on them!
As for small versus large worlds – I refuse to restrict myself and I’ll continue to love them all! :D
I guess that I would choose small world because I especially love stories that take place in a village or small town. As for the books you suggested for each other, I very much enjoyed Blue Remembered Hills (and I’ve not read anything else by her) and DNF’d Seasoned Timber (I’ve not read any other of her books either). I do find my reading taste just a tiny bit closer to Simon’s usually, but have enjoyed many of both of your favorites, and love the podcast.
I think I prefer books set in a small world because I’ve never lived in a small town and the idea fascinates me, though I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t care for it much in reality. The first books that sprang to my mind were Angela Thirkell’s Barset series, in which everyone seems to know everyone else. And I love what Rachel said about Jane Austen and the seaside — even when it’s only mentioned later, she’s right, nothing good ever comes about going to the seaside in her novels. (I’m thinking Lydia Bennet and Georgiana Darcy, and maybe Jane Fairfax? I think some rumors started about her after she’d been on a trip. Can’t remember anything specific about Sense and Sensibility or Northanger Abbey, I’m racking my brains). Anyway — great podcast as always!
Just finished the end of your podcast and I’m delighted that with your next reads as I have BOTH on my TBR Pile Challenge list! (Well, The London Child omnibus — but I have read the first volume and loved it). Also can I suggest books for future podcasts? I’d love to hear your thoughts on some of the recent Dodie Smith re-releases. And what about Emily Eden, The Semi-Attached Couple vs. The Semi-Detached House? Virago had a combined edition, they’re both very good and not that long.
Hurrah! And thanks for the suggestions – I’ve read some of the Dodie Smiths but not all, and they would be great fun to discuss. You’re in luck with the Edens, as we compared those in ep.48 (and loved them!)