Henry Green, style over substance, and some listener questions – here’s episode 81!
In the first half of this episode, we discuss style vs substance – or, to put it another way, writing style vs the plot of the novel. Which is more important to us? In the second half, we compare two novels by Henry Green – Loving and Living. One of us finished the book. Won’t say which one.
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The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
Her Son’s Wife by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
A Bite of the Apple by Lennie Goodings
Margaret Atwood
Ethel Wilson
Stephen Leacock
My Husband Simon by Mollie Panter-Downes
Bad Girl by Vena Delmar
The Tree of Heaven by May Sinclair
Chatterton Square by E.H. Young
Jack by Marilynne Robinson
Hilary Mantel
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Grief is a Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
Lanny by Max Porter
Elizabeth Bowen
Virginia Woolf
George Orwell
Chess by Stefan Zweig
Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Business as Usual by Jane Oliver and Ann Stafford
Dorothy Whipple
Mary Webb
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West
The Heir by Vita Sackville-West
The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West
The Death of Noble Godavary by Vita Sackville-West
Grand Canyon by Vita Sackville-West
Caught by Henry Green
Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
Ivy Compton-Burnett
Blindness by Henry Green
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
The Years by Virginia Woolf
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Ulysses by James Joyce
Party Going by Henry Green
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
John Braine
Of Love and Hunger by Julian McLaren-Ross
Rosamond Lehmann
Corduroy by Adrian Bell
A Suffolk Harvest by Adrian Bell
Thank you so much, Simon & Rachel. Great discussion and SO true.
Very exciting about the BL books – can’t wait for these!
As for style over substance – the style *is* really important to me and I tend to agree with Rachel about the fact that there seems to be a current writing style which everyone has to adopt and it’s dull. Where *are* the real prose stylists like those of the past? I guess if I’m honest, I could read most things if they’re written beautifully or cleverly or individually or strikingly in a way that feels like you’ve been whacked round the head by their brilliance. Woolf and Bowen, of course… I guess this is why I struggle with many modern books – that individual voice that Rachel mentions isn’t there.
As for Henry Green, I’ve tried and struggled and never really got anywhere with him. A dialogue ridden book *ought* to suit you Simon, with your love of Ivy m …. but I don’t know that I want to try his work again!
You should have stuck with Loving and The Last September. I found the shared setting very interesting. I did prefer Loving a bit over The Last September, but enjoyed them both. I will not be trying Living, though. Sounds horrid!
I also wasn’t able to read more than a page or two of Mary Webb, after having Precious Bane on my shelves for a few years. I mostly choose books for substance as if I’m not at all interested in the story or topic, really good writing won’t sway me to read it. I’d like to see you try Anita Brookner again! I like her very much. I also quite like VSW, especially All Passion Spent and The Heir. Again, I have noted a few books that you have mentioned that I’d like to read.
The first part of the conversation reminded me of the book I’m reading now for my book club, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. A woman in my group mentioned that it reads like it was written a hundred years ago because it’s so leisurely yet purposeful in its descriptions. I am finding it a delightful read for a book published in 2018. It defies what Rachel was talking about with so many recently published books and makes me hopeful that writers are still out there who care deeply about the craft of writing itself…not just what will entertain.
Hello! Wonderful podcast, as usual. I don’t know if you’ve already discussed this topic or even if it’s fruitful enough to warrant an entire conversation but lately I’ve been trying to debate the merits of hardbacks v. paperbacks (is one really better than the other?) and would love your thoughts!