Which is your favourite Jilly Cooper? About to finish Tackle and keen to buy another one!!

[loveyouradvice]

I'm finding her mad escapism a real breath of fresh air ... which are your favourites? And why?

You’ve got a treat in store. Try Rivals next - it’s probably the best one and there is a TV adaptation coming up! My other favourite is Appassionata but with that one it helps to have a bit of knowledge of the classical music world. Riders, Polo and The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous are also good fun. They get considerably less good from Score! onwards and I’d avoid the one set in a school altogether.

I would read the Rutshire Chronicles in order - start with Riders. Rivals is the best though.

Fabulous - thank you!! I am quite keen to read Appassionata so good to know its a favourite - my DH is a classical music buff and I imagined picking up a bit of know how in a fun way (as I've done with football with Tackle!!)

Riders!

If you enjoyed Tackle, then you really are in for a good time. I love Jilly but I wished she had put more Jillyish life in and less football.

Riders is excellent - and then Rivals is the redemption of RCB. The earlier the better - her first 4 are so brilliant and vivacious and her later ones a little more laboured. Too much research!

I love Jilly! Agree with most PPs that you should read them in order but also that Rivals is the best. I actually learnt most things I know about orchestras from Appassionata 😂

Then you can intersperse the Rutshire ones with Imogen, Harriet etc (those are the best two of the early ones, for sure)

(edited to appreciate your user name @GertrudeOHara )

Yes, the early ones. I read Rivals first I think, and didn't read Riders for a while and couldn't believe the difference in Helen!

Which is the one with the Nativity play? I remember laughing until I couldn't breathe at some of her descriptions.

I haven't read Tackle yet, I should get around to it.

havent read these in years but going to start again on my lunch. Definitely start with Riders, there’s that many characters it’s confusing enough without not beginning at the start.

I'm just about to read tackle, it's the only one I haven't read. Definitely go in order and enjoy the escapism!

Agree with pps - Rivals is the best, but worth starting with Riders first (although I think Riders feels a lot more dated than Rivals does) - I like the next couple as well (enough to re-read anyway) and then the rest are fine, but I've never re-read.

The Common Years. About her life in Putney, her husband, neighbours, pets, the people she met on her dog walks. True story, couldn’t put it down. Loved all the others too.

@GenerousGardener The common years is one of my all time top 10 books. I also have the rose of your name about to bloom!

Riders, Rivals and Polo are my favourites. Sadly I thought Tackle was terrible and gave up after about a third of the way through. Nothing actually happened!

Oh yes, Riders, Rivals, Polo, in that order. And The Common Years is wonderful.

@BestIsWest @GenerousGardener in the Common Years I am practically certain there is a bit about not being able to afford school fees/bargaining/sometimes not paying on time??

NOT in new editions, did I dream it??

@User14March that sounds familiar. I have an old edition and a new one (I read the old one so many times it fell apart) I’ll see if I can find it later.

@BestIsWest ohh, thank you. Be really good to see if I’ve imagined it!

Reading the new Plum Sykes on Cotswolds, oh dear. It makes me appreciate Jilly! Shame because others are better re: Plum.

Some of Man Who Made Husband’s jealous is so funny! Early descriptions of Elmer!

Have soft spot for Imogen.

I would start with Riders, as many of the others carry on from there.
Also the individual girl books, Emily, Bella, etc are amazing they used to have Jilly Cooper with a different look on each cover!. My favourite of those was Octavia.

Which are the funniest bits or bits you remember? Don’t mean to hijack thread, wondering which JC should come with me on hols. Not that well versed in oeuvre so poss a missed hidden gem?

There is a JC on her early life/poetry she alters? Le Belle Dame. Ring a bell with anyone?

Rivals. It's brilliant! And almost a proper book!

The only poetry one I can think of is The British in Love where she selects poetry and prose for the various stages of love and life (first love, jealousy etc) and writes about her own life alongside. It’s a nice book.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Love-Jilly-Cooper/dp/0140056505

@CurlewKate what’s your stand out bit?

@BestIsWest ohhh that might well be it! Thanks! I

I LOVE Jilly Cooper and my favourite is The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous. It's got everything. Horses, cricket, Rannaldini, tempestuous affairs, true love, beautiful people. Dogs. And I don't even like cricket.

You didn’t dream it, in fact I think one of her friends offered them money to help them
out. They were continually ‘poor’, but not we would class as poor