I have a different edition of Excellent Women but what an inspired choice of artwork for this Penguin copy; winter cherry is such a disappointing plant - the leaves shrivel and the berries drop off and only Barbara Pym's excellent spinsters could be bothered trying to nurture one.
I've read this before and I always struggle with Barbara Pym but it's for book group. (And I'm sure they'll all hate it!) I know they're written tongue-in-cheek but I always find her man-hungry spinsters so depressing. I mean, this is post-war, Mildred has an Oxford degree, she's only 30 ... surely she could find a proper job, some self-respect, resign from the vicarage fan-club ... when sex is invented in 1963, dear, it'll be too late to rip off your lock-knit knickers!
I have tried. I know people love Barbara Pym. But she's not for me.
Well that is a shame but we can't all like the same authors can we? I struggle with Angela Thirkell and some others but there are lots to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI do like that cover, how is the print? I sometimes have problems with Penguin's typeface, too small.
Yes, I have tried and failed with Angela Thirkell, too. I don't know about the print; I just took a fancy to the cover.
ReplyDeleteI'm another who can't see why Barbara Pym is so highly regarded. I so often want to smack the characters.
ReplyDeleteOTOH I'm a Thirkell fan.
Well, Thirkell is just old-fashioned, not enraging Callmemadam! I could throttle Pym's vicarage groupies. Can't imagine what book group will say as doubt it was quite what they expected.
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