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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
What a pleasure it was to read this little book! I was thoroughly engrossed by the characters and enchanted by Ms. Pym's language. I will definitely seek out more of her work.
I really liked this Pym. At first it was strange to have the point of view shift slightly as we followed various characters through London, but I got into the swing of things quickly and recognized the quintessential Pym within.
I accidentally read a spoiler here about Tom's death (though it didn't specify that it would be him, I guessed), and from then on I was absolutely looking forward to seeing the relationship between Deidre and Catherine grow. They were the true story here for me, not the anthropologist Don Juan.
Also, I heart Digby.
I accidentally read a spoiler here about Tom's death (though it didn't specify that it would be him, I guessed), and from then on I was absolutely looking forward to seeing the relationship between Deidre and Catherine grow. They were the true story here for me, not the anthropologist Don Juan.
Also, I heart Digby.
I chose another Pym to read so soon because I needed something “light” and reliable. Though her recurrent themes are present, the focus is on a group of anthropologists. A few are still in university, working in the library, and hoping for grants to work in the “field.”
The satire arises through Pym’s stock characters, including two sisters who live together, one the mother of a student. The two women, especially the aunt, watch and comment on the other characters. Their genteel voyeurism encompasses their next-door neighbor who dons African masks at night in the privacy of his own yard.
The anthropologists talk about past experiences, some of them anticipating a return to the field, while the sisters perform their own anthropological studies on them, especially when it comes to their mating patterns.
I enjoyed this for the most part, but some of the characters seemed superfluous and, as is the way with satire, not fleshed out.
The satire arises through Pym’s stock characters, including two sisters who live together, one the mother of a student. The two women, especially the aunt, watch and comment on the other characters. Their genteel voyeurism encompasses their next-door neighbor who dons African masks at night in the privacy of his own yard.
The anthropologists talk about past experiences, some of them anticipating a return to the field, while the sisters perform their own anthropological studies on them, especially when it comes to their mating patterns.
I enjoyed this for the most part, but some of the characters seemed superfluous and, as is the way with satire, not fleshed out.
funny
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love her style and humour but this dragged.
I am very interested in Barbara Pym. It's a refreshing take from the era in which she was located. I liked Excellent Women better. The focus on one person's interior life was of more interest to me. This was more comedic and reminded me of E.F. Benson (Mapp and Lucia), queer subtext and all. Less Than Angels was by no means bad, just felt a little more trivial to me.
"Catherine was glad to see this and made no attempt to take upon herself the role of comforter, which is often regarded as a kind of female monopoly though it can be admirably filled by the right kind of man." (p198)
There's something quite excellent about Barbara Pym's writing. She has a real observational skill that she transforms into something that is both light - amusing, witty, charming - and real. Her characters are well-observed.
Yes, you get the impression that Pym is drawing from her own life and her own experiences. There are Pym tropes that, even after three books, I have noticed.
Yes, she draws from a particular social group. These are usually good middle-class people (even if some are struggling students) with the occasional genuine wealthy person thrown in for good measure. Indeed, there seems to be a Pymverse. Characters from "Some Tame Gazelle" are mentioned a couple of times and she even manages to easter egg a reference to "Excellent Women" into the book.
This is the third Barbara Pym book I've read. I liked most of the characters in it, although Tom felt like one of those aimless, thoughtless men that I get annoyed with in real life. I thought Catherine was fabulous. This novel dealt with, perhaps, a heavier topic in the end than the previous two - although they were both deceptively 'dark'. Dark isn't the right word. She has a way of bringing deeper issues out in the subtlest of ways. This time things were more open.
Another fine read.
There's something quite excellent about Barbara Pym's writing. She has a real observational skill that she transforms into something that is both light - amusing, witty, charming - and real. Her characters are well-observed.
Yes, you get the impression that Pym is drawing from her own life and her own experiences. There are Pym tropes that, even after three books, I have noticed.
Yes, she draws from a particular social group. These are usually good middle-class people (even if some are struggling students) with the occasional genuine wealthy person thrown in for good measure. Indeed, there seems to be a Pymverse. Characters from "Some Tame Gazelle" are mentioned a couple of times and she even manages to easter egg a reference to "Excellent Women" into the book.
This is the third Barbara Pym book I've read. I liked most of the characters in it, although Tom felt like one of those aimless, thoughtless men that I get annoyed with in real life. I thought Catherine was fabulous. This novel dealt with, perhaps, a heavier topic in the end than the previous two - although they were both deceptively 'dark'. Dark isn't the right word. She has a way of bringing deeper issues out in the subtlest of ways. This time things were more open.
Another fine read.
I'm not really finished but I will be by Dec. 31st. Enjoying it so far. Will come back with updated review later. I just wanted my 40 goal off my to-do list!!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting to. Many people had said "Oh, it's very like Jane Austen!" and I thought "Yeah, yeah!" as that's a tag so often thrown around. While stylistically and structurally it bears little resemblance to Austen, there is something in its charm and the way it encapsulates the lives of women in a specific place and time period (in this case, 1950s London) that actually makes this a pretty fair comparison.