Jilly Cooper

[LaMarschallin]

I hope I'm not doing a TAAT. There's a thread about Rupert Campbell-Black on AIBU but I had thought for a while about starting a general Jilly Cooper thread and don't want to ask if I'm BU, hence posting on Chat. I certainly don't mean to BU; please tell me if I am.
I'm at a loose end today as Mr LaM is off doing one of those madly outing hobbies (he's playing chess. I'll put the kettle on for all the stalkers who are bound to charge up**).
I come really, really not to bury Jilly but not to totally praise her either (pace Shakespeare).
I love her books. They are my comfort reading (along with Eva Ibbotson) and I swear I could romp home with the works of JC as a specialist subject on Mastermind (I'd obviously flunk general knowledge). I have had to re-buy three of her books because they fell apart.
And yet, and yet...

She gets away with bloody murder! She's racist, sexist, classist (is that a thing?) and - even worse from my point of view - she's repetitive. For an author that's not good.
She comes up with the same phrases. Eg: "threw up and up and up"; "hit him across the room/parking lot/whatever"; "drenched herself in scent"; "stank like a polecat" etc

When it comes to breastfeeding everything who does it will "whip out a triangular grey tit" and stuff it in their revolting offspring's mouth. Unless they're Janey who's been on holiday and has such lovely suntanned breasts that nobody minds her breastfeeding. Luckily Taggie's breasts didn't drop because she'd never fed a baby.*

The lower classes are fine if they:
a) stay in their place and make amusing malapropisms: "Let's get up a partition!"
b) make a lot of money but keep their hilarious regional accents: "Grite, grite! That 'elps a lot".
If they dare ape their betters they are ghastly, talk "ever so posh laike that" and ask for "a portion of that delicious gateau" and tell dukes they would be "delayted to receive them in their gracious 'ome". And always - if female - wear shirtwaister dresses.

I know! I'm over invested. I should stop reading her if I think all these things.
I enjoy her books. I'm surprised she's hardly ever called out in interviews about her dated views but - hell yes! - I wish was as rich and successful and well-connected.

I just want a gossip. Anybody else?

*I have wondered if this is JC trying to cheer herself up because she couldn't give birth to children; I know she has two children and it sounds as though that's been a great success but maybe occasionally she thinks, "Well, at least I kept my figure".

**Just decided on previewing to change "charge up" to "rock up". Another Jilly-ism.

@RubberTreePlant

I've never actually read any JC. I'm not sure whether you're putting me right off forever, or whether nosiness will get the better of me after these descriptions. Sounds possibly in the "so bad, it's good" category.

Well, I think they are so b they're g. But I wouldn't want to waste your time in case they're an acquired taste. I would recommend Eva Ibbotson with no scruples (well... except for the book jackets and blurb). Madensky Square. It's great.
No triangular tits in sight.

(Groan. My first ever go at a thread on MN and all people get is it's about breastfeeding. I only bloody breastfed because I was too idle to sterilise bottles.

I wanted to talk about beds with built-in vibrators, headboards "thrumming" with controls and a switch that let you start the bath running..

I'm obviously as antiquated as some of JC's views.
No wonder I like her)

God I loved them too, being horsey and 19 when Riders was first published I longed to be part of an upper middle class world that spent their days shagging good looking posh men and going from horsey competition to competition whilst quaffing champagne.

Sadly I came from a working class home, that could never afford a pony and worked for £30 a week on a YTS at a solicitors.

I might just go fish my original falling apart copy out of the cupboard and read it again.

God I loved Rupert but I would have settled for Billy.

Wheres the RCB thread please?

I adore Rupert. I know he’s a bit of a cad and would be impossible to live with but i’d Give it a bash.

I’ve just been romping in the wild garlic and am reeling of sex and fracas.

Pass me a fernet branca.

To think that no sane person would actually fall for Rupert Campbell -Black?74

Gah! Sorry @waterandlemonjuice.
Attempted a link that went wrong. it's a bit like that title on the AIBU threads. Good luck!
Btw, you won the scent-not-perfume quiz. I was thinking of Emily for Arpege but Helen wears it too. Bluebells was Lucy in Score.

wanted to talk about beds with built-in vibrators, headboards "thrumming" with controls and a switch that let you start the bath running..

I what that does WHAT?!

I'm retreating back to the safety of the royal sex chair thread!

I adore Rupert too. I know he's a cad but the attraction is because

He’s breathtakingly handsome (“Mecca for most women”)
Rich “as Croesus” as described by Jilly
He’s irreverent, laughs inappropriately but at things which are funny, if embarrassing
He loves sex
He’s very very good at what he does, e.g. showjumping, horses
He’s also got a generous side, e.g. buying Declan’s wood for more than it is worth because he liked Declan
He doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks of him, not really
Ok, ok, also, he’s posh and arrogant, which can be attractive in a man

Swoon swoon basically

@TaggieCampbellBlack

I’ve just been romping in the wild garlic and am reeling of sex and fracas.

You've got rare wild flowers stuffed up your foof, haven't you?

Why do JC characters stand on one leg when they're lying?
Taggie, you should know. You do it a lot.

@RubberTreePlant

😚

It’s not just wild garlic, it’s ‘the rank, sexy smell of wild garlic’ 😂

Although I’m one of those women who is over 40 - “over 40 they’re always so grateful” as I think Bas says of moi! Although I am still hot and have a beautiful dress which makes men fall at my feet when I wear it

Like many writers who write about the same characters JC seems to have a stock of phrases which you notice if you read one anfter the other, one is always compared to a greyhound.
On the subject of perfumes, no mention of Quercus, actually quite horrible, like cheap lavatory cleaner!

I’m American but my guilty pleasure was is Sidney Sheldon, and when I was younger I loved Harold Robbins, Judith Krantz, Jacquelyn Susann, VC Andrews, etc. I live in the U.K. now but I’ve never tried Jilly Cooper but it sounds right up my alley. What book should I start with?

Taxi, start with Riders!

Riders / Rivals / Polo - the Rutshire Trilogy - you will love the, Taxi

Ladyrannaldini, yes indeed! I give you:

Rank sexy stench of wild garlic
Xxx, who was looking bootfaced
Rupert was sitting with his boots on the table, drinking whisky out of a teacup and reading Horse and Hound
She produced a plate of smoked salmon, brown bread and bottle of pouilly fume
She hadn't eaten and felt distinctly tight
A muscle was going like a hammer in his cheek

Very pleased to win the competition thanks!

I was always puzzled by her “washing up machines”. It was as if she had no idea there was actually a proper name for them and just decided to describe what they did. Also women who keep getting surprised by men when they only have one eye made up

Does anyone want to find a house worthy of RCB? I sometimes look on Rightmove but never find it. Apparently Jilly based it on her own house but I imagine it as huge and beautiful- the drawing room especially as Rupert jumps a horse over the sofa which make Helen furious so the room must be huge, with high ceilings.

This is about right I think but you’d need to add a stable yard

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74332670.html

On the subject of perfumes, no mention of Quercus, actually quite horrible, like cheap lavatory cleaner!

Ah! I consider myself to have a bit of knowledge of perfumes and have never come across Quercus outside of the books. Is it the one that Isa gives to Tab?

In which case... was it supposed to smell horrible? Isa, son of Jake, with his Birmingham accent...

Mind you, Tab (dead posh and v much her father's daughter) might have noticed that.
I mean, while his daughter was in hospital after being raped, Rupert took the time to tell a policeman to "never, never wear spots with stripes". Style over substance slightly.

Perhaps her (Tab's) hormones overrode the pheromones?

I don’t lie . I’m sweet and kind and a paragon of virtue (except while having my labia painted with olive oil and the pastry brush).

And I only stand on one (of my endless) legs (like a greyhound) when I’m trying to spell or persuade Roopurt to donate to Save The Aminals.

I've never read her books after falling out with her over a planning application in the early 1990s.

@Waterandlemonjuice

Very pleased to win the competition thanks!

Well done!

Any time you want me to come round and fill up your deep freeze or cook a dinner party for you (you can pretend to have done the cooking* but please lay on a gorgeous rich man to feel me up while I serve. My French is reasonable but I'll make a right Horlicks of the menu to look vulnerable and cute) I'll be there!

*Don't. I bet yours is better than mine.