The Best Stories and Books with Tea You'll Love
TEATIME NOTES
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The Best Stories and Books with Tea You'll Love
Great and Famous Tales That You'll Enjoy With Tea
Are you ready to discover some of the best stories and books with tea? Come join us as we journey to the past and explore our favorite shows, books, and movies that give a proper nod to our favorite pastime: drinking tea!
There’s nothing more satisfying than reading or watching a good story while drinking your favorite tea and nibbling on tasty tea snacks. And when your beloved classic characters indulge in afternoon tea, you feel like you’re right there with them, enjoying all the delicacies.
It takes everything in you to keep yourself from getting lost in your own imagination — especially when it comes to books with tea.
You can’t help but dream of gossiping and sipping a cuppa with Elizabeth Bennet or clinking glasses with the Mad Hatter. You imagine yourself dressed to the nines, adorned in all the pomp and circumstance of each particular world and era.
So, let’s explore some of the most beloved stories that involve tea. To begin our tea story adventure let’s jump back in time to historical France. Oui oui!
Beauty and the Beast
It’s not a tale as old as time itself, but this classic love story is said to take place around the mid-1700s. La Belle et la Bête was a fairytale written in 1740 and it’s one of our favorite stories and books with tea. The 1990s film was inspired by the book and makes our classic story tea list for one very obvious reason: Mrs. Potts.
If you’re at all familiar with the Disney movie, you know that one of the most beloved characters, Mrs. Potts, is a teapot and motherly voice of reason for the main character, Belle.
Mrs. Potts also has a son, named Chip, who happens to be a tiny teacup. The pair are consistently seen together throughout the film. They are a fun-loving duo that adds a touch of whimsy and comfort as Belle and the Beast learn to navigate their lives together.
Pride and Prejudice
If you’re a fan of classic stories and books with tea, you probably put this novel — or the six-hour-long BBC special — at the top of your reading list. Jane Austin’s reflective novel takes place in 19th-century England between 1794 and 1815 in the Georgian era.
It’s over many cups of tea with many different persons that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy eventually come to a civilized understanding and admiration of one another. And don’t you agree that having tea at Pemberley would be simply divine?
Bridgerton
It feels like there’s hardly a moment where somebody doesn't have a teacup in hand in this fiery and exciting book-turned-show. Although it isn’t one of the most historically accurate books with tea, Bridgerton is a fantastical world that challenges history and makes way for a world of “what if”.
Their vibrant and open-minded casting rejuvenated the love of an other-worldly Regency Era in 1813 England. Now, younger generations are catching on to the decadent world of historically-inspired costumes and socialite drama — and tea!
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
In the middle of the Victorian era, on May 4th of 1865 to be exact, a little girl named Alice falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in Wonderland.
The Mad Tea Party in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most iconic scenes in the realm of classic stories and one of our favorite books with tea. And it frequently inspires some of the brightest and most brilliant tea parties — naturally.
It’s the Mad Hatter who says in a defeated tone, “It's always tea-time”, while he stares at his broken watch. At the end of the chapter, Alice leaves the party in a fury and says “It's the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!” Indeed — we agree with Alice that it was quite mad.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The stories of Sherlock Holmes span from the Victorian era to the Edwardian era — 1880 to 1914. To get all of their sleuthing done, Sherlock Holmes and Watson fuel up on tea.
The specific tea Sherlock drinks is never called out by name. Many devoted fans have speculated that Sherlock’s tea of choice is probably something dark and smokey — reflective of the smoking pipe he so fondly uses throughout.
This may be a book with tea, but Sherlock didn’t drink only tea. He also enjoyed coffee. In fact, in the original stories, coffee is mentioned even more times than tea but both were used to caffeinate his around-the-clock detective work.
Mary Poppins
In 1910, during the Edwardian era, a nanny named Mary Poppins makes her way to a special house in London and changes the lives of the family forever. Mary Poppins was originally written in 1934 and is a favorite book with tea. But, who can resist the enchanting 1960s film?
Mary Poppin’s whimsical but proper shenanigans in this classic story include taking tea on the ceiling of all places! “We had a lovely tea party on the ceiling” exclaims the children after having a curious and fun-filled day with Mary Poppins and her friends.
Yes, it might have been the slightest bit impolite to fly about on the ceiling and drink tea. But, Mary Poppins didn’t want to snuff out all the fun, so she bent the tea rules just this once.
Downton Abbey
Here’s a loaded question: Would you rather have high tea with the staff or afternoon tea with the family of the house? The thoughtful and classic story of Downton Abbey takes place from 1912 to 1926 in the post-Edwardian era of Yorkshire England. It’s not a book, but the show was inspired by many a book with tea, including “To Marry an English Lord” and “Below Stairs”.
Tea is a backdrop for happenings and conversation and is frequently seen in episode after episode as part of daily life for the workers and for the Cawley Family. Downton Abbey is continually used as a popular theme for some of the most elaborate afternoon tea parties, today. It’s sure to remain a classic for historical fiction fans.
The Great Gatsby
In 1922 New York, the balance of everything for one mysterious man is shaped by afternoon tea. When it comes to books with tea, there may be no scene as pivotal or charming as the tea scene in The Great Gatsby.
In this classic American story, the youthful love between Gatsby and Daisy is rekindled after unfortunate circumstances tore them apart four years earlier. After all that time, Gatsby’s enormous dream and all that he worked for are finally realized when he sets his eyes on Daisy. He invites her to sit and have tea with him.
The scene in literature and cinema is breathtakingly iconic. In the most recent artistic film adaptation by Baz Luhrmann, pastel pastries sit on silver platters paired with art deco teaware. A flood of flowers surrounds the couple who stare bewildered and lovingly into each other’s eyes after setting down their cups of tea.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The year is 1940, and four children are sent away to the British countryside to escape the Blitz during the war. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a beloved children’s book with tea that takes you to the magical world of Narnia.
The youngest sibling, Lucy, is amazed when she walks through the back of the cupboard and stumbles into the snowy land of Narnia. Under a lamppost, she meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus who invites her to his home to have tea and snacks.
He pulls out all the stops to make Lucy feel right at home. The classic book with tea says “...it was a wonderful tea. There was a nice brown egg, lightly boiled, for each of them, and then sardines on toast, and then buttered toast, and then toast with honey, and then a sugar-topped cake.” Delicious!
Happiness is a Cup of Tea
What historically inspired and classic books with tea do you dream about time and again? It’s fun to imagine taking tea with the Duchess or within a fairytale land.
Bring your favorite tea-infused stories to life with classic and beautiful teaware that reflects your taste and style. Teabloom is proud to offer the greatest selection of handcrafted borosilicate glass teaware. With Teabloom, every single cup of tea is simply exquisite.
Live out your own classic story one teacup at a time.
Happily ever after, dear friend.
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