Who owns Nicola's library?

[thewhiteowl]

One of the pleasures of the Marlow novels for a lot of people seems to be finding that they share the characters' tastes in reading. There's only one book that I can remember that I read because I'd seen it mentioned-Brat Farrar, and I can see exactly why it's Ginty's sort of book; the situation is one she might romance about, and then there are

Comments

[purplerabbits]

I read The Mask of Apollo and then everything else by Mary Renault because of Nicola, I was already into Lord Peter Wimsey. I read The Daughter of Time in part because of Patrick, iirc

[white_hart]

I read Hornblower because of Nicola. And loved it, and was very pleased to discover in the early days of our relationship that my now husband did too!

[ex_lizzzar998]

I'm pretty sure that I was introduced to Mary Renault by AF too, and I always liked the discussion of what they were reading, and the way it was sometimes at least slightly linked to the action (eg Persuasion in The Ready Made Family, and the Brontes in Peter's Room). I'm afraid I've never been able to get into Naval fiction though - maybe I should try again. There is a reasonably good discussion of the reading in the Marlows and their Maker. I've never read The Flight of the Heron, and can't remember where Nicola and Lawrie mention reading it, but maybe it's another one to try. I have read The Daughter of Time (a while ago), but, despite my general enthusiasm for AF and Patrick, I am still not convinced of Richard 111's innocence. It would have been total bad judgement not to produce the Princes before Bosworth if he still had them, and placing them in the Tower was sinister to begin with (as opposed to a country house with tutors,etc if he was truly being the Good Uncle). One comment that he was not so bad in York, which may have

[ex_lizzzar998]

I also read most of the Winsey novels - I think also inspired by AF, although I also remember them being on TV around about the time I read them. I used to think that Sayers could be bit snobby - but actually maybe she was not too bad by the standard of her time - I remember Wimsey's society sister marrying the police inspector that helps him (forgot his name) who is certainly not a complete idiot, which seems quite innovative.

[richenda]

But the Tower then was a royal palace - it didn't become a prison until much later.
And he didn't need to "produce" them, at a time when no-one doubted him, and when their mother was a member of his court.
It was Henry who failed to produce them and who needed and failed to account for them.

[ex_lizzzar998]

I think the latest research shows that there were rumours that Richard had done away with the boys before Henry landed. It seems unlikely that so many would have supported Henry if Richard could have produced at least some evidence of what happened to them. Even by the standards of the time, it was very odd that they just disappeared into the Tower. I'm pretty sure that it was being used as both a prison and a palace at the time, but still it seems a less than ideal place to keep young boys, who would normally be considered to need fresh air and exercise. I suppose Richard's possible innocence will remain a good conspiracy theory, but I just don't see that there is much evidence to support it. Just got my computer back from the Apple Shop.

[ex_lizzzar998]

I am with Nicola on Dickens, I have to admit - although I've always felt slightly guilty about it. I've read David Copperfield, Hard Times, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist and some of the stories like The Signal Man and The Christmas Carol but I do feel a little bad about the amount of Dickens I haven't read. I keep meaning to, but I'm just not that enthusiastic. If I get my reading together I'll probably tackle Bleak House before Hornblower. Hard Times is probably my favourite of the ones I've read for being slightly satirical.

[richenda]

If I get my reading together I'll probably tackle Bleak House before Hornblower. Hard Times is probably my favourite of the ones I've read for being slightly satirical.

Oh! Hard Times for me too!
That was a huge argument with the Beloved Deceased who much preferred Bleak House, which I really couldn't get on with.
But I read Hornblower long before I read Dickens, and I read both long before I read Forest - because I had access to my father's library long before I found Forest in the public library.

[rosathome]

I can't bear Dickens either so, on Miss Cromwell's advice that Dickens-haters invariably enjoy Thackeray, I started Henry Esmond, but I couldn't get into it. I read Hornblower because of Ioan Gruffudd, not Nicola. Though it was her recommendation that led me onto Ramage.

I was always pleased that she liked Peter Wimsey too. And I completely sympathise with her finding the characters real in the way Ann never could.