Fanlistings: Literature E-L
George Eliot
I admire the scope of her novels, her insight, her critique of her society and her vision of a morality based on human sympathy. I first read The Mill on the Floss for GCSE, but my favourite is Middlemarch. For me, this one of the greatest novels. It is a many-layered story, building up a complex web of relationships between its varied characters, and a supreme example of George Eliot's compassionate vision.
T.S.Eliot
I had long enjoyed Practical Cats, but it was Four Quartets that really kindled my interest his work, and later inspired me to make him the subject of my undergraduate dissertation. A poet I find by turns inspiring and disturbing.
Alan Garner
Author of magical tales often drawing on celtic myths and legends, including The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Owl Service.
The Gandalara Cycle - Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron
An exciting sci-fi series with an original concept. Through each volume, the story builds steadily towards the unexpected conclusion that reveals its full significance.
Robin Hobb
An author I have discovered relatively recently, beginning with her Farseer Trilogy. Her stories are complex and engaging, and the three trilogies that make up her 'Lands of the Elderlings' series is one of the most moving and poignant fantasy epics that I have read since The Lord of the Rings.
The Earthsea Books - Ursula Le Guin
Tales of magic, both exciting and thought-provoking. My favourite is Tales from Earthsea, which enriches the background of the original trilogy, and takes further the 'dragon women' of Tehanu.
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
The magical world of Narnia was an early childhood favourite. My favourite books remain the original Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the Voyage of the Dawntreader.
