Looks like hardly anyone had time to read along or comment on Northbridge Rectory last month, a bittersweet little novel, and well worth reading. I hope I’ll get some more participation this month. (I got more after posting this the first time.) My steadfast commenters were
- Liz Dexter of Adventures in Reading
- Rebecca Foster of Bookish Beck
- Penelope Gough
- Historical Fiction Is Fiction
- Yvonne of A Darn Good Read
Our book for April is Marling Hall. I hope some of you will join me in reading along. I’ll be posting my review on Friday, April 29.
And here’s our little badge.
What? Me Read? 
I’ve only ever read one by Thirkell, but once again I’ll point you to Liz, who’s read lots of them — you have some reading tastes in common! https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/?s=thirkell
Thanks!
I’m sorry, I missed your post about Northbridge Rectory – here’s my review from 2020 which links to my previous review when I read them out of order https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2020/09/07/book-review-angela-thirkell-northbridge-rectory/ I did like this one but found it more bittersweet second time around!
Yes, I think so!
I’m still lagging behind in reviewing and reading. Currently, I’m halfway through Northbridge Rectory (which I’m enjoying) and hopefully will also squeeze in Marling Hall this month.
Hope you catch up!
I’ve been through Thirkell’s books several times, and this is not one of my favorites. I’m tired of the younger-man-worshipping-older-woman trope; Mrs. Villers isn’t very appealing to me. I am most sympathetic to her thoughts about the war. I’m tired of the loud-mouthed, overbearing character–in this one, it was the Captain’s wife (rather like the mother character in another book). As for Pemberton-Downing relationship, I find relationships based on bullying very repulsive, and I was (somewhat) glad to see that relationship change a little.
What I most felt in this novel was the weariness with the war; even Thirkell doesn’t seem to be able to come up with new ideas/characters. Very understandable, and, as a product of its time, certainly worth reading for that reason.
I have found with most series that many authors fall into this pattern of re-treads, and I’m not as patient or forgiving with it as I was when I was younger. I’m reading the Anthony Trollope series along with this series, and he falls into the same trap occasionally. But, what can you do when your setting is a time of insularity, and most people neither traveled, nor read widely, nor entertained new ideas?
So far, I don’t mind her tropes. I agreed with you about the Pemberton-Downing relationship the first time I read this book, but this time I thought it was more nuanced than bullying.