To taste a life of Britain try a few of these novels – from past classics to contemporary milestones.


Pride and Prejudice (1823) Jane Austen
The Trumpet Major (1895) Thomas Hardy
Kidnapped! (1886) Robert Louise Stevenson
The Rainbow (1915) DH Lawrence
How Green was My Valley (1959) Richard Llewellyn
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1962) Muriel Spark
Waterland (1983) Graham Swift
Trainspotting (1993) Irvin Welsh
High Fidelity (1995) Nick Hornby – a book highly recommended for men
White Teeth (2000) Zadie Smith