So as I said with Winston’s covers as this week’s chaos descended in the UK,every night watchingthe news and seeing the youth of this country go on the rampage I turned to a book first Dart by Alice Oswald and then after reading about a river ,I wanted to read a book about being on a river and grab my vintage classic copy of Jerome K Jerome’s Three men in a boat ,so I read about a peaceful english life of drift don the Thames on a boat with two friends and a slightly mad dog (sure Winston would love to go on a boat ,saying that he loves the water ).A different world of simple joys ,the book is very pretty as well as it has illustrations by the british comedian Vic Reeves.
I found this an escape from our current situation .So this is the question
what do you do in times of trouble ?
have you a place in books you feel safe ?
Hi Stu, my safety books are sometimes kids books but my adult idyll is definitely James Herriot. I used to always take one on holiday with me in case I felt homesick. Wonderful stories of his 1930’s life in the dales. Though I do love Three Men In a Boat too. Montmorency is a great dog!
I wanted to visit the house with work the other year when we where on hoilday with work but didn’t get time ,herriot is a great escape too ,all the best stu
Herriot is an excellent choice! I might go back to Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, because it includes an old man’s wish his young son’s future is bright.
I ve still to read robinson got home sat on a shelf sommewhere ,all the best stu
Wodehouse and mysteries are both great escapes for me. And comic books. Have developed a real appreciation for Thor since the new film came out.
I love wodehouse he takes you into another world ,all the best stu
In times of distress, I like to read something not too demanding, as I usually can’t keep my concentration. So I’d read a chick-lit or a mystery.
Mysterys can be a good escape ,I like a good mystery book ,all the best stu
I like to read fast-paced mysteries when I’m feeling anxious. It really helps me to escape. I’m glad you found some comfort during the stressful events last week!
Thanks Anbolyn at one point it seemed it may go on to be all over the country which would have bee awful ,all the best stu
if baking doesn’t work, then I’ll read an historic romance. definitely escapist.
Baking is great I used to do a lot a work and was a way to ease the tension some times ,all the best stu
Will you laugh at me if I tell you the first book I go to in times of trouble is the Bible? There is nothing like a psalm, or a favorite verse, in King James to soothe my soul. What an interesting question, though, because there are fiction books I find great solace in as well. I just have to think of what they would be beyond my childhood favorite Charlotte’s Web. Maybe we go back to our roots in times of trouble.
No my step mother reads the bilbe from time to time ,I loved charlottes web I cried as a boy when I read it so sad ,all the best stu
At one time the Alexander McCall Smith books took me away from my worries. The stories of life in Botswana are not as quick a read as I first think them to be; and the characters are full of unadorned courage and a bit of style. The poetry of Wislawa Szymborska also puts me back on my path a bit braver as I make small footprints in a dangerous world.
I read mysteries and fantasies when I’m stressed and anxious. And if I need safety and comfort I will reread “To Kill a Mockingbird”. My library has Three Men in a Boat..I’ve added it to the TBR list.