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📚 'Rather Dated' September: Barbara Pym's An Academic Question. 📚

32 replies

MotherofPearl · 01/09/2023 09:47

I'll add the usual introduction and links in a moment.

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Terpsichore · 01/09/2023 10:31

she depicts a world that’s largely disappeared and so is “rather dated”

Well, that’s the USP of these threads, Gertrude! You’ll find a welcome here if you enjoy fiction from previous eras, and we’ve found that many of us do. I’ll be back in a bit with my Pym thoughts ☺️

GertrudeJekyllAndHyde · 01/09/2023 10:06

Yes, I expect I still would but doubt I’ll find time to reread them! I got a slightly sniffy response on the “what should I read” thread when I suggested Barbara Pym, possibly (I’m guessing) because she depicts a world that’s largely disappeared and so is “rather dated”.

I’ll try to tag along …

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 01/09/2023 10:03

Thank you for starting this thread MotherofPearl.

I'll have to look over this book again* *to refresh my memory. One thing that stood out for me was the lack of morality around the theft of the manuscript. It didn't come into play at all for either Caro or Alan. She was willing to do anything for him. She does say at one point that she isn't religious, but even so. You don't have to be religious to have a moral code.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 01/09/2023 09:58

I think you would really enjoy them Gertrude. I'm joking. Kind of ;)
I have to say, we're coming up to a year now and I love this bookclub. * *

GertrudeJekyllAndHyde · 01/09/2023 09:54

Gosh. It’s so long since I read any of these that I no longer have anything useful to say about them, but this is all my back catalogue! Wonderful writers but I wonder how I’d feel about them now?

Original poster
MotherofPearl · 01/09/2023 09:51

Link to the main Rather Dated book club thread:

📚The Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' Book Group - All welcome to join📚 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/whatweree_reading/4624300-the-mumsnet-rather-dated-book-group-all-welcome-to-join

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Original poster
MotherofPearl · 01/09/2023 09:49

Welcome to the Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' book club. This month we are reading and discussing Barbara Pym's An Academic Question. Please do add your thoughts when you are ready.

About the threads:

We are reading and discussing fiction from the 1930s to the 1990s that would have been described as 'contemporary' in its day. We are reading one book a month. Spoilers are permitted!

We started the chat thanks to a thread where we kicked off with a discussion of Penelope Lively, The Road to Lichfield.

Currently we have these separate threads:
November: Anita Brookner, A Start in Life
December: Margaret Drabble: A Summer Bird-Cage
January: Elizabeth Jane Howard, The Beautiful Visit.
March: Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.
April: R.C. Sheriff, The Fortnight in September.
May: Elizabeth Taylor, Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont.
June: Margaret Kennedy, The Feast.
July: Mollie Panter-Downes, One Fine Day.
August: Elizabeth Von Arnim, The Enchanted April.

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