A very long time ago (I was 10 years old) I first discovered The Hobbit and remember reading it over the Christmas holiday. The following summer I got hold of a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. Comments may have been made that it was not suitable for an 11-year-old and I remember someone saying "oh just leave her, she won't finish it". But of course, I did and quickly followed up with the other two books. I never really enjoyed The Two Towers - all those battle scenes just blended into one, but I persevered with The Return of the King.
Since then I have re-read the entire trilogy nearly every year - the first two during the summer holiday and the third at Christmas.
In October 2018 I was idly flicking around the TV and found the Sky dramatisation of Deborah Harkness's "Discovery of Witches". I only looked at the first episode for the glorious shots of Oxford and Venice, both places I love and have not been to for many years. Never having bothered with the "vampire and witchy" genre which seems to have taken up so much airtime over the past few years I was not very invested in the basic story.
Until I was.
Hooked,
Down. The. Rabbit. Hole,
Enthralled by Harkness's writing which is a class act. She is a professor at USC, teaching medieval history and the history of science. At its most fundamental this is a love story with shades of Romeo and Juliet (and a nod to The Bard as book two is set in 1590). These books have now sold millions, the trilogy became four with 5 & 6 in the works.
This epic tale has become my annual read since 2018 but for some reason always takes place in the Autumn. My first 'copy' was in Kindle form but this year I've treated myself to new paperbacks and the very tenuous 'van connection' is that they will go with me when I'm out and about.
The first is 'only' 688 pages and I am trying to ration myself to less than 100 pages per day to make the journey last, but it's hard, damn hard! The Kindle version contained 1,760 pages in the first three books - more than The Hobbit and LotR combined - whoops. 😉
Does anyone else have a special book they return to year after year?
I found your blog yesterday and already you have a post that is right up my street (on the campervanning theme, get it!) I loved Discovery of Witches and have been wondering if there is a new series due as it's' now Autumn.... didn't know about the books - will be taking a look - thanks for the post and interesting to know a bit about the author as I thought what made the series stand out was the attention to historical detail, costume, scenes, etc. Betty :)
ReplyDeleteHi Betty, and thanks. So far only the All Souls Trilogy have been adapted for TV. There are rumours that the 4th book will be dramatised.
DeleteIf you enjoyed the Sky TV version then prepare to be thoroughly captivated by the books. Although the programmes are OK they had to leave out so, so much. Deborah Harkness was one of the Executive Producers on the show and always consulted on period accuracy. As I have a degree in Medieval History it was this attention to detail that initially captured me.
The joy of favorite books!
ReplyDeleteFor me - Great Expectations. I return to it yearly since i first studied it for O levels 45 years ago. Wishing you happy reading and travels. Sally
Thanks Sally. Unfortunately O levels served to rather put me off the classics, I still haven’t read Jane Austen 😳
DeleteI’ve always maintained, however, that I do not care what anyone else reads just so long as they ~DO~ read.
I have only read one book twice, at senior school I was a book worm, and my English teach gave me 1984 to read, I loved it, last year I decided I would read it again, and loved it on another level. If it's a must repeat every year, Christmas starts for me after watching It's a Wonderful Life, in black and white as it should be. I'm still a book work.
ReplyDeleteThat’s wonderful Marlene, to be able to re-read something years later and appreciate it in a different way.
DeleteYou’ve made me think about favourite films now . . .
I hardly ever read books more than once - so many new ones to read and so little time!!
ReplyDeleteOh you are so right Sue. Really not enough time for all the books and everything else.
DeleteI don't necessarily have a book I return to year on year but I do have authors I follow until I have gobbled up all their books. Simon Scarrow/Bernard Cornwell/Robert Jordon and Mary o'Hara when I was younger. My present rabbit hole is The Wheel of Time. I have to ration myself otherwise I devour the book so quickly I don't necessarily remember the plot! Savouring the words makes them last in my head longer (I keep having to tell myself!) I might check Deborah Harkness
ReplyDelete{{giggles}} Me too! I also have authors whom I “stalk” until I have read their entire catalogue. Do not know Wheel of Time . . . will investigate.
DeleteCannot recommend DoW too highly - the four book set was delivered (Amazon) for less than £15. Which is ridiculously cheap and the copies are not of the quality which I am sure books used to be, but at that price . . . . .
I'm not familiar with Deborah Harkness or the TV series. I do enjoy the occasional fantasy/historical novel. I'll keep my eyes peeled when I'm next in the book section in the clearance chazza.
ReplyDeleteThere's a few books I'm always happy to reread - often just a few chapters until I find something of interest in a charity shop - they include Shantarram, The God of Small Things, The Beach, My Family & Other Animals, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold or Any Human Heart. xxx
Depending upon your TV package there are three series of DoW on Sky, I’ve just re-watched series 3 which is what’s triggered the “need to read”. I hope you find something in one of the charity shops. xx
DeleteI remember devouring all the Durrell books when I was quite young, probably really too young to completely understand and appreciate them. Must add to the TBR list.
Sadly no Sky for us but there's ways and means! I never get tired of either Lawrence or Gerald's writing, the language is rather dated but an absolute joy. x
DeleteFor me, it has always been re-reading the Swallows and Amazons series of books by Arthur Ransome, although I never really liked Peter Duck or Missee Lee, they didn't have the grounding in real countryside that the others had . As an aside, my sister-in-law was taught by Tolkien whilst at Oxford, but I never got into the LoR series.
ReplyDeleteHi Will, I know I read S & A many years ago but do not remember it at all, which is disgraceful since I live within walking distance of where it was set.
DeleteHow incredibly interesting for your SIL - I expect she met a lot of significant people who were at Merton during that time.
Only 688 pages? I have not read any of those books, perhaps it is time I give them a try!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim. Yes, book 1 is ‘only’ 688 pages.
DeleteShadow of Night is 630, The Book of Life is 637 and Time’s Convert a mere 465 pages.
By my back of an envelope calculation, so far this is about 20% more than LoTR and The Hobbit with the first draft of book 5 - The Blackbird Oracle - at the publisher.
Funnily enough, like Marlene above I also had to study 1984 (and Animal Farm) for 'O' levels....but I hated them! I wouldn't say I re-read favourite books, but do like to read my favourite authors' series books in order as they're written - Val McDermid's Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series, Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme books. Also James Patterson's Alex Cross series (he's such a prolific writer!). As you can see, I like crime thrillers....
ReplyDeleteI’m with you m’dear, never liked Aldous Huxley (I think we are all of a similar age and that was on the O Level syllabus at the time). Also like you is the desire to read a good series in order, in its entirety. I suppose it is the literary version of today’s “TV binge watching”.
DeleteI do not like/will not read any book whose main premise is one person being absolutely foul to another, probably why the crime genré completely passes me by.
I don't believe I have ever reread a book. My eldest does..
ReplyDeleteI haven't read LOTR books or The Discovery of Witches book but I did stumble upon the show.
Like you, I stumbled upon the show when it first came out. Still falling 😙
DeleteI re-read Ted Kooser's poetry collection called Winter Morning Walks every winter. It is fantastic. Just one poem a day for 100 or so days so not a huge commitment, but I savor every one. I have re-read many books multiple times, like Return of the Native, Grapes of Wrsth, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, War and Peace, and others. Each time I find something new in them, and often come away with a different understanding of the story.
ReplyDeleteYour comment did not get ‘lost’ Sue, just went into a Holding Cell! And now I cannot reply to any unless I’m on my iPad, not the desktop computer (rolls eyes at Blogger/cookies/technology in general!)
DeleteI’m the same as you - always find something new in a book when I re-read.
Just wrote a longish reply but it vanished.. ah me!
ReplyDelete