Easy Happy Classics to Brighten Your Day

No one is going to argue with you if you stand up and say, ‘Well, it’s been a pretty serious year so far.’

But, you can always escape into a great classic novel, right?

As it turns out, many great classics are pretty serious too.  You might not find hiding in one so much of an escape as just swapping one depressing reality for a fictional one.

Classics become classic because of their quality, and their ability to easily draw you into the author’s world. They become beloved because over generations many people found themselves entranced and moved by the story held within the covers.

But what if you don’t just want to be entranced and moved, but you want to be uplifted? What if you don’t want to fall into a long, sluggish affair of war, pain, heartbreak, and death, but would rather an easy classic that makes you smile, and brightens your afternoon?

We’ve got you covered.

Top 12 Easy Happy Classics to Brighten Your Day

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

This is a simply lovely story about four English women who found each other through an ad in the classifieds and then found themselves through a month’s holiday together in a medieval Italian castle. First published in 1922, this gorgeous tale will delight you and make you yearn to go travelling again.

You might also love:  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

We have all been embarrassed by a family member at one point in time, right? The Joy Luck Club is a group of young Chinese immigrant women who meet to play mahjong, new to America, and life in the West. This story covers the relationships between four mothers and their daughters, filled with misunderstanding, mystery, whimsy, and love. 

You might also love: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This is a very well-known story that you might be more familiar with through depictions by Disney than through the actual original novel. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend spending some time between the pages. It is more twisted than anything Walt Disney dreamed up but also so much fun, and an absolutely glorious escape from the everyday.

You might also love: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

In what can only be described as a swashbuckling epic (how do you swash a buckle anyway?), The Three Musketeers is one of the most fun-filled adventure tales of all time. Full of heroes and villains, secrets and mysteries, love and loss - if you haven’t read this book before you are missing out on something special.

You might also love: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

This story is simple, enchanting, and just divine. A lovely tale of an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels from the hills of Spain to majestic Egypt, you will be surprised how much you fall in love with this extraordinary book.

You might also love: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry  

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald is a wizard for creating exciting, vibrant worlds to escape into. This tale tells of how in 1860, Benjamin Button was born a very old man and through his life aged backward, touching many hearts and lives along the way. Now more aligned with the movie starring Brad Pitt, you really should discover the joy and magic of the story as it was originally told. 

You might also love: The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

This story invites you into the mind and heart of 17-year old Cassandra and tells of how she fell in love one summer. Her quirky family lives in the remains of a ruined Suffolk castle. This is a sweet and poignant novel which you will never be too old to read again.

You might also love: Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

A Little Bush Maid by Mary Grant Bruce

This book was a gorgeous part of many young Aussie girl’s childhood, and honestly, I will never get tired of re-reading and discovering its joy all over again. This is the first of a series, set on a large cattle station called Billabong, inhabited by 12-year-old Norah, her older brother Jim and their widowed father. Just beautiful.

You might also love: Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Ahhh, Austen. She just makes you feel all warm and gooey inside, doesn’t she? Pride and Prejudice is possibly her most famous story, but I love this whimsical story of the Dashwood sisters and their search for romance and men that can match with their wits.

You might also love: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

James Herriot’s enchanting memoir of life as a vet in rural England is beloved by many, and for very good reason. If you have a soft spot for four-legged creatures (or any creatures really), then you will simply adore this book, filled with a wide range of tales of his patients that will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

You might also love: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

You will be familiar with the fantastically funny movie based on this book, but you are missing out indeed if you don’t allow yourself the time to read and truly savour the story as it should be enjoyed. This was a wickedly different take on the traditional fairy tale, filled with brilliant characters, adventure, love, revenge, and everything else you need to make you happy on a quiet afternoon.

You might also love: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

A modern classic, this story tells of the unlikely events after a ship of zoo animals capsizes in the Pacific Ocean, and a young boy finds himself in a lifeboat with a tiger. If that premise hasn’t piqued your interest then I’m not sure what will. Even if you have read this one before, it still holds secrets and surprises within its covers for you to discover the second time around.

You might also love: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Review - The Happy Prince

Thanks to Jacinta for this guest review of our April Classic!

The Happy Prince is one of several short stories by Oscar Wilde that focuses on themes of compassion and generosity.

The story is set in a grand city, where a large wall separates the affluent from the poverty stricken. The distinction between these two worlds is embodied by a statue of the titular prince, who in life lived in ignorance behind the wall while after his death his statue looks out over the misery of the city and weeps.

I read the book many times as a child. The developing relationship between the princes’ statue and a sparrow who waited too long to migrate, together with their humble efforts to bring relief to many of the sick and destitute around them, captured my imagination even as many of the satirical elements went over my head. The prince was always happy in life - “if pleasure be happiness” - but on the other side of the wall he finds it impossible to hold value in his beauty and wealth, prefering to strip every last bit of it away in support of those around him. While his own worth in the eyes of others is diminished by his descent into a shabby appearance, he gains through this exercise the sincere love and care of the sparrow who helps him. A story about friendship and kindness, The Happy Prince is a great read for children who are still developing their sense of empathy. While the story has a decidedly Christian ending, non-secular parents can still draw from it a message of true value and happiness that is worth teaching children. 

Revisiting the tale as an adult, however, I found a much more complex message hidden within this simple story of self-sacrifice. Wildes’ subtle mockery of societal hierarchies and self-consequence is interplayed with his sincere renderings of poverty, and the value many of his characters place on aesthetic pleasure over human happiness finds new teeth in the current social climate. Displays of wealth and status have always existed in sharp contrast with the struggles of poverty faced around the globe. However, the current world-wide surge in unemployment, illness and poverty combined with unprecedented access to excessive displays of wealth through the internet has reinforced the wall of riches to be a stronger divide than ever while revealing much of what goes on behind it. While the majority of the world sacrifices much of their basic needs to protect the vulnerable and stop the spread, it seems that many celebrities and social media influencers have no problem attending massive parties and ignoring guidelines, or wasting tests and putting service workers in danger to meet their desire for some stress-relief and/or new content.

It seems that despite seeing the stress and suffering of those around them, there are many who will continue to value aesthetic displays of wealth and personal pleasure over the well-being of their communities. In contrast, mutual aid has run strong from inter-personal stories to broader community action. One story ran through my mind during this re-read: Dolly Parton, instrumental in the funding of the coronavirus vaccine through a heft donation, humbly declined to have her image raised in a statue outside the Tennessee capitol calling it “inappropriate” to put her on a pedestal during this time. In stories of mass strife, acts of individual generosity can inadvertently act as a screen over the greed of those who are empowered to prevent much-needed systematic change. Both Oscar Wilde and Dolly Parton seem well aware of the pitfalls that can accompany aesthetic gestures, and of the importance of embracing loving, humble compassion. 

Overall, The Happy Prince is an interesting read, with lasting relevance in both its sincerity and its satire. In the spirit of spreading joy during difficult times, the book was included in April's Classic NovelTea book parcel, where the little sparrow and his statue friend have hopefully brought some enjoyment to our subscribers.

---

The Happy Prince featured in the April 2021 Classic parcel. Past parcels are available for purchase here. Subscribe for next month’s parcel here.

Seven Recommendations of Books by Australian Indigenous Authors

I live on the traditional lands of the Muwinina people*. This week and every week, I pay my respects to the Palawa elders, past and present. This always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

The NovelTea Book Club is about reading the ‘classics’. That’s often been based on the western publishing industry’s definition of a classic, which is a pretty limited set of books and stories! While we’ll continue to feature these classics, there are so many rich storytelling cultures among so many groups outside of this definition. I am still learning, but I want to highlight some books by Indigenous authors that I’ve read or am looking forward to reading.
⁣
* I’m pretty sure this is correct. It was harder than it should’ve been to find out, no thanks to Lutruwita/Tasmania’s fairly horrendous history.

Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

We here at NovelTea HQ are big fans of Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, both authors and illustrators who come from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region in WA. Between them they’ve written and illustrated numerous amazing kids books, YA novels, short stories and books of poetry. Ambelin is also a law academic at the University of Western Australia.

It was hard to choose just one book to highlight, hence the stack in the photo 😅 But I particularly loved Catching Teller Crow, a YA novel they co-wrote a couple of years ago.
⁣
Catching Teller Crow tells the story of Beth and her father and an unsolved mystery. It’s a layered story of grief and family, love and history, told from two perspectives and in a mix of prose and free verse. I flew through of the first time I read it, but was still thinking about it weeks later.
⁣
I absolutely highly recommend anything and everything by either sibling, but especially this novel.

Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia edited by Dr Anita Heiss

Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia is an anthology of experiences, edited by Dr Anita Heiss. It showcases diverse voices, styles and stories to try to answer the question “What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia?”
⁣
I recently finished reading this anthology - partly reading and partly listening to the audiobook. I absolutely recommend checking it out.The more I learn about Indigenous cultures and experience, the more I understand and appreciate the diversity of the people who identify within this group. Each contributor to this book has a unique voice, experience and relationship with their Aboriginality, and I think as a non-indigenous person it’s important for me to listen to a variety of voices rather than just accepting any one experience as ‘the Aboriginal story’.
⁣
That said, there are also common threads woven throughout a lot of these stories. Many of the contributors have struggled with their identity as Aboriginal, or external perspectives of their identity. “Not white enough to be white, not black enough to be black” is a common experience throughout the book. Almost every story of growing up includes racism and discrimination of some kind, regardless of the era. I cried at least twice, and was blindsided by the experiences that some contributors wrote about.
⁣
All in all, this is definitely an anthology worth reading or listening to - the audiobook is also excellent.

Carpentaria by Alexis Wright

I haven’t quite finished Carpentaria, and so I’ve asked @gillyreads to write this post, since she recommended it to me in the first place.

Alexis Wright is an award-winning Waanyi writer who is, in my opinion, Australia's greatest writer. I strongly believe everyone should read at least one thing she has written, if not everything (I really need to get to the intimidatingly large Tracker). While all her work is phenomenal, my favourite book is Carpentaria. It's a book I have encouraged a lot of people to read - I've bought multiple copies to be able to lend out.
⁣
Carpentaria is a very large book, with many, many pages filled with beautiful writing in tiny print. It may be intimidating to many readers, but the reading experience was hugely impactful on me and I really believe it is worth putting in the time.
⁣
Carpentaria is an epic story, centring on the portrayal of life in a town on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Oral storytelling form blends into written words, as the story weaves around and through the lives of the unforgettable residents of Desperance with depth and complexity. Giramondo uses the word 'operatic' which fits Wright's storytelling, but I haven't really seen an adequate description of this book yet. You just have to read it.

Top End Girl by Miranda Tapsell

One from my #tbr
⁣
I love Miranda Tapsell’s movies and podcasts, so I have a sneaky suspicion I’m going to love this memoir too!

“As a young Larrakia Tiwi girl Miranda Tapsell often felt like an outsider. Growing up, she looked for faces like hers on our screens. There weren't many. And too often there was a negative narrative around First Nation lives, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women especially. As she got older, Miranda stopped expecting others would help change things and set about doing something herself. Combining her pride in her Aboriginality and passion for romantic comedies with her love of Darwin, the Tiwi Islands and the Top End, Miranda co-wrote, produced and starred in the box office hit Top End Wedding.
⁣
In this engaging memoir, Miranda shares the path she took to acting and how her role in The Sapphires and then in Love Child inspired her to create a film about coming back to family and culture. And, it would turn out, that as she was writing her romantic lead she was also conjuring up some magic that saw a real-life love ignite. This deadly, ballad-loving rom-com nerd also asks us all to open our minds and our hearts to the importance of country and culture, In doing so, Miranda shows us how we will all be richer for it.”

Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson

Another from my #tbr - a huge thank you to @nina.reads.books for this photo and review.
⁣
Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson was an incredible debut novel. I love a good multigenerational saga and this delivered in spades.
⁣
The book is set in fictional Darnmoor, a small country town in Australia. When you arrive the sign proclaims “Darnmoor, The Gateway to Happiness” but the local Indigenous residents don’t get to live in Darnmoor proper, their homes are located out the back of the rubbish tip and are known as the Campgrounds.
⁣
The story centres around four generations of the Billymil family. We initially meet Margaret, then her daughter Celie, her granddaughter Milli and then finally the last generation Patrick and Yarrie. Just as you become invested in one character, time moves on and it’s time for the next generation’s turn in the spotlight. This was jarring but I think an effective storytelling tool.
⁣
There are layers of racial tension throughout the book between the white people of Darnmoor and the Indigenous people. The divide runs deep. Though there are moments of happiness and joy ultimately it is a tragedy that highlights the mpact of intergenerational trauma. It is a story of an Indigenous family over several generations but also a story of the effect of colonisation on Indigenous people and their land in Australia and the violence and injustices that they have experienced.
⁣
The truly clever and fascinating part of Song of The Crocodile was that interspersed between the stories of the Billymil family were chapters dedicated to the ancient spirits that spoke to the Indigenous people throughout history. These chapters were imaginative and exquisitely written. The use of animal totems, spiritual ancestors and an almost dream like alternate storyline was so different and really worked. I won’t pretend that I understood all of the imagery but it was wonderful to read!

The Drover’s Wife by Leah Pursell

Another recommendation from @gillyreads.
⁣
Leah Purcell is a Goa, Gunggari, Wakka Wakka Murri woman from Queensland with an incredible breadth of talent. She has reimagined Henry Lawson’s classic short story, The Drover’s Wife (1892) in multiple formats. Initially a play in 2016, she has now written a novel, and written, starred in and directed a feature film expanding that reimagined story. This novel was such an incredible read, I really wish I’d seen the play, and will definitely be watching the film when it is released.
⁣
The influence of her play and screenwriting background is evident in her prose, and I personally found this added a lot to the reading experience. She pulls threads of the story of Molly Johnson from many places, there are whole aspects of the novel that you don’t fully see the connection to until the end.
⁣
It is beautifully written, stark in its depiction of the realities of Molly’s life struggling to care for her children, all alone in an isolated shack while her husband is off droving. The difficulties she faces are only intensified the brief times her husband returns home. Purcell confronts the myths white Australia has created about the frontier, forcing the reader to grapple with the violent reality of colonisation.

Australian literature has traditionally liked to depict our history as a battle with a brutal landscape, with hard but admirable men setting out to tame something for themselves. Of course, the truth is that the brutality came from these colonisers, that the landscape was not theirs to claim.

The story particularly looks at the way this violence was gendered and depicts confronting acts of violence that may be too much for some readers. Though so much is horrifying, The Drover’s Wife still manages to be an incredibly beautiful story, and Purcell really does manage to imbue a sense of hope, and of survival.

My Place by Sally Morgan

And finally, My Place by Sally Morgan - definitely an Australian classic!
⁣
My Place is Sally Morgan’s autobiography, interwoven with the stories of her mother and her grandmother.
⁣
Morgan was born and grew up in Perth, in a childhood so strikingly different to what my parents would have experienced (they’re roughly the same age). Her mother and grandmother told her they were Indian, to try to shield her from the particular brand of racism directed at Indigenous Australians. My Place centres around Morgan’s experiences as an Aboriginal person, and her journey in discovering her history and drawing out the stories of her mother and grandmother.
⁣
Morgan is an amazing storyteller. This book captured me - the story itself, but also Morgan’s words and way of weaving her experiences together with those of her family. There is trauma and heartbreak, but also hope and so much familial love, demonstrated in many different ways. It is an eye-opening and uncomfortable read in many ways, for me and probably a lot of other white Australians.
⁣
If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend you pick it up. Although it was first published over 30 years ago, it remains a relevant and incredibly important book in the Australian literary landscape.

Review - Three Men in a Boat

A guest blog by Tamsien West from @BabblingBooks 

The premise for Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) is a pretty simple one - three friends who live very privileged lives decide to go on a boating trip to cure their general malaise and boredom. This trip leads to a hilarious series of disasters and sets the stage for a thorough send-up of the pretentious upper class man! Someone who has no job, or really much purpose other than to dedicate himself to leisure, and perhaps some light study that might lead to a ‘noble’ profession such as a lawyer or member of parliament.

The whole book is an extended farce, filled with mocking, joyful slapstick comedy. It pokes fun at the snobbish, hopeless way these men navigate the world and their hopelessly distorted view of their place within it. One of my favourite scenes involves their attempts to pack for the trip. They discover all the things they need before they leave, like toothbrushes, are at the bottom so they have to unpack and re-pack. The dog keeps stealing things. Someone sits on the butter. It’s utterly silly, but so deeply relatable to anyone who has packed in a rush the night before a trip.

A perfect example of the humour is one of my favourite quotes. It begins with a statement many of us would identify with, but it’s then immediately followed up with the opposite of what you would expect.

“I can’t sit still and see another man slaving and working. I was to get up and superintend, and walk around with my hands in my pockets and tell him what to do. It’s my energetic nature. I can’t help it.”

The main plot is frequently interrupted with amusing anecdotes, side stories and exaggerated boasts by characters. Everything is told in a meandering style, going in circles as different characters add recollections or contradictions. 

The visuals of the story are so vivid that I really felt like I was going on a journey along the river with them. From quaint little towns in the English countryside, to the muddy river banks, and even the chaos of a group of friends trying to pack the night before a trip. All these scenes were like a movie in my mind. So though there’s no chance we’ll be travelling for quite a while, I really enjoyed my vicarious boating adventure.

It was amusing from start to finish, and it was great to see how much of the humour was not only still funny, but closely aligned to contemporary jokes. This book truly lived up to the hype for me. I was promised a rollicking good time and that’s exactly what I got. And I was not at all surprised to learn that it hasn’t been out of print since it was first published in 1889.

---

Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) featured in the October 2020 Classic parcel. Past parcels are available for purchase here. Subscribe for next month’s parcel here.