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A review by robinwalter
Bramton Wick by Elizabeth Fair
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Empathy. As I read Bramton Wick, I kept comparing it to the last "middlebrow" book that I read, Miss Plum and Miss Penny, and thinking about the differences between those two books. The major difference is empathy. Bramton Wick has it, the other does not.
Both books are observational comedies as it were, built around the foibles and follies of village communities, but the tone of Bramton Wick was so much more to my personal taste. It was empathetic. In Miss Plum and Miss Penny, the author observed and described actions and behaviour with insight and accuracy but without warmth toward those characters. The observations were often humorous and at times very funny, but they were laughing at the characters.
In Bramton Wick, there is a similar degree of observation, and because the environments are similar the follies and foibles are similar. The big difference is that the author goes out of her way to explain the reasons behind the characters' actions. This is the empathy that marks the book as a more pleasant read. Instead of pointing and laughing, Bramton Wick smiles indulgently and says "it's okay, I understand why you did these things that make me smile." A couple of examples of passages from the book where the author explicitly gives background and context and invites readers' empathy:
as she turned to denounce her she was suddenly struck by something deflated and oddly pathetic in Miss Garrett’s appearance. The beehive hat no longer looked jaunty, the green shirt betrayed its second-hand origin. Miss Garrett sagged. It was plain that her fierce words were just a bluff, and that she knew she was in the wrong.
Miss Garrett is always reminiscing about it. It’s rather pathetic.”
“Nonsense, Laura,” he said, smiling. “Amusing, if you like, or tedious for an impatient man like myself. But not pathetic.”
This kind of understanding, or, this kind understanding, made this book a warmer, gentler reading experience. I laughed less than in Miss Plum and Miss Penny, but I smiled more. For that warmth and positivity, I'm happy to give this 4.75/5
Both books are observational comedies as it were, built around the foibles and follies of village communities, but the tone of Bramton Wick was so much more to my personal taste. It was empathetic. In Miss Plum and Miss Penny, the author observed and described actions and behaviour with insight and accuracy but without warmth toward those characters. The observations were often humorous and at times very funny, but they were laughing at the characters.
In Bramton Wick, there is a similar degree of observation, and because the environments are similar the follies and foibles are similar. The big difference is that the author goes out of her way to explain the reasons behind the characters' actions. This is the empathy that marks the book as a more pleasant read. Instead of pointing and laughing, Bramton Wick smiles indulgently and says "it's okay, I understand why you did these things that make me smile." A couple of examples of passages from the book where the author explicitly gives background and context and invites readers' empathy:
as she turned to denounce her she was suddenly struck by something deflated and oddly pathetic in Miss Garrett’s appearance. The beehive hat no longer looked jaunty, the green shirt betrayed its second-hand origin. Miss Garrett sagged. It was plain that her fierce words were just a bluff, and that she knew she was in the wrong.
Miss Garrett is always reminiscing about it. It’s rather pathetic.”
“Nonsense, Laura,” he said, smiling. “Amusing, if you like, or tedious for an impatient man like myself. But not pathetic.”
This kind of understanding, or, this kind understanding, made this book a warmer, gentler reading experience. I laughed less than in Miss Plum and Miss Penny, but I smiled more. For that warmth and positivity, I'm happy to give this 4.75/5