Jilly Cooper?

[Fruitarian123]

Does anyone still read Jilly Cooper?

In the bath tub like me 😉

No. I read Viz. In the outside toilet.

@Jackanackanory What is Viz?

It’s a lifestyle magazine. A bit like Town & Country.

I will re-read them now you have reminded me! Love them...especially Riders.

Not in the bath though. Hate baths.

I love Jilly Cooper, my go to summer in the garden reads. Well, up until Appassionata. My favourite is The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous.

Hasn't she got a new one coming out soon about football?

😂

No Bath but I ended up getting them all on kindle after Riders was a 99p daily deal and I got hooked again! Read them all the way through in order to Mount! 😁

My comfort reads.
Could possibly be my specialist subject on Mastermind.

Not in the bath, but if I fancy a bit of escapism, then Jilly does the trick.

😂😂

I’ve never read one of hers, might have to try one. I’m into my retro books at the moment. Currently reading Rosamunde Pilchers again.

Polo is the best!

I love her! Have read them all about three times. They have aged so badly but still love them.

Currently rereading score !

Her first books were great and I read them regularly but her recent ones got worse and worse. Also a bit dated with the sexist attitudes

I always have a bit of time for Jolly Super !

51 and I've never read a Jilly Cooper! 🙈 Which one should I read first?

First one I read, aged 13, was "Emily" and then the rest of the "name" books ("Harriet", "Bella", "Octavia" etc).
I also read some of her non-fiction books in my teens, mostly collections of her journalism (eg "Jolly Super") and others like "Class" and "Men and Supermen".
Read "Riders" followed by "Rivals" when they first came out and loved them.
I'd suggest - if starting now - a couple of the name books (my favourites are "Emily" and "Prudence"), followed by "Riders" and "Rivals" (the first two of the Rutshire Chronicles).
She can get a bit repetitive: the same jokes crop up and, latterly in the Rutshire Chronicles, she has to remind her readers who someone is every time they're mentioned! Eg one of the pupils in "Wicked" has a father who's a boxer and is always referred to as "Pearl's boxer dad". Even Pearl calls him "my boxer dad".
I'd also suggest reading "Class" at some point as it mentions the various characteristics of different classes which are then seen in characters in her books. She obviously dislikes the nouveau riche if they don't remain "salt of the earth" types (Freddie Jones drops his aitches: good; Valerie Jones says "Ay" instead of "I": bad) and the lower middle class (which Valerie hails from).

Her books exhibit a lot of "ideas of their time" (as Radio 4 extra say when they transmit an old sitcom) and "Wicked" is a step too far for many, including me.

However, she's still my comfort read and I probably wouldn't do badly with her as a specialist subject on "Mastermind" 😳

😂

I love Jilly! Fave characters have to involve Janey Lloyd-Fox, Rannaldini, Cosmo and Ace from Prudence! Oh, and obviously, ‘that shit, Campbell-Black’!

I hated the more recent one/ones with Etta though have to say I liked Wicked and Score even though they involved some more dodgy stuff!

Ahh brilliant, I've been reading them again, after first reading them in my teens. I started off reading them 'ironically', but bloody love them. Am about to start 'score'.

I have several of the Rutshire chronicles on audiobook and Listen whilst commuting. Bit of a guilty pleasure :)

🤣🤣🤣

Shit, I meant to quote this, priceless. 😂😂