“I entrench myself in my books, equally against sorrow and the weather.”
Leigh Hunt
My wish in the month of February is that it will whizz by like the calendar pages in old movies. Alas, this never seems to happen.
So I turn to books, both old favourites that hold up to rereading and new ones, quite often mysteries. Mysteries seem particularly suited to winter fireside reading.
According to Robertson Davies, we read mysteries because they’re about good and evil. In an essay called Literature and Moral Purpose, he describes at great length how any number of famous detectives are “the restorer of balance, and the dispenser of justice.” And he refers to “the desire deep in the human heart to see evil punished, however delightedly as readers they may have bathed in that evil for two thirds of the book.”
I think he’s right about the appeal of seeing evil vanquished and that it’s satisfying to see the bad guys get theirs by the end of the book. A good mystery should have an interesting story that keeps the pages turning. A strong sense of place is important, too.
So here are four series that I have read and would recommend to help keep February at bay. The first three are available at our library.
Frances Brody’s Kate Shackleton series. These are set in the north of England post WW1.
Jessica Ellicott’s Beryl and Edwina series. Also set in England post WW1. These are mostly light hearted but don’t shy away from the realities of that war. There is at least one heart rending description of a man with a tin mask as a result of war injuries.
Jean-Luc Bannalec’s Britanny series. These have a particularly strong sense of place and I learned a lot about both the landscape and history of Britanny.
Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series. These are set in an English country house and feature the young Flavia who is interested in chemistry and solving murders. Quirky and fun.
The next four suggestions I have not read myself but they come highly recommended by my California Correspondent.
Pot Thief mysteries by J. Michael Orenduff, Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters, Rabbi Small mysteries by Harry Kemelman, Gabriel DuPre mysteries by Peter Bowen.
I will mention just three books among many that I like to reread when winter closes in.
A Place of my Own by Michael Pollan (1997) This is about the writer building a small building to write in. But he overthinks everything in quite a wonderful way and it ends up being a history of architecture among many other things.
Harvest of a Quiet Eye by Lawrence Scanlan(2004) This is another book about but not limited to building or rather rebuilding an old log house. He talks about music, solitude, Walden and a lot more and includes several accounts of dream cabins in the woods.
Finally, we get to one of my favourite books to reread. I have possibly saved the best for last. I have already written about this book in a past column, I know, but it’s so much fun that I will repeat myself.
We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich (1942). This is about living in the Maine woods and even though it came out in the forties her voice is very contemporary. And funny. One of my favourite quotes comes from this book: “…aside from forest fire, there’s nothing to be afraid of in the woods, except yourself. If you’ve got sense, you can keep out of trouble.” So in other words, try not to do anything stupid and you’ll be fine.
Looking away from the books, I see the first signs of the coming spring outside. The deer have finally come out of the woods to dig up the apples on the front lawn. Fortunately for them there’s not a lot of snow and they have had several apple parties by the look of all the tracks. The indoor plants have started growing again in response to the lengthening days. And the garlic is starting to green up inside.
At this point in the year I wonder if the groundhog will have good news for us about the arrival of spring. I live in hope.
By Jill Williams
