The Pursuit of Love

[NurseButtercup]

Oh the absolute irony of the words of the character played by Dominic West in this trailer!! Wasn't he start shagging Lily James when he was filming this TV series???

This will be on BBC from 9th May - looks good.

Enjoyed this evelynwaughsociety.org/news/ including the Craig Brown article. That quote is mentioned - apparently it’s in a letter to Evelyn Waugh dated 21 May 1948. Nancy would have been forty-three.

Tatiana Bis I guess she was considerably older than 18 when she wrote it.

Sorry - didn’t read mrssmiling’s post.

@Andante57
Just to share Nicola Beauman’s comment about ‘The Pursuit of Love’.
‘There is no novel in English which ends on such a memorable note. It is the great ending, comparable in emotional effect to the opening of ‘Rebecca’ (1938): ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’
Can’t add italics to format properly...but she emphasises ‘the’.

@TatianaBis

The quote about masturbation did come from Nancy, it’s in her letters.

I don’t know how old she was when she said it though.

It's quite tasteless though to bring it into a Sunday night drama imo. I think reading it is slightly different

The Sabbath being a non-masturbation day?

Any day tbh😊

@TatianaBis

The Sabbath being a non-masturbation day?

I am amazed they knew what masturbation was. Most women didn’t even know what sex was .

I enjoyed it. But I haven't read the books.

It did feel like they'd probably taken some liberties with the conversations the girls were having - they felt a bit too liberal bearing in mind when the books were written!

I have downloaded the compendium of all 8 books to read

Ive just watched all three episodes on i player. I enjoyed it.

I've watched it now and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a riotous romp of a TV tonic for me. Very full-on and vivid but just what I needed after a year of watching too many thrillers/Scandi Noir dramas.

I saw the first episode last night. Feel a bit mixed about it. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be! The music is great but is just really out of place. I've never heard of Andrew Scott before, but agree, his character is the only person I'm interested in. He isn't attractive to me, but certainly has some kind of magnetism.

Also agree with the horsey toffiness being a bit much, but I also kind of like Dominic West being over the top and eccentric. I will probably watch though as it's a nice pretty escape from mundane life.

Emily Mortimer’s best friend, kids and mother are all in this. It is dripping with nepotism and that’s enough to have put me right off.

That's just bloody awful isn't it? Anyone would think this is the world of politics and not entertainment. I wonder if Louisa was one of her friends, she looked about 35, but was meant be be 18.

I've watched them all and actually cried at the end. I thought there were some interesting themes. I was very excited to see Hicham from Call My Agent in the final episode!!! Think I might try to read some of her books.

Do read The Pursuit of Love and Love In A Cold Climate by Nancy and also Hons and Rebels by Jessica. Nancy’s other novels aren’t in the same league but they have their moments, and there’s also lots of readable Mitfordiana like the letters- they wrote great letters.

I found Nancy’s novels disappointing. She’s funny and good at one liners but her characterisation, when not simply describing her family and friends, is poor and her command of narrative almost non-existent.

Much preferred Hons and Rebels and Nancy’s letters.

Hicham as Fabrice was so wrong! Not tall enough for a start ...

Also found the sapphic undertones too much - why must a close friendship between two women be sexualised like that? Hard to believe it was written and directed by a woman, because that felt like it was there for the titillation of men. My Mum (in her 80s) who first encouraged me to read the book would have hated it.

Overall I liked it but didn't love it.

Yes and the same with relationships between men

I've watched half of the second episode, it's a bit better but there are still the unnecessary lesbian overtones even with a random woman Linda meets in Spain.

I must have been watching a different programme or might be a bit dim but I never noticed any sapphic undertones/lesbian hints.
I got a sense of unconditional love between Fanny & Linda as in mother & child.
With a strong sense of maternal exasperation from Fanny with Linda's antics.

How could you miss them??!! They were all over each other in episode 1, writhing on a bed and practically snogging at one point.
And again in episode 2 with that sexy communist woman in Spain.

TracyBeakerSoYeah

I must have been watching a different programme or might be a bit dim but I never noticed any sapphic undertones/lesbian hints.

You were probably watching a different programme.

#bekind

@Tulipomania re the Sapphic overtones - I absolutely agree, I felt they were put in for titillation.

Must have been when I popped out to put the kettle on 🤣

TracyBeakerSoYeah

Must have been when I popped out to put the kettle on 🤣

You need a new kettle.

Though to be serious teenage experimentation especially in that period & class with a lack of males to practise on does not make them all lesbians.
That's why I didn't view it as having lesbian undertones just teenagers/young girls messing about.

That's my opinion & as this thread shows we all have varying opinions on the programme. Some loved it & some hated it.