Everytime, without fail, that you do one of these videos I know I will be ordering books. Which in the end, is a great thing. Uncommon Danger, and Smilla’s sense of Snow have been ordered.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas. It contains one of my favorite lines in all of literature: “…in the muffling silence of the eternal snows - eternal since Wednesday…” How better to capture a child’s timeless view of life.
The best winter themed story that comes to my mind is a short story by Jack London that will chill your soul. It's called "To Build A Fire". My sense of adventure has been narrowed down to Spring and Summer because of this story.
In the US the book is called Smilla’s Sense of Snow and it’s burned in my brain for life. I thought it was so beautiful and moving. I love her character and how she unravels the mystery. Not normally a mystery reader but this one! I recommend it for a winter setting read too! I’ma recent subscriber and I love your videos❤. Thank you.☺️
@thismagicallife ...I agree 500% with you. When I read your comment I jumped up and picked out Smilla's Sense Of Snow from my library. Gonna reread it. Joyful Christmas to you from Northern Sweden.🕯☃️🦌🎄🎅🏻🕯
I loved that book! Thanks for the reminder. I may read it again. There was also a movie made that was pretty good. Not as good as the book- they never are.
I have read 'one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich' twice, once at home, and once in winter, inside the military camp where I was fulfilling the mandotory service. It was always cold and snowy that winter and for the whole 58 days of my service there, I was sick. Ivan really helped me there... I cannot stop my tears when I reach the ending. Thanks for sharing it Tristan.
@karinberryman2009 I cannot remember why I chose those two books to take along. I knew I would be away for eight weeks. So I took two books: 'Philosophy of Music, from the Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy', and 'One day in...'. I was indeed blessed to have them.
I was just about to mention " The long winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder when you said it 😊, I know it's a children's book and has been written with them in mind so some of the more adult concerns are missed out, but it is so evocative of this family, isolated despite being in town, by the extreme weather. The struggle to survive, the lengths people went to to keep warm or have a little something to eat. If you want to know more from an adult perspective try reading her autobiography " Prairie Girl" which explains the real events and the reasons for her editing. I also agree with the other comment about " A child's Christmas in Wales "by Dylan Thomas. Only last week I bought a miniature version of it in my local bookshop. I really enjoy your videos, thank you.
I'm a retired school teacher and totally enjoyed reading the whole Little House series to my students. It took a couple of years, but I did have a captive audience! (Special Education)
I read Pioneer Girl. I love reading it especially looking at so many pictures l've never seen, but have to say it also made me sad when l realized I really didn't know Laura as well as l thought l did. And don't even get me started on Rose. 😥😓
Hello Tristan! I hope you are doing well. I literally just finished Dr. Zhivago last night. I did enjoy it, but not as much as other Russian writers. Another book for winter that I would recommend would be Eco's The Name of the Rose. There may not be as much snow as the books you listed, but it does take place in winter. Have a great day!
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster - Jon Krakauer. It is exactly as the title says. I don't even know why I picked it up. It's not my usual style of book. But it was "un-put-downable." And SO COLD! I live in Chicago, so I am used to cold, to an extent. I had no idea cold could be THIS painful, this torturous. Obviously, I knew climbing mountains was difficult and dangerous. But I had no idea how brutal, how dirty, how painful, and how deadly it really is. To this day, I wonder, why would anybody want to put themselves through that ordeal. I've always wanted to see mountains. But I have NO desire to climb one!
I recently read "Snow" by John Banville, a mystery set in 1950's Ireland during a harsh, snowy Christmas. While it's a recent novel the snow that continually falls throughout the book makes for a very atmospheric and claustrophobic read
My Mom had me read One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich when I was in High School. She said it was an important book to read for our day. I’ve read it many times since. Definitely a winter book for sure. For me it’s also one of those books that has a therapeutic aspect to it as well. As bad as things get, at least they aren’t that bad. This video reminded me of an old New Yorker cartoon. - a guy is reading a book on the beach and two police officers are telling him that it’s summer and Dostoyevsky shouldn’t be read in the summer.
LOVE this list of books! I think the one I shall reach for is Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow. Another wintery story that everyone knows, but they haven't necessarily read: "A Christmas Carol." Dickens writing is magnificent!
Although this isn't on topic for your video, I just wanted to thank you for introducing me to Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin novel. I'm in the process of reading it now and it's a very thought-provoking book. Happy holidays!
Excellent and perfectly timed video, Tristan! I've read 3 from your list. London is an excellent writer. Someone in the comments mentioned his "To Build a Fire," a classic short story of his which just couldn't be more bitterly winter. I'm excited about the 3 I've now added to my TBR from your video. A young reader's fiction classic "Julie of the Wolves", 1972, is an-all snow shiver-y story. I read One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich this year. A small correction, it is not the first day he is at the Gulag. He's been there several years and has figured out small systems that help his survival. An excellent, difficult, and historically important work.
In the USA, Peter Hoeg's book is titled "Smilla's Sense of Snow." I read this shortly after it came out and enjoyed it immensely. Your video makes me want to reread it. Dr. Zhivago is a wonderful book, and yes, winter is prominent throughout the book. Another wintery book: The Long Winter, by Laura Ingals Wilder.
My dad read Ethan Frome aloud to me and my sisters when we were children. I was absolutely devastated by the ending, but wow did it make an impression. I still think of it often. I also happen to be from New England so sometimes I’ll see a scene that brings it to mind.
Thank you, Tristan, for wonderful winter reads. Miss Smilla's Sense of Snow is at the top of my list. I requested it from my library and look forward to reading it.
Thank you for your video. I'm a 68 year old woman from Finland. I have read all those books several times but not Edith Wharton book, I wrote the name down so if it's in the library and translated in finnish I will read it. One fantastic winterbook is Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann 😊😊😊 btw.winter is my favorite season😊
Thank you for the recommendation! I have never read The magic mountain! I read Ethan Frome last year and became an instant fan of Edith Wharton. I also loved The Age of Innocence!!❤
Oh my God! My favourite theme. Seasonal novels in general, classics and winter/snow in particular. I had been searching for such lists, but most of them refer to modern novels mostly. Well, I have nothing against modern literature and there are gems, but I have a slight suspicion that most snow novels have been written for marketing purposes. Nothing bad, but....... This video is a gift for me, Tristan, especially now that we are approaching Christmas! Not that your other videos are not, but this one is special for me. Weather here in Athens Greece is pretty mild till now, 20 Celsius, but I guess it will get colder towards Christmas time and I will have the chance to curl up and read one of the recommended classics in this video. Than you very much.🎉🎉🎉 I love you❤❤❤ 😊😊😊
Great recommendations, Tristan! I also highly recommend “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson, set in the US Pacific Northwest in the 1950’s. It’s a love story and murder mystery in a small town dealing with post WWII trauma. Beautifully written and wonderfully plotted! The trial, which forms the framework for the story, takes place during a blizzard.
So happy to see someone in the comments mention Snow Falling On Cedars. It's one of my favourite books, but i've never seen any book tube reviewer talk about it. The sense of place in Snow Falling On Cedars is second to none. You can easily picture the town in your head as you're reading the book, & can almost feel how cold the place is thanks to the descriptions of the snow storm. Loved the movie adaptation as well. One of few book to screen adaptations that managed to perfectly capture the feel of the book, & was perfectly cast.
Thank you for these wintery ideas. I have Ethan Frome and Ivan Denisovich on my shelves. December’s pile of possibilities is already full of Christmas specific books, but January has plenty of space for snowy classics.
The sleigh ride from 'War and Peace' and Tom's winter journey by stagecoach to Rugby School in 'Tom Brown's School Days' are indelibly lodged in my memory
I recommend The Little Match Girl by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It’s a sad literary fairy tale set on freezing cold Christmas Eve and first published in 1845.
Thank you for these recommendations! Especially the lesser known books by revered authors, and a few in the comments have filled my January and February list of books to read! ❤ 👌
I am so glad I found your video. I am just finishing the last book of O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series and did not have anything lined up for my next read. I do now, thanks.
It’s nonfiction but “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing is another good one to read by the fire with a warm beverage. Also Shackleton’s own telling of the story “South”.
The Long Winter is the name of the Laura Ingalls Wilder book. I love it. I just finished White Fang by Jack London which is not entirely set in snow. I thought you were going to mention Murder on the Orient Express. A couple other books I thought of: Moominland Midwinter by Tove Janssen and Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome. Good list! Do you have list for 2025 of what your Patreon bookclub is reading? I will look to see if you have posted anything.
Incredible. Watched this video a week ago. Today I was cleaning the basement bookshelves of my late husband's, stumbled upon this novel. Didn't feel I've heard the author or the book. Out of curiosity started reading and searching more info and discovered its American classic. Coming back to this video, it all makes sense. Life is full of coincidences. Reading now. Thanks for the recommendations.
My current favourite for winter/snow is Olga Tokarczuk's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - amazing story - amazing writing. Not old enough to be called a classic (but I'm sure it will be one day) I'd love to hear your opinion of it Tristan.
White Fang is one of my favorite books, but I have not yet read Call of the Wild, which I have heard many people say is better. I cant imagine anything better though. Jack London's writing is stunning.
Hello Tristan! I always enjoy your videos! I am currently reading "Anna Karenina", which is a long- term project, of course. Russian landscapes for us Greeks are usually associated with icy winters, although I haven't seen any such descriptions yet. Great book! I teach English in primary school and I have published my first short stories.
The way you explain these books makes me excited to read them! I own four of these..so I am happy about that! Two books that are also on my winter reading list are: Ice by Anna Kavan, and Snow by Orhan Pamuk ❄️❄️❄️❄️
“The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls Wilder definitely belongs on this list. While it’s fictionalized it’s based on historical events of a winter with the trains being unable to arrive and town running out of food. Excellent depiction of what winter was like in pioneer times during the expansion West. The use of sled when snow too much for wagon.
Wow, what a cool list!😁I would like to start reading any of it! I only know Tolstoi when I read Anna Karenina a long time ago. I loved the inner monologues in the story.
My winter book recommendation is "Red Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson. I read this during one of the most brutal winters I ever spent in New York City. We had 23 snowstorms. And the radio often warned that if you went outside you should have any exposed skin. I owned a dog at the time. So, I needed to go out several times a day. And as I bundled up, I felt a kinship with the Martian colonists and how they felt having to don elaborate spacesuits to spend any time beyond the dome. A different kind of winter read. But one I think everyone can appreciate.
Great list. I’m reading I Do Not Bid Farewell by Han Kang who won the Nobel prize this year, so not a classic, yet. But it’s the best description of snow I have ever read, I think, and it’s there all the time. The main character literally gets snowed in on a remote island.
I love Desmond Bagley books the first one I read was Running Blind, must be 40 years ago, it was set in Iceland I think. I might just have to find a copy and re read it. My bookshelves are bursting with all the classics I’ve bought I’m loving having the time to read them. Thank you for all the recommendations.
I read all Desmond Bagley books and loved them as early teen; the Golden Keel was my favourite. Nobody seems to know his stuff, so 5hrilled you included him here.
I loved Dr. Zhivago. Read it as a lonely freshman in college, down in hot south Georgia. A sweeping engrossing tome it is and I might just have to take it on again - after almost 50 years... And next - Denisovich will never leave you. thanks.
Hello Tristan. Great recommendations! Haven’t read many of them and the one that appeals to me the most from your list is “The Ice Palace”, I will check it out soon! I would add Yasunari Kawabata’s “Snow Country”, which another person has already suggested, and Joyce’s short story “The Dead”, a devastating piece of wintery fiction!
I think The Call of the Wild was one of the best books I've ever read. Jack London is one of my favorite writers. I love books and stories about snow and ice. They remind me of my nearly two decades in Minnesota with the ice fishing and helping my husband chop wood in the winter. No matter what anyone says, these were golden times. I read Smilla's Sense of Snow several years ago, but I didn't care for it; I was disappointed by the ending. I was also disappointed by Dr. Zhivago; he seemed shallow to me. Two novels by a Russian writer I recommend are Stalingrad and Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. I don't hear them mentioned often, but I find these novels to be magnificent. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch is also heart-wrenching.
i do wish i live in the northern hemisphere during the christmas period as i love the idea of wintery cozy christmas by a fire and 99% of everything you see, and read that is christmas always during winter time and it is hard to get that christmasy feeling down here in the southern hemisphere in the middle of summer. i might just have to read these recommendations during our winter here. thanks for a great video once again, more books to add now on my TBR.
The Kreutzer Sonata was the first Tolstoy book I read as a teenager. Still remember it. Another book on your list that I read years ago is Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, both wonderful books. Thank you for your enthusiasm. Looking forward to reading the 2025 Patrion selections.
I loved Desmond Bagley, was devastated when he died. I didn’t expect to hear his name in a list of classic books but his books were awaited with such excitement, maybe it’s time for picking them up again.
Initially, I thought that you might be describing Hercules Poirot’s Christmas before you named The Hollow Man. I’ll have to look into The Hollow Man; I love a good locked room mystery… particularly one written during that era! Another book set fully in winter is Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata is an absolutely beautiful story. He actually won the Nobel Prize in literature largely b/c of this book. Would highly recommend. A very quick read but very ethereal and touching. I read A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich years ago and thought it was incredible. The setting is unbelievably bleak but the story itself is very life affirming. Definitely want to read Hollow Man.
If you want a taste of Jack London in a short story form I highly recommend To Build A Fire. I taught a backpacking class and it (among others) was required reading.
Wow, great recs! I love all the interesting facts you give about books. I loved Ethan Frome. His wife was a force to be reckoned with. I’m going to pick up the Hollow Man, never heard of it. Also going to get The Kreutzer Sonata. Thanks!
Thank you Tristan! Going to be reading Call of the Wild over Christmas. Loved White Fang the opening chapter of which is a brilliant tension building piece of writing imo. Ethan Frome is one of my favourites too.
My most favourite novel set in ice and snow is Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. It's one of the best books I have ever read. It must be devoured in the dark when there's a storm howling outside. Today would be perfect!
Excellent list and reviews as per usual, even including the books you haven't read! I have read a few of the books listed, and I have to say they are all fantastic. I read The Call of the Wild as a youth and again just a couple of years ago; it is decidedly not a children's book, the depictions of violence toward animals and among the dogs is extremely graphic and disturbing, but it is an extraordinary book well worth reading. Likewise, Ethan Frome is a terrific book, and also disturbing in a different manner. Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is wonderful, a book every serious person should read. As for The Kreutzer Sonata, it is also a terrific short book and among Tolstoy's best. The winter setting is even more prominent in Tolstoy's short story, Master and Man, which I highly recommend. I haven't read any of the others, but they all sound intriguing, and with regard to Eric Ambler, Uncommon Danger is a book I haven't read or even heard of, but I think overall he is a highly underrated author; I thoroughly enjoyed The Mask of Demetrios.
The Long Winter? LIW That book was nail-biting to me as a kid. I just picked up a like-new tome of Jack London stories and novellas at a thrift shop for $2 recently. Need to tackle those! A recent publication that I really enjoyed (and would call my favorite read of the year) was The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. It is based on a real early American midwife's diaries with a murder mystery mixed in. Perhaps the best biographical fiction I have ever read.
Henning Mankell’s Wallander series and some of his stand alone novels are set against wintry Swedish backdrops. They’re wonderfully written and real page turners.
Such a great list, thank you😊. I read Miss Smilla's story a long time ago. All the snow has melted in my memory since then. However I remember the ice cutting ship 🥶 still. May I add a short story by Tolstoy titled Master and Man. You'll feel the freezing temperature while reading it. Hope you have a cup of hot tea next to you 😂.
Recommendation: Winter stories by Karen Blixen. 84 Charing Cross is a good book. Thanks for mentioning it in suggestions for autumn. Miss Smille is the book with a lot of interesting ideas, but it doesn't work in making truely good art. Surprisingly, I found the movie more compelling.
Tove Hanson's The True Deceiver is takes place in a remote Swedish village buried in snow. The novel looks at many levels of decpetion. It has the feel of a thriller but it actually is a character study. it ends as spring is coming. This is my 2nd Hanson. Both worth the read. Hanson is a swedish speaking Finn. The books are translations.
I read Smilla's Sense of Snow after my sister recommended it. I really enjoyed it, but about half way through I was so confused by all the Danish place names that I had to start completely over, and make a list of names and their pronunciations. It was definately worth the time.
Just stumbled upon your channel. I love your commentary! I wish I had time to read them all, but I’m going to start with Uncommon Danger and Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow. My side of the mountain is a good one as is Snow Treasure. These are appropriate for upper elementary/middle schoolers, but also entertaining for adults for a quick read.
It’s too new to be a classic but Anne Holt’s book 1222 is a standout thriller with an undertone of a locked door mystery. The plot follows the survivors of a train wreck during in massive snowstorm in Norway and take shelter in a closed up hotel. As murders begin, the only one who can investigate is a retired former policewoman who is paralyzed. It’s part of a brilliant series.
There are several children's classics that might also appeal to adults: Andersens' 2nd most famous, long and symbol-laden fairy tale: "The ice/snow queen". Ransom's "Winter Holiday" from the Swallows and Amazon series with a frozen lake in the Lake district. Susan Cooper's "The dark is rising" takes place around Winter Solstice. Hoffmann's "Nutcracker and Mouse king" best known from the ballet takes place on Xmas.
What a great list! I've only read a couple of these books but I've added several more of your recommendations to my TBR. Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw, it's a YA fantasy thriller that's set completely in a snowed in setting. The Thing in the Snow is a very surreal, compelling story where, honestly, nothing much happens, but it's still compelling. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin is on a snowbound planet. A handful of the books set in Louise Penny's Armand Gamache mystery series are completely set in a snowy setting in which the setting plays a huge role in both the mood and plot.
“Heaven and Hell” by Jon Kalman Stefansson is a snow and wintertime book I read recently. It’s in my top 3 books of the year. It’s an Icelandic book about a young man and his friend who are part of a team of fishermen. They go out one morning and something happens on the journey (I don’t want to say more than that) There’s a quietness to this book that I love. I cried. Definitely worth a read!
Kept waiting for you to mention The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. And of course, Murder on the Orient Express. Have read Call of the Wild, Dr Zhivago, Ethan Frome and Kreuzer Sonata. Must look for the Eric Ambler who I love, and also Begley who I've never heard of! Perhaps he isn't published here in the US.
Everytime, without fail, that you do one of these videos I know I will be ordering books. Which in the end, is a great thing. Uncommon Danger, and Smilla’s sense of Snow have been ordered.
Ooo you like a good mystery then?! Me too.😃
So, kissing ass is how you get pinned? See ya!
Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow is the one that intrigued me the most {too}! 😍 And also, what a great name: Smilla!!!
Grow up, please.@@randolphpinkle4482
I loved Smilia’s Sense of Snow😊.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas. It contains one of my favorite lines in all of literature:
“…in the muffling silence of the eternal snows - eternal since Wednesday…”
How better to capture a child’s timeless view of life.
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Where it's always winter and never Christmas.
Reliant K, Indeed has a song about that. ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
Jack London 's stories make you feel the freezing cold in your bones
The best winter themed story that comes to my mind is a short story by Jack London that will chill your soul. It's called "To Build A Fire". My sense of adventure has been narrowed down to Spring and Summer because of this story.
In the US the book is called Smilla’s Sense of Snow and it’s burned in my brain for life. I thought it was so beautiful and moving. I love her character and how she unravels the mystery. Not normally a mystery reader but this one! I recommend it for a winter setting read too! I’ma recent subscriber and I love your videos❤. Thank you.☺️
@thismagicallife ...I agree 500% with you. When I read your comment I jumped up and picked out Smilla's Sense Of Snow from my library. Gonna reread it. Joyful Christmas to you from Northern Sweden.🕯☃️🦌🎄🎅🏻🕯
I loved that book! Thanks for the reminder. I may read it again. There was also a movie made that was pretty good. Not as good as the book- they never are.
I have this on my shelf. Hmm. It calls to me now.
I have read 'one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich' twice, once at home, and once in winter, inside the military camp where I was fulfilling the mandotory service. It was always cold and snowy that winter and for the whole 58 days of my service there, I was sick. Ivan really helped me there... I cannot stop my tears when I reach the ending. Thanks for sharing it Tristan.
How poignant you were strengthened by reading of others’ suffering. Or how blessed you had the book to keep you going!
@karinberryman2009 I cannot remember why I chose those two books to take along. I knew I would be away for eight weeks. So I took two books: 'Philosophy of Music, from the Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy', and 'One day in...'. I was indeed blessed to have them.
I was just about to mention " The long winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder when you said it 😊, I know it's a children's book and has been written with them in mind so some of the more adult concerns are missed out, but it is so evocative of this family, isolated despite being in town, by the extreme weather. The struggle to survive, the lengths people went to to keep warm or have a little something to eat. If you want to know more from an adult perspective try reading her autobiography " Prairie Girl" which explains the real events and the reasons for her editing. I also agree with the other comment about " A child's Christmas in Wales "by Dylan Thomas. Only last week I bought a miniature version of it in my local bookshop. I really enjoy your videos, thank you.
I'm a retired school teacher and totally enjoyed reading the whole Little House series to my students. It took a couple of years, but I did have a captive audience! (Special Education)
I reread it every winter!!!
I read Pioneer Girl. I love reading it especially looking at so many pictures l've never seen, but have to say it also made me sad when l realized I really didn't know Laura as well as l thought l did. And don't even get me started on Rose. 😥😓
Yes! Another vote for Long Winter. Ingalls is a fantastic writer.
@@kimbarnetson3297 Do you mean Pioneer Girl?
Hello Tristan! I hope you are doing well. I literally just finished Dr. Zhivago last night. I did enjoy it, but not as much as other Russian writers. Another book for winter that I would recommend would be Eco's The Name of the Rose. There may not be as much snow as the books you listed, but it does take place in winter. Have a great day!
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster - Jon Krakauer.
It is exactly as the title says. I don't even know why I picked it up. It's not my usual style of book. But it was "un-put-downable." And SO COLD! I live in Chicago, so I am used to cold, to an extent. I had no idea cold could be THIS painful, this torturous. Obviously, I knew climbing mountains was difficult and dangerous. But I had no idea how brutal, how dirty, how painful, and how deadly it really is. To this day, I wonder, why would anybody want to put themselves through that ordeal. I've always wanted to see mountains. But I have NO desire to climb one!
I recently read "Snow" by John Banville, a mystery set in 1950's Ireland during a harsh, snowy Christmas. While it's a recent novel the snow that continually falls throughout the book makes for a very atmospheric and claustrophobic read
My Mom had me read One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich when I was in High School. She said it was an important book to read for our day. I’ve read it many times since. Definitely a winter book for sure. For me it’s also one of those books that has a therapeutic aspect to it as well. As bad as things get, at least they aren’t that bad.
This video reminded me of an old New Yorker cartoon. - a guy is reading a book on the beach and two police officers are telling him that it’s summer and Dostoyevsky shouldn’t be read in the summer.
You have inspired me to start reading again. I have ordered MIss Smillas feeling for snow and Ethan Frome. Thank you , Tristan, for what you do.
LOVE this list of books! I think the one I shall reach for is Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow. Another wintery story that everyone knows, but they haven't necessarily read: "A Christmas Carol." Dickens writing is magnificent!
Smilla’s Sense of Snow - star most beautiful description of snow ever
How about The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare
Although this isn't on topic for your video, I just wanted to thank you for introducing me to Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin novel. I'm in the process of reading it now and it's a very thought-provoking book. Happy holidays!
Snow Falling on Cedars
Just finished "Ethan Frome". Fascinating book. Brilliant writing.
So sad
Excellent and perfectly timed video, Tristan! I've read 3 from your list. London is an excellent writer. Someone in the comments mentioned his "To Build a Fire," a classic short story of his which just couldn't be more bitterly winter. I'm excited about the 3 I've now added to my TBR from your video. A young reader's fiction classic "Julie of the Wolves", 1972, is an-all snow shiver-y story. I read One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich this year. A small correction, it is not the first day he is at the Gulag. He's been there several years and has figured out small systems that help his survival. An excellent, difficult, and historically important work.
In the USA, Peter Hoeg's book is titled "Smilla's Sense of Snow." I read this shortly after it came out and enjoyed it immensely. Your video makes me want to reread it. Dr. Zhivago is a wonderful book, and yes, winter is prominent throughout the book. Another wintery book: The Long Winter, by Laura Ingals Wilder.
I liked the U.S. translation better.
@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 Excellent; I am glad that I read that one!
My dad read Ethan Frome aloud to me and my sisters when we were children. I was absolutely devastated by the ending, but wow did it make an impression. I still think of it often. I also happen to be from New England so sometimes I’ll see a scene that brings it to mind.
Thank you, Tristan, for wonderful winter reads. Miss Smilla's Sense of Snow is at the top of my list. I requested it from my library and look forward to reading it.
"Hello my bookish friends"... tale of two cities is amazing...
Thank you for your video. I'm a 68 year old woman from Finland. I have read all those books several times but not Edith Wharton book, I wrote the name down so if it's in the library and translated in finnish I will read it. One fantastic winterbook is Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann 😊😊😊 btw.winter is my favorite season😊
Thank you for the recommendation!
I have never read The magic mountain!
I read Ethan Frome last year and became an instant fan of Edith Wharton. I also loved The Age of Innocence!!❤
I cheered when you mentioned Smillas sense of snow which I read years ago and it has never left me. So good
Oh my God! My favourite theme. Seasonal novels in general, classics and winter/snow in particular. I had been searching for such lists, but most of them refer to modern novels mostly. Well, I have nothing against modern literature and there are gems, but I have a slight suspicion that most snow novels have been written for marketing purposes. Nothing bad, but.......
This video is a gift for me, Tristan, especially now that we are approaching Christmas! Not that your other videos are not, but this one is special for me.
Weather here in Athens Greece is pretty mild till now, 20 Celsius, but I guess it will get colder towards Christmas time and I will have the chance to curl up and read one of the recommended classics in this video.
Than you very much.🎉🎉🎉
I love you❤❤❤ 😊😊😊
Great recommendations, Tristan! I also highly recommend “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson, set in the US Pacific Northwest in the 1950’s. It’s a love story and murder mystery in a small town dealing with post WWII trauma. Beautifully written and wonderfully plotted! The trial, which forms the framework for the story, takes place during a blizzard.
I was trying to remember the name of this book. I am glad that you reminded me.
So happy to see someone in the comments mention Snow Falling On Cedars. It's one of my favourite books, but i've never seen any book tube reviewer talk about it. The sense of place in Snow Falling On Cedars is second to none. You can easily picture the town in your head as you're reading the book, & can almost feel how cold the place is thanks to the descriptions of the snow storm. Loved the movie adaptation as well. One of few book to screen adaptations that managed to perfectly capture the feel of the book, & was perfectly cast.
Smilla’s Sense of Snow was my introduction to Nordic noir, and remains one of my favorite books. I was cold throughout.
Thank you for these wintery ideas. I have Ethan Frome and Ivan Denisovich on my shelves. December’s pile of possibilities is already full of Christmas specific books, but January has plenty of space for snowy classics.
Ursula Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness is a classic.
Plenty of ice and snow, too.
That is great rec for Ice and Snow!
Thank so much for reminding me of. Smilla's Sense of Snow. It lingers and for all the right reasons.
I was going to mention Jack London for cruel, cold people, and weather. To Build A Fire is such a good short story.
The sleigh ride from 'War and Peace' and Tom's winter journey by stagecoach to Rugby School in 'Tom Brown's School Days' are indelibly lodged in my memory
I recommend The Little Match Girl by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.
It’s a sad literary fairy tale set on freezing cold Christmas Eve and first published in 1845.
Such a sad story!
Thank you for these recommendations! Especially the lesser known books by revered authors, and a few in the comments have filled my January and February list of books to read! ❤ 👌
Enjoyed the winter theme. Living in the tropics missing snow... sometimes. Thank you
Ordered 2 of your recommendations. 🎉
I am so glad I found your video. I am just finishing the last book of O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series and did not have anything lined up for my next read. I do now, thanks.
I just found your channel and I am enamored by your recommendations. I shall be ordering or reserving every one of these books. Thank you!
It’s nonfiction but “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing is another good one to read by the fire with a warm beverage. Also Shackleton’s own telling of the story “South”.
I was coming to recommend!
I came to recommend the same book! I just finished it and it blew me away.
Same here! "Endurance" is one of my favorite books.
The Long Winter is the name of the Laura Ingalls Wilder book. I love it. I just finished White Fang by Jack London which is not entirely set in snow. I thought you were going to mention Murder on the Orient Express. A couple other books I thought of: Moominland Midwinter by Tove Janssen and Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome. Good list! Do you have list for 2025 of what your Patreon bookclub is reading? I will look to see if you have posted anything.
Incredible. Watched this video a week ago. Today I was cleaning the basement bookshelves of my late husband's, stumbled upon this novel. Didn't feel I've heard the author or the book. Out of curiosity started reading and searching more info and discovered its American classic. Coming back to this video, it all makes sense. Life is full of coincidences. Reading now. Thanks for the recommendations.
My current favourite for winter/snow is Olga Tokarczuk's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - amazing story - amazing writing. Not old enough to be called a classic (but I'm sure it will be one day) I'd love to hear your opinion of it Tristan.
Agatha Christie’s, “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding. “
White Fang is one of my favorite books, but I have not yet read Call of the Wild, which I have heard many people say is better. I cant imagine anything better though. Jack London's writing is stunning.
The Smilla book is also entitled Smilla’s Sense of Snow. A fantastic read…great recommendation
Hello Tristan! I always enjoy your videos! I am currently reading "Anna Karenina", which is a long- term project, of course. Russian landscapes for us Greeks are usually associated with icy winters, although I haven't seen any such descriptions yet. Great book! I teach English in primary school and I have published my first short stories.
I came to the comments to say Anna Karenina, one of my favorite books of all time.
The way you explain these books makes me excited to read them! I own four of these..so I am happy about that! Two books that are also on my winter reading list are: Ice by Anna Kavan, and Snow by Orhan Pamuk ❄️❄️❄️❄️
“The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls Wilder definitely belongs on this list. While it’s fictionalized it’s based on historical events of a winter with the trains being unable to arrive and town running out of food. Excellent depiction of what winter was like in pioneer times during the expansion West. The use of sled when snow too much for wagon.
Wow, what a cool list!😁I would like to start reading any of it! I only know Tolstoi when I read Anna Karenina a long time ago. I loved the inner monologues in the story.
My winter book recommendation is "Red Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson. I read this during one of the most brutal winters I ever spent in New York City. We had 23 snowstorms. And the radio often warned that if you went outside you should have any exposed skin. I owned a dog at the time. So, I needed to go out several times a day. And as I bundled up, I felt a kinship with the Martian colonists and how they felt having to don elaborate spacesuits to spend any time beyond the dome. A different kind of winter read. But one I think everyone can appreciate.
That was intense. Thanks so much for the recommendation 😃❤️
My favourite is The Ice Palace. I would love to read this book and look forward to your review. ❤ Ethan Frome sounds very ‘me’ as well. ❤❤❤❤
Great list. I’m reading I Do Not Bid Farewell by Han Kang who won the Nobel prize this year, so not a classic, yet. But it’s the best description of snow I have ever read, I think, and it’s there all the time. The main character literally gets snowed in on a remote island.
I love Desmond Bagley books the first one I read was Running Blind, must be 40 years ago, it was set in Iceland I think. I might just have to find a copy and re read it. My bookshelves are bursting with all the classics I’ve bought I’m loving having the time to read them. Thank you for all the recommendations.
I read all Desmond Bagley books and loved them as early teen; the Golden Keel was my favourite. Nobody seems to know his stuff, so 5hrilled you included him here.
My winter choice is Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Love it!
Phenomenal. Did you ever see a live play?
@tristanandtheclassics6538 Unfortunately, no. But I have watched various productions on RUclips and listened to the radio play countless times.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I made a point of seeing the play in London when I was there a few years ago. Great fun....
A great children's adventure book set during WWII is Snow Treasure. Fantastic!
I loved that book. Based on a true story, the school children smuggled Norway’s gold past the Nazis on their sleds every afternoon.
I loved Dr. Zhivago. Read it as a lonely freshman in college, down in hot south Georgia. A sweeping engrossing tome it is and I might just have to take it on again - after almost 50 years...
And next - Denisovich will never leave you.
thanks.
Hello Tristan. Great recommendations! Haven’t read many of them and the one that appeals to me the most from your list is “The Ice Palace”, I will check it out soon! I would add Yasunari Kawabata’s “Snow Country”, which another person has already suggested, and Joyce’s short story “The Dead”, a devastating piece of wintery fiction!
I think The Call of the Wild was one of the best books I've ever read. Jack London is one of my favorite writers. I love books and stories about snow and ice. They remind me of my nearly two decades in Minnesota with the ice fishing and helping my husband chop wood in the winter. No matter what anyone says, these were golden times. I read Smilla's Sense of Snow several years ago, but I didn't care for it; I was disappointed by the ending. I was also disappointed by Dr. Zhivago; he seemed shallow to me. Two novels by a Russian writer I recommend are Stalingrad and Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. I don't hear them mentioned often, but I find these novels to be magnificent. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch is also heart-wrenching.
The short story, “Silent Snow, Secret Snow” by Conrad Aiken is a classic.
i do wish i live in the northern hemisphere during the christmas period as i love the idea of wintery cozy christmas by a fire and 99% of everything you see, and read that is christmas always during winter time and it is hard to get that christmasy feeling down here in the southern hemisphere in the middle of summer. i might just have to read these recommendations during our winter here. thanks for a great video once again, more books to add now on my TBR.
Just as you introduced the book Dr. Zhivago, I came upon this clue in my crossword puzzle: Zhivago’s love. Putting it on my list.
How cool! I love crosswords...and dr. Zhivago.
Smilla's sense of snow...have it! Loved it!!! I also collect books, I have all of the books I previously mentioned...it's great!!!!
I read the German translation of "Miss Smilla" when it came out and really loved it. Time for a reread after so many years, I guess 😄
Well, it’s 65°F and ☀️ here but I’m down for a cuppa and your 10 classics list.
The Kreutzer Sonata was the first Tolstoy book I read as a teenager. Still remember it. Another book on your list that I read years ago is Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, both wonderful books. Thank you for your enthusiasm. Looking forward to reading the 2025 Patrion selections.
I need an antidote to the cold, not more snow and shivers. Do 10 classic books set in sweltering heat, please.
hahaha, good point!
I had made a video about summer books, all with scorching heat and people sweating... you might enjoy it!😂
I loved Desmond Bagley, was devastated when he died. I didn’t expect to hear his name in a list of classic books but his books were awaited with such excitement, maybe it’s time for picking them up again.
He was incredible
Initially, I thought that you might be describing Hercules Poirot’s Christmas before you named The Hollow Man. I’ll have to look into The Hollow Man; I love a good locked room mystery… particularly one written during that era!
Another book set fully in winter is Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
New subscriber. Excellent video, thanks! My go to winter/Christmas books are A Christmas Carol and Little Lord Fauntleroy.
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata is an absolutely beautiful story. He actually won the Nobel Prize in literature largely b/c of this book. Would highly recommend. A very quick read but very ethereal and touching. I read A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich years ago and thought it was incredible. The setting is unbelievably bleak but the story itself is very life affirming. Definitely want to read Hollow Man.
If you want a taste of Jack London in a short story form I highly recommend To Build A Fire. I taught a backpacking class and it (among others) was required reading.
One day I will get the Ice Palace because everyone loves it so much.
Really loved your presentation. One can sense your deep passion for scenery and literature. Will follow for more.
I love doctor Zhivago and have read it a couple of times. You really do feel the cold through the whole book.
Wow, great recs! I love all the interesting facts you give about books. I loved Ethan Frome. His wife was a force to be reckoned with. I’m going to pick up the Hollow Man, never heard of it. Also going to get The Kreutzer Sonata. Thanks!
She really is. It's her that terrified me 😅😬
Haha, yes, the wife!!
She creates all the dramatic tension!!😂
Thank you Tristan!
Going to be reading Call of the Wild over Christmas. Loved White Fang the opening chapter of which is a brilliant tension building piece of writing imo. Ethan Frome is one of my favourites too.
My most favourite novel set in ice and snow is Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. It's one of the best books I have ever read. It must be devoured in the dark when there's a storm howling outside. Today would be perfect!
Excellent list and reviews as per usual, even including the books you haven't read! I have read a few of the books listed, and I have to say they are all fantastic. I read The Call of the Wild as a youth and again just a couple of years ago; it is decidedly not a children's book, the depictions of violence toward animals and among the dogs is extremely graphic and disturbing, but it is an extraordinary book well worth reading. Likewise, Ethan Frome is a terrific book, and also disturbing in a different manner. Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is wonderful, a book every serious person should read. As for The Kreutzer Sonata, it is also a terrific short book and among Tolstoy's best. The winter setting is even more prominent in Tolstoy's short story, Master and Man, which I highly recommend. I haven't read any of the others, but they all sound intriguing, and with regard to Eric Ambler, Uncommon Danger is a book I haven't read or even heard of, but I think overall he is a highly underrated author; I thoroughly enjoyed The Mask of Demetrios.
The Long Winter? LIW That book was nail-biting to me as a kid.
I just picked up a like-new tome of Jack London stories and novellas at a thrift shop for $2 recently. Need to tackle those!
A recent publication that I really enjoyed (and would call my favorite read of the year) was The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. It is based on a real early American midwife's diaries with a murder mystery mixed in. Perhaps the best biographical fiction I have ever read.
Miss Smilla - LOVE that book. Have read it numerous times. Wish I knew what happened to my copy ….
Henning Mankell’s Wallander series and some of his stand alone novels are set against wintry Swedish backdrops. They’re wonderfully written and real page turners.
I have read Call of the Wild, Ethan Frome, beautiful stories for adults, as well as children.
I still recall Ethan Frome from time to time. That pickle dish! That twisted ending!
Oh what a book!!! I love her, and have read Frome....one of the best ever...she's a wonderful writer.
Such a great list, thank you😊. I read Miss Smilla's story a long time ago. All the snow has melted in my memory since then. However I remember the ice cutting ship 🥶 still.
May I add a short story by Tolstoy titled Master and Man. You'll feel the freezing temperature while reading it. Hope you have a cup of hot tea next to you 😂.
Desmond Bagley was my introduction to adult books and High Citadel was the first of those - shortly followed by Wyatt's Hurricane. Happy days.
He's so good. I've just been pawing through a collection which someone gave to me to see which I should read next.
In English we use a vast array of adjectives to describe snow, so we don’t need to create separate nouns for the various textures, hardnesses, etc.
I read Call of the Wild about 55 years ago and some Desmond Bagley about 50 years ago. Time for some rereads.
Loved this video, and now I am really tempted to start Doctor Zhivago in December.
I want to read The Kreutzer Sonata because Tolstoy is one of my favorites. Your videos are just the best ❤
Hope you enjoy it.
Recommendation: Winter stories by Karen Blixen. 84 Charing Cross is a good book. Thanks for mentioning it in suggestions for autumn. Miss Smille is the book with a lot of interesting ideas, but it doesn't work in making truely good art. Surprisingly, I found the movie more compelling.
Tove Hanson's The True Deceiver is takes place in a remote Swedish village buried in snow. The novel looks at many levels of decpetion. It has the feel of a thriller but it actually is a character study. it ends as spring is coming. This is my 2nd Hanson. Both worth the read. Hanson is a swedish speaking Finn. The books are translations.
I read Smilla's Sense of Snow after my sister recommended it. I really enjoyed it, but about half way through I was so confused by all the Danish place names that I had to start completely over, and make a list of names and their pronunciations. It was definately worth the time.
Just stumbled upon your channel. I love your commentary! I wish I had time to read them all, but I’m going to start with Uncommon Danger and Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow.
My side of the mountain is a good one as is Snow Treasure. These are appropriate for upper elementary/middle schoolers, but also entertaining for adults for a quick read.
Winter solstice by Rosamund Pilcher. Lovely wintry setting in Scotland
It’s too new to be a classic but Anne Holt’s book 1222 is a standout thriller with an undertone of a locked door mystery. The plot follows the survivors of a train wreck during in massive snowstorm in Norway and take shelter in a closed up hotel. As murders begin, the only one who can investigate is a retired former policewoman who is paralyzed. It’s part of a brilliant series.
There are several children's classics that might also appeal to adults: Andersens' 2nd most famous, long and symbol-laden fairy tale: "The ice/snow queen". Ransom's "Winter Holiday" from the Swallows and Amazon series with a frozen lake in the Lake district. Susan Cooper's "The dark is rising" takes place around Winter Solstice.
Hoffmann's "Nutcracker and Mouse king" best known from the ballet takes place on Xmas.
What a great list! I've only read a couple of these books but I've added several more of your recommendations to my TBR. Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw, it's a YA fantasy thriller that's set completely in a snowed in setting. The Thing in the Snow is a very surreal, compelling story where, honestly, nothing much happens, but it's still compelling. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin is on a snowbound planet. A handful of the books set in Louise Penny's Armand Gamache mystery series are completely set in a snowy setting in which the setting plays a huge role in both the mood and plot.
Oh, only Le Guin's book would also be considered a classic. I didn't think of limiting it.
“Heaven and Hell” by Jon Kalman Stefansson is a snow and wintertime book I read recently. It’s in my top 3 books of the year. It’s an Icelandic book about a young man and his friend who are part of a team of fishermen. They go out one morning and something happens on the journey (I don’t want to say more than that) There’s a quietness to this book that I love. I cried. Definitely worth a read!
I already had Ethan Fromm on my tbr but found some new one's here. I think I will read Ethan in January.
Yes, January is the perfect month for Ethan Frome!☃️
I will be reading Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata!🎉
Kept waiting for you to mention The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. And of course, Murder on the Orient Express. Have read Call of the Wild, Dr Zhivago, Ethan Frome and Kreuzer Sonata. Must look for the Eric Ambler who I love, and also Begley who I've never heard of! Perhaps he isn't published here in the US.