Reading the 20th Century discussion

It's time to nominate for our January 2026 group read


For January 2026 we invite you to nominate a Twentieth Century Classic - so that's a classic book written in the twentieth century. Interpret classic as you see fit


Please supply the title, author, a brief synopsis, and anything else you'd like to mention about the book, and why you think it might make a good book to discuss.


Happy nominating

I nominate...



The Honorary Consul (1973)

by

Graham Greene



The Honorary Consul is a British thriller novel by Graham Greene, published in 1973. It was one of the author's favourite works.

It is set at the run-up to Argentina's 'Dirty War' in the early 1970s.

An intense kidnap thriller filled with religious despair, South American machismo, tangled love triangles and lots of whiskey. A bunch of revolutionaries kidnap the hard drinking Charley Fortnum (who is Britain's Honorary Consul in Argentina), mistaking him for the British ambassador.

What's not to love about that?

And it's Greene so we can expect beautiful writing and great characteristion.

The book was made into the 1983 film The Honorary Consul (also released as Beyond the Limit), directed by John Mackenzie, with Richard Gere as Plarr and Michael Caine as Fortnum. The soundtrack theme was composed by Paul McCartney and performed by John Williams.

I nominate The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman. This book has been suggested to me several times when reading books about WWI with my nonfiction group friends. When I said that I wish I remembered all those treaties and complexities that were to protect Europe's peace ended up contributing to or even causing WWI, they said this would help me.

I thought of a few American classics (Faulkner, Toni Morrison, Willa Cather, Carson McCullers) that I'd like to read but in the end I'm going for:

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys, one of my absolute favourite authors.

In 1930s Paris, where one cheap hotel room is very like another, a young woman is teaching herself indifference. She has escaped personal tragedy and has come to France to find courage and seek independence. She tells herself to expect nothing, especially not kindness, least of all from men. Tomorrow, she resolves, she will dye her hair blonde.

Cynda wrote:


"I nominate The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman. This book has been suggested to me several times when reading books about WWI with my nonfiction group friends. ..."

Thanks Cynda


That's a good book. Some of us discussed it in the group we were in before we set up this one, when the moderators lost interest in their group...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Here's my review...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Well worth a read. WW1 inspired so many fascinating books.

Roman Clodia wrote:


"I thought of a few American classics (Faulkner, Toni Morrison, Willa Cather, Carson McCullers) that I'd like to read but in the end I'm going for:

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys, one of my absolute favourite authors"


Great stuff

Jean's fab

I'm going to nominate Marlen Haushofer's The Wall.

Here's the Wikipedia description:

The novel's main character is a 40-something woman whose name the reader never learns. While vacationing in a hunting lodge in the Austrian mountains, a transparent wall has been placed that closes her off from the outside world; all life outside the wall appears to have died. With a dog, a cow, and a cat as her sole companions, she struggles to survive and to come to terms with the situation. Facing fear and loneliness, she writes an account of her isolation without knowing whether or not anyone will ever read it.

Haushofer is said to have influenced Elfriede Jelinek, among others.

The Wall has been on my TBR for a while. I'm reading Killing Stella at the moment, and am pretty impressed. The Wall is said to be her best book.

G wrote: "I'm going to nominate Marlen Haushofer's The Wall.

Here's the Wikipedia description:

The novel's main character is a 40-something woman whose name the reader never learns. While va..."

Killing Stella isn't available here yet. I completely love The Wall though - also enjoyed Nowhere Ending Sky. I think I probably like The Wall too much to want to discuss it with anyone, if that makes any sense. But can see it would make a great discussion piece.

Also really like Rhys's work although it's so downbeat I keep putting off a reread, maybe a group session would be the way to go?

I nominate A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines.

G wrote: "I'm going to nominate Marlen Haushofer's The Wall."

I've only recently heard of this when a friend said he was teaching it - now it's popping up everywhere, as is the way of things!

Alwynne wrote: "I think I probably like The Wall too much to want to discuss it with anyone, if that makes any sense. But can see it would make a great discussion piece.

Oh yes, that makes complete sense to me. I think one of the reasons I haven't nominated Jean Rhys before is that I feel the same way about her work: it feels both private and kind of sacrosanct.

I feel like that too about Toni Morrison's Beloved and had a hard time when I had to teach it and some of the students didn't like it!

It's funny about Rhys because while I'd never argue about it being downbeat, I somehow love the beautiful melancholy of her vision and writing.

Sam wrote: "I nominate A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines."


All time fave

G wrote: "I'm going to nominate Marlen Haushofer's The Wall"


I don't know this one - off to investigate

Thanks G

Oh, The Wall! It was a favorite, maybe the favorite book I read last year. Marvelous read.

I'm going to give one last try nominating Mrs. Bridge, a mid-20th century American classic.

The wife of a successful lawyer in 1930s Kansas City, India Bridge, tries to cope with her dissatisfaction with an easy, though empty, life.

Before Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique there was Mrs. Bridge, an inspired novel set in the years around World War II that testified to the sapping ennui of an unexamined suburban life. India Bridge, the title character, has three children and a meticulous workaholic husband. She defends her dainty, untouched guest towels from son Douglas, who has the gall to dry his hands on one, and earnestly attempts to control her daughters with pronouncements such as "Now see here, young lady ... in the morning one doesn't wear earrings that dangle." Though her life is increasingly filled with leisure and plenty, she can't shuffle off vague feelings of dissatisfaction, confusion, and futility. Evan S. Connell, who also wrote the twinned novel Mr. Bridge, builds a world with tiny brushstrokes and short, telling vignettes.

Thanks Blaine


Reading the synopsis of The Wall, I realise that I have seen the film adaptation. It was made in 2012. Anyone else seen that one?

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=the...

Blaine wrote: ""Now see here, young lady ... in the morning one doesn't wear earrings that dangle.""

If it doesn't win the poll this time maybe suggest it as a buddy read? (I say that wearing hoops and feeling suitably chastised!)

Blaine wrote: "I'm going to give one last try nominating Mrs. Bridge, a mid-20th century American classic.

The wife of a successful lawyer in 1930s Kansas City, India Bridge, tries to cope with h..."

Ah, another favorite!

Roman Clodia wrote: "If it doesn't win the poll this time maybe suggest it as a buddy read? (I say that wearing hoops and feeling suitably chastised! ..."

In the back of my mind, I'm preparing for that possibility. Tough competition this month!

I'll get the poll up on Monday morning UK time - so over 48 hours left to add to our glittering array of tempting titles


Nominations....

The Honorary Consul (1973) by Graham Greene
The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman
Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell

Time to vote...


https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...




Nominations....

The Honorary Consul (1973) by Graham Greene
The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman
Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell

The Wall and The Honorary Consul have a shared but narrow lead

The Honorary Consul just nudged into a one vote lead

The Honorary Consul and Mrs Bridge now neck and neck on four votes each

Exciting! I changed my vote to Mrs Bridge as I'm apparently the only one who wants to read Jean Rhys... ;))

That was the other option I considered, RC, but decided to throw my vote to one of the front-runners!

That's very sensible - I nearly always change my vote once I see what's in with a chance of winning. (Also Mrs Bridge winning would be a kind of late Christmas present for Blaine!)

I just changed my vote, because I’d rather read Mrs Bridge than Honorary Consul.
The Jean Rhys was my actual second choice!

Well I voted for Rhys simply because I'd like to reread it! I'm familiar with Ken Loach's version of the Hines, and none of the others immediately appeal - plus I'd have to track them down but I have all of Rhys's novels. So I'll stick and put myself in the hands of fate.

Mrs Bridge out in front now with six votes, The Honorary Consul second with four votes


Assuming Mrs B wins, as now seems likely, I'd be up for a buddy read of The Honorary Consul if any of the three others who voted for it would care to join me

I'm tickled! Thank you.

I vote for The Honorary Consul.

Greg wrote: "I vote for The Honorary Consul."


Thanks Greg

You need to go to the poll and click on it...

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...


And just to repeat my message above....

Assuming Mrs B wins, as now seems likely, I'd be up for a buddy read of The Honorary Consul in January 2026 if any of the others who voted for it would care to join me


The poll closes in about 20 hours

Lastest voting...


Mrs Bridge - 6 votes
Honorary Consul - 5 votes
The Wall - 2 votes
The Guns of August - 1 vote
Good Morning, Midnight - 1 vote
A Kestrel for a Knave - 0 votes

c18 hours left

I haven't read Honorary Consul, but would be happy to do a buddy if it doesn't win.

Great news - thanks Susan

I will read Honorary Consul.

Thanks Sam


Looking forward to it

Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell is our winner


👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼


Thanks to everyone who got involved

I didn't pay attention to the poll but just saw its results and am very pleased to see Mrs. Bridge win. Its a classic story of early-mid 20th century middle America that I feel I need to read, especially since I never knew it was a classic during my younger reading days.

So I just went on-line and bought both Bridges along with 2 more Le Carre's so I'll be ready for the first 7 in the Le Carre/Smiley reading group and wiell into 2026. I'm going to try to see it through.

It'll certainly be interesting to read Mrs Bridge in the context of other books we've read this month about women's lives in the US around the 1920s/30s/40s - Ex-Wife and The Group.

Those two take very different views on female education, working lives, love lives and depict different worlds of class and privilege. I think Mrs Bridge is not set in NYC?