It starts in 1830 with Juliet's great-great-grandmother Pepita, a Spanish flamenco dancer who caught the eye of (Old) Lionel Sackville-West, as opposed to his cousin (Young) Lionel who married Pepita's beautiful illegitimate daughter and inherited Knole. Then it flags a bit ... Famous Vita is disposed of quite quickly, as if to say heigh-ho, we've all been here before. It's impossible to care much about Juliet's spoiled, snobbish, alcoholic mother Philippa; she's simply a blow-in by marriage into this famous family - that was half her trouble. And by the last 100 pages, I'm afraid I was thinking, that's quite enough, thank you. But it did make me wonder about what it must be like living with this weight of too much ancestral information. I mean, which of us really wants to know about our parents' and grandparents' dysfunctional sex lives ...? Still, I admit that when I read my great-grandfather's diary it was a crushing disappointment to discover that he mostly wrote about Mass times and the weather.
6 comments:
I couldn't agree more about A House Full Of Daughters. I had high hopes for it, but I was completely underwhelmed. I didn't really feel enthused by any of the women, including Juliet herself. It's hard to feel for these very privileged women, (possibly with the exception of Pepita shunned by her respectable French neighbours) who seem to have made poor life choices, but choices nevertheless.
I am now reading Curtis Sittenfeld's Eligible which is based upon Pride and Prejudice- it's not of great literary merit, but thoroughly enjoyable in a curl up on the sofa or sun lounger sort of way.
Something tells me that this will be one of those books I can't pass by but will make no promise to read quickly. These days there's not a lot being read - it's all about setting the garden to rights. My diary wouldn't make very riveting reading either, but at least no one would need therapy afterwards!
The reviews were so good, but you're right, Lulu Anna - completely underwhelming! I was genuinely interested in Pepita and Victoria - but by the time I got to the present generation, I felt as if I'd been cornered by someone who was forcing me to sit through a running commentary on a tedious family album. Since Vita/Sissinghurst, they seem to have done nothing but worship at their own shrine.
I think you'd enjoy the first part, Darlene. It's a quick read, otherwise I think it would have fallen under the bed and gathered dust!
I am reading about Cliveden and the various owners and the history of the owners and my gosh those were complicated times and finding it very good reading.
My gosh, indeed, Mystica! All sorts happened at Cliveden. It's a hotel now - I stayed there once, many years ago when feeling flush!
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