Tag: #ThirkellBar

Review 1730: #ThirkellBar! August Folly Recap

~ whatmeread ~ 11 Comments

It’s time for our reviews of August Folly, the fourth book in Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire series. I just reviewed this book last April, so I’ll link back to my original review for most of my comments and the plot synopsis. My post covers some other observations I have after my reread.

First, I was struck by Thirkell’s depiction of Richard Tebbins, because it is so typical of adolescent behavior. His mother adores him to the neglect of his (more deserving) sister Margaret, but of course he is embarrassed by everything his parents do and then feels guilty about his rudeness to them. His passion for Mrs. Dean is absurd but, I think, very true to the behavior of an infatuated youth, and he finally begins to grow up later in the novel.

Of the two love affairs, the novel concentrates more on the one between Margaret and Laurence Dean, but I was more interested in the one between Charles Fanshawe and the much younger Helen Dean.

There are lots of comic characters in this novel. The managing Mrs. Palmer is almost unbearable at times (as is the fussing Mrs. Tebbins), but both of them show other sides. And that’s what I like about Thirkell. She creates some hilarious characters, but most of them, except perhaps Moxon, the curate, show other, more sympathetic sides, or the humor is gentle, not mocking. I wasn’t much taken with the conversations between the donkey and the cat, but that’s a minor criticism and a very small part of the book.

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Reading Thirkell’s Barsetshire Series in Order: #4 August Folly + #3 The Demon in the House Wrap-up

~ whatmeread ~ 2 Comments

Thanks so much to those people who participated in reading or commenting on the third book in the series, The Demon in the House. I am so sorry that some of the would-be participants in the U. K. were unable to find a reasonably priced copy. I didn’t anticipate that as a problem, although I have had to pay a bit more for some of the books farther on in the series. Here are this month’s participants:

Liz Dexter of Adventures in Reading

Penelope Gough

Yvonne of A Darn Good Read

Our next book is August Folly. I will be posting my review for that on Thursday, September 30 (too bad, because of the name, that it wasn’t scheduled for last month!). I hope that you will be able to participate. At least this book shouldn’t be as hard to find.

And here again is our little badge if you would like to post it on your review.

Review 1715: #ThirkellBar! The Demon in the House

~ whatmeread ~ 7 Comments

This third book of Thirkell’s Barsetshire series returns to the village of High Rising and Laura Morland and her young son Tony. Tony is now thirteen, and he is of course the demon in the house.

The novel is set during four holiday seasons that make up most of the year, during which Tony creates as much havoc as is humanly possible. During the Easter holidays in the first section, Tony talks his mother into getting him a new bike. He has grown out of his old one but is not yet tall enough for an adult bike, so she compromises by renting one from Mr. Brown. Then, knowing his talent for falling into trouble, she waits, agonized, to hear about his lifeless body being picked up from the road.

During the course of the novel, several of the old friends from High Rising are on the scene. We also meet new ones, though, in particular Master Wesendonck, Tony’s friend from school, who manages to be silent throughout the novel while proving himself to be loyal and sweet.

Lest we be afraid that there will be no romance in this novel, there is one, but it is very understated. The novel is mostly about Tony’s hijinks. Tony is the same ebulliant, know-it-all motormouth, but some of his adventures seem a little young for thirteen. Still, times have changed, and children now are probably a lot more sophisticated. In any case, this is another charming and funny entry in the series. I hope that the readers who are not on Team Tony will still want to continue with the series.

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Reading Thirkell’s Barsetshire Series in Order: #3 The Demon in the House + #2 Wild Strawberries Wrap-up

~ whatmeread ~ 23 Comments

Thanks to everyone who participated in reading the second book in the Barsetshire Series, Wild Strawberries! Please let me know if I missed anyone:

We didn’t have a lot of participants this time. I hope more will join us for the next book, which is The Demon in the House. Unfortunately, Virago hasn’t issued a new edition. I will be reading that this month and posting my review on Tuesday, August 31. I hope you will read along with me! Feel free to post your review links or make comments even if you read the novels at a different time.

And here’s our little badge, should you care to copy it.

Review 1700: #ThirkellBar! Wild Strawberries Recap

~ whatmeread ~ 9 Comments
Cover for Wild Strawberries

It’s time for our reviews of the second Barsetshire novel, as we read Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire series in order! In this case, I had already reviewed Wild Strawberries some time ago.

I looked at my original review of Wild Strawberries to see if I have anything to add for this reread. I don’t, except to point out how vividly Thirkell has depicted her characters. Lady Emily, for example, is equally adorable and frustrating. That first scene in church is a comic masterpiece, enough to make even the reader impatient with her, yet her family shows no sign of frustration, only affection. Most of Thirkell’s characters are funny, even our heroine Mary in her childish infatuation with David, and some of them, like managing Madame Boulle or finagling Mr. Holt, are hilarious. Or Agnes, so infatuated with her children that she heartily bores everyone else. Only John remains as the straight man.

I liked this book even more this time through but found the ridiculous errors in my Moyer Bell edition, which didn’t even employ a spell-checker, even more frustrating. Sadly, the Virago edition was not yet out in paperback when I reread this one (now it is).

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Reading Thirkell’s Barsetshire Series in Order: #2 Wild Strawberries + #1 High Risings Wrap-up

~ whatmeread ~ 6 Comments
Cover for Wild Strawberries

Thanks to all who participated in yesterday’s round-up of book one in the series:

Please let me know if I missed anyone else and I will add them. I hope we will pick up more participants as we go.

Having chosen Wednesdays to announce each book in my project, I would normally have posted this on the first Wednesday in July, but that day is the 7th, which is quite a way into the month. So, I thought I’d give everyone a head start by announcing it today. The book for July is Wild Strawberries, and I will be posted my remarks on Friday, July 30. I hope a few of you will join me by reading along.

And here’s our little badge.

Review 1684: #ThirkellBar! High Rising

~ whatmeread ~ 22 Comments

I have long been saying I will read Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire novels in order, but I just keep potting way at them as I encounter them. So finally, I decided to go back and read them all, in order, and I hope some others of you will join me at least part of the way. High Rising is the first one.

Mrs. Morland is a widow who has supported her three sons by writing what she calls “good bad books,” featuring skullduggery in the fashion industry. Her old friend, George Knox, is a widower and also an author, of serious historical works.

It is Laura Morland’s habit to work in London while her young son Tony is in school and come to High Rising when he is on holiday. When she and Tony arrive for the Christmas holidays, she learns there is a disturbing new resident at Low Rising. It is George’s new secretary, Una Grey, who is efficient and sweet to George but behaves officiously as if she were the mistress of the house even to George’s quiet adult daughter, Sybil. It is clear that Miss Grey is aiming at marriage with George, and she immediately treats Mrs. Morland as an enemy and rival.

The plot of High Rising is mostly concerned with this situation, but it also introduces more sympathetic characters. There is Miss Todd, who has been doing all the caretaking of her dying mother and works half-time as a secretary for Mrs. Morland. Dr. Ford is in love with her but thinks the difference in their ages makes him ineligible. Miss Todd herself believes she is the type of woman that men don’t marry.

Adrian Coates is Mrs. Morland’s editor. Although he is a good deal younger than she is, early in the novel he proposes. But Laura has no interest in marrying again and thinks he will make a much better match for Sybil Knox.

There are lots of characters, but one of the funniest is Tony, Laura’s single-minded young son. He is absolutely besotted with railways, and Thirkell does a great job of making him a believable motormouth of a boy.

Most of Thirkell’s books are notable for a subtle wit, but this one is a lot funnier than I remembered. I also felt really invested in the problems of these characters. This novel makes a nice start to the series.

So, who read High Rising along with me, and what did you think?

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Reading Thirkell’s Barsetshire Books in Order: #1 High Rising

~ whatmeread ~ 11 Comments

For the month of June, anyone who wants to join me in reading Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire novels in order (or who just wants to read this month’s book) is invited to read High Rising along with me. I will be posting my review on Tuesday, June 29, and appreciate any comments or reviews you want to add.

If you would like a little badge for your reviews, here is one kindly made for this event by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz.

A New Challenge: Reading Thirkell’s Barsetshire Series in Order

~ whatmeread ~ 16 Comments
Angela Thirkell

For a long time, I have been saying I was going to read Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire series in order, but I just continue to pick them up randomly. I think there would be some benefit to reading them in order, because although each one seems to focus on different people and different plots, I’m sure I would better understand the relationships if I read them in order. So, I finally decided to do it and to announce it in case anyone wants to do it with me.

We’ll see how far we get along, as I understand that the post-war books are not as good as the others. I propose to announce each book at the beginning of the month and post its review at the end, starting in June. I would appreciate the company of anyone who wants to read along with me. I realize that for some people one book a month is a big commitment or even a difficult rate to read. However, there are lots of Barsetshire novels and to read one every two months would take this project five years into the future.

Since I have already posted reviews on a few of these books, I won’t repost my original reviews, but I will make comments on any insights I have gained since the last review. Even if you don’t want to go along with me, if you would like to jump in with comments on the books you have read or read one or two at the same time, any participation is appreciated.

Although I will post reminders of what the next book is, for now, here is the list:

  1. High Rising
  2. Wild Strawberries
  3. The Demon in the House
  4. August Folly
  5. Summer Half
  6. Pomfret Towers
  7. The Brandons
  8. Before Lunch
  9. Cheerfulness Breaks In
  10. Northbridge Rectory
  11. Marling Hall
  12. Growing Up
  13. The Headmistress
  14. Miss Bunting
  15. Peace Breaks Out
  16. Private Enterprise
  17. Love Among the Ruins
  18. The Old Bank House
  19. County Chronicle
  20. The Duke’s Daughter
  21. Happy Returns
  22. Jutland Cottage
  23. What Did It Mean?
  24. Enter Sir Robert
  25. Never Too Late
  26. A Double Affair
  27. Close Quarters
  28. Love at All Ages
  29. Three Score and Ten

So, if anyone wants to get a head start on June, the first book is obviously High Rising. I made a tag, #ThirkellBar, for those who want to use Twitter. I don’t.