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January 2, 2026
Andrew Miller: ‘DH Lawrence forced me to my feet
The novelist on how The Rainbow made him want to write, the strange genius of Penelope Fitzgerald and finding comfort in Tintin
TL;DR
- Early reading memories include 'Mabel the Whale' with his mother.
- Growing up, 'The Eagle of the Ninth' by Rosemary Sutcliff was a favorite, sparking an interest in Ancient Rome.
- A childhood outdoor production of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was a transformative experience.
- Albert Camus' 'The Myth of Sisyphus' influenced his thinking at 18.
- D.H. Lawrence's 'The Rainbow' inspired a desire to become a writer.
- Initially influenced by critics to choose between D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce, the author later appreciated both.
- EM Forster's novels, particularly 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' and 'A Room With a View,' are reread for their sanity and call to emotional maturity.
- Authors of thrillers like Desmond Bagley and Ian Fleming are admired for their craft but no longer reread.
- Penelope Fitzgerald's 'The Blue Flower' was a later-life discovery, admired for its strange beauty and insight.
- Currently reading Tom Holland's 'Dominion' and rereading Elizabeth Bishop's poems.
- Comfort reads include old Tintin albums, despite the author Hergé's controversial history.
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