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Original poster

Question about favourite/least favourite Jilly Cooper books! *NO SPOILERS AFTER POLO PLEASE*

31 replies

WellErrr · 19/09/2018 18:10

Once again - NO SPOILERS AFTER POLO PLEASE! Grin

I've just finished Riders, Rivals and Polo (still getting over the awfulness of Perdita). Loved them but I've heard mixed reviews about some of the rest. Is The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous worth reading?
Which did you wish you hadn't read??

Thank you!!

OP posts:
StandardLampski · 19/09/2018 18:27

Read them all!!!
But not if you actually want to get on with anything else in life Grin

I was out of order, I started with TMWMHJ... And was hooked. Hope you enjoy !

inthekitchensink · 19/09/2018 18:29

TMWMHJ is fun and addictive reading, but nothing tops those three imo. They get progressively worse after that!

BalloonSlayer · 19/09/2018 18:38

I really like "The man who made husbands jealous." I hated Polo and have only read it once. I have not read anything after TMWMHJ more than once either.

The "situation" that Georgie is in is very well done and rings true emotionally; Jilly based it on her own experience when the press took the piss out of one of the books she had written in the past, in the light of what was going on. (sorry that doesn't make much sense but am trying not to do spoilers!)

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Books
MissSusanSays · 19/09/2018 18:40

I love her romances: Prudence especially.

Of the RCB books my fav is Rivals. I love Taggie so much.

MissSusanSays · 19/09/2018 18:42

And Apassionata is also really good (mainly the bits about Rupert).

Did not like Mount for massively spoilerly reasons involving my love for Taggie.

bookworm14 · 19/09/2018 18:43

They go downhill quite badly from Score onwards, in my view. Pandora is ok. I love Appassionata, but it’s more fun if you know a bit about the classical music world.

Myfanwyprice · 19/09/2018 18:46

I loved the first three, but could not get into the man who made husbands jealous - it’s always on my to read pile as I’m determined to read them all eventually!

That is one fictional world that I wish I could really experience!! Although at a few sizes bigger than ‘a huge 9 stone’ I don’t think I’d fit in 😂

vampirethriller · 19/09/2018 18:53

TMWMHJ is my favourite, after Polo. Just re-reading Score, which is the best of the later ones I think- Jump and Mount I didn't think much of at all. Pandora is worth a try.

Aquilla · 19/09/2018 19:13

Wicked is great fun! All set across two secondary schools.

Original poster
WellErrr · 19/09/2018 19:19

That is one fictional world that I wish I could really experience!!

It's not really that fictional - I grew up in the equestrian world and Riders in particular was pretty accurate, albeit slightly exaggerated! Everyone shagging everyone and drinking.

Dont know anyone who wears Fracas though 😂😂

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Original poster
WellErrr · 19/09/2018 19:22

I've just started TMWMHJ and I really hope it's not all Polo matches.....by the end of Polo I had listened to enough detailed match descriptions to last me for a good while

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ScreamingValenta · 19/09/2018 19:24

Rivals is my favourite. I prefer the less equestrian ones because I find the lengthy descriptions of equestrian events rather hard going (no pun intended!).

BurningTheToast · 19/09/2018 19:26

TMWMHJ is good - I've re-read it and I have a TBR pile the size of Ben Nevis so it much have something going for it. Wicked! was my least favourite and from what I gather that's a far from unusual view of it. Mount is a bit ropey too...

SharpLily · 19/09/2018 19:29

The first four episodes of the Rutshire Chronicles are fucking brilliant. I re-read them regularly and don't think I'll ever tire of them. After that they gradually go downhill. I was hugely disappointed with the last two but still can't help hoping for more to come!

StayOutOfTheForrest · 19/09/2018 19:34

I loved Score and Appassionata but I think that’s because I’m a bit of a muso.

Pandora is a OK. I quite liked Jump!, I really didn’t like Wicked (there’s a horribly misjudged plot point in it) and could not be arsed at all with Mount.

Andro · 19/09/2018 20:15

I like all of them TMWMHJ is a hoot, and Score needs some serious memory skills to track what's happening - but they're all worth a read.

I loved Riders, in no small part because I've met more than one who fits the Rupert CB mould, but Rivals was my favourite of all.

BurningTheToast · 19/09/2018 20:46

I was a bookseller for years and Rivals seemed to be most people's favourites. It's the one I re-read most. Which reminds me, it's been a while...

BuffysFavouriteStake · 19/09/2018 20:46

Rivals and Score are my all time faves, but not read the most recent 2 yet...

TomHardysNextWife · 19/09/2018 20:51

Don't read any more than you already have.

It's a massive slide downhill from there. Even the TMWMHJ really grated on me towards the end. Far too many characters, too many plots running together and way too much to try and remember.

I bought Jump a few months back on a whim and have never got past the 3rd chapter. I soon remembered why I'd gone off her books!

AliceLutherNeeMorgan · 19/09/2018 20:53

I love them all. Pandora and Score were quite different but you could still lose yourself in them. I think my favourite is Appassionata

Oh but I also love the short novels - Prudence and Imogen particularly!

Polkapjs · 19/09/2018 20:56

Oh I need to go back and re-read and also the Fiona Walker early ones too

Bandol · 19/09/2018 21:01

I haven't read any Jilly Cooper before but I was thinking this was a big hole in my reading history. Which one should I start with? Are they like Harry Potter with a linked story or do they work in any order?

BalloonSlayer · 19/09/2018 21:37

You must start with Riders - you have to hate Rupert

Original poster
WellErrr · 19/09/2018 21:37

Thanks all!

Anyone else??

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Original poster
WellErrr · 19/09/2018 21:39

Why do they go downhill? I've heard this before - is it the writing or is it the direction the characters take??

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