Joanna Trollope - Daughters in Law

[SecretSquirrels]

It must be 20 years since I read a Joanna Trollope. I never particularly liked her writing. I recently picked this up in the library and am really enjoying it.

Perhaps it's because I'm now middle aged and the mother of sons, albeit not a MIL hopefully for some years yet. The central character here is used to a lifetime of being in control and number one in her sons' affections. She finds it painful that their wives now come first and handles it badly.

One comment by the daughter in law Charlotte was particularly stinging. The wife's mother always comes first before the husband's mother.

I love JT. She's very observant re family dynamics. Other People's Children is excellent.

Unfortunately the character makes a good point. I sympathise with my own MIL. She has no daughters, 5 sons and (so far) 4 DILs. All of us happen to be very close to our own mothers, and they do come first - not out of spite, it's just a very different relationship. We don't leave her out; but she's just not our "Mum".

Fortunately for her, she has brought up give very attentive sons.

*five

I am reading it and really enjoying it- also mum of 2 boys and have a mil. Great book- very readable.

I am now going to seek out more JT. Any recommendations? It's not the sort of thing I normally read but I loved this book.
My late MIL was a lovely lady, mother of two son's but died many years ago. I always had to remind DH to ring her once a week. He just didn't get the fact that she would be thrilled to hear from him even if he didn't think he had anything to tell her.

Other People's Children is my favourite of hers. Also love A Village Affair.

I have a real sneaking regard for Joanna Trollope - she has a talent for writing really ghastly characters imo. The stories are all very well written. But they are not called aga sagas for nothing.

My favourites are A Spanish Lover and the Rector's Wife, both with eminently slappable heroines.

The Rector's Wife is one of her early ones. I read it when it was first published in the early 1990s, before I had children.
I think you take something different from reading a book at different stages of your life, I will read it again and I suspect enjoy it more now.

I really enjoyed it - I discovered her a month or two ago and I've been reading my way through them. Some are quite weak but lots are really good.

I thought she was spot-on about all the unspoken stuff, and the way the FIL feels he has to support his wife even though he knows she is wrong..

I really like JT's plots but I find her writing style too "perfect", too precise so her books end up "reading" the same and her characters don't ever feel differentiated, IME. I enjoy the stories though.

I have just read the Soldier's Wife. It was good I suppose and raised some issues that need taken into consideration by the forces. Obviously moving from a war zone to a civilian life is difficult but it didn't really gel for me. The older relatives didn't seem believable at all and returning to work when you have small children, whether husband is around or not is harder than it was made to seem imo.

she brings out a schizophrenic reaction in me, I read too much of her about ten years ago and had to give them all away. Good at family dynamics I agree but her style is SO repetitive.

I recall that I began to obsess over her repeated use of the word "plainly", always in trying to describe how some character felt blout something someone else had just said or done. Also seemed to me to have only room in her head for one very narrow outlook on what it is "right" to do.

Have managed to stay away from her since then and been making an effort to read stuff that challenges me a bit more - unless I am tired!

Haven't read JT for ages but this caught my eye today and looking forward to holiday read.Got three daughters not sons ,but middle aged mum and interested in the changing dynamics of family once their partners are thrown into the mix.Also interested in the Soldiers Wife as one has a military other half.