I am a proud Aquarius (has anyone met an Aquarius that isn’t proud of their sign ?) and as such, my commitments are both essential and rare. It’s not that I’m afraid of commitment, I know myself to be a very faithful person once I decide to engage in something, and that’s exactly why I have to make sure I don’t lock myself up in a prison constructed by my own choices. There are many constants in my life that are the result of my fully owned choices; that makes me stand by them with the assurance of my absolute freedom, the eternal obsession of every Aquarius.
What does this have to do with my reading, you ask ? Everything I do is connected to my reading, but in this case, I wanted to share my thoughts on sagas and literary series.
Many readers I know have devoured children’s literature and young adult series from early ages, so the concept of following the adventures of a hero through several volumes is completely familiar to them. I, on the other hand, don’t fall into this category. I didn’t read much as a child, and once I started to get the feel for books, I wanted a taste of everything, so sticking to the same subject for weeks or months on end wasn’t my jam.
And then the Outlander tv adaptation came out… I watched season one and I was so curious to know what happens next that I started buying the books. It was the first in a line of not so many sagas in my reading life, an experience I both enjoyed tremendously but didn’t want to try very often. You see, I’m not the fastest reader in the world. I’m not particularly slow either, I do read in 5 different languages but most often just in 3, and my average book count is somewhere around 50 books per year. If I dedicated, let’s say 5 of those slots, to a saga or a literary series, I would feel I’m missing out on so many other great books that are patiently waiting on my shelves. I know it might sound ridiculous, that’s just how I feel most of the time. And I don’t like to rush through books, I’m not trying to break any records, just have a good time reading.
But every once in a while, like any typical Aquarius, I like to do exactly the opposite of what I usually feel. And this time, I combined two of my touchy subjects : sagas and WWII themed novels, that I famously avoid whenever I can. That’s how I got to reading Elizabeth Jane Howard’s masterpiece, The Cazalet Chronicles, on a very peculiar schedule : I read the first one, The Light Years in March of 2023, continued with the second one, Marking Time, in January of 2024, and am almost done with the third one, Confusion this March of 2025. By this rate, I should finish a series of 5 novels in 5 years, but no one’s keeping count, right ?
The Cazalet Chronicles – a Family Saga
This five volume saga follows the life of the Cazalet clan and extended family, during World War II and in the years that followed. A well-off family of entrepreneurs, the Cazalet clan includes the aging parents, their unmarried daughter and their three sons with their own families, plus in-laws and the helping staff. The character list is extensive, which makes the story alternate between all of their destinies, intertwining with every passing year. The war established the family’s headquarters on their country estate in Sussex, while the men handle the family business in London and the women try to keep the children away from the reality of war. As the story progresses from one volume to the other, the children grow up and start searching for their own path in life, the war marks their destinies more and more, their universe changes along with the history that we already know.
Elizabeth Jane Howard has created a story that can be read on multiple levels, and I believe this is the greatest quality of the saga. It feels like she’s knitting an intricate Norwegian pattern sweater, with each strand of colour representing a different character in the book. In the end, you want to know what happens next, so you keep on reading, as if you were watching a soap opera. The final knitted sweater is your ultimate goal.
Yet with every new line of pattern, your attention focuses on something new, a detail or an attitude that speaks of so much more than just a story. The study of women’s life throughout the series is omnipresent, and you can sense the great changes of the 20th century in every feminine character in the books : from the dedicated mother, to the closeted homosexual, the cheated wife or the adulterous adventurer, the series reads as a document in women’s history, and strangely enough, many of the touchy subjects of the 40’s are just as delicate and unresolved today.
What I enjoyed the most up until now while reading, is the old-fashioned tone of the writing. With a few exceptions on the critical tone regarding certain habits of the time, the series could have been written in the 50’s, when in fact, it started in the 90’s and ended in 2013 right before the passing of Elizabeth Jane Howard. I was about to say there’s something cosy about Country Life in the beginning of the 20th century, but that’s not entirely true. Europe was terribly challenged by the two great wars and still, so much of the literature depicting the time paints either the picture of family bonds that strengthened the people, or the image of a city night life that wanted to make the most out of every living moment, when facing the ultimate danger. The contrast between the sense of urgency in the violence of the war, and what seemed like a never ending period of anxiety, generated the ultimate carpe diem. So strange that in times of peace, we so often forget to enjoy the miracle of simply being alive.
Toast and Marmalade
Paying attention to the simple pleasures of everyday life is the single most important value I wish to communicate through all of the activities of The Ritual of Reading. And with a saga like The Cazalet Chronicles, I’m constantly reminded that we don’t need anything fancy in order to enjoy our day, the only essential thing is our intention to be present and our willingness to remark on the positive.
When I think of English country life, I close my eyes and picture the small kitchen of a charming cottage. The spruce furniture is light and cosy, with soft touches of pale green here and there that give it the fresh look of Spring mornings. Wartime food couldn’t afford to be surprising in any way, but the quiet ritual of a cup of tea and some marmalade toast would have warmed the hearts on any given day. So while I slowly continue reading my Cazalet Saga, I’m indulging in a ritual that might seem too elementary for some, yet in my view, perfectly captures the atmosphere in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s books.
Marmalade feels like the quintessential British treat, which seems ironic since citrus trees are not famous for their love of the British Isles. The name itself comes from Portuguese, and the most famous marmalade is made from Seville oranges, so everything about it points to the South, which is where the British started importing it in the 17th century, before the industrial revolution allowed for the fruit to be transported directly, making it more accessible for every budget.
Yet it is the older part of its history that got my attention, with the help of the ever so elegant establishment of Fortnum & Mason. Their range of marmalades is quite extensive, but the one that has the best story behind it is the Old English Hunt Marmalade. This is how I got to know about the Pytchley Hunt, an organisation dating back to the 17th century, with a glorious history continued today by the exceptional pack of hounds who carry bloodlines stretching back to the early days of the Hunt. It is to be noted that the Hunting Act of 2004 has greatly limited the hunting of wild mammals, which makes it easier for me to mention the subject. But today, we’re focusing on the past.
And it would seem that being such a famous gathering, the Pytchley Hunt was rather well documented ever since the 17th century. This is how we know that the pre-hunt breakfast praised the energy-giving properties of marmalade, a staple for the participants every year. This does evoke a great deal of images gathered from reading but mostly cinema : I can see the plaid, the bonnets, the great excitement in the early hours of the morning; rows of teapots steaming with English Breakfast tea, piles of toast made from hearty sourdough bread and jars upon jars of dark, tangy marmalade.
My setting doesn’t exactly scream pack of hounds, but it does involve a nice cup of English Breakfast tea and some Old English Hunt Marmalade, as a ritual to remember that true luxury is right here : on an early Sunday Morning, with my book and my tea, reveling in the joy of being alive.
Commitments offer structure (at least when it comes to reading), and in my book, carefully chosen promises to oneself give meaning and direction to my passions. The key, as always, is balance : keeping your engagements while adapting to your current state, drawing guidelines instead of interdictions, and always, always, finding purpose in what you do, be it learning, building, escaping or simply enjoying your reads.
Until next time, enjoy your reading and your rituals !
Shopping List
If you would like to support The Ritual of Reading, please consider purchasing your books from the Bookshop.org dedicated site by clicking the link below. You get to support local bookstores and I make a small commission with every purchase. Thank you !
