British Author Challenge March 2025: Norah Lofts & Gerald Durrell

I selected Norah Lofts at the suggestion of @cindydavid4. I haven't read her yet, but I'm a fan of historical fiction so I'm looking forward to giving her a try.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norah_Lofts

Selected Works
The House Trilogy
Suffolk Trilogy
The Concubine
The Lute Player
Eleanor the Queen
How Far to Bethlehem?
The King's Pleasure
The Maude Reed Tale
Dead March in Three Keys
The Fall of Midas

Gerald Durrell was suggested by @kac522. He was born 100 years ago this year, so it seemed the perfect time to feature him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Durrell

Selected Works
Corfu Trilogy
A Zoo in My Luggage
The Whispering Land
Menagerie Manor
Two in the Bush
Golden Bats And Pink Pigeons
The Aye-Aye And I
The Mockery Bird
Rosy Is My Relative
The Fantastic Flying Journey

I know for sure that I will be reading some Gerald Durrell in March, but not sure if I will get to Norah Lofts. I own some of his books, but not hers. We shall see. I am going to be out of town for about 10 days in March so my time will be more limited than normal.

My Family and Other Animals his best work, I think.

I love Durrell (I probably won't be reading with you, though, I'm really bad at directed reading even when it's books I like!). Went looking for some books you have listed there that I didn't know (Flying Journey and The Aye-Aye and I), and am deeply amused (if that's the right word) that nearly every description for Durrell's books starts with "author of The Corfu Trilogy, the inspiration for the miniseries The Durrells in Corfu". I watched a couple episodes of that show and was deeply disappointed - the books are about 80% animals and Gerry's investigations and tribulations related to them, and 20% humor about the family; the show was about 95% family humor and a few afterthoughts of animals. The family humor is _hilarious_, but someone who went to the books looking for more of what was on the show would probably be as disappointed as I was going the other way.

>1 amanda4242:
dead march in three keys is the wrong touchstone and I dont recognize it as a Loft story so until I learn other wise, skip this for this challenge

>1 amanda4242: I dont remember reading the fall of midas so Ill read that first, and its been a might reread how far to bethlehem btw the kings pleasure is my favorite take on Catherine of Aragon. Loft paints her here as a strong determined and intelligent woman, who loves Henry. Yet in this book you dont get the sterotypic witch that most books claim

>6 cindydavid4: It's the correct touchstone; Peter Curtis is a pseudonym Lofts used. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norah_Lofts#Novels_published_under_the_pseudonym_P...

>5 jjmcgaffey: I'm glad when movies and TV shows bring attention to books, but it does get annoying when every single thing the author wrote is suddenly labeled as "By the author of the inspiration for the adaptation!"

Feel free to stop by whether you get around to reading with us or not.

>8 amanda4242: oh! really, all this time reading her and I never knew that. ok that mean I need to check out those books as well. are they also HF?

>10 cindydavid4: Based on the tags, I'd say it's a mystery novel.

>11 amanda4242: ah too bad, thats not a fav of genre for me, but I do love me some ruth rendellso Ill try a few

I am grateful for this nudge to finally read My Family and Other Animals. It's the best book I've read so far this year. Interestingly, my #2 for the year to date is also a memoir of the author's childhood. Maybe I should be on the lookout for more of those!

I read My Family and Other Animals too. A fun read. This was a new to me author.

I had hoped to read Durrell's follow up book to My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives, this month, but I do not have the time. Too many books and all that. . .

The April thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/369634

Gerald Durrell's Rosy Is My Relative is on sale for $2.99.

https://openroadmedia.com/ebook/rosy-is-my-relative/9781504042628