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kamaria's review against another edition
Highland Fling (1931)
Read from 20/07/2012 to 27/07/2012 - 3 stars
Read from 23/11/2019 to 14/12/2019 - 2 stars
As the name implies, this is a romantic comedy of sorts. Sally and Walter Monteath, poor rich people, go to Sally's aunt's castle instead of to Italy to serve as hosts for the hunting season and save some money in the process, since Walter is hopelessly careless with money. Because they'd be bored to death constantly surrounded by people from an older generation, they invite a couple of friends, Albert, an artist who's been living in Paris for the last four years, and Jane, a young and pretty socialite. Obviously the younger generation clashes with the older one, and Mitford has a very keen eye and sharp prose to dissect these interactions. She makes fun of everyone and the Scottish, and when the younger generation talks about pacifism and war, Mitford is really poignant. And also pretty obviously, Jane and Albert fall in love, but this is only important insofar as it makes the plot advance. The real substance is in Mitford's characterisation and opinions on art, society, money, war, etc. But every character is a bit tiresome and ultimately the whole thing is very forgettable and inconsequential. Not bad, but far from essential.
Christmas Pudding (1932)
Read from ? to 18/01/2014 - 3.5 stars
Read from 22/02/2020 to 16/03/2020 - 2 stars
I guess this is another romantic comedy, in a way, except in this one it's difficult to care about the hero at all, since we follow the anti-hero for most of the novel. Paul Fotheringay has just written a bestselling tragic novel that has been lauded by everyone as the most funny novel ever written. In despair, he sets out to write the biography of the Victorian poet Lady Maria Bobbin, for which he needs access to her diaries. When the current Lady of Compton Bobbin denies him that access, he disguises himself as Paul Fisher, a tutor to her son Bobby Bobbin. Once there, he falls in love with Bobby's sister, Philadelphia. But another man happens to want to marry her too, and he is a Marquis. The story is unexpected, realistic and mercenary, as are the characters in it. It starts really strongly, especially with the characterization of Paul Fotheringay as a misunderstood author, which sounded like it could have been an exaggeration of Mitford herself. The talent of Mitford is undeniable - she is wry, sarcastic and has the keenest eye when it comes to her social milieu. This time around she makes fun of country nobility, of hunting and Christmas traditions, and she does it amazingly well. But once more, the whole story is rather inconsequential unless you happen to be extremely invested in the vapid lives of the upper class during the 1920s and 1930s. I'd have to agree with Mitford herself when she makes Amabelle and Bobby say "[Michael] behaves like a very unconvincing character in a book, not like a human being at all. [...] never really coming to life at all; but there are some fine descriptive passages of Berkshire scenery." I really admire Mitford's flare with prose and her meta awareness, but ultimately this was not a particularly good read either.
Wigs on the Green (1935)
Read from 23/07/2014 to 31/07/2014
Pigeon Pie (1940)
The Pursuit of Love (1945)
Love in a Cold Climate (1949)
The Blessing (1951)
Don't Tell Alfred (1960)
Read from 20/07/2012 to 27/07/2012 - 3 stars
Read from 23/11/2019 to 14/12/2019 - 2 stars
As the name implies, this is a romantic comedy of sorts. Sally and Walter Monteath, poor rich people, go to Sally's aunt's castle instead of to Italy to serve as hosts for the hunting season and save some money in the process, since Walter is hopelessly careless with money. Because they'd be bored to death constantly surrounded by people from an older generation, they invite a couple of friends, Albert, an artist who's been living in Paris for the last four years, and Jane, a young and pretty socialite. Obviously the younger generation clashes with the older one, and Mitford has a very keen eye and sharp prose to dissect these interactions. She makes fun of everyone and the Scottish, and when the younger generation talks about pacifism and war, Mitford is really poignant. And also pretty obviously, Jane and Albert fall in love, but this is only important insofar as it makes the plot advance. The real substance is in Mitford's characterisation and opinions on art, society, money, war, etc. But every character is a bit tiresome and ultimately the whole thing is very forgettable and inconsequential. Not bad, but far from essential.
Christmas Pudding (1932)
Read from ? to 18/01/2014 - 3.5 stars
Read from 22/02/2020 to 16/03/2020 - 2 stars
I guess this is another romantic comedy, in a way, except in this one it's difficult to care about the hero at all, since we follow the anti-hero for most of the novel. Paul Fotheringay has just written a bestselling tragic novel that has been lauded by everyone as the most funny novel ever written. In despair, he sets out to write the biography of the Victorian poet Lady Maria Bobbin, for which he needs access to her diaries. When the current Lady of Compton Bobbin denies him that access, he disguises himself as Paul Fisher, a tutor to her son Bobby Bobbin. Once there, he falls in love with Bobby's sister, Philadelphia. But another man happens to want to marry her too, and he is a Marquis. The story is unexpected, realistic and mercenary, as are the characters in it. It starts really strongly, especially with the characterization of Paul Fotheringay as a misunderstood author, which sounded like it could have been an exaggeration of Mitford herself. The talent of Mitford is undeniable - she is wry, sarcastic and has the keenest eye when it comes to her social milieu. This time around she makes fun of country nobility, of hunting and Christmas traditions, and she does it amazingly well. But once more, the whole story is rather inconsequential unless you happen to be extremely invested in the vapid lives of the upper class during the 1920s and 1930s. I'd have to agree with Mitford herself when she makes Amabelle and Bobby say "[Michael] behaves like a very unconvincing character in a book, not like a human being at all. [...] never really coming to life at all; but there are some fine descriptive passages of Berkshire scenery." I really admire Mitford's flare with prose and her meta awareness, but ultimately this was not a particularly good read either.
Wigs on the Green (1935)
Read from 23/07/2014 to 31/07/2014
Pigeon Pie (1940)
The Pursuit of Love (1945)
Love in a Cold Climate (1949)
The Blessing (1951)
Don't Tell Alfred (1960)
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