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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I have a hard time getting into this type of satire, which made it a little difficult to get through.
A bittersweet story striking just the right tone. Very enjoyable read.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
3.5, but rounds down to 3.
It was v slow going to start with and I fell asleep several times. But when it picked up, I breezed through most of it. Laughed out loud at certain parts and loved most of the characters. Linda's reaction to Moira took me out
It was v slow going to start with and I fell asleep several times. But when it picked up, I breezed through most of it. Laughed out loud at certain parts and loved most of the characters. Linda's reaction to Moira took me out
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
"Life is sometimes sad and often dull, but there are currants in the cake, and here is one of them."
Funny, charming in small subtle ways. Took me a while to realise it was satirical so maybe it was too subtle!
7/10
Funny, charming in small subtle ways. Took me a while to realise it was satirical so maybe it was too subtle!
7/10
A book about very silly posh people doing very little, but the prose is so effortless it was a joy for me to read.
Read this completely by chance from a library ebook recommendation and very glad I did. The writing style is playful, easy to become immersed in - which I was, from the beginning - and every character is vibrant and well defined.
My only qualm was that I found Fanny more interesting than Linda, and wished that the story centered more around her.
Would recommend, and would re-read.
My only qualm was that I found Fanny more interesting than Linda, and wished that the story centered more around her.
Would recommend, and would re-read.
February 10, 2023:
This was my second time through Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love, this time listening to the audio wonderfully narrated by Bessie Carter. I enjoyed it even more this time, in part due to the added humor and emotion that came with hearing the story read by a talented actor, but also because I picked up more of the jokes and more of the details of the British class system, which can sometimes go over the head of even the most Anglophile of American readers. It's a genuinely hilarious and quotable story, full of eccentric, larger-than-life characters and lots of wit. I found myself highlighting passage after passage in my Kindle copy.
Five stars from me this time, and a place on my list of favorite books. I know I'll be revisiting this one again when I crave a distinctly English story set between the World Wars. (Something that happens very frequently!) It's an oddly comforting and cozy read, in spite of the characters' faults and foibles
September 8, 2022:
I enjoyed this book so much! It's funny because the characters for the most part were not the best, most likeable, or most moral people, but they were so entertaining that I didn't mind. I highlighted many passages that made me laugh out loud. The story was not without its more melancholy moments, as WWII came along, but for the most part it was a witty send-up of the aristocratic classes in interwar Britain, and in particular a send-up of the author's own famous (and infamous) family.
4.5 stars
This was my second time through Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love, this time listening to the audio wonderfully narrated by Bessie Carter. I enjoyed it even more this time, in part due to the added humor and emotion that came with hearing the story read by a talented actor, but also because I picked up more of the jokes and more of the details of the British class system, which can sometimes go over the head of even the most Anglophile of American readers. It's a genuinely hilarious and quotable story, full of eccentric, larger-than-life characters and lots of wit. I found myself highlighting passage after passage in my Kindle copy.
Five stars from me this time, and a place on my list of favorite books. I know I'll be revisiting this one again when I crave a distinctly English story set between the World Wars. (Something that happens very frequently!) It's an oddly comforting and cozy read, in spite of the characters' faults and foibles
Spoiler
and the story's sad ending. Poor Linda.September 8, 2022:
I enjoyed this book so much! It's funny because the characters for the most part were not the best, most likeable, or most moral people, but they were so entertaining that I didn't mind. I highlighted many passages that made me laugh out loud. The story was not without its more melancholy moments, as WWII came along, but for the most part it was a witty send-up of the aristocratic classes in interwar Britain, and in particular a send-up of the author's own famous (and infamous) family.
4.5 stars