Tolkien – Here was a man who spent his life giving shape to our spiritual homeland – The Shire and Rivendell. Try to get the edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham, which really gives a feel for the rural England of rivers, forests, and fields that were so soon to disappear in the new century. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. “Jerusalem” was inspired by William Blake’s poem, “And did those feet in ancient time,” which was based on the legend that as a youth, Jesus visited England and Glastonbury with his uncle, Joseph of Arimethia. To set the mood, let’s begin with this beautiful hymn that every diehard fan of Masterpiece Theater knows and loves. So here is a list, probably not complete and not in order of preference, of some of the story treasures British authors have given me. When I started The DaVinci Code, for instance, I couldn’t put it down, but when I finished, I traded it in for credit at the local used bookstore. I mean stories with characters and worlds I want to live with and visit again and again. There’s one key distinction to make: when I talk about favorite novels, I don’t mean breakout, thrilling, or dramatic novels – necessarily. The riverbank, the Shire, and Baker Street have become the landscapes of my soul. My greatest literary pleasures, from the first read-alouds I heard as a child until now have come from England. The other inspiration was the Olympics opening ceremony, which got me thinking of English novels and stories. She follows my book reviews and recently asked for a recommendation on something to read. A tweet from Hannah-Elizabeth, who blogs at The Last Classic inspired this post.
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