Jilly Cooper has a new book :)

[Alouiseg]

It will be published in September and it's called "Jump"

I cannot wait

Love it CJCregg

Glitterkitty - two of my favourites. Don't know what's stopping me one-clicking them from Amazon, apart from the fact that I'm broke ...

WhamBam, you're quite right. Declaiming.

'There is grey in your hair.
Young men no longer suddenly catch their breath
When you are passing;'

Poor Maud. Always thought of Geraldine James when I pictured her.

lol glitterkitty - I've spent years trying to work out what skin tight bermudas with braces and a cheesecloth shirt would actually look like because it sounds really unatractive - wasn't it called her clown outfit or something?

Oh dear god!!! A new Jilly out??!

Im a massive reader, and Ive throughly enjoyed her storytelling, and Ive read my favourite books of hers countless times. Dont flame me for this, but I think shes the modern day Jane Austen. I especially loved Rivals, Polo and The man who. Rivals had such a moving story about rupert and taggie falling in love, I hope it includes them in it.

Didnt make it through Wicked! much to my disappointment as the underage shenanigans were a bit much. But as some has said, when shes on form, I doubt she could be bettered. Her characters leap out from the pages, and form like real people in your mind. Im so excited!

Yes suzi- 'she was peculiarly sensitive to clothes!'

Oh! just reading about Pru and her first walk with the lovely Ace- with a hangover please note- '...you should try professor copeland if you want serious conversation, she snapped, and did a couple of cartwheels...'

Err, yesss... random cartwheeling?

And now Bernice has just arrived.

I love it! Actually Prudence is possibly my favourite. I re-read Bella the other night though and that's so good too - "enough scurf to bread a veal chop" What a way with words

And Harriet...oh, and Imogen. Not so fussed about Emily - I never really believed the happy ending in that one somehow.

I love Prudence best of the romances. Have only just come back to this thread after a few days away. I'm going to check back if we've discussed the dress with the huge cut-outs front and back.

I liked Emily, but yes it was a total mad fantasy.

Anyone remember a short story in 'Lisa & Co'- Kates wedding? Another canal boat, with a titsy blonde in leopardskin bikini, and luscious Tod the painter, who paints a bus for Lisa after she dumps pipe-sucking smug Hugh? and the really grim sex scene where tears soak into her ears?

Suzi, I totally agree about Emily. Rory whatsit the sistershagger ... nah. Cory Erskine, on the other hand ...

Didn't Bella wear just dungarees to the races? Those were the days.

LOL dearpru! Yes I couldnt work that dress out- someone examines her navel- I am envisaging a circular tummy cut out?

glitterkitty - yes, circular cut-out I think. She had to take it off to go to the loo and got caught by Ace having a pee in the nude.

I just re-read Lisa & Co and Kate's Wedding has definite shades of Octavia.

CJCregg - Rory Balniel. I always wanted Emily to go off with Finn. He seemed much nicer. I'll fight you for Cory though.

dearprudence, that's ok - I'm too busy chasing Declan O'Hara.

Rory Balniel was a bit too Bronte for me. It's a long time since I've read it (step away from the one-click button) but I don't think he had a shred of a sense of humour. An early prototype, she had to get a few wrong before delivering the goods.

Which of the characters do you all think you most resemble?

I'll have a think...

I always fancied Jack from Prudence and Kit from Harriet. The men def got better in the Rutshire chronicles - although its always ones with double barrelled names - Billy LF; Declan OH; Ricky FL

[slapper emoticon]

I think I am most like...Rupert

Really glitterkitty? Do you have blond hair swept back in two wings above your ears?

I'd like to look like Maud but suspect I'm a bit more Lizzie Vereker.

I'd like to look like Chessie or Daisy F-L but am more Tory Lovell - only heavier than her "heaving her eleven stone bulk around the cottage"

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1290586/12m-country-estate-goes-market-time-1-000-years.html

This is pretty much how I imagined Penscomb to look

Beautiful, but definitely not red brick, it had to be the mellow Gloucestershire stone.

This is why it can never translate onto the screen because everyone pictures things a bit differently.

I nominate Daniel Day Lewis as Declan.......obviously they'll ask us to cast due to our encyclopaedic knowledge of the books.

Im just reading Polo again. Loved Ricky's conversation with Daisy about "smelling like a ramblers crotch!"

Alouiseg - agree with you about the redbrick. I meant the style of the place, and also the cottages were a lot less tudor. Picky mares we are

Penscombe is definitely honey coloured.

I thought Declan was more like Antony Clare?

Who do you think Jilly herself is - is she Lizzie Vereker? Or are Lizzie and James early prototypes of Richard and Judy?

I think it looks like this

or this?

Definitely! You found it DearPrudence.

I can imagine a horse being ridden into the ballroom.

I might change my name to a Cooper Character!