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A review by ashleylm
The Provincial Lady in America by E.M. Delafield
4.0
I just adore these. They're like stumbling across those expensive little bites of chocolate, only mistakenly priced at $2.99 for 24. There's no plot to speak of—and I can't tell if these are barely disguised autobiographical stories, or mostly fabricated imaginative digressions—and don't really care.
Have you read Beverley Nichol's? It's a bit like that. And because of our protagonist's candour, and the author's excellent writing, this is as fresh as ever. There is a lot of fiction from 100 years ago that's completely unreadable, but this person is recognizably human, real, and as alive as you or I. And it's funny, and funny (in writing) is so rare and precious. I read a lot of amusing, charming, sweet, whimsical, etc., but that's not the same as actually funny. (Nothing will hit the high point of Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven or E.F. Benson's Lucia series, but this comes near).
But if you don't know all that already, you haven't read her first book. And you may as well start there. But this is an entirely satisfactory follow-up.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.)
Have you read Beverley Nichol's? It's a bit like that. And because of our protagonist's candour, and the author's excellent writing, this is as fresh as ever. There is a lot of fiction from 100 years ago that's completely unreadable, but this person is recognizably human, real, and as alive as you or I. And it's funny, and funny (in writing) is so rare and precious. I read a lot of amusing, charming, sweet, whimsical, etc., but that's not the same as actually funny. (Nothing will hit the high point of Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven or E.F. Benson's Lucia series, but this comes near).
But if you don't know all that already, you haven't read her first book. And you may as well start there. But this is an entirely satisfactory follow-up.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.)