📚The Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' Book Group - All welcome to join📚

[MotherofPearl]

Welcome to the Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' Book Group, where we read and discuss fiction from the 1930s to the 1990s that would have been described as 'contemporary' in its day.

The best introduction to the 'rather dated' concept would be to read the wonderful thread which inspired this group:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4596284-rather-dated?reply=119670989

To summarise, a number of posters expressed disappointment that literature of the 20th Century is often dismissed as 'rather dated' because society has moved on from many of the values and lifestyles described.

Previous posters decided to create a reading group where the literary merits of such fiction can be appreciated, with any 'rather dated' elements being a point of interest rather than a reason to dismiss a novel.

We read one book a month. Our first book, that inspired the original thread, was The Road to Lichfield by Penelope Lively. We have been going for about 18 months now, and each new book gets its own discussion thread, started on the first of the month.

Our March 2024 book is Penelope Fitzgerald's The Bookshop. We will begin the discussion of this on 1 April.

Please do join the thread whether you want to take part in the discussion or just place mark to follow it.

Fellow Rather Dated people, please add anything important I might have missed!

(With huge thanks to ImJustMadAboutSaffron for the original thread and idea).

I hope Antarcticant, who started the last thread, won’t mind that I’ve started this new one.

Glad to see we still have a group going. 
I don't think everyone should feel they have to read every book.

I'm sorry to hear about your DD, @ChannelLightVessel. I hope you find some respite here with books and chat.

I've just ordered a new (well, reconditioned) Kindle as my 12 year old Kindle is no longer supported and I stopped being able to download anything. So I may be a little late starting Our Spoons, but I'm looking forward to it. The title is certainly - and pleasingly - rather dated.

Looking forward to chatting about it!

What's the current book? I'm reading Octopus by Guy Lawson and it's quite a read!

The book for this month is The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks. We have a separate thread for it on this board.

You will love The Fancy, @JaneJeffer . I hope so, anyway.

Hello, I'm still interested! Just busy atm and often only make it to the discussion threads when everything has already been said.
I've read Our Spoons... before, and it's a bit depressing for a reread, so will skip next month but will check in for the book after that.

For fans of The Fancy, I recently read and would recommend Inez Holden's Night Shift (republished with her Blitz diaries by Handheld Press as Blitz Writing.)

Excellent, that sounds interesting @inaptonym, thanks

I've started a thread to discuss Our Spoons, in case anyone has finished it.

📚 'Rather Dated' June: Barbara Comyns’ ‘Our Spoons Came from Woolworths’📚 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/whatweree_reading/5109413-rather-dated-june-barbara-comyns-our-spoons-came-from-woolworths

Thank you @MotherofPearl I'll be along soon. I need to do a quick look over it to refresh my memory.

I will be along soon - I only started reading it yesterday!

I’ll be along as soon as I’ve read it. I thought I had, but I realise I’ve only read the Vets Daughter, and the one with mistletoe in the title the name of which escapes me.

I must get on with it, it’s been sitting on my desk waiting!

I think I’ve missed the L shaped room. I ordered it from the library and then just didn’t pick it up … life has rather exploded around me lately and I am all of a dither. But I loved the Comyns and I’m going to try and centre myself by reading more. Do we have a book for after the Reid Banks?

We don't have anything lined up yet for next month, Stella.

I'm confused what's after our spoons came from woolworths?

Nothing yet @BadSpellaSpellaSpella . Spoons is the most recent one and L Shaped Room was before that.

Any suggestions from anyone? Here’s a few on my TBR list if anyone fancies any of these:

A House In The Country - Jocelyn Playfair
Westwood - Stella Gibbons
Something In Disguise - Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Long View - Elizabeth Jane Howard
Doreen - Barbara Noble
Mariana - Monica Dickens

I’m reading A House in the Country at the moment, @ChessieFL, so that would suit me very well - I’ve read 3 of the others already. We’ve had a Monica Dickens and an EJ Howard, I think? But happy with any suggestions.

Happy with any one of those but would swap Westwood to starlight be that author.

The only one I've read is something in disguise which would make an excellent discussion

I'm currently reading Monica Dickens's Mariana and thoroughly enjoying it.

If House in the Country is available on Kindle then I'm happy with that. I'm going to be away for the next 3 weeks with very uncertain WiFi; can I ask @FuzzyCaoraDhubh or any other of our regulars to start the next thread please?

Hello all! Yes @MotherofPearl I can start off our next thread, no bother at all.

I have reserved 'A House in the Country' on the library system. There is one copy of it and it's out on loan in Dublin. I can't see any cheap copies of it on WOB (all around the 20 euro mark) and I don't see it on Kindle. So...maybe I'll get to read it in time for discussion next month?! I think we could pencil it in as our next read even if I'm a little bit late. (I'll put up the thread anyway).

Perhaps we could choose something else if House isn’t available on kindle. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Would anyone be tempted by a Nancy Mitford? I wondered about Wigs on the Green or The Blessing.

I would be very happy with a Mitford. I have read them all but have no problems with a reread.

I've never read a Mitford but would be very interested!

I’m currently reading Doreen! It’s great so thank you for the recommendation. I’ve only read Love in a Cold climate by Nancy Mitford, so happy with any of hers .