Dorothy Whipple

[DuchessofMalfi]

I picked up a copy of her short stories - The Closed Door And Other Stories, from the library and started reading it yesterday. It's excellent.

I'm really enjoying literature from or set in the early part of the 20th century at the moment and this fits the bill completely.

Has anyone else read her work? Ridiculously delighted to find another author I love :)

[Orangesarenottheonlyfruit]

oh yes and please put Miss Buncle's Book on your next reading lists. Funny, touching and absolutely sweet, can't believe the beeb haven't made a series of them yet!

[nkf]

Hijacking the Whipple fan club thread to tell everyone that Rumer Godden's novels are being re-released by Virago.

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

nkf I noticed that, too. In The Bookseller, I think. (I sometimes read it in the library to keep up to date with booky things.) I was wondering if Dorothy Whipple's books were similar to Godden's. I've read Greengage Summer, and one or two others.

The Diddakoi was one of my favourite children's books and I still have my copy.

[KindleMum]

I love her books too. My favourite PB books so far are Miss Buncle's Book and Miss Pettigrew lives for a day. Don't like Monica Dickens though.

[nkf]

They're not similar exactly, More that they are both early 20th century, mid market writers. And both a bit neglected and very very good.

[KindleMum]

Has anyone read Miss Buncle Married?

[Ambridge]

I do like Monica Dickens - but I keep going back to 'One Pair of Hands' and 'One Pair of Feet'. I love them.

Rumer Godden also fab. 'Black Narcissus'....

[nkf]

As a teenager, I loved Kate and Emma. It seemed so grown up.

[Ambridge]

I notice that Persephone have 'Miss Buncle Married' on their list. That's on my tbr pile.

Has anyone read any Stella Gibbons, by the way? 'Cold Comfort Farm' is the only one people remember nowadays, but she wrote a massive number of books. I got into her in a big way at one point and picked up quite a lot in second-hand shops. 'Nightingale Wood' and 'Westwood' were reprinted fairly recently; both well worth a read.

[KindleMum]

Oh yes, Ambridge, I loved Nightingale Wood.

Also enjoyed The Making of a Marchioness - Frances Hodgson Burnett, another Persephone.

Does anyone else wish they published on Kindle too, as well as in their beautiful paperbacks?

[Orangesarenottheonlyfruit]

Oh yes to Frances Hog Burnett, lovely adult books. I thought that adaptation of The Making of a Marchioness was awful though, I was hugely disappointed.

I have Miss Buncle's Married ready, saving it for a treat, can't wait.
will look out Rumer Hidden, hadn't come across her.

[Lomaamina]

I've probably read all of Monica Dickens, from One Pair of Hands and all the dozens since. 'The Listeners' is really special - a fictional account of the early days of The Samaritans. Both the PB books by her are good reads, although I found the casual anti-semitism in 'Marianne' rather shocking .

I've just had a peek at her entry on Fantastic Fiction www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/d/monica-dickens/ and it reminded me of her lovely 'World's End' children's series.

Regarding the attitude of PB shop staff: I think we should have a march on Lambs' Conduit Street, Mumsnet scarves aloft, demanding a warm welcome. Although, I cannot say I'm a small woman, rather the contrary, so I won't fit in with the others on this board. I think if you want to fit you should be slim, youngish, smartly dressed and with a posh accent. I don't meet any of those criteria, sadly!

Seriously, the impression I get is that they are first and foremost a mail-order company and the shop side of things is - literally - a distraction.

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

nkf Thank you for the comment. I haven't read any Godden for ages, but will add some of hers to my list, too.

Rather worrying when the list of "books to read or re-read" starts to get long enough to be a short novel!

[highlandcoo]

Loaamina can I come on your march (even though they were nice to me on that one occasion) - I haven't marched anywhere for years

Cannot claim to be young, smartly dressed or with anything resembling a posh accent though

[Graceparkhill]

I think we need to know the secret of your success Highlandcoo. If I ever go again( unlikely ) I am going to put on my mother's best telephone voice and possibly wear my Glasgow Uni scarf circa 1976.

[Orangesarenottheonlyfruit]

Thanks for the hidden recommendations. Have bought three to start me off.
I love buying new books, it feels like the ultimate decadent treat, better even than clothes or food. Heaven.

[DuchessofMalfi]

You've hit the nail on the head there Oranges. That's just how it feels :)

[lainiekazan]

Well, I am starting to look scarily like my mother and fear I have her telephone voice to boot but still got the bum's rush in the shop. Does one have to have a St Hilda's scarf? Or is it St Hugh's? Trying to think of women-only Oxford colleges whose alumnae (no Latin - excuse possibly wrong ending) might snort with derision at plebs who might just be able to read one of their books with their finger going along under each line.

[gailforce1]

Oranges you are so right! Giving up Lattes for a while as I have just asked my local bookshop to put their only Persephone book - The Exiles Return by Elisabeth de Waal - to one side for me. I like to support my independent bookshop rather than order direct and can't wait to have my first Persephone book in my hands! Thank you for this thread Duchess though I am not sure my bank balance will agree!

[MrsBartlet]

Ooh I like the look of the Miss Buncle books! I have Miss Pettigrew on my to read pile by my bed. Tomorrow when I go into work, I will be getting Greenbanks and The Making of a Marchioness.

I also have Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love on my to read pile. I have read various books about the Mitfords but I am ashamed to say I haven't read anything by them. DH picked up a second hand copy of Love in a Cold Climate so I had an excuse to buy The Pursuit of Love so that I can read it first!

Unfortunately I am slowly wading my way through Elizabeth Jane Howard's first Cazalet book which I am not really enjoying but I am determined to finish.

[mrsshackleton]

I LOVE DW have read all her books, any recs in a similar vein much appreciated. Though I didn't care for Miss Buncle much or the Making of a Marchioness. Fortnight in September is superb, also Little Boy Lost.

I've had some dealings with lady behind Perseph and found her VERY snooty and difficult, big shame as it's my favourite imprint by a million miles.

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

I went to the bookshop this morning. They had a lovely row of Persephone books but no Dorothy Whipple. I've ordered Greenbanks, should be in tomorrow

Another vote for buying books over food or clothes. I have no clothes from 20 or 30 years ago (and certainly no food!) but plenty of books.

[lainiekazan]

Handbags and shoes leave me cold, but a sighting of an unexplored second-hand bookshop and I'm off like a greyhound.

[nkf]

Me too. Or a market stall of second hand books.

[Lomaamina]

Ooh yes, second-hand book shops are my secret vice too. N.B. if you make it to PB, go up the road to the Brunswick Centre for the excellent Skoob Books www.skoob.com/ and then out to Marchmont Street, where there are some great second hand bookshops too (and some nice veggie eateries if you've any money left by this point).