Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Margery Sharp, Helen Ashton – welcome to episode 95.
In the first half, we take a detour from our usual practice and pit two authors against each other. And it’s two very big hitters – Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf, suggested by my friend Paul.
In the second half, we look at two post-war novels about houses – The Foolish Gentlewoman by Margery Sharp and The Half-Crown House by Helen Ashton.
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The books and authors we mention in this episode are everything by Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf [!] and:
There is a Fortress by Winifred Peck
House-Bound by Winifred Peck
Bewildering Cares by Winifred Peck
Arrest the Bishop by Winifred Peck
Summer by Ali Smith
Winter by Ali Smith
The Knox Brothers by Penelope Fitzgerald
Charlotte Mew by Penelope Fitzgerald
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson
Bricks and Mortar by Helen Ashton
The Village by Marghanita Laski
Tadpole Hall by Helen Ashton
Joanna at Littlefold by Helen Ashton
Yeoman’s Hospital by Helen Ashton
The Captain Comes Home by Helen Ashton
Angela Thirkell
Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp
Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym
A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym
The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym by Paula Byrne
Well – it would always be Woolf for me!!!!!
Simon, I think it was in this podcast that you mentioned the problem of stickers on the Marilynne Robinson books you wanted to buy.
I asked my American librarian and book blogger friend about this. She said she totally understood, but unfortunately once Oprah has selected a book, every copy in the known universe will have a sticker plastered onto it. She didn’t know if these would be removable stickers, or stciker-like images printed as part of the cover, but her library is expecting some new copies to be delivered shortly and she promised to have a look at them for me.
You’ve probably already sorted this out, but I thought I’d let you know.
Thanks so much for investigating, Rosemary – a couple of people have got in touch to confirm that the stickers are printed as part of the cover :/
I’ve just finished reading The Half-Crown House and The Foolish Gentlewoman, and I really loved them both. I think The Half-Crown House edges out The Foolish Gentlewoman for me, even with loving Margery Sharp. I was surprised at the depth of The Half-Crown House and the ongoing conversation in the book between the old ways and the new ways (the “American” way, if you will, with the fascinating way this plays into the ending). I found the characters, on the whole, more likeable in The Half-Crown House, though I have a feeling that I’ll like The Foolish Gentlewoman even better on a re-read. I had some questions at the end of it whereas I felt more satisfied at the end of The Half-Crown House. So excited for the next episode about Barbara Pym! I’ve recently read both the books you’ll cover and can’t wait to hear you and Rachel’s thoughts.
Oh, and I’d choose Austen, hands down. I wonder if Austen could be considered as revolutionary to the novel in her day as Virginia Woolf was in the 20th century. Reading What Matters in Jane Austen? by John Mullan for JA July last year helped me see how inventive Austen was.
Oh so glad you enjoyed them both, Elizabeth! We recorded the Pym episode more than a week ago, so I really must get onto editing it…