Mount by Jilly Cooper - SPOILERS!

[MrsCampbellBlack]

So do not read this thread if you have not read the whole book.

Obviously it's up to you if you want to say I am never reading another Jilly Cooper book again

But given the variety of responses to the book, it might be better to read it and then decide for yourself rather than trusting the judgement of others.

I have just re-read. It was better second time around. Still full of howlers and still can't get over Buttercunt, but liked he fact that he realised. And thought Gala and Gav was actually signposted quite well.

Gav and Gala was signposted perfectly well and if she had slept with any other "unsuitable man to sleep with before the correct one" it would have been fine. But not Rupert. Nobody is allowed to upset Taggie.

Trills - I totally agree. But I think I missed the Gala/Gav stuff first time as I knew she was going to shag Rupert and was looking at that.

I didn't WANT her to shag Rupert so I was hoping that he would come to his senses and reject her because he loves Taggie and wants to be faithful to her and wanted to go and be nicer to her, and in that rejection she would find Gav, and that WOULD HAVE BEEN A FINE STORY JILLY.

I agree with that Trills although I suspect that if you've cheated on so many previous partners it must be like putting on a pair of comfortable old favourite shoes. Bridget Jones has a similar romance/realism split in the online dating compatible match and darcy.

If he started having sex at 15, then he spent 20 years shagging about.

But he THEN spent 20+ years being faithful to Taggie.

Re reading some old books and having just finished TMWMHJ I completely agree about Natasha and Ferdie. Also Kitty and Lysander!
I know they popped up in subsequent books but not enough for my liking.

On an unrelated note, is JC the only person in the world to call a dishwasher a 'washing up machine'.

I'm on Polo and I swear it's on every single page!

I love my washing up machine.

Kitty and Lysander are definitely mentioned, so we know they are still together.

I think Jilly is the sole author and user of the phrase washing up machine, it's very her. She likes to talk about washing up machine powder as well, in her world neither the solid nor liquid tablets have ever been invented.

I went back and read Jump! and then reread Mount. It stood up better on a second reading.

I do think we used to talk about washing-up machines when they first arrived. And I am the same age as Rupert (in one incarnation anyway).

I've just read Polo too, and laughed at the washing up machine.

Also seemingly on every page, is a mention of how brown someone is.

I've got to Rupert and Taggies wedding and my most favourite outfit description in any JC book. Daisy wears

"A black velvet blazer printed with big pale pink roses, black velvet knickerbockers, a white frilled shirt and black buckled shoes. She had added a bright pink cummerbund and tied her hair back with a black satin bow"

I'd love some black velvet knickerbockers

it's so delightfully 80s, my mum used to cook herself any sunny day because 'everyone looks better with a tan'.

I loved the original books in this series, Riders, Rivals, Polo, and TMWMHJ, even thought Appasionata was ok, but after that I started to lose interest with with the ones that followed about art, schools, racing. I think that I need to read them all again starting from scratch before I can appreciate the latest one . It's definitely not the book it could have been :(

Anthea, I bought a black cord blazer printed with big pink roses in about 2004 because it looked so exactly like Daisy's blazer in Polo! I loved that blazer and wore it until it was threadbare and greyish. Sadly I never got the knickerbockers or the cummerbund.

I think the knickerbockers and cummerbund would have really finished the outfit off too.

I found my second favourite, also in Polo

"Chessie had turned up late for lunch wearing a brown suede jacket and gauchos tucked into black boots and clinched with a big black leather belt"

Later on she tops it off a black sombrero.

They really did know about style in the eighties.

P.S what the bloody hell are gauchos anyway?

I've just read this and wish I hadn't - I loved all her earlier books but wish id stopped at Rivals.

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Even better than washing - up machine was the 'drying-up cloth drawer' as seen in Mount. Otherwise known as teatowels. Don't ever change Jilly (except maybe by cutting out OAP oral rape references).

I do hope Taggie gives RCB hell when she's recovered from her treatment.

I loved all her earlier books but wish id stopped at Rivals.

So after two books then? :)

I think Riders is not really that great - Rivals is the very best with Polo a close second, but I'd rather read TMWMHJ or even Apassionata than Riders.

I've just finished Pandora - all the bits about adoption are much more interesting now I know that Jilly adopted her own children! I actually really liked it on re-reading, with the possible exception of the bits about Alizarin going blind but not seeking any medical help. I know he's supposed to be the incarnation of Pride, but come on, the first thing anyone would do would be to go and get their eyes tested and get whatever help was available! And then he winds up homeless because Anthea and Jupiter kick him out, so naturally the only options are to continue to try to paint while unable to see properly, until he runs out of money and gets kicked out by his landlady - again, there's a perfectly good free health service in this country, and no one notices that he can't see properly at any point! He's living on the streets because he's too proud to ask for help - I mean, really? He could go to Jonathon or Sienna. And he's horrible to Sophy. I know I said he was sexy earlier in the thread but I've changed my mind.

I'm intrigued by the flying suits with all the zips that Fenella and Helen wear. I tried Googling to find a picture but had no luck

I always thought a flying suit was a sort of jumpsuit with zips on it, like something Rhianna would wear.

Why is everyone always trembling wildly and drenched in sweat? I'd be off to smooth Dr Benson if that were me.