March has come without me even noticing. We had cold after cold after cold this winter, and life has got busier as work has picked up for both my husband and myself. But the baby is finally sleeping a little better, and my son is about to turn two and begin nursery, which all bodes for an easier, less stressful Spring! I’m hoping I’ll be able to take on more projects and continue to do the work I love. I might even be able to read more, which I’ve missed tremendously - I still read, but it’s mostly for work, rather than for fun!
Although I haven’t read or watched nearly as many good books, articles, tv shows and films as I’d like in the past month, these are my current recommendations for March. You’ll notice the common theme is that they are books, films, and tv shows that are quick to finish and that you can dip in and out of easily, which is just what I’ve needed in the last few weeks. Let me know in the comments what I should be reading or watching next…
Film: When Harry Met Sally (1989, directed by Rob Reiner, screenplay by Nora Ephron)
I know what you’re (maybe) thinking. Not another banal romcom. But this is the original romcom, and it’s the blueprint for a reason. Not only is it wonderfully witty, but it’s much deeper and much less sentimental than you might expect. This was a rewatch for me, and this time I found it even clearer that part of what When Harry Met Sally does so well, is to dispel the 1980s myth of individualism, sexual liberation, and romantic fulfilment, in favour of what is a surprisingly quite traditional view of love and marriage. When Harry and Sally move to New York after university, they spend their twenties having both casual and more committed relationships, and eschewing children for the sake of what they think is freedom. Without spoiling the ending for you (although I’d be surprised if you’ve never seen this one, it’s such a classic), I think both characters realise that, actually, a committed friendship and respect for the other person are a better basis for a relationship than some vague idea of ‘love’, and that it is worth committing to someone, even if it curtails your ‘freedom’.
TV Series: The Good Place (2016-2020)
My husband and I are currently rewatching this show in the evenings after we put the kids to sleep. It’s truly brilliant. Since not knowing the plot is so important for this one, I’ll just summarise the premise for you. Eleanor Shellstrop wakes up and is told that she died and is now in the ‘good place’, a kind of heaven (though not explicitly a Christian heaven or really the afterlife as described by any religious traditions). As she wasn’t a ‘good’ person on earth, she immediately knows something must have gone wrong. The show is an exploration of what it means to be ‘ethical’, and on what grounds humans deserve to go to heaven after their death. I find it most interesting in its portrayal of what the afterlife would look like without the Christian concept of grace. I won’t say anything more than that. It’s witty and quirky and hilarious, and philosophically fascinating. Just watch it!
Book (Fiction): C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (1942)
I wrote recently on my substack about this classic by C. S. Lewis. In case you’ve not heard of it before, the premise of The Screwtape Letters is that a senior demon in the bureaucracy of hell writes letters to his nephew instructing him on how to tempt a human to be sinful, making this wonderful work of literature a kind of satirical epistolary novel. Lewis uses this conceit to discuss the kinds of trials and temptations that as humans we encounter in everyday life, while also revealing how we can grow in virtue. It’s so, so brilliant, and because it’s a series of letters, it’s very easy to pick up whenever you have a spare five minutes, which is how my husband and I managed to re-read it together recently even when we’re exhausted from work and looking after the kids all day!
Article: Georgia Gilholy ‘We Need More More’ (The Critic, 2023)
I loved this article so much! It’s about writer, abolitionist, educator and philanthropist Hannah More (1745-1833). More was part of the famous Clapham Sect/Clapham Saints, along with William Wilberforce, among others. They were a group of fervent Christians who wanted to enact a reform in human manners both in England and abroad, campaigning for the abolition of slavery most famously. More herself was an extremely successful novelist and, with Wilberforce’s help, responsible for opening a number of schools for the poor. In this article, Georgia Gilholy encourages us to remember her legacy and rediscover her (sadly neglected) work. It’s spurred me to read more by More, which is a wonderful thing!
No disrespect to Harry and Sally, but "It Happened One Night" just called, and it wants its title of "the original romcom" back! :-)