Yes, I did have to make a list like this because of the jubilee. We are all under strict instructions as British people to make a whole song and dance out of it- or we’ll find ourselves up on tower hill for treason 😉 Better jump into it- chop chop! 😉
Wind in the Willows– let’s be honest, this book is why we all think that the countryside is magical 😉 I for one always encounter talking toads when I’m out walking.
The Hobbit– apart from acting as a mythology for Britain, his books are also filled with the oddities and humour of this island.
Mort– Death eating a curry is the most quintessentially British thing change my mind 😉 Seriously though, Pratchett’s eccentric humour makes it a real winner.
Peter Pan– after all, in this country, we never grow up 😉
Harry Potter- because the best boarding school book is a *magic* boarding school book.
Remains of the Day– reflecting more of a “classic” part of British culture, but either way this upstairs-downstairs drama definitely makes the cut.
Pride and Prejudice– Austen’s books are full of British charm and habits- but most of all she captures all the different types of people you’ll meet at parties over here. And if you think you’ve never met a Lady Catherine De Bourgh, I’m sorry to say you’re her 😉
Sense of an Ending– this is a new one for me, yet it absolutely captures a sense of Britishness (see what I did there 😉). Partly because it talks about class, but mostly because of how much of a downer it is 😉 (just kidding… sort of).
Oliver Twist– this list wouldn’t be complete without a Dickens book. And, don’t be fooled by the musical version, this one has some particularly gritty and grim elements.
The Woman in Black– there’s got to be a hint of the gothic on this list- and what more fun than the spooky spectre of this story? 😉 Plus it makes me think of every small town I’ve visited after dark 😉
Armadale– mysterious, evocative and above all fun, this is perfect if you need an intense classic to sink your teeth into.
And that’s all I have for now! But of course, there could be so many more books on this list- what book is most quintessentially British for you? Let me know in the comments!
the orang-utan librarian 