A Breath of French Air

Last updated
A Breath of French Air
A Breath of French Air.jpg
First Edition
Author H. E. Bates
Country United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreComedy
Publisher Michael Joseph
Little, Brown (US)
Publication date
1959
Media typePrint
Preceded by The Darling Buds of May  
Followed by When the Green Woods Laugh  

A Breath of French Air is a 1959 comedy novel by the British writer H. E. Bates. It is the sequel to his popular 1958 novel The Darling Buds of May about a family living in the Kent countryside. [1] [2] The Larkins decide to take their first ever foreign holiday and travel to France, taking their Rolls-Royce with them. However they at first find France disconcertingly unlikable, including the bad weather. [3]

In 1991 it was adapted into two episodes of the ITV television series The Darling Buds of May featuring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Frank Russell</span> English science fiction writer

Eric Frank Russell was a British writer best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. Much of his work was first published in the United States, in John W. Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction and other pulp magazines. Russell also wrote horror fiction for Weird Tales and non-fiction articles on Fortean topics. Up to 1955 several of his stories were published under pseudonyms, at least Duncan H. Munro and Niall(e) Wilde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. E. Bates</span> British writer (1905–1974)

Herbert Ernest Bates, better known as H. E. Bates, was an English writer. His best-known works include Love for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May, and My Uncle Silas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepal</span> Any of the separate parts of the calyx of a flower (excluding the bracts), usually green

A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms. Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom. The term sepalum was coined by Noël Martin Joseph de Necker in 1790, and derived from Ancient Greek σκέπη (sképē) 'covering'.

<i>The Darling Buds of May</i> (TV series) 1991–1993 TV series based on the novel

The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama television series, produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network, first broadcast between 7 April 1991 and 4 April 1993. The first six episodes of Series 1 and the first two of Series 2 are adaptations of the 1958 novel of the same name, and three of its four sequels, by H. E. Bates. The remaining episodes are original storylines based on the same format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Hillyer</span> American poet

Robert Silliman Hillyer was an American poet and professor of English literature. He won a Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1934.

<i>Ulmus rubra</i> Species of tree

Ulmus rubra, the slippery elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. Other common names include red elm, gray elm, soft elm, moose elm, and Indian elm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh! Darling</span> 1969 song by The Beatles

"Oh! Darling" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, appearing as the fourth song on the 1969 album Abbey Road. It was composed by Paul McCartney. Its working title was "Oh! Darling ". Although not issued as a single in either the United Kingdom or the United States, a regional subsidiary of Capitol successfully edited it as a single in Central America, having "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" as its B-side. It was also issued as a single in Portugal. Apple Records released "Oh! Darling" in Japan with "Here Comes the Sun" in June 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Roberts (musician)</span> Musical artist

Paul Roberts is an English singer who was the lead singer of The Stranglers between 1990 and 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Darling Buds</span> Welsh alternative rock band

The Darling Buds are an alternative rock band from Newport, South Wales. The band formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May".

Sarah Smith is an American author living in Brookline, Massachusetts.

<i>The Steel Tsar</i> 1981 novel by Michael Moorcock

The Steel Tsar is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1981 by Granada. Being a sequel to Warlord of the Air (1971) and The Land Leviathan (1974), it is the final part of Moorcock's A Nomad of the Time Streams trilogy regarding the adventures of Captain Oswald Bastable and which has been seen as an early example of steampunk fiction. The same cover image was used for the 1984 reissue of Judas Priest album Rocka Rolla and also the 1989 video game Ballistix.

<i>The Darling Buds of May</i> (novel) 1958 novel

The Darling Buds of May is a novella by British writer H. E. Bates published in 1958. It was the first of a series of five books about the Larkins, a rural family from Kent. The title of the book is a quote from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate: / Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer's lease hath all too short a date; [...]

Larkin is a surname of English, Irish and Russian origin. In England, the name is a relationship name from Lar, a pet form of the personal name Laurence. In Ireland, the name means a descendant of Lorcain or Lorcan, originally found in the form O'Lorcain.

The Darling Buds of May may refer to:

<i>Darling Caroline</i> (1951 film) 1951 film

Darling Caroline is a 1951 French historical comedy film in black and white, directed by Richard Pottier and starring Martine Carol, Jacques Dacqmine, and Marie Déa. It is based on Jacques Laurent's historical novel "The loves of Caroline Cherie: A novel". It was remade as Darling Caroline in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaeden Martell</span> American actor (born 2003)

Jaeden Martell is an American actor. He played the role of Bill Denbrough in the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel It and reprised the role in the film's 2019 sequel. He also appeared in the mystery film Knives Out (2019) and starred in the miniseries Defending Jacob (2020).

<i>The Snoopy Show</i> Animated streaming television series

The Snoopy Show is an animated streaming television series inspired by the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Developed by Rob Boutilier, Mark Evestaff, and Alex Galatis, and produced by WildBrain, it debuted on February 5, 2021, on Apple TV+. It is the second Peanuts animated series produced for the streaming service, following Snoopy in Space. Each episode consists of three 7-minute segments. Season 2 premiered with the first half on March 11, 2022 while the next half of the season premiered on August 12, 2022. A holiday special was released on December 2, 2022.

<i>A Caprice of Darling Caroline</i> 1953 film

A Caprice of Darling Caroline is a 1953 French historical comedy film directed by Jean Devaivre and starring Martine Carol, Jacques Dacqmine and Marthe Mercadier. It is based on the 1950 novel of the same title by Jacques Laurent. It was the sequel to the 1951 hit Darling Caroline.

<i>The Larkins</i> (2021 TV series) British ITV comedy drama

The Larkins is a British comedy drama television series, produced by Objective Fiction and Genial Productions. The series is the most recent adaptation of H. E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May.

<i>When the Green Woods Laugh</i> 1960 novel

When the Green Woods Laugh is a 1960 comedy novel by the British writer H. E. Bates. It is the third in the series began by the 1958 novel The Darling Buds of May focusing on the Larkins, a family living in rural Kent. The title is a reference to William Blake's poem Laughing Song. It was published in America by Little, Brown under the alternative title Hark, Hark, the Lark!.

References

  1. Jacob & Apple p.15
  2. Head p.144
  3. Hillier p.146

Bibliography