Another post on my "British Reading List" (BRL). As previously stated, the intent was to better understand Britain- better know their history and literature. I read 129 books to this end; looking back, which ones were most helpful in accomplishing the objective? The answer follows.
I looked over the BRL and took off over two-thirds of it, leaving 40 works I recommend people read. Keep in mind: this doesn't necessarily mean I thought these were the 40 best, or even the 40 I most enjoyed- what follows are the 40 most appropriate for achieving the above objective. Here they are, with some elaboration following:
| Bernard Cornwell | The Winter King | Arthurian |
| Bernard Cornwell | Enemy of God | Arthurian |
| Bernard Cornwell | Excalibur | Arthurian |
| TH White | The Once and Future King | Arthurian |
| Julia Donaldson | The Gruffalo | Children's |
| CS Lewis | The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Fantasy |
| JK Rowling | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Fantasy |
| JRR Tolkien | The Hobbit | Fantasy |
| JRR Tolkien | The Fellowship of the Ring | Fantasy |
| JRR Tolkien | The Return of the King | Fantasy |
| JRR Tolkien | The Two Towers | Fantasy |
| Roger Lancelyn Green | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Fantasy |
| Sheridan Le Fanu | In a Glass Darkly | Ghost |
| Alan Moore | Watchmen | Graphic Novel |
| Ken Follett | Pillars of the Earth | Historical Fiction |
| Sir Walter Scott | Ivanhoe | Historical Fiction |
| Stephen Clarke | A Thousand Years of Annoying the French | History |
| Usborne | The Usborne History of Britain | History |
| Douglas Adams | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Humor |
| Bram Stoker | Dracula | Literature |
| Charles Dickens | A Tale of Two Cities | Literature |
| Charlotte Brontë | Jane Eyre | Literature |
| Emily Brontë | Wuthering Heights | Literature |
| Jane Austen | Pride and Prejudice | Literature |
| Lewis Carroll | Alice in Wonderland | Literature |
| Mary Shelley | Frankenstein | Literature |
| Oscar Wilde | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Literature |
| Robert Louis Stevenson | The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Literature |
| James Herriot | All Creatures Great and Small | Memoir |
| Agatha Christie | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | Mystery |
| Arthur Conan Doyle | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Mystery |
| Arthur Conan Doyle | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Mystery |
| CS Lewis | The Screwtape Letters | Religion |
| John le Carré | The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | Thriller |
Elaborating on the Recommended
Arthurian
If you want to 'get' Britain, you should read at least one book on King Arthur. Few legends have captivated people more throughout history. TH White's Once and Future King tells the story well, from a legend point of view; Bernard Cornwell's trilogy is good for those who want a more historical view of Arthur.
Children's
Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo can be read in a few minutes. Do it.
Fantasy
Nothing shocking here; The Harry Potter series (7 books), The Lord of the Rings (4 books, counting the Hobbit), and the most famous book of The Chronicles of Narnia are must-reads. A work on Robin Hood is also advised.
Ghost
Something about Britain- probably the rain, darkness, and numerous ruins-brings supernatural stories to the fore. In A Glass Darkly is quite satisfying.
Graphic Novel
One of Time Magazine's "Top 100 novels of the century," The Watchmen is excellent on many levels.
Historical Fiction
Pillars of the Earth gives great insight into life in Medieval England; Ivanhoe does the same.
History
No reading list is complete without history books, and a general history overview is necessary for those wanting to understand the land in which they live. Of the three I read, Usborne's History of Britain is a great, graphics-heavy introduction; 1000 Years of Annoying the French is informative and amusing to boot.
Humor
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a must-read classic, equal parts humor, sci-fi, and philosophy.
Literature
Many choices here. You can tell my preference for Victorian Gothic by perusing the list, but girlie books make the cut, too.
Memoir
For those living up north, at least one Herriot book about the Yorkshire Dales is a must.
Mystery
Who's more famous in mystery writing than Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? You can't go wrong with any of their works, but the ones I list are perhaps a cut above.
Religion
CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters is an excellent work. GK Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday was also great, but narrowly missed my cut in an attempt to get to an even, pleasing number. Both portray Christian truths in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner.
Thriller
John le Carré is a master; Robert Harris (Fatherland) is also excellent.
Final Thoughts
No list is perfect, but if you read the above, I think you'll both grow in knowledge, 'get' Britain, and enjoy the ride along the way.
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