The Wedding Group (Virago Reading Week Review)

Virago Reading Week is sadly drawing to a close but it has been a fun and inspiring time with so many interesting posts and reminiscences from the blogging world.  Carolyn and Rachel have been absolutely charming hosts and I've really enjoyed getting to know more about this iconic publishing house.

I recently finished reading my second book for this week and my fourth Elizabeth Taylor novel to date (not counting having watched the film adaptation of the touching Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont).  Although it has the trademark sharp and observant style that I have come to expect from Elizabeth Taylor, along with the melancholy and disappointment inherent in most relationships, I felt that this novel was a little 'quieter' than what I was used to and the characters didn't really stir my sympathies as much as in her other novels.

The Wedding Group is a portrait of stifled families and overbearing parents who refuse to relinquish their parental hold over their adult children.  It centres around Cressy, a young woman who rebels against a very enclosed way of life, created by her grandfather - a famous artist.  Cressy is an only child and lives with her parents and extended family in a Catholic commune of sorts that shuns all influences from the outside world.  The period is the late 1960's and Cressy yearns to embrace her generation's passion for television, fast foods, off-the-peg clothes and disposable conveniences.  She manages to find a job and a small room and is content with her freedom, regardless of being naive and unable to care for herself properly.

She eventually becomes involved with David, a journalist who she met at the commune when he was writing a piece, and finds a friend in his mother.  Despite David's more advanced age, he is very much a mommy's boy and a bachelor at heart and his mother only lives for him.  Both David and Cressy are incomplete adults, immature and still tied to the parental strings and unable to embrace adult responsibilities and duties.  The relationship becomes strained as Cressy is continually unable to assume domestic duties and becomes more reliant upon her mother-in-law, whose motives are to keep them both dependent upon her.  Without them, she has no purpose and no life.  David's father (who is separated from his wife and nurses an old aunt) is also an unfulfilled soul dependant upon someone else to give his life purpose. 

It is an absorbing study in family dynamics and the Catholic commune was as interesting as it was repressive.  There is unfortunately not much passion within these characters and Cressy becomes quite irritating as the story progresses.  David becomes an annoyance too as his enmity grows but perhaps this is how we are supposed to feel about these two characters.  There are very lucid observations about growing older and struggling to find meaning and purpose in living that are handled superbly.

Overall, I found it an interesting read but there was no wit or humour to puncture the feelings of repression.  I would not recommend this as the first book to read if you are new to Elizabeth Taylor as it has less happening in it than the others I have read.  Never-the-less, I am always glad to read another Taylor and this book, on the whole, does not disappoint when taken as a study in human relationships. 

Pop over to the Virago Reading Week host blogs for exciting posts and competitions.

Hosted by Carolyn and Rachel. 

Pirates at Play... Sort of

I'm still very much enjoying Virago Reading Week and we have been asked to show our collection or provide an interesting photo of the Virago reading experience.  So, inspired by the multi-talented Deacon over at Roses Over a Cottage Door (who soooo deserves to win the photo contest), I thought I'd throw in a couple of felines...

Ginger and Georgie are my two little pirates (well, little devils, actually, especially Ginger - don't let those big round eyes fool you) and they don't think much of my tiny Virago collection.  They're semi-feral youngsters (brother and sister) who are not best pleased at having been made to wear a collar for the first time.  Ginger is especially mutinous and keeps growling and moaning all the day long.  At least he likes to cuddle up next to me on the bed during Virago Reading Week :-)  Unfortunately my three alsations don't rate pirates very highly...

Pop over to the Virago Reading Week host blogs for exciting posts and competitions.

Hosted by Carolyn and Rachel.

Excellent Women (Virago Reading Week Review)

I've just finished my first Virago Modern Classic for Virago Reading Week and, incidentally, my first Barbara Pym novel. It was an entertaining read with beautiful prose and insights into human foibles and frailties.

Excellent Women is written in the first person by our protagonist, Mildred Lathbury, and is set in 1950's London. Margaret is a spinster in her early thirties and is known as one of the "excellent women": women who are likely to remain spinsters and fill their days by being of service to others.

This is a subtle and poignant read with episodes of gentle humour scattered throughout as we follow Mildred through a year in London when her normal day-to-day life is altered by the arrival of her dashing new neighbours. Mildred finds herself drawn to the married Rocky Napier whilst at the same time having ambivalent feelings about his wife and her friendship with fellow anthropologist Everard Bone (a surname that tickled me, especially since he dabbled in archaeology).

Mildred is also firm friends with her vicar and his sister and much of her life is dedicated to assisting these two in their church activities, whilst she works part-time at a charity. The arrival of the Napiers works as a catalyst in terms of Mildred's love-life (or lack thereof) and she finds herself increasingly involved in their matrimonial problems and asked to bear more than she should.

This novel started out quite light and pleasant, painting a picture of a cosy little area in London and the people that live and work there. However, as the novel progresses, complications develop, alliances are made and broken and everyone seems to take Mildred for granted. Mildred is intelligent, though shy and self-doubting, and is aware of the irony of her status in society, i.e. "excellent women" are used and relied upon by men but matrimony is not forthcoming.  Women with her brand of domestic and social skills are not chosen for marriage; 'attractive' and flirtatious women are, despite their domestic unsuitability. When domestic suitability is considered by some men, it is done dispassionately and love does not seem to be a part of the matrimonial equation in this regard.  Never-the-less, Mildred is always keenly aware of everyone’s actions and questions their motives. She is an observer, as one of the characters points out, although our hopes are raised more than once that she might actually become a participant!

Although wise and inwardly witty, she lacks forcefulness and confidence and several times throughout the novel I felt like exclaiming to her, “Mildred, dear, put down the teapot and let’s have a little heart-to-heart!”. It annoyed me how people kept walking all over her and using her - especially the men - and always making assumptions about her future. This is reflective of the times when, after the World Wars, there was a surplus of women who would not marry due to there being a shortage of men. In those days, married women possessed a greater status than those who remained unmarried and spinsterhood was not a desirable state.

Although things have changed considerably, I feel that the novel and its themes are still very much relevant today. Human relationships and interactions remain essentially the same over the centuries and I can imagine a great number of Mildreds living in today’s more technologically advanced - though more socially detached - age. Such women (and indeed men) may not be stigmatised for being single but the awkward, shy, introverted individuals – who find it difficult to stand up for themselves and to express their own desires and dreams – are still out there.

I have another two Pym novels on my shelf and I shall certainly be reading them and more.  I understand that her heroines are mostly ensconced near vicarages and with ties to anthropology departments and that they are also spinsters... I am therefore curious as to how the other novels compare to this one, particularly if any of her heroines transcend the "excellent women" phase.

My next Virago Modern Classic for this week is Elizabeth Taylor's The Wedding Group and I hope to make a start on the lyrically and enticingly named Pirates at Play by Violet Trefusis - I have never heard of this novel or author before so it will be a surprise!

Pop over to the Virago Reading Week host blogs for exciting posts and competitions.

Hosted by Carolyn and Rachel.

Virago Reading Week

Happy New Year to you all!  It's been a while since I last blogged.  Sadly, Life has not run smoothly and daily stresses and frustrations were particularly trying in 2010.  I can only hope that we begin to turn a corner in 2011.

I have continued to find some solace and distraction - as well as instruction - in reading and I have quite a few reviews that I'd like to share.  I aim to read even more this year and to reacquaint myself with the classics - especially Dickens!

If you don't already know, today is the first day of the first Virago Reading Week which is being hosted by A Few of My Favourite Books and Book Snob.  Do pop over to each of the blogs for some interesting posts.  I have 'Excellent Women' by Barbara Pym lined up... this will be my first Pym even though three of her books have been sitting quietly on my shelves for a while now.  I also hope to make a start on Elizabeth Taylor's 'The Wedding Party', which was recently republished by Virago.  I have only read three Taylors to date - and watched the film adaptation of 'Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont' - but I fell in love with her writing, sharp observations and quiet grace from my very first book ('In a Summer Season').

I hope you will have a lovely reading week!

Lucia in Wartime and Lucia Triumphant

During my absence on this blog, I turned to a number of comforting reads - two of which form part of the wonderful Mapp and Lucia saga.  Lucia in Wartime and Lucia Triumphant were both penned by Tom Holt in the mid-eighties and continue the story about the inhabitants of Tilling where the original author, E. F. Benson, left off.

For those of you not yet acquainted with the delicious sparrings of Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs Emmeline Lucas, E. F. Benson wrote six exquisite novels - most set in Tilling (based accurately on Rye in East Sussex) revolving around its inhabitants and the constant battle for supremacy in social circles in this picturesque town. 

I have read all six original novels and also read Major Benjy by Guy Fraser-Sampson, which is another addition to the saga that was published in 2007.  I only had two short stories by Benson to look forward to and re-readings of these cheerful, witty novels.  So it was, with a hopeful heart, that I turned to Tom Holt's novels, which several Benson enthusiasts had proclaimed were as good as the originals.  My expectations were therefore quite high and my anticipation at re-entering Tilling with fresh stories was palpable.

Lucia in Wartime  plunges Tilling into World War II - a brave move as previous novels only ever hint at the legacies of the First World War - and embues all Tillingites with a strong dose of patriotism.  Not surprisingly, the social sparrings are concentrated around the war effort.  Both Mapp and Lucia try to outdo each other in terms of 'doing their bit' and each tries to gain prestige by assisting the army and country, although by very social means.  Major Benjy seizes control of the Home Guard and Georgie finds hidden talents in educating the nation on how to entertain in style by using modest and rationed ingredients.  Indeed, Georgie's ascending star threatens to eclipse Lucia's and even Mapp takes advantage of this momentary weakness.

Although this novel tries to mirror Benson's style and writing, I felt that it fell short in achieving this.  Perhaps it was the war setting that, although treated in a light-hearted way and only used as a device for Mapp and Lucia's social climbing, weighed down the atmosphere of the book.  I certainly did not like Mapp's portrayal and her constant defeat in battle against Lucia.  I think that all the characters, Mapp in particular, were not painted with the touch of fondness that Benson sometimes employs.  Benson's characters are largely self-involved, catty and underhand but you like them all the same as he pokes fun at their foibles whilst inviting us to laugh at them and admire their grace and wit.  In this novel, the main characters simply feel shallow and selfish and Mapp's portrayal was a little depressing for me as she is constantly thwarted and belittled.  I have a softness for Mapp and Benson skillfully nurtures this feeling in us when she does battle with Lucia on occassions when Lucia is patently in the wrong.

 

By contrast, I found Lucia Triumphant a much better offering and feel that Holt hit his stride in this novel.  The descriptions of Mallards and various Tilling (Rye-based) landmarks and houses are superbly described and successfully transport us to this enchanted town.  The tone and dialogue of this novel are so close to Benson's style that I quite often forgot that I was reading a pastiche.  The characters are all well-drawn with Lucia and Mapp sharing centre-stage in more or less equal quantities.  The fondness for the main characters was present and they were all largely successfully portrayed with wit and charm. 

Set in in a familiar war-free Tilling, Lucia is seeking a new outlet for her energies and questioning what the future holds for someone who has accomplished everything.  Mapp is on hand to spur her onwards and upwards and the lances are out for another round of social jousting.  Lucia dreams up an inspired and ambitious project to be known as the Tilling Tapestry which initially has all of Tilling (except Miss Mapp) at her beck and call.  Mapp naturally retaliates and succeeds in producing a new obsession to replace sewing and bridge... the Monopoly board.  I found this particular weapon quite inspired and entertaining whilst adding a modern feel to the novel.  Imagine it, all of Tilling held inthrall around a Monopoly board with each Tillingite appropriately represented by a Monopoly piece!



I highly recommend these two novels as a pleasant addition to the Mapp and Lucia sextet.  Although I personally found the first instalment weaker than the second, it is still an entertaining read and Lucia Triumphant certainly makes up for it.  Mr Holt successfully hit the mark with his second offering and it's such a shame that he stopped there.  May we please have some more?

Agatha Christie Week

It's Agatha Christie Week and the 120th anniversary of this famous author's birth!  I first discovered Agatha Christie in my school library in my early teens and was hooked ever since.  I have probably read about half of her mystery novels (the Poirots being my favourite) but have been quite lax in reading any more. This is probably due to the love that I have for the wonderful adaptations with David Suchet (although the current episodes are not my favourites).  I know most of the stories by now... but this year I decided to read Agatha Christie in chronological order and to reintroduce myself to some of her other sleuths along the way.


Do pop over to the excellent Agatha Christie site as they have lists of events at the Torquay Agatha Christie Festival (if you're lucky enough to be in that beautiful spot) and also have several competitions going on.  Our local libraries in Kent usually have an interesting display of Christie books so that is also a good place to check out if you're interested.

If you're in London, Brown's Hotel in Mayfair are having a special Christie-themed tea which sounds quite delicious and fun.  If you're an established fan, or would like to sample her works, why not enter this fabulous competition to win each and every Christie book in your language?

I'm off to re-read the very first Christie (and Poirot) novel... The Mysterious Affair at Styles and am looking forward to working my way through all 80 plus books.

Return to Corduroy Mansions - Next Week!

Yes, it's that time of year again when Alexander McCall Smith turns his attention to his perennially popular online novel, Corduroy Mansions.  The third instalment - A Conspiracy of Friends - commences on Monday, 13 September 2010 and runs until December 2010.

I hope to read the second instalment in book form soon and I'm tempted to rush into the third online.  It's quite cheering to visit the Telegraph page each morning to enjoy Iain McIntosh's comical drawings first thing... and then taking in the hilarity of the chapter headings before you even begin to read the chapter.

I'm used to following these novels in Autumn and Winter in the UK - a cosy antidote to the darkening days - but this time I will be following its initial progress in a very hot South Africa.  It'll feel strange but it should allay some of my homesickness.

You can follow the daily chapters online here or opt to receive daily podcasts of the audio version - read by Andrew Sachs - further down on the same page. 

I only hope that he'll find time to continue with the lovely Scotland Street series in the Scotsman this year, so that I'll be able to read it next year when it is published in book form.  Fingers crossed!

Between Two Continents

Hello to all my dear readers and friends.  I have missed you all and missed following your postings and comments.  I hope to be resuming with this blog now, with a greater emphasis on book reviews and bookish things.  I would like to thank you all again for your kind and touching words of condolences.  This has been even harder than I could imagine and the pain continues, made worse by the unbelievable bureaucracy and costs that accompany such an event.

My life is currently suspended between the UK and South Africa and I'm not sure when it will return to normal.  I have found some comfort in reading and hope to have some reviews up in due course.  I have received a few review copies and would like to thank the publishers for their generosity. I shall try to read these and review them as soon as I can.

I have decided to give the blog a makeover and simplify things.  Although I liked the design of the previous incarnation, it wasn't suitable for all monitor resolutions.  I hope that the current style does the job and conveys a little warmth and simplicity.

I look forward to hearing from you all again and to dip in and out of your comments and blog postings.

A joyful Spring to those of you in the South and a mellow Autumn/Fall to those in the North.  Whatever the hemisphere, the latter part of the year holds a bounty of new publications.  Happy reading!