Why am I passionate about this?
Within the caste into which I was born, daughter of a daughter of a daughter, I was ‘nobody’—no dowry, an awkward brain, and unfashionable looks—dark hourglass, not blonde beanpole. Unless I married the right kind of man, of course–an eldest son with a big house. This was the 70s, and you probably don’t believe me, but many girls still went the full Jane Austen. So I’m perfectly qualified to tell you about the best books that centre on a big house as metaphor, a major character or a massive plot point in a novel. And, reader, I swerved marrying a man for his house too.
Josa's book list on novels where a house is a major character
Why did Josa love this book?
When I was nine, I came across The Last Battle—the last of the Narnia books. I had no idea what it was and wept and howled at the end, looking frantically for more of the same. I roared through them and was miserable to find C.S. Lewis had died shortly beforehand, as I wanted to write to him and ask him to write more.
I was wholly entranced by Narnia—the endless winter, the Turkish delight, the children living a different, grander, splendid life in a parallel place. But it was the moment in Prince Caspian when they were flipped back from a railway platform to Narnia. Specifically, to ruined Cair Paravel (roll it around your tongue), the gorgeous palace where they had reigned, that enchanted me the most.
Their gradual realization that these ruins were their familiar home (1300 years have passed since they were kings…
1 author picked Prince Caspian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.
A full-colour paperback edition of Prince Caspian, book four in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition is complete with full-cover cover and interior art by the original illustrator, Pauline Baynes.
The Pevensie siblings are back to help a prince denied his rightful throne as he gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honour between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.
A battle is about to begin in Prince Caspian, the fourth book in…
- Coming soon!