What’s your favourite Jilly Cooper moments?

[Singlebutmarried]

I’ve been contemplating and one of my faves.

Billy and Fen. Just before they get it together and she’s wearing a pink panther nightie.

Oh to be that looked after.

I like Cameron and Perdita, btw. I don’t like Abby, Helen, Janey, the teacher one in Wicked or the make-up artist in Score - those two were so self-righteous and irritating.

The naked tennis! Tit fault!

Horse ShaggingPeople redeeming themselves.

How do people redeem themselves after shagging a horse ?

Kennel maid, this may not be the thread for you.....

I have a million favourite bits but cannot currently recall any of them!

Clearly time for me to revisit JC....

@MaryLennoxsScowl- that's Lucy, she's quite sweet!

Perdita I can cope with because of Hamish no doubt being horrendous, and because she does grow up and has a sense of humour, but not that bully bitch Cameron. I know we're meant to read her story and feel sorry for her, and she did have a tough life, but she's just too naturally unpleasant to be redeemed. Tony beating her up is horrific though and cannot be excused. Very pleased she wouldn't go back to him.

Not sure why Fen always irks me, she just does. She's sweet but just too obviously "plucky little heroine" to actually like. Abby is redeemed by her ability to endure and because she is essentially kind. Chessie would be a real monster but is an amusing read- and she's also strangely capable of kindness, she's genuinely kind to Luke. Which makes her more rounded somehow.

Interesting how the one character no one seems to like is Helen. Despite her marriage to Rupert fucking her up, she's still somehow unlikable in her own right.

@kennelmaid

The thread is about fave JC moments. Rather poor show to post about disliking her. Next time just scroll past.

I do live in a village/hamlet and it's nothing like the stories of Jilly.

I wish I did live in a cosy cottage with apple logs and Taggie dropping around delicious meals when I was unwell. Also I'd like a good snoop around Penscombe.

I've never read the girls names books which would you recommend ?

Slay I'd start with Octavia

There's one (I think it's Emily) where she's off in the wilds of the Highlands of Scotland and the fly-in-the-ointment has long curly red hair and a big sulky mouth who drops in just after the heroine has eaten an entire tin of potato salad !

Fen's transformation and her purple riding coat lined with pink silk (she'd never get to wear that) sitting just on the hip. With her sharkskin breeches and no knickers "because they spoil the line" (and you can guess what happened )

My favourite non-horsey character is Taggie's father, can't recall his name. Freddie's wife was based on Linda Snell I'm sure, or vice versa! The later books, especially Wicked! are verging on the ridiculous which is a shame, she needs to know when to stop. The next will no doubt be football based, with Rupert's adopted daughter and her boyfriend at the centre. Rupert as a Mourinho type?

Jilly writing about football would be dreadful. She needs to stick to what she knows. That’s why the school one (can’t remember title) was so bad - she clearly has no experience of state education!

In Appassionata when Flora is crying in the car with Viking and cheers up a bit when she sees a very drunk Davie Buckle on Rutminster bridge lobbing a plucked turkey in the air shouting, ‘Go on, you bastard, fly’.

Even thinking of the scene makes me laugh to myself!

I read Imogen when I was about 15 and absolutely loved it, I think there was a tv adaptation with Gemma Craven. I read a few others, Octavia etc but none were as good.
A phrase I’ll never forget was “Finn came in looking boot faced” it still makes me giggle 🤭

@MissingGeorgeMichael fair point. Can I just ask you though, do you find that particular passage crass and distasteful too?

Haha PinkAvocado - thanks for the reminder of the Davie Buckle turkey scene!

@kennelmaid

The books were written in a different time. What was acceptable then isn't always acceptable now but books aren't updated to reflect the changes in society.

“Got a cock like a baseball bat. Used to hit bread rolls across the dining room wth it at school”.

I'm convinced that Nico Calvert and I would have a bonktastically happy and loving marriage with 4 kids and about 6 gorgeous hounds stacked beside the aga.

I used to love jc back in the day! I know i would hate them now so won't reread! Faves were Polo and The Man who made Husbands Jealous. Never liked Rupert much. I liked Perdita even though she was often horrible. I used to lose about 10 lbs back in the day when heartbroken so can relate to that! Loved her descriptions of nature and animals and all the shagging seemed quite shocking at the time as did her obsession for shaving off pubic hair!

Liked the one also where Ranaldini was killed off. I don't think any of the more recent ones are any good?

Has no one mentioned Pandora yet? I like that one. They may be bonkbusters but the level of research that must have gone into it is impressive. I hate Anthea, loved Visitor!

I've read Riders through to Jump, but for re reading, I stop after Score! (the one where she kills off Ranners). That was the last good one, Imo.

I must admit I found Pandora pretty unreadable. Quite liked Jump, and bits of Wicked are fun but overall it's on the uncomfortable side - weirdly, her writing about teenagers and sex in Rivals is sweet (Caitlyn and Archie) but by Wicked it's got a bit icky.

Love JC, must re read them. I think my favourite character has to be Dame Hermione Harefield and the time Ranaldini chased her naked around the indoor school with a lunge whip. So un PC. Can you imagine the AIBU?