Book completed

[eve_prime]

High Rising, by Angela Thirkell. I decided to reread the first of the Barchester novels written by Thirkell - there are quite a few, and I've only read the first six or so - they're excellent bedtime reading, being both light and humorous. I winced at the moments of incidental racism (Laura, our main character, calls her publisher friend a Jew to tease him about being financially responsible, and a couple of times someone made negative references to dark-skinned people from India and indigenous people somewhere or other), but the book was published in 1933, and I'm confident that these characters would behave better if they had been born much later. The story focuses on Laura Morland, a widow in her mid-40s who makes a living writing hack novels about dramatic events in a particular fashion house. She has a very lively son named Tony who is obviously ADHD and on the spectrum, given his altogether amusing obsession with his model train set. She also has two close male friends, the publisher and also another author, a historian who loves to hold forth and mansplain to an extent that is quite funny, especially to his several female friends. Various things happen in their social circle, and at least some of the characters will reappear in later books in the series.

Comments

[kaishin108]

I did read that book not too long ago. There were a few wincing moments yes. In my mind I politely thought, it is very dated.

It was entertaining but pretty silly, lol.

[eve_prime]

Yes, very silly. Good bedtime reading, though. I'm onto the second one, Wild Strawberries, which doesn't have any wincing moments yet. It's the one I've probably read the most.

[kaishin108]

I think I bought Wild Strawberries also when I bought High Rising. But then after reading Anthony Trollope vol 2, I went back and am now reading his vol 1. Once I finish that, I will probably read it. :)

[eve_prime]

I love Wild Strawberries, but it turns out we modern readers should skip p. 89. *sigh*

[kaishin108]

Oh no! Thanks for the warning. :-(

[eve_prime]

If the rest of the book is okay, I'm just going to put a piece of correcting tape over the problematic word and ignore the rest of the page. It was so gratuitous. Urg.

[kaishin108]

That's a good idea. Writing has changed a lot and of course what is okay to write and say and what isn't.

[eve_prime]

Yes, and I don't even know if the word was offensive among the British in the 1930s, presumably not too much? *sigh*

[kaishin108]

Right! So much was just accepted. Even my dad and especially my dear Grandma, I was shocked at how they talked. Not my mom though, she was a good role model.

But it high school a Mexican boy asked me out and they wouldn't let me go out with him. Jeez... :(

[eve_prime]

Yes, my dad and his mother were both very free with their opinions about Black people, even though my dad especially enjoyed Black music and comedy.

He wasn't close with my sister (is an understatement, and not her fault), and when I called to invite him to her wedding, he didn't want to come (and did not), but said, "All I want to know is that she isn't marrying a Black guy." grrrr

[kaishin108]

What a thing to think and say! (Shaking head).

[eve_prime]

He could be such a jerk! The only person he consistently treated well was me.