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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be bored with myself and to want to become a Jilly Cooper character for the winter?

796 replies

BalloonSlayer · 13/10/2010 12:32

I want to sit in front of a fire of apple logs, wearing only a Dark Blue towel.

I want a rosy-cheeked face which I have to tone down with green foundation, instead of looking like a corpse unless I put on loads of blusher.

I want to drink three quarters of a bottle of Moet before doing ANYTHING. (Including: getting up in the morning or taking an important exam.)

I want an Absolutely Filthy Mini instead of a people carrier.

I want DH to do thumb exercises so that the ball of his thumb becomes pudgy because apparently that's sexy or something Hmm.

I want to lose loads and loads of weight every time I am a bit sad about something, so that everyone who thought I was a minger before is suddenly struck by my beauty, instead of eating cakes to cheer myself up and getting fatter.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Miffster · 15/10/2010 14:11

Oh God, we should create a JC meta-novel!

In which a downtrodden, soft-bosomed, droopy animal-loving gel is brutally divorced by an ex- sports star who is now a politician and TV personality. He accuses her of having an affaire, because she keeps being desperately short of money (having given it all to soppy animal causes).

Hypocritically he has a string of Chanel-scented power-blondes on the go, but is only truly devoted to his lurcher, Darling, the only female he has ever loved (due to his dreadfully deprived childhood). Our heroine goes to live in Rutshire, in a hovel, whilst he goes to LA.

Here amongst the foaming cow-parsley and rank wild garlic, she falls under the spell of a series of young bloods, old rakes and local bad hats who stride in and out of her cottage to eat her fried bread and Oxford marmalade and try to bend her to their will and charm.

She almost beds several of them whilst wrestling with her conscience, but is thwarted by being scolded for having unPC fun by a trendy lefty and a ballbreaking stereotype who live nearby. Finally she yields to the worst of the lot, a bounder of an arms-dealer with a cock like a pepper grinder, who keeps trying to spank her and entice her to attend E-fuelled orgies. The final straw is when he is found kicking his common yet comely cleaner's puppy for chewing out his silk boxer shorts.

She retires hurt and heartbroken from the social scene to look after a stray mongrel, who escaped from a filthily cruel foreigner, a crippled pregnant ex-racehorse and a wise greyhound, who leapt out of the knackers' van and was found on the hard shoulder after losing at the races once too often.

In her quest to rehabilitate the animals she befriends a series of troubled ravishing teenagers of wildly varying demographics, all of whom develop hitherto-unsuspected talents over the next hundred pages for adult banter and racing.

Then what happens?

pissovski · 15/10/2010 14:24

Loving this thread!

Have loved JC for years. After seeing the serialisation the TMWMHJ on tv at about 15 i found the book in a charity shop and was hooked. That and Score are my favourites (mmmmm Tristan!). Have read all the others, but never really took to RC-B as a complete git in Riders/Rivals. Not fussed on Appassionata, Pandora was ok, but Wicked didn't do a lot for me (i'm a teacher and just - ewww no!) Did love Sophie in Pandora and Wicked though.

Silvertwigs · 15/10/2010 14:30

Thanks Miffster, you have style! Just followed link above to the Legend JC's new website. Anyone got a cheap 2nd hand copy of 'Jump' to offer?

thereistheball · 15/10/2010 14:40

Miffster - his silk boxer shorts? Or Turnbull & Asser silk dressing gown?

boudoiricca · 15/10/2010 14:41

Oh, but Miffster, how you could have forgotten her near neighbour, the glamorous but reclusive Hon. with clipped vowels / a sexy Russian accent. Once a hell-raising TV star / artist / 3 day-eventer a terrible accident / divorce / drug addiction has reduced him to a shell of his former self and he spends his days alone with just his hilariously intelligent but aloof cat and devoted dim mongrel for company.

Who would have thought that after the disasterous misunderstanding at the village Summer fete / gymkhana / dog show these two could bear to spend the evening together at the local ghastlies dinner party...

CJsSeveredHead · 15/10/2010 15:00

Just thought of another really good set-piece (although I agree the New Year's Eve party is the best ever) - the dinner party that poor Taggie has to cook for and the woman (ghastly hag James Vereker is having an affair with, name forgotten) passes off Taggie's beef daube off as her own. Valerie makes her spectacular entrance and somebody gets pudding in their lap when Rupert gooses Taggie ...

LOVE IT.

BalloonSlayer · 15/10/2010 15:03

Miffster.

Write it.

I'll buy it.

Grin
OP posts:
DiscoSquishedBrains · 15/10/2010 15:05

Ohh yes, the meringue castle that lands in Cameron's lap. Serves the bitch right IMO

And peasant casserole

pinemartina · 15/10/2010 15:18

Sat down to bf at lunchtime and found this thread....How heavenly!..LOVE JC!!
Have been here all afternoon now..
..totally agree re Jane Austen -for the earlier,short books.Have re -read all soooo many times.

Harriet's my favourite....has a tiny baby who only makes appearances to help move things along in an appealing way....wails for same reason ,and is otherwise looked after off stage by daily help and old nannies...and drinks cows milk heated up in a saucepan on the gas ring...

Super,super posts,love you all,darlings!

TrillianSlasher · 15/10/2010 17:07

Yes, I'll buy it!

AnakisT · 15/10/2010 17:11

Love love love this thread!!!!!!

It has reminded me why i bought Jump and am trying to plough though it.

InThisSequinBraYesYouOlaJordan · 15/10/2010 17:13

I like the bit in Rivals when they are all at someone's (Billy's?) house waiting for Declan to come back from the decision about the TV station and Taggie is cooking "something complicated with chicken and tarragon" and "mercifully" the sauce thickens as it cool. Meanwhile, Janey is breastfeeding the baby "neat Krug" whilst wearing a cyclamen pink jumpsuit, and Dame Edith and someone else are playing duets on the piano.

HalloweeseG · 15/10/2010 17:18

I bet Jillys drinking Champagne right now, I'm so tempted to open some in her honour. I'll be a bit "tight" by the time my husband makes an appearance though.

anonacfr · 15/10/2010 17:59

I'm re-reading Riders at the moment. I Just realised she set the 84 LA Olympics in 80... Grin

pigletmania · 15/10/2010 18:08

I want to be Tabitha Campel-Black or that other one who Rupert Campel-Black hates in Riders. Havent read them in 20 years.

thereistheball · 15/10/2010 19:16

I think being any kind of Campbell-Black entitles you to be breathtakingly arrogant and confident in your own talent. Doesn't RCB acknowldge Perdita after seeing her win a polo match against the odds, and write her a huge cheque, on the grounds that nobody but his daughter could have done it?

Would love to be a CB. Wouldn't want to marry one.

HalloweeseG · 15/10/2010 19:22

Who was Perditas Mum?

SpookyMousePink · 15/10/2010 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

anonacfr · 15/10/2010 19:25

Daisy McLeod. Went to an orgy when she was an art student and had sex with a guy wearing a mask.
Turned out it was RCB. I can't quite remember how they work out it was him though. I seem to remember a journalist tracking down people at the party or something like that.

SpookyMousePink · 15/10/2010 19:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SpookyMousePink · 15/10/2010 19:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HalloweeseG · 15/10/2010 19:38

Daisy, of course.......all flooding back. First time I cried at a Jilly when her little boy died. :( I can remember reading it with a horrible feeling of dread, anticipating the outcome but hoping desperately it would change direction.

[sniffs]

TrillianSlasher · 15/10/2010 19:40

My question for Jilly webchat - why does having dyslexia always = being incredibly good-hearted and sweet? Is someone in your life dyslexic?

sharbie · 15/10/2010 19:47

her children i think

BalloonSlayer · 15/10/2010 19:49

I think one of her children is, Trills.

She writes well about dyslexia, also about the agonies of infertility (her DCs are adopted). Possibly also explains her irritation at Smug Mums.

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