Time for several short reviews to get myself caught up.
First up, Murder at the Spring Ball by Benedict Brown.
It's 1925 and Lord Edgington is a retired police detective aged 76. He lost his wife ten years ago and for that ten years he's been frozen in time rather - a recluse in a huge mansion of a house. Waking up from this self-induced coma he decides on a magnificent ball such as the hall used to host in the old days. What he doesn't bargain for is for his sister to keel over, dead, poisoned by the champagne she couldn't wait to sample before everyone else. It's clear someone is after killing the whole family off. Lord Edgington, feeling the actual police are incompetent, sets about solving the murder himself along with the help of his teenage grandson, Christopher. This was huge fun and if you enjoy a country-house murder mystery you might like this. Lord Edgingtom is a bit autocratic but very clever and I like how he takes Christopher under his wing, believing in him when no else has time for the boy. There's a nice sense of a country mansion and a load of grasping, not very pleasant relatives, all with their own secrets of course. I'll definitely be reading on in this series as book 2, A Body at a Boarding School, is, as the title suggests, a 'school' mystery and I'm always up for one of those.
Next, a classic, Dr. Thorne by Anthony Trollope which is the third book in his Chronicles of Barsetshire series.
Mary Thorne is Dr. Thorne's illegitimate neice and she's lived with him most of her life. Her father was the doctor's brother, Henry, her mother, Mary Scatcherd, from a rough family in the local town. Henry was not much good, and ended up being accidently killed by Mary Scatcherd's brother who went to prison for his crime. Dr. Thorne persuaded Mary to leave the baby with him and go off to America with her fiancé who wanted Mary, but not someone else's baby. Fast forward 20 years and the two live in Greshamsbury and are very friendly with the local squire. Young Mary is in fact almost part of the family and very attached to two of the daughters and the eldest son, Frank Gresham, is in love with Mary Thorne. This is Not Good. Frank's father has squandered money left, right and centre and in order to save the house and the family, Frank must marry money. Mary Thorne has none. So that's the setting for what I gather Trollope felt was his best novel. I can see why, it's beautifully written, the problems and obstacles are so engrossing to read about and I loved it. Hypocrisy is very much the theme of this book, especially around money and blood. Some of these upper crust families desperately needed money so they happily married someone rich with a trade background - perhaps not 'happily' but 'needs must' sort of thing - but heaven forbid one of them wanted to marry a delightful girl from a good family but uncertain parentage and no money. And of course the one to really suffer is not the squire's family but Mary... the details of which I won't go into because of spoilers. Trollope relates the story of Mary Thorne and Frank Gresham in an extremely engaging manner, really funny in places and I loved his authorial voice breaking in occasionally to reassure or explain. Superb, and I will read more by Trollope this year, possibly the next book in the Barsetshire series, Framley Parsonage, or one of his multitude of standalone books. I'd completely forgotten what a brillaint writer he was.
Lastly, Northbridge Rectory by Angela Thirkell.
So, this is weird because of course I knew that Angela Thirkell set her books in Trollope's fictional Barsetshire but I didn't expect to see families from Dr. Thorne still around and getting mentions in Northbridge Rectory. This is book 10 in her series and the second book which features WW2. Verena Villars is the wife of the local rector in Northbridge. They've been there a year or so and have already settled into their new home and have a lot of friends. Officers from the services are also billeted with them and then there's the vicarage staff who bring all their various trials and tribulations to Verena. This isn't a book where a lot happens, it's about people and how they interact with each other, but unlike most of Thirkell's output this one also has to cover how people coped during the war years. I think it's definitely the funniest one I've read so far. Miss Pemberton protecting Mr. Downing, her academic lodger, who writes books about Provencal troubadoors that no one reads, from other women is hilarious. Of course he gets away, but is that what he really wants? There's Mrs. Turner and her two nieces, whose home is comfortable and welcoming but sheer bedlam. And Mr. Holden, billeted with the Villars, and who has a bad crush on Verena and keeps telling her she looks tired. The vicar is of course pretty much oblivious to all of this... This is now one of my favourites from the series. Thirkell's narrative voice is so funny it reminded me slightly of The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield. I wondered where Barsetshire actually was, where Trollope had in mind, and I gather it was Somerset and possibly parts of Dorset and Wiltshire and that does indeed 'feel' right... to me anyway.
So three good books and all authors with the potential for a 'lot' more reading this year. Can't wait.
I hope your February reading is going as well as mine?
16 comments:
Nothing much happens in any Angela Thirkell books and I've found trying to describe how good they are despite that, to someone who hasn't read any is nigh impossible!
I have been thinking about what both you and former commenter Sue, have to say about Angela Thirkell books and have decided that the stand alone novel I am currently reading (Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro) might well fall into that same category. There is very little in the way of action, but I have become totally engrossed in the small cast of characters and their interactions with one another.
Three great books, however all are parts of much larger series, which are already quite entrenched, so I have to be pragmatic in deciding whether I would ever actually get around to reading any of them, should I add them to my wish list. Retirement really has set me thinking about just how many books I do have on my shelves and devices, against the reality of the time I might conservatively have left available for me to read them in...
Sounds good you have to admit! :)
However benedict Brown has a new series which sounds really good and only boasts three episodes to date, so those books are heading for my list instead - Well, it would be rude to leave without having taken any of your recommendations on board... :)
These sound like fun, Cath. That's a period that I've read very little about, really. I've always tended to focus more on the WWII era more than that of WWI, probably because it's easier for me to relate to that one. What each of you has to say about Angela Thirkell intrigues me, in a way, but I'm kind of like Yvonne in that I'm starting to realize that my remaining reading days are a lot smaller number than the days behind me. Does make me a little reluctant to commit to a long series anymore, but sampling a lot of them might just be the way to go.
I like the fact that Angela Thirkell has set her series in Barsetshire during the mid 20th century. I did read The Warden but I have yet to get around to the second book in Trollope's Barsetshire Chronicles. I am pleased to say that I did read his stand alone The Way We Live Now so I know what a great writer he js.
I've read (and own) every single Thirkell but only two books by Trollope, despite having enjoyed the dramatizations. I suppose they seemed like too much of an undertaking but maybe I will try again!
Sue: I know, I've been there and done that etc. etc. I just think her books are delightful.
Yvonne: There's something completely absorbing about books that don't have a massive, all-consuming plot but just meander along in their own sweet way telling you about people and their very ordinary doings. Your current book being another one only proves my point. I'll look that up.
Yes, that thorny question of will I even have enough time left to read all the books I have on mt tbr pile. It's hard to think about but the answer is probably, 'no'. Will it stop me buying yet more books? Probably not. LOL
The Benedict Brown book is the first of a series and could easily be read as a standalone but I do understand completely. I didn't realise it but he actually has three series on the go.
Have a good weekend!
Sam: I find that period of between the wars to be a fascinating one. I'd not previously understood the huge impact WW1 had on those years, which is stupid because of course it would've impacted every family in the land with the horrendous losses that war incurred. Jacqueline Winspear illustrates that beautifully in her Maisie Dobbs series of books.
When you get to our age it's difficult not to think of how many years of reading you have left. I try not to let it impact my choices too much but on the other hand I should try to restrict my buying a little. Will it? I don't honestly know.
Kathy: That second Barsetshire book is a real treat! I loved it. I watched a 2 year old video of Katie Lumsden's last night wherein she ranked the 26 Trollope books she's read. So now I have a nice list to be going on with. The Way We Live Now was very close to the top of her list so I will try to get to that soon, as I know it's considered a real classic.
Constance: Well, I thought that reading books by Trollope would be quite challenging too but it turns out it's not. He's very readable and very funny into the bargain. I've been very surprised indeed. And I've been too slow reading Angela Thirkell at the rate of about one book a year. I need to crack on and get the whole lot read as they're an absolute delight.
I haven't read Dr. Thorne, but I did really like the movie version they made of it; it's one I'd like to read someday. And I've only read one book by Thirkell, which I enjoyed. Her writing reminds me a little of Barbara Pym's. Northbridge Rectory sounds like a charming book. Too bad my library doesn't have any of her books.
Oh, these all look good, Cath! And you've reminded me that it's been too long since I've read any Trollope. It's one of those cases, I think, of an author just slipping out of your mind.
All three of these books are interesting to me. Glen is especially interested in country house mysteries so he pointed this out to me and we bought Murder at the Spring Ball for the kindle last year. The premise sounds very good. I spent half the day yesterday ordering a Kindle Scribe (deciding on amount of storage and what cover to order and whether to spend the money), so maybe when I get it this book can be my next Kindle read.
I want to read at least some of the Chronicles of Barsetshire. The Warden is on my classics list and I need to just read it, like a lot of other books on the list. Same for the Barsetshire series by Thirkell. I have read the first one, and I got Wild Strawberries at the 2023 book sale. I feel lucky to have found that one.
Lark: I need to find the TV version of Dr. Thorne as I've heard it was very good. Yes, I think Thirkell would be lumped together with the likes of Barbara Pym, although Pym is widely appreciated these days whereas Thirkell is still not that widely known.
Margot: I think the trouble with Trollope is that there is so much of him to read that it's easy to be intimidated by the long list. I now have a list of some of his better ones to try so that will help me I'm sure.
Tracy: I'd love to hear what you think of the Kindle Scribe when you get it. I've seen it around on Booktube and think it looks really nice. I tend to use my Kindle Fire for a lot of reading but also have a Paperwhite version. I was, to be honest, thinking of getting a Kobo so that I can borrow library books on it. I may treat myself for my birthday in May.
I hope your classic's book spin thing turns up The Warden at some stage, although it's not the best of that series in my opinion, it's still good. You were so lucky to find Wild Strawberries at a book sale! I never see Thirkell books in charity shops or book sales.
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