‘Would he look at her with renewed interest if she had green eyelids?’
This book is a complete and utter treasure and I shall now be reading as much Ba‘Would he look at her with renewed interest if she had green eyelids?’
This book is a complete and utter treasure and I shall now be reading as much Barbara Pym as I can find. It is fresh, heartbreaking and joyous, funny and silly and is very Austen, but not! I loved it!
It’s gently comedic and witty, the fact that they keep calling the local Mp Mr Lyall their beloved member ...more
The blurb: Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an **spoiler alert** The Secret History
The blurb: Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever
Some of my thoughts: The prologue hooked me in straight away and really surprised me, I wanted to know the story. I’m giving nothing away by saying there is a murder, but you want to read on as you know there is more to come. One of the group, Bunny, is murdered by the rest and it tells you where. Book 1 tells the story of how they get to that point. Book 2 is the aftermath of the murder.
Basically a group of clever classics students are under the influence of an eccentric professor. A new student joins the group, they initially are quite mistrustful and secretive towards him but gradually let him in to their little clique. The professor encourages bacchanalian practices, almost to live and behave like ‘the greeks’ to attain a higher plane of consciousness and living. This however leads to the death of a man in a drunken, drug fuelled haze which causes the relationships in the group to fracture. They all react in different ways and ends at the beginning of the prologue describes with the murder of one of the group, basically for being annoying.
I really enjoyed the books rich descriptions and language. The imagery of New England in the Autumn and Winter was beautiful and at times quite stark. I found the characters interesting and mostly very well drawn. I continually reframed the characters in my mind as I read and my allegiance gets drawn from one to another through the book. They are a group of pretentious, snobbish students trying to be more grown up than they really are. If you met them in real life you’d tell them to get a grip!
Richard Papen- the narrator of the story, californian outsider, a bit of a loner he insinuates himself into the group, I felt he wanted to fit in but not be seen. Initially I wasn’t sure what I thought of Richard, I found him a bit shallow and selfish to start with but I gradually came to like him and feel some sympathy towards his character. He was trying to fit in and ended up in a huge life changing mess.
Bunny Corcoran - my initial impression of him was friendly, big, good natured and not awfully bright. I found him fairly relatable - every one has met a Bunny- After the bacchanalian gathering which he was excluded from ,he becomes selfish, overblown and becomes more erratic and annoying. He wants to be liked, and becomes jealous of Richard, I found him more annoying through the book, with petty childish jealousies, becoming louder in my head, mirroring the feelings of the rest of the group. I liked him to start with and ended up finding him plain irritating but not enough to want to kill him!
Henry - I did not take to him from the start. I found him menacing, brooding, secretive, controlling and thought maybe has some serious issues? He seemed to be the thread that bound the group together and they were all in thrall to him I did not really like his character at all, he seemed quite closed to me really
Francis - smart society boy, I just felt a bit sorry for him, he felt like a bit of a side character in some ways, I didn’t really feel he contributed as much to the story as the others
Twins Charles and Camilla, my initial impressions were weird and something not quite right about them. I didn’t feel I really saw Camilla’s character in the book, she felt a bit detached, whereas the other characters acted as touchstones and to make odd behaviour stand out. Charles becomes aggressive, threatening, permanently drunk and again annoying, I really liked him to start with so was a bit sad that he ended up as he did
Julian - The tutor, controlling, reminded me of Robin Williams’ character in Dead Poets Society, influential but much darker, selfish, I didn’t trust him from the start and so wasn’t hugely surprised with how he acted at the end of the novel.
I found book 1 really compelling, absorbing, page turning and quite dark , it gave me a chilling creeping sensation and there was suspenseful building to the crescendo of the murder that we knew was coming Book 2 I found much slower burning, the first half I found more dull, like coming off a massive high but it built again to the final climax.
I enjoyed the developing relationship between them all, told in a nostalgic way, almost with love, looking back. Simplistic, totally at odds with the usually chaotic uni life. There seemed to be a lot of veneration of Julian without too much reason and reverence but in a bit of a dark way. I wondered how on earth do they function? as so much of the action seems to happen in the middle of the night! I’m so old! It seemed they existed in some weird otherworld, almost in perpetual twilight
It seemed like quite an unbelievable plot when you sit back and think about it. Who in their right mind would murder someone for being annoying essentially but there are times in your life where relationships are so intense as you are in each others pockets all the time. Uni is one of these places, a place where you can escape and become a different person as Richard does, to play at being something you are not. Something like murder will create cracks in friendships that are quite shallow at university that widen into chasms and cause relationships to implode as it did here, so much pressure on them all to continue as normal they simply all fall to pieces and the flaws seen earlier on in their characters get bigger and bigger to monstrous size which is why I think I ended up finding most of them irritating! They are in the main truly awful characters, deeply pretentious and snobbish, we all remember those clique’s, that think they are better than everyone else, keep secrets, leave people out in the cold and can be bullying. However on the flip side they can be deeply insecure individuals who find it difficult to trust and are constantly on their guard.
Finishing this book I felt a bit floored, it was quite intense, I read and finished it quickly and it didn’t leave me for several days properly. I felt like I was living in perpetual twilight with them.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone but maybe a bit more slowly or to even take a break between books 1 and 2. This will go on my re-read list for sure.
I have very very slowly read what I have affectionately christened The Last Chonker Of Barset as we leave Barsetshire and some of my favourite charactI have very very slowly read what I have affectionately christened The Last Chonker Of Barset as we leave Barsetshire and some of my favourite characters in fiction.
I have stopped and started this novel but like an old friend, it has been easy to pick up and restart my conversation each time.
‘You see, sir, nobody can possibly believe that such a man as that stole twenty pounds.’
Josiah Crawley, perpetual curate and grump of Hogglestock has been accused of stealing twenty pounds. He, bless him, basically can’t remember how he got this twenty pounds and ends up being sent to the assizes. Obviously it causes huge upset and ramifications for all concerned, including his daughter Grace, who is being wooed by Henry Grantly; son of our fave Archdeacon. Mrs Proudie is apoplectic over the whole thing and this just gives so much fabulous writing, I can’t tell you! She is awful but I just love her as a character. Lily Dale and Jonny Eames are still dancing about without any declarations and even the gorgeous Mr Harding crops up.
‘But to me Barset has been a real county, and it’s city a real city, and the spires and towers have been before my eyes, and the voices of the people are known to my ears, and the pavement of the city ways are familiar to my footsteps. To them all I now say farewell.’
This last book contains two of my most favourite characters I have found, the kind and unassuming Mr Harding, who we first meet in The Warden and the unparalleled and often vicious Mrs Proudie, who could grace any modern book with the ease of her awfulness. Reading the Barsetshire Chronicles through the year has been a delight, Trollope’s observations of the social niceties of Victorian England are brilliant. He writes women very well indeed, he does drama and social commentary in such a gentle way, yet it can be very pointed at times.
Ends are tied, farewells are made and I am sad to leave Barsetshire....more
The third of my readchristie2024 choices this year is The Seven Dials Mystery, first written in 1929, we are back at Chimneys and the joyous and pluckThe third of my readchristie2024 choices this year is The Seven Dials Mystery, first written in 1929, we are back at Chimneys and the joyous and plucky Bundle Brent features again.
What starts as a bit of a caper between friends ends with a corpse. Eight alarm clocks set as a joke but in the morning there is a body and one of the clocks is chucked out the window. A letter mentioning Seven Dials sets Bundle on a trail, with more death to follow. But she is nothing but determined to unravel false trails and bewildering evidence.
‘Don’t you see? Seven dials!…it can’t be coincidence.’
It’s quite stereotypical upper class high jinks initially, giggling girls, toffs and silly pranks plus Tredwell, the unassuming butler all at Chimneys, a big posh house. It’s a perfect setting for murder - but is it? Initially Gerry Wade’s death is thought accidental but after Bundle almost runs over his best mate Ronny, who turns out to have been shot, it seems darker forces are at work.
This story was so much fun! I love Bundle Brent, and I feel I’m always using this word, but she has Gumption! It’s such a perfect descriptor for her, she is super posh but has such a streak of bravery and determination to her, she is one of my favourite characters. It also features Superintendent Battle, another of Christie’s recurring characters, he comes up against Bundle and initially is taken aback by her, but he knows what she is like.
‘I have one advantage over you. I can work in the dark.’
I really enjoyed this one and I am loving my return to Christie’s earliest works. I got totally blindsided by this one, led up the garden path and did not figure it out at all!
If I can, I’ll squeeze in a couple more twenties reads through the year, I am loving this years reads so far!...more
‘She had a high colour toned down by mauve powder, which gave her the look of a ripe nectarine; one that had been in the box rather a long time.’
I’m a‘She had a high colour toned down by mauve powder, which gave her the look of a ripe nectarine; one that had been in the box rather a long time.’
I’m a newcomer to Whipple, this is the first of her books I have read and was blown away by it. Why, oh why have I not read her before? I’m almost cross with myself! She writes women and men really well, she writes about washing up and laundry, the domestic and the common experience of women’s lives, the choices, or lack of them that women have, she is frankly brilliant.
I think when you read a Persephone, Whipple in particular, something changes in you, they make you think and feel quite deeply. They are something quite special!
Whipple should be celebrated, I would highly recommend reading her. I will be reading more, I have 2 more already on my shelf...more
My review is taken from my Bookstagram update posts *contains spoilers*
And here we are away from the cathedral city of Barchester to Greshamsbury wherMy review is taken from my Bookstagram update posts *contains spoilers*
And here we are away from the cathedral city of Barchester to Greshamsbury where matrimonial prospects abound.
Young Frank Gresham is heir to the impoverished estate and loves with all his heart Mary Thorne, niece of the local and titular doctor. An unsuitable marriage many feel, including Mary herself at the outset as her mother came from poverty, and of whom no-one except her Uncle knows or mentions.
The De Courcy’s; Frank’s relations; are hilarious, Arabella in particular is much in the vein of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and other well known ‘haaaandbag’ speeches which just makes me smile. They ban Mary from Greshamsbury thinking she wants to get her hands on Frank and the estate.
It transpires that Mary May in fact be heir to a huge fortune and as Frank Gresham is meant to marry for money, what will happen to this lovely couple?
Trollope is on fine form, the writing is lighthearted, witty and is a joy to spend time in this books pages!
——————————- Further tales from Greshamsbury
Frank is off to Courcy Castle. His aunt is matchmaking, of which he is not keen, as we readers know he holds a candle for Mary Thorne.
Trollope is quite tongue in cheek at times with his writing, he is with us on the outside, laughing with a knowing wink at some of these characters; Mr Nearthewinde a parliamentary agent ( remind you of anyone?!), Mr Closerstil, Doctor Filgrave, Reddypalm the publican; all have raised a chortle from me with my reading! Even the Bishop of Barchester and Mrs Proudie, who as we know is the actual bishop ...more
‘It is a duel to the death, mon ami. You and I on the one side, the Big Four on the other….in the future they have to reckon with Hercule Poirot.
After‘It is a duel to the death, mon ami. You and I on the one side, the Big Four on the other….in the future they have to reckon with Hercule Poirot.
After the success of The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd in 1926, Christie’s publishers were anxious for a new book and fast. But as we know 1926 was also the year that Christie suffered greatly in her private life culminating in her 11 day disappearance in December of that year. Originally written as a series in The Sketch in 1924 and titled The Man Who Was Number Four. The chapters were re-edited and published as The Big Four in 1927. It’s thought that Christie didn’t much like this book, referring to it as ‘that rotten book’ in correspondence. But it’s Poirot - Hastings and Japp are in it too and so I thought I would give it a go. I’m totally new to this one and had no recollection of having read or watched this one before.
The first chapter certainly is a delight. Hastings is back from the Argentine, where he’d been sent by Christie! His meeting with Poirot is sweet..’Mon ami Hastings…Mon ami Hastings!’ And we are thrown into a mystery pretty quickly. A man takes refuge in Poirot’s rooms, all very mysterious and suffering from shock. He describes four people, The Big Four. Number 1 is Li Chang Yen, number 2 an unknown American, number 3 an unknown Frenchwoman and number 4; the destroyer. Poirot knows of this gang and is keen to investigate but is meant to be going to South America for a job and too late realises that he is being got out of the way He returns to his rooms to find the man had died. The man is known as Mayerling who, Japp reveals is a secret service agent and had disappeared in Russia.
This fairly rattles along and I was really gripped by this mystery and the man, number four, known as the Destroyer. What follows is a series of adventures for Poirot and Hastings on the trail of The Big Four and the Destroyer taking in Dartmoor, murder, pools of blood ...more
“What a lot of hairy faced men there are around these days”
I had a read of this today with #thewitches coming to our screens ThiThe Twits by Roald Dahl
“What a lot of hairy faced men there are around these days”
I had a read of this today with #thewitches coming to our screens This is the story of Roald Dahl’s monstrous creations Mr and Mrs Twit supremely illustrated by the great Quentin Blake. They are a pair of mean, cruel, ugly individuals who like nothing more than playing mean, cruel and ugly tricks on each other. They like catching birds with Hugtight glue on The Big Dead Tree for Bird Pie Wednesday, they almost end up with ingredients for boy pie one day but are foiled as they manage to “run for home with their naked bottoms winking at the sun” Muggle Wump the Monkey and his family and the Roly Poly Bird help to save all the birds from Bird Pie Wednesday and then turn the terrible twits UPSIDE DOWN ...more
I have read this as April’s choice for Read Christie 2022 and I have to say this may be my favourite so far this year!
While Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
I have read this as April’s choice for Read Christie 2022 and I have to say this may be my favourite so far this year!
While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, ‘Why didn’t they ask Evans?’ Haunted by these words, Bobby and his friend Lady Frankie Derwent, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger…
There are country houses, sinister doctors, car crashes, this is full of adventure, murder and mystery and I just loved it!
I have good memories of the TV production in which Miss Marple stars but is not actually in the book, I’m wondering what the new production will be like?...more
The Jolly Roger Hotel, Smugglers Island, Leathercombe Bay.
A romantic address. The perfect holiday resort.
The August sun shone from a blue sky…sunbathersThe Jolly Roger Hotel, Smugglers Island, Leathercombe Bay.
A romantic address. The perfect holiday resort.
The August sun shone from a blue sky…sunbathers sprawled on a golden beach…floats bobbed on the bay…
As one guest remarked - the last setting in the world for murder. But another begged to differ. ‘There is evil everywhere under the sun,’ he said.
His name was Hercule Poirot.
Two days later he was proved right…
My July read for readchristie2023 with the theme of love (the dangerous kind) is a cracker!
The Peter Ustinov film of the book is one of my favourites, I used to watch it on a loop and knew it inside out and back to front. Reading this there are differences of course, there are some different characters missing from the film, or combined into one. It is a film with some true greats in it, Ustinov, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith and the late Jane Birkin. I have to say I couldn’t really shake their images from my head as I read this but it is a work of genius by Christie. I loved how the threads weave together, love is explored through love triangles, difficult relationships, jealousy and former lovers. It is clever, with little snippets left as a trail for the eagle eyed sofa sleuth. Of course from the film I knew the outcome but to read it as the original written word of Christie is something else indeed.
‘And that is the end of poor foolish beautiful Arlena Marshall.’...more
It is The Adventure Of The Christmas Pudding and does exactly what it says on the tin. It is ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴀᴛ ɴᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴜᴍ ᴘᴜᴅᴅɪɴɢ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴡɪꜱʜᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʟʟ
It is The Adventure Of The Christmas Pudding and does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a short story collection and is a cracker! The titular story has Poirot experiencing a proper English Christmas with the search for a missing ruby, a marriage someone wants to stop and a murder in the snow. And all packed into 55 pages!
I listened to this as an audiobook - part of Hercule Poirot's Finest CasesI listened to this as an audiobook - part of Hercule Poirot's Finest Cases...more
A down and out Irish poet, the head waiter at the Shakespear’s Head tavern in Covent Garden and a celebrated London Courtesan, in 1757, became bound tA down and out Irish poet, the head waiter at the Shakespear’s Head tavern in Covent Garden and a celebrated London Courtesan, in 1757, became bound together by publication of Harris’s List Of Covent Garden Ladies. A scandalous and salacious work, outlining the names and specialities of the sex workers of the capital- it became a bestseller.
Beyond its pages it reveals a glimpse into the lives of those who lived and died by its profits, motivated by poverty, love, aspiration and shame.
I loved Rubenhold’s book The Five and was totally astounded by it. This book similarly was outstanding. Meticulously researched and written with care, yet is full of tension and drama of the lives of the three people associated with The List. I was particularly taken with the life of Charlotte Hayes and the other women briefly annotated in the list. We get to hear of them only through the prism of men’s eyes and as Rubenhold rightly states, we cannot really know their thoughts on the life they lead or the reasons for it. The men did not care and had no interest in that beyond their own self interest and desire.
An absolutely cracking read, really interesting, dramatic and shines a light on women that history chose to ignore. ...more
All the feels with this one, the next installment in #thegreatthomasreadalong2022
I was expecting full on tragedy afterThe Trumpet Major - Thomas Hardy
All the feels with this one, the next installment in #thegreatthomasreadalong2022
I was expecting full on tragedy after Return of The Native but was surprised to find that this was a gentler read. Against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, two brothers Robert Loveday; a sailor and John; the titular Trumpet-Major vye for the heart of Anne Garland. There are ups and downs as we would expect from a Hardy novel.
‘The Trumpet- Major looked with a sort of awe… and stood quite dumb before her.’
I almost cried with the frustration of it all at times, especially at Anne - just know your own mind woman!! I loved the warmth and humour in this book, I was repulsed by Festus, the stalking 3rd man who just gave me the creeps. In fact, I seem to have written most notes about him, including ‘ugh, please don’t let Anne end up with him, what a tit and Festus is a pig!’ - nowadays he’d be in jail most likely for his attempts on Anne!
‘I’ll tell thee what, Dame Loveday, I want the maid, and must have her.’
My thoughts on the two brothers were reframed as I read this book, at first championing one and then the other, but I gave my own heart to John in the end.
‘Oh Anne, Anne!’ He burst out as, racked between honour and desire, he snatched up her hand.’
This is bittersweet with some sadness, especially in the last pages but overall, I enjoyed what felt like a small step back for Hardy before he moves forward to his weightier novels. His writing has altered, is more mature and refined in this story but as seems to be the case with each book I read, is now one of my firm favourites!...more
‘There’s no luck for them as meddles with Gipsy’s Acre.’
Michael Rogers has dreamed of a perfect house and a rich beautiful wife. He found the girl and‘There’s no luck for them as meddles with Gipsy’s Acre.’
Michael Rogers has dreamed of a perfect house and a rich beautiful wife. He found the girl and they built the house at Gipsy’s Acre but there is a curse on it. People have died and death comes hunting at Gipsy’s Acre once more.
‘There’s trouble, black trouble waiting for you. Forget you ever saw this place. I’m warning you.’
This one is creeping, menacing and feels much darker than Christie’s usual fare. The theme of greed is brilliantly executed with everyone seemingly after poor ‘sweet delight’ Ellie’s money. There is a lurking danger and threat at every turn. There are one or two clues when you go back through the book to figure out what is happening but I was enthralled by this one and read it in one sitting! Originally I was thinking Poirot would appear at some point - he doesn’t - it does not suffer for the lack of a detective figure though and Christie shows her real prowess as a writer in this one. She writes an excellent psychological thriller with an absolutely horrific surprise at the end which is quite devastating.
This is my June choice for readchristie2022 and this one is clever.
Amy Leatheran is a nurse employed to look after Louise Leidner. She isn’t right andThis is my June choice for readchristie2022 and this one is clever.
Amy Leatheran is a nurse employed to look after Louise Leidner. She isn’t right and has been having hallucinations and is convinced someone is going to hurt her. Set at an excavation site at Hassanieh, the archaeological team are not what they seem and the tensions can be cut with a knife. Inevitably there is murder and Poirot is called in to solve this greatest of puzzles where murder is a habit.
I really loved this one. I had half an inkling that I’d watched this one at some point but I couldn’t remember the details, which meant I came to this fresh and was hopelessly enthralled by it. Christie set this up brilliantly, I could really picture the setting, the dig site in the heat of the desert, the characters are perfectly described for us and the solution to this puzzle was ingenious!
I am loving my Christie reads this year and travelling with Agatha