Favorite novels set in Great Britian and France?
Dec 3rd, 2003, 05:50 PM
#1
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Favorite novels set in Great Britian and France?
Evening all,
What are your favorite authors/titles of novels set in either Great Britain or France?
Do you like mysteries? Cozy mysteries? Adventures?
Just reading some of them gets me in the spirit for a good trip.
What are your favorite authors/titles of novels set in either Great Britain or France?
Do you like mysteries? Cozy mysteries? Adventures?
Just reading some of them gets me in the spirit for a good trip.
Dec 3rd, 2003, 06:39 PM
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Some of my favourite English novels:
1. Great Expectations--Charles Dickens
2. Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen
3. Jane Eyre--Charlotte Bronte
4. Howard's End--EM Forster
5. Atonement--Ian McEwan
6. Tale of Two Cities--Dickens
7. White Teeth--Zadie Smith
French novels:
1. Terese Raquin--Zola
2. Madame Bovary--Flaubert
3. Eugenie Grandet--Balzac
4. Pere Goriot--Balzac
5. The Nun--Diderot
6. Swann's Way--Marcel Proust.
1. Great Expectations--Charles Dickens
2. Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen
3. Jane Eyre--Charlotte Bronte
4. Howard's End--EM Forster
5. Atonement--Ian McEwan
6. Tale of Two Cities--Dickens
7. White Teeth--Zadie Smith
French novels:
1. Terese Raquin--Zola
2. Madame Bovary--Flaubert
3. Eugenie Grandet--Balzac
4. Pere Goriot--Balzac
5. The Nun--Diderot
6. Swann's Way--Marcel Proust.
Dec 3rd, 2003, 08:27 PM
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Oh, so many good books in such a short time. Dickens always good. Getting close to time to read A Christmas Carol.
Read London, but not Sarum. Perhaps that might be a good one to take with us on the trip.
Reviewing the titles submitted, I think it's time to reread some of the classics. Apparently I've been reading too much contemporary fiction! Stonehenge, DaVinci Code.
Can't even guess how many times I read Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice.
Oh, does any one like the Bruce Alexander series?
v.
Read London, but not Sarum. Perhaps that might be a good one to take with us on the trip.
Reviewing the titles submitted, I think it's time to reread some of the classics. Apparently I've been reading too much contemporary fiction! Stonehenge, DaVinci Code.
Can't even guess how many times I read Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice.
Oh, does any one like the Bruce Alexander series?
v.
Dec 3rd, 2003, 08:53 PM
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Le Mariage, set in Paris and other parts of France, written by American Diane Johnson, who was profoiled in Vogue sometime within the past three or four months.
Story involves several Americans living in or visiting France -- there's a pretty good mystery involved, lots of insights into Fremch life by Americans and American life by French people. List price is $33.99cdn, and well worth the $2.49 I paid for it.
Johnson wrote Le Divorce, which is a current motion picture.
UK -- I'm reading Jilly Cooper's Pandora, again a bargain book. Story follows a British man from his days in WWII in France up to today (more or less) with his wives, children, art gallery, etc. He was driving an EX-E in 1971, so that made the book a good read as far as I was concerned. Really thick, and again a bargain.
There's stuff about rich people in London and rtich people on a big country estate. Good map of the estate tohelp the imagination, and a good list of characteors to keep everyone straight. Even the dogs get included in the directory at the front of the book.
In the past couple of months I've read two PD James novels, (one featuring Adam Dalglish, one in which he plays only a very minor role) but they were both set back in the 1970s so are not contemporary nor really historical. But they were good reads.
BAK
Story involves several Americans living in or visiting France -- there's a pretty good mystery involved, lots of insights into Fremch life by Americans and American life by French people. List price is $33.99cdn, and well worth the $2.49 I paid for it.
Johnson wrote Le Divorce, which is a current motion picture.
UK -- I'm reading Jilly Cooper's Pandora, again a bargain book. Story follows a British man from his days in WWII in France up to today (more or less) with his wives, children, art gallery, etc. He was driving an EX-E in 1971, so that made the book a good read as far as I was concerned. Really thick, and again a bargain.
There's stuff about rich people in London and rtich people on a big country estate. Good map of the estate tohelp the imagination, and a good list of characteors to keep everyone straight. Even the dogs get included in the directory at the front of the book.
In the past couple of months I've read two PD James novels, (one featuring Adam Dalglish, one in which he plays only a very minor role) but they were both set back in the 1970s so are not contemporary nor really historical. But they were good reads.
BAK
Dec 3rd, 2003, 09:35 PM
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I recently read the Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell. It was a lively and interesting read. Although I've tried to get into his Sharpe's series, they haven't done much for me.
The Harry Potter series.(With the exception of the 5th book)
Even though it's a little further south, in Greece, I need to add Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. I found this to be a fascinating book and beautifully written. A very good example of why one should not judge a book by it's movie.
Le Mariage was very entertaining.
For light history I enjoy Carolly Erickson.
Now that dumas has brought it to mind it may be time to re-read the Count of Monte Cristo.
Thanks for asking.
The Harry Potter series.(With the exception of the 5th book)
Even though it's a little further south, in Greece, I need to add Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. I found this to be a fascinating book and beautifully written. A very good example of why one should not judge a book by it's movie.
Le Mariage was very entertaining.
For light history I enjoy Carolly Erickson.
Now that dumas has brought it to mind it may be time to re-read the Count of Monte Cristo.
Thanks for asking.
Dec 4th, 2003, 02:39 AM
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I frequently suggest Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett as an insight into the construction of a cathedral in 12th Century England. It has some gratuitous sex, so may not be good for the prudish, but my wife and I found it fascinating.
Most of the classics have been well covered by others, but I'd also consider Colette, probably the "Collected Stories" or the Claudine series. I'm also suprised there is no mention of Proust, but I'd probably prefer Hugo anyhow.
Most of the classics have been well covered by others, but I'd also consider Colette, probably the "Collected Stories" or the Claudine series. I'm also suprised there is no mention of Proust, but I'd probably prefer Hugo anyhow.
Dec 4th, 2003, 04:35 AM
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A few more to consider:
Simone De Beauvoir's. The Blood of Others.
Marc Bloch. Strange Defeat.
Leon Edel. The Visitable Past. Paris after WWII.
Blake Ehrlich. Paris on the Seine. A delightful commentary on the streets, buildings and people of Paris.
Carolly Erickson. To the Scaffold, The Life of Marie Antoinette.
Flaubert. Sentimental Education.
Janet Flanner. Paris was Yesterday: 1925-1939.
Guillaumin. The Life of a Simple Man. About the life of a 19th century French peasant.
Hemingway. A Moveable Feast.
Alistair Horne. The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916
Michelle de Kretser. The Rose Grower. A provincial family during the French Revolution.
Gaston Leroux. Phantom of the Opera.
A.J. Liebling. Between Meals. Paris
Nancy Mitford. The Sun King
Nancy Mitford: Voltaire in Love"
Marge Piercy. City of Darkness, City of Light. A wonderful novel about the French Revolution.
Rafael Sabatini. Scaramouche. A Romance of the French Revolution.
Alan Schom. Napoleon Bonaparte.
Stendahl. The Red and the Black
Zola - The Masterpiece. The life of a struggling artist in Paris with many passages describing walks the artist takes through Paris.
Simone De Beauvoir's. The Blood of Others.
Marc Bloch. Strange Defeat.
Leon Edel. The Visitable Past. Paris after WWII.
Blake Ehrlich. Paris on the Seine. A delightful commentary on the streets, buildings and people of Paris.
Carolly Erickson. To the Scaffold, The Life of Marie Antoinette.
Flaubert. Sentimental Education.
Janet Flanner. Paris was Yesterday: 1925-1939.
Guillaumin. The Life of a Simple Man. About the life of a 19th century French peasant.
Hemingway. A Moveable Feast.
Alistair Horne. The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916
Michelle de Kretser. The Rose Grower. A provincial family during the French Revolution.
Gaston Leroux. Phantom of the Opera.
A.J. Liebling. Between Meals. Paris
Nancy Mitford. The Sun King
Nancy Mitford: Voltaire in Love"
Marge Piercy. City of Darkness, City of Light. A wonderful novel about the French Revolution.
Rafael Sabatini. Scaramouche. A Romance of the French Revolution.
Alan Schom. Napoleon Bonaparte.
Stendahl. The Red and the Black
Zola - The Masterpiece. The life of a struggling artist in Paris with many passages describing walks the artist takes through Paris.
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:46 AM
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My favorite book set in France is definitely "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway. Although not really a novel, it is a great autobiography about Hemingway's enchanting period living in Paris. Definitely a must read for any traveler or expatriate.
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:55 AM
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My 2 cents worth:
All of Rosamunde Pilcher's books are enjoyable and set the scene in Great Britain very nicely.
I loved the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard (first book in the series is "The Light Years"
! It's a great, sprawling family saga that begins just before WWII.
Mysteries by Elizabeth George and Deborah Crombie.
Historical fiction (primarily set in medieval England) by Sharon Kay Penman.
Historical fiction/romance/fantasy by Diane Gabaldon. The series begins with "Outlander." Her books, particularly, are good for the long flight over.
Enjoy!
Annette
All of Rosamunde Pilcher's books are enjoyable and set the scene in Great Britain very nicely.
I loved the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard (first book in the series is "The Light Years"
! It's a great, sprawling family saga that begins just before WWII.Mysteries by Elizabeth George and Deborah Crombie.
Historical fiction (primarily set in medieval England) by Sharon Kay Penman.
Historical fiction/romance/fantasy by Diane Gabaldon. The series begins with "Outlander." Her books, particularly, are good for the long flight over.
Enjoy!
Annette
