Miss Hargreaves! Finally! But also illustrations and a novel by Rachel Malik.
In the first half of this episode, we discuss whether or not we want illustrations in our books – taking a little venture to graphic novels on the way. In the second half – only four years after the podcast started – we finally read my favourite novel, Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker. We compare it to the similarly-named Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves by Rachel Malik, and discover that that’s about all it has in common.
Fun! Please get in touch if you have any topics – or any questions to ask or advice you’d like us to give! We’re at teaorbooks@gmail.com. And you can support the podcast at Patreon or find us on iTunes. We appreciate all your reviews and ratings so much.
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
A Shooting Star by Wallace Stegner
Fair Stood the Wind For France by H.E. Bates
Dark Hester by Anne Douglas Sedgwick
The Old Countess by Anne Douglas Sedgwick
A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen
Sylvia Plath
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
Edith Olivier
Tove Jansson: Work and Love by Tuula Karjalainen
Tove Jansson: Life, Art, Words by Boel Westin
Enid Blyton
The Making Of by Brecht Evens
Panther by Brecht Evens
The Wrong Place by Brecht Evens
Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
The Mind’s Eye by Oliver Sacks
Emma by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Charles Dickens
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Little by Edward Carey
Alva and Irva by Edward Carey
Country Matters by Clare Leighton
The Heir by Vita Sackville-West
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson
Mr Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym
Agatha Christie
Curtain by Agatha Christie
Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie
The Love-Child by Edith Olivier
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
Before I Go Hence by Frank Baker
I Follow But Myself by Frank Baker (autobiography)
Mr Allenby Loses The Way by Frank Baker
The Shooting Party by Isobel Colegate
Beneath the Visiting Moon by Romilly Cavan
Wine of Honour by Barbara Beauchamp
Illustrations – maybe… depends on the book really! I’m a bit ambivalent too about graphic novels although I loved the one about Rosa Luxemburg’s life.
Classic crime is always got for a slump – or a novella!
And you’ve made me want to re-read Miss Hargreaves!!
Always pro a re-read of Miss H!!
I REALLY dislike illustrations (although a pretty cover is fine). I totally picture the book as I am reading and illustrations would probably destroy MY picture. This is so strong that I frequently infuriate people telling me about their own events because if they do not totally set up the setting for me, I interrupt to make them do so. I must be able to “see” the whole picture. I am a very good listener to details, though, which should make them happy! 😉 Unlike most people who love books with strong plots or characters, I am all about the settings of books and want very detailed descriptions. Surely there must be others like me?
Oo interesting! This was the response I was anticipating from people who respond to books visually. From my memories of writing about it before, about half of readers are similar about settings of books – whereas I skim past them if they’re purely descriptive. I enjoy it if they set an emotional picture too, but if it’s just what is where, it won’t mean anything to me.
Miss Hargreaves is one of my top 20 favorite novels. I would like to see an artist’s sketch of her, she is such a powerful and eccentric character. I like when novels have sketches in them, as do some of Anthony Trollope’s novels.