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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
What a corker of a book and what a real surprise.
This book is clever, witty and just divine to read.
Gibbons has created a wonderful literary character in Flora Poste. She is interfering, annoying, opinionated and utterly endearing.
I loved all the characters.
I loved the barbs that are laced throughout the book. Some are so subtle you could also miss them but others are really joyous. The name of Amos’s church group ‘The Quivering Brethren’ is clever as is the name of the pub ‘The Condemmn’d Man’.
I found myself constantly wanting to write down little gems of quotes as I read the book. There are so many littered through out.
There will be lots of reviews that will deal with the complexities of the book, the parody of rural English life and you should read them. Yet you should read this book and just enjoy. I laughed out loud and had a great time reading this
This book is clever, witty and just divine to read.
Gibbons has created a wonderful literary character in Flora Poste. She is interfering, annoying, opinionated and utterly endearing.
I loved all the characters.
I loved the barbs that are laced throughout the book. Some are so subtle you could also miss them but others are really joyous. The name of Amos’s church group ‘The Quivering Brethren’ is clever as is the name of the pub ‘The Condemmn’d Man’.
I found myself constantly wanting to write down little gems of quotes as I read the book. There are so many littered through out.
There will be lots of reviews that will deal with the complexities of the book, the parody of rural English life and you should read them. Yet you should read this book and just enjoy. I laughed out loud and had a great time reading this
I read this after several people recommended it. One of those recommendations came from book club, in which I'm usually scathing of purple prose and romantic tosh.
So I really enjoyed this parody. The trouble is, I haven't read anything of Thomas Hardy. The only thing I've read of D.H. Lawrence is Sons and Lovers, but that was in high school, during which time I had absolutely no idea what it was about (despite the explanations from our English teacher.) I did recognise a lot of the humour from Jane Austen, but I expect I'll get a lot more out of this book after I've read a few more rural novels.
I was too busy admiring the language to work out what was actually going on. So unfortunately, by the time I got to the end, I'd lost a bit of interest in the plot.
I'd also been told that the novel includes metafictional star ratings, and comments on particularly parodic parts, but I didn't notice any of that. I'm worried now that this edition of the book doesn't include it! Or did I miss it completely? Surely not.
At any rate, I've heard there is an illustrated edition. Read that.
Also, this website helps if you're into a close reading of the text: http://www.bookdrum.com/books/cold-comfort-farm/9780140274141/bookmarks-1-25.html?bookId=1186
So I really enjoyed this parody. The trouble is, I haven't read anything of Thomas Hardy. The only thing I've read of D.H. Lawrence is Sons and Lovers, but that was in high school, during which time I had absolutely no idea what it was about (despite the explanations from our English teacher.) I did recognise a lot of the humour from Jane Austen, but I expect I'll get a lot more out of this book after I've read a few more rural novels.
I was too busy admiring the language to work out what was actually going on. So unfortunately, by the time I got to the end, I'd lost a bit of interest in the plot.
I'd also been told that the novel includes metafictional star ratings, and comments on particularly parodic parts, but I didn't notice any of that. I'm worried now that this edition of the book doesn't include it! Or did I miss it completely? Surely not.
At any rate, I've heard there is an illustrated edition. Read that.
Also, this website helps if you're into a close reading of the text: http://www.bookdrum.com/books/cold-comfort-farm/9780140274141/bookmarks-1-25.html?bookId=1186
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The book isn't bad. It reminds me of P.G. Wodehouse, possibly because of the writing style and the setting, so it's an easy read and relatively amusing. It says at the start that it's set in the near future - that being relative to 1932 when it was published. It's some point after 1946 at least, because there's the mention of the Anglo-Nicaraguan war taking place then.
There's an odd moment where Flora is on the phone with Claud and it says that he turned the television dial so that he could see her, however she couldn't see him as public phones didn't have television dials. This is obviously some kind of video call which is quite impressive for the late 1940s. It's a point which has a sort of science fiction feel and doesn't quite gel with the rest of the book. But the fact that that was thought of and included in what isn't remotely science fiction at all is quite astounding. It's a little odd but I suppose that's what happens when you set books in the near future! This version of the future also has people with their own private aeroplanes which can take off and land in a field!
I find the fact that Mrs Smiling is on the hunt for the perfect bra to be so amusing, and it also shows that some things never change! I think most women still are hunting for it. I was confused by the point where she says that the bra she'd seen in a window was a rehash of one made in 1938 and had three fronts rather than two because two front bras are very rare. It all made me wonder what she was actually talking about and I had to go on a hunt for a history of bras to find out.
Other than these moments, the rest of the book was pretty much as expected and didn't have any real twists or other surprises. There are two mentions of suicide in a casual manner as if it's no big deal which is rather concerning. The main focus seems to be more about romance and getting everyone paired off. Quite early on there are mentions of a great wrong that was done and Flora's rights, as well as Aunt Ada seeing something nasty in the woodshed. None of these things are explained or resolved which is quite disappointing, especially when much is made out of them.
On the whole, the book is all right, but nothing special.
There's an odd moment where Flora is on the phone with Claud and it says that he turned the television dial so that he could see her, however she couldn't see him as public phones didn't have television dials. This is obviously some kind of video call which is quite impressive for the late 1940s. It's a point which has a sort of science fiction feel and doesn't quite gel with the rest of the book. But the fact that that was thought of and included in what isn't remotely science fiction at all is quite astounding. It's a little odd but I suppose that's what happens when you set books in the near future! This version of the future also has people with their own private aeroplanes which can take off and land in a field!
I find the fact that Mrs Smiling is on the hunt for the perfect bra to be so amusing, and it also shows that some things never change! I think most women still are hunting for it. I was confused by the point where she says that the bra she'd seen in a window was a rehash of one made in 1938 and had three fronts rather than two because two front bras are very rare. It all made me wonder what she was actually talking about and I had to go on a hunt for a history of bras to find out.
Other than these moments, the rest of the book was pretty much as expected and didn't have any real twists or other surprises. There are two mentions of suicide in a casual manner as if it's no big deal which is rather concerning. The main focus seems to be more about romance and getting everyone paired off. Quite early on there are mentions of a great wrong that was done and Flora's rights, as well as Aunt Ada seeing something nasty in the woodshed. None of these things are explained or resolved which is quite disappointing, especially when much is made out of them.
On the whole, the book is all right, but nothing special.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
The ending irritated the fuck out of me...but I can see why it had to be that way. Still I was trying to decide between three and four stars and that decided it. This is an interesting book because Flora is an extremely unlikeable heroine, but you sort of forget that and go along with her for the ride much of the time. The humour is sarcastic and good. Sort of what I expected Harvard Lampoon to be like (although Harvard Lampoon was a disappointment....this is way better and more subtle butr also scores more points).
At times at the beginning the book is clumsy and self-conscious but it warms up. Mr Mybug was VILE but I mostly liked the way Flora handled him and males in general (with one exception). Flora's style of diplomacy is an excellent combination of willful misunderstanding and sweetly delivered insults...consider the way she gets Adam to stop rambling on and drive on p47
"Child Child" he is wailing, gearing up to a long rant
"But Flora thought otherwise. She checked him by asking him if he would prefer her to drive Viper, and this so affronted his male pride that he unhitched the reins from the rennet post and the buggy drove off without any more delay" That is the sort of little gem that made me enjoy much of the book.
I also like the way it makes fun of poets, intellectuals and generally gloomy, introspective self-indulgent "artistic" types and puts asterisks to mark when the prose is particularly good (ie purple to the point of vomiting). Oh the fun, the sarcasm! Even if Flora when all is said and done isn't someone I really like.
If you haven't already read this then you definitely should! If you have read any classics whatsoever! If you can read! (and yet I do stand by only 3 stars)
At times at the beginning the book is clumsy and self-conscious but it warms up. Mr Mybug was VILE but I mostly liked the way Flora handled him and males in general (with one exception). Flora's style of diplomacy is an excellent combination of willful misunderstanding and sweetly delivered insults...consider the way she gets Adam to stop rambling on and drive on p47
"Child Child" he is wailing, gearing up to a long rant
"But Flora thought otherwise. She checked him by asking him if he would prefer her to drive Viper, and this so affronted his male pride that he unhitched the reins from the rennet post and the buggy drove off without any more delay" That is the sort of little gem that made me enjoy much of the book.
I also like the way it makes fun of poets, intellectuals and generally gloomy, introspective self-indulgent "artistic" types and puts asterisks to mark when the prose is particularly good (ie purple to the point of vomiting). Oh the fun, the sarcasm! Even if Flora when all is said and done isn't someone I really like.
If you haven't already read this then you definitely should! If you have read any classics whatsoever! If you can read! (and yet I do stand by only 3 stars)
So so funny. Oh to live in a world where people are invariably called Seth or Rueben, and the trains are neglected because we all fly every where! Thankfully there's nothing nasty in MY woodshed, I might just have to go put something there so I can be waited on hand and foot too...
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is one of those light novels brimming with zany characters that makes you laugh out loud at some points. If you need a break after a darker book, and want to read a modern classic in a few hours, you can't go wrong with this one. I haven't read much fiction written in the 1930s, but I found it to be delightfully frank about sex and devoid of sentimentality about either sex or love.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced