What’s your favorite book from the 1920s? There are certainly plenty to choose from. Maybe it’s a book by Fitzgerald or by Hemingway or even Cather? Maybe it’s a classic mystery or an essential children’s title? Well this week on Close Reads we’re drafting books from this very important decade in several categories—and you’ll get the final say on whose “roster” of titles is best. So click play and get ready to vote (poll coming soon). Happy listening!
This produced a fantastic reading list! Thanks to y'all I've read more than half of these, but now have some new additions. "Midnight Folk" may be first up because I have read his "The Box of Delights" (that's the Christmas one).
Heidi won because "Kristin Lavransdatter" is my heart book. The End.
It's a tie between the Wild Card and the poetry category as to which is the harder to choose among. All three of the wild card books are heart books for me. I read House at Pooh Corner to my oldest every single day for more than a year when she was a toddler and wanted it over and over again. I've probably read it more times than any other book.
And then poetry, who can choose? Eliot is my man, though I love The Four Quartets more than The Waste Land. But The Waste Land is such an important poem. But I love Milne's poetry too, though not quite as much as I love his prose. And Frost is so close to my heart. Seriously do not know how to choose.
We just finished reading The Midnight Folk as a family read aloud earlier this year. I have to confess that while parts of it were charming, we all agreed that we thought it was confusing at times-- too many dream sequences. It was a fun adventure and maybe my kids would have liked it better when they were younger, but not my favorite.
The Velveteen Rabbit was an absolute favorite when I was a kid, but it's hard not to go with The Blue Castle.
I love this! So so fun. I also stand by the Wodehouse pick 100%. Genius! My British classic pick would be Young Anne by Dorothy Whipple. Not her best novel but Dorothy Whipple is so under-read and she is amazing!
Good to know! I've only read Someone at a Distance and They Were Sisters. I also have The Priory and Because of the Lockwoods on my shelves. Thanks for putting a couple others on my radar! :)
The Sound and the Fury. Passing, by Nella Larsen. Death Comes to the Archbishop. Mrs. Dalloway. To the Lighthouse. The Great Gatsby. The Age of Innocence. Main Street.
This produced a fantastic reading list! Thanks to y'all I've read more than half of these, but now have some new additions. "Midnight Folk" may be first up because I have read his "The Box of Delights" (that's the Christmas one).
Heidi won because "Kristin Lavransdatter" is my heart book. The End.
Wilder was a solid under-the-radar selection. And Proust probably has few fans in this audience but he is eminently more readable than Ulysses
Also Remarque
It's a tie between the Wild Card and the poetry category as to which is the harder to choose among. All three of the wild card books are heart books for me. I read House at Pooh Corner to my oldest every single day for more than a year when she was a toddler and wanted it over and over again. I've probably read it more times than any other book.
And then poetry, who can choose? Eliot is my man, though I love The Four Quartets more than The Waste Land. But The Waste Land is such an important poem. But I love Milne's poetry too, though not quite as much as I love his prose. And Frost is so close to my heart. Seriously do not know how to choose.
We just finished reading The Midnight Folk as a family read aloud earlier this year. I have to confess that while parts of it were charming, we all agreed that we thought it was confusing at times-- too many dream sequences. It was a fun adventure and maybe my kids would have liked it better when they were younger, but not my favorite.
The Velveteen Rabbit was an absolute favorite when I was a kid, but it's hard not to go with The Blue Castle.
did you read the other book by Masefield, The Box Delights? I actually like it better.
I haven't yet. I'll check it out.
I love this! So so fun. I also stand by the Wodehouse pick 100%. Genius! My British classic pick would be Young Anne by Dorothy Whipple. Not her best novel but Dorothy Whipple is so under-read and she is amazing!
Dorothy Whipple is a treasure! Happy to see her name come up in this thread! :)
Yay Danielle! This makes me so happy! I just finished reading her novel They Knew Mr Knight and it was sooo good.
Good to know! I've only read Someone at a Distance and They Were Sisters. I also have The Priory and Because of the Lockwoods on my shelves. Thanks for putting a couple others on my radar! :)
I’m planning to read Someone at a Distance soon. They Were Sisters was sooo sad! I loved Because of the Lockwoods!
I’ll stand by Sean’s poetry pick. When We Were Very Young is *lovely* in many ways.
High-five.
The Sound and the Fury. Passing, by Nella Larsen. Death Comes to the Archbishop. Mrs. Dalloway. To the Lighthouse. The Great Gatsby. The Age of Innocence. Main Street.
I was sad the sound of the fury did not get discussed! Super fun episode looking forward to more
Winnie the Pooh.
Then, Death Comes for the Archbishop.
Looking forward to listening! My favorite 20s book is Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall (published 1928)!