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Barsetshire #12
Growing Up
Well-loved by a legion of devoted readers, Angela Thirkell's modern Barsetshire chronicles are terrific comedies of manners, sparkling in a way both sophisticated and sweet. Her ample sense of humor is obvious in the place names here of Winter Overcotes, Shearing Junction, Worsted, Lambton, Fleece, Skeynes, and Eiderdown. This gay atmosphere is set against the gloom of WWII with great effect.
Growing Up is a story of ladies and gentlemen--and their irrepressible children--keeping the war at bay in and about the country town. The estate of Beliers Priory in East Baretshire is the home of Sir Harry and Lady Waring. They open their home to convalescing soldiers. With their niece, young friends and a housemaid romance abounds both upstairs and downstairs as these children "grow up" in spite of their circumstances.
Her fictional stretch of English countryside, Barsetshire, is spirited with infatuations, endearments, cross-purposes--in other words, with good people going about the business of life, irresistibly entertaining in their determination to misunderstand each other.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1943
33 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Angela Thirkell
63 books262 followers Angela Margaret Mackail was born on January 30, 1890 at 27 Young Street, Kensington Square, London. Her grandfather was Sir Edward Burne-Jones the pre-Raphaelite painter and partner in the design firm of Morris and Company for whom he designed many stained glass windows - seven of which are in St Margaret's Church in Rottingdean, West Sussex. Her grandmother was Georgiana Macdonald, one of a precocious family which included among others, Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, and Rudyard Kipling. Angela's brother, Denis Mackail, was also a prolific and successful novelist. Angela's mother, Margaret Burne-Jones, married John Mackail - an administrator at the Ministry of Education and Professor of Poetry at Oxford University.
Angela married James Campbell McInnes in 1911. James was a professional Baritone and performed at concert halls throughout the UK. In 1912 their first son Graham was born and in 1914 a second son, Colin. A daughter was born in 1917 at the same time her marriage was breaking up. In November 1917 a divorce was granted and Angela and the children went to live with her parents in Pembroke Gardens in London. The child, Mary, died the next year.
Angela then met and married George Lancelot Thirkell in 1918 and in 1920 they traveled on a troop ship to George's hometown in Australia. Their adventures on the "Friedricksruh" are recounted in her Trooper to the Southern Cross published in 1934. In 1921, in Melbourne Australia, her youngest son Lancelot George was born. Angela left Australia in 1929 with 8 year old Lance and never returned. Although living with her parents in London she badly needed to earn a living so she set forth on the difficult road of the professional writer. Her first book, Three Houses, a memoir of her happy childhood was published in 1931 and was an immediate success. The first of her novels set in Trollope's mythical county of Barsetshire was Demon in the House, followed by 28 others, one each year.
Angela also wrote a book of children's stories entitled The Grateful Sparrow using Ludwig Richter's illustrations; a biography of Harriette Wilson, The Fortunes of Harriette; an historical novel, Coronation Summer, an account of the events in London during Queen Victoria's Coronation in 1838; and three semi-autobiographical novels, Ankle Deep and Oh, These Men, These Men and Trooper to the Southern Cross. When Angela died on the 29th of January 1961 she left unfinished the last of her books, Three Score and Ten which was completed by her friend, Caroline LeJeune. Angela is buried in Rottingdean alongside her daughter Mary and her Burne-Jones grandparents.
Angela married James Campbell McInnes in 1911. James was a professional Baritone and performed at concert halls throughout the UK. In 1912 their first son Graham was born and in 1914 a second son, Colin. A daughter was born in 1917 at the same time her marriage was breaking up. In November 1917 a divorce was granted and Angela and the children went to live with her parents in Pembroke Gardens in London. The child, Mary, died the next year.
Angela then met and married George Lancelot Thirkell in 1918 and in 1920 they traveled on a troop ship to George's hometown in Australia. Their adventures on the "Friedricksruh" are recounted in her Trooper to the Southern Cross published in 1934. In 1921, in Melbourne Australia, her youngest son Lancelot George was born. Angela left Australia in 1929 with 8 year old Lance and never returned. Although living with her parents in London she badly needed to earn a living so she set forth on the difficult road of the professional writer. Her first book, Three Houses, a memoir of her happy childhood was published in 1931 and was an immediate success. The first of her novels set in Trollope's mythical county of Barsetshire was Demon in the House, followed by 28 others, one each year.
Angela also wrote a book of children's stories entitled The Grateful Sparrow using Ludwig Richter's illustrations; a biography of Harriette Wilson, The Fortunes of Harriette; an historical novel, Coronation Summer, an account of the events in London during Queen Victoria's Coronation in 1838; and three semi-autobiographical novels, Ankle Deep and Oh, These Men, These Men and Trooper to the Southern Cross. When Angela died on the 29th of January 1961 she left unfinished the last of her books, Three Score and Ten which was completed by her friend, Caroline LeJeune. Angela is buried in Rottingdean alongside her daughter Mary and her Burne-Jones grandparents.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 3, 2020
I sometimes read book reviews that call someone a modern Jane Austen, and I never really agree with it. But... when Angela Thirkell is good, she is really, REALLY good, and in the midst of reading one of her best works (so far) I'd almost be inclined to heap the Jane-Austen encomium on her.
I love reading Angela Thirkell's books when I am by myself, to allow me the freedom of chuckling and hooting aloud whenever I take a notion. She can be gloriously funny. And just a few pages later, so pensive and gentle that you feel a little misty.
Anyway, in this book we are placed firmly in the middle of World War II. Lydia and her husband Noel (already introduced in previous books; Lydia is deservedly a favorite character of other reviewers) come to stay with the Warings while Noel is posted on some type of military duty.
The Warings' niece Leslie is also at the house, recovering from a string of nerve-wracking incidents related to her own war work.
Then Philip Winter, a colonel in the army and a previously known friend of Lydia and Noel, shows up. Readers may already be familiar with him as a schoolmaster who is now slightly older and wiser. He carries Leslie's suitcase from the train station one evening, and this begins their acquaintance. It continues, with many stops and starts, and doubts and fears, over the rest of the novel.
Since several of the characters were introduced in earlier books, the title of this one is appropriately "Growing Up." Lydia reflects a few times over the course of the book on how her friends from her teen years are maturing, and one of the pleasant surprises is how much she herself has grown up and yet somehow remained the same. She is still decisive, straightforward, and about as subtle as a hurricane, but she has somehow also acquired dignity and some self-control. This adjustment is credited at least partially to her husband Noel, who's a bit older than she is, and whom she loves madly.
The funny bits are mostly in the last half. Love it when Mrs. Morland, the extremely self-doubting and fairly incoherent author, comes to give an edifying lecture to the convalescing soldiers.
I think I have reached the point in Thirkell novels where, since so many of her characters are recurring, or at least related by marriage to other characters, I no longer feel like there are too many people. It's becoming easier to fix their roles in mind... although my handy dandy Angela Thirkell encyclopedia does help.
It's fun, though, realizing that you already know a character who has just popped in for a few pages, and you react to them before they even open their mouth. "Oh, NO, not Mrs. Spender!!!!!!" and you feel like telling the other characters, "Just try not to make eye contact. She's a loony."
I love reading Angela Thirkell's books when I am by myself, to allow me the freedom of chuckling and hooting aloud whenever I take a notion. She can be gloriously funny. And just a few pages later, so pensive and gentle that you feel a little misty.
Anyway, in this book we are placed firmly in the middle of World War II. Lydia and her husband Noel (already introduced in previous books; Lydia is deservedly a favorite character of other reviewers) come to stay with the Warings while Noel is posted on some type of military duty.
The Warings' niece Leslie is also at the house, recovering from a string of nerve-wracking incidents related to her own war work.
Then Philip Winter, a colonel in the army and a previously known friend of Lydia and Noel, shows up. Readers may already be familiar with him as a schoolmaster who is now slightly older and wiser. He carries Leslie's suitcase from the train station one evening, and this begins their acquaintance. It continues, with many stops and starts, and doubts and fears, over the rest of the novel.
Since several of the characters were introduced in earlier books, the title of this one is appropriately "Growing Up." Lydia reflects a few times over the course of the book on how her friends from her teen years are maturing, and one of the pleasant surprises is how much she herself has grown up and yet somehow remained the same. She is still decisive, straightforward, and about as subtle as a hurricane, but she has somehow also acquired dignity and some self-control. This adjustment is credited at least partially to her husband Noel, who's a bit older than she is, and whom she loves madly.
The funny bits are mostly in the last half. Love it when Mrs. Morland, the extremely self-doubting and fairly incoherent author, comes to give an edifying lecture to the convalescing soldiers.
I think I have reached the point in Thirkell novels where, since so many of her characters are recurring, or at least related by marriage to other characters, I no longer feel like there are too many people. It's becoming easier to fix their roles in mind... although my handy dandy Angela Thirkell encyclopedia does help.
It's fun, though, realizing that you already know a character who has just popped in for a few pages, and you react to them before they even open their mouth. "Oh, NO, not Mrs. Spender!!!!!!" and you feel like telling the other characters, "Just try not to make eye contact. She's a loony."
November 9, 2022
It was one of these books I hug to my heart (metaphorically and physically).
The atmosphere was like in Cheerfulness Breaks In: lovely, but also sad because of the war and all those boys.
Most of all, it was novel about growing up in those times. And the message, the way Mrs. Thirkell showed us her characters (so much loved by me) was priceless.
I was really happy to meet again Lydia, Noel, Philip, Tony (yes! Tony!) and his mother and a few other characters, even meeting Mrs. Spender (although I had the same thoughts like Alisha ;-) ). The relationship between Lydia and her brother Colin, between Lydia and Noel, between Lady Waring and her husband - deep, full of love and understanding, so moving. And I agree with Lydia completely:
There was love, waiting for letters from kin soldiers, coupons, all we had in three previous novels.
There was also Thirkell's wit (I burst into laughter a few times):
The main love story was charming and growing before our eyes (which isn't common in Thirkell's books), so this one can be called historical romance without a doubt. There were a few really romantic scenes.
And the end! Oh... I love those ends of Thirkell's novels. Turning off my tablet I felt that cheerfulness broke in again.
If you want to know more, I recommend review by Alisha and by QNPoohBear
The atmosphere was like in Cheerfulness Breaks In: lovely, but also sad because of the war and all those boys.
Most of all, it was novel about growing up in those times. And the message, the way Mrs. Thirkell showed us her characters (so much loved by me) was priceless.
I was really happy to meet again Lydia, Noel, Philip, Tony (yes! Tony!) and his mother and a few other characters, even meeting Mrs. Spender (although I had the same thoughts like Alisha ;-) ). The relationship between Lydia and her brother Colin, between Lydia and Noel, between Lady Waring and her husband - deep, full of love and understanding, so moving. And I agree with Lydia completely:
...no one is really grown-up...
There was love, waiting for letters from kin soldiers, coupons, all we had in three previous novels.
There was also Thirkell's wit (I burst into laughter a few times):
...she came down a little late owing to a misunderstanding with her lipstick which had not satisfied her and had to be wiped off and put on again twice.
...the villain was to have been Brazilian and then they seemed to be becoming allies so I had to change him. I cannot tell you how difficult it is to ring the changes on one's villains. If only Hitler had a few more allies it would be much easier.
The main love story was charming and growing before our eyes (which isn't common in Thirkell's books), so this one can be called historical romance without a doubt. There were a few really romantic scenes.
Leslie felt that something was coming which she had spent her whole life going to meet; something that had been coming towards her from the beginning of the world. But what it was she did not know, or would not let herself think. She only gave him a quick look and turned her head away.
And the end! Oh... I love those ends of Thirkell's novels. Turning off my tablet I felt that cheerfulness broke in again.
If you want to know more, I recommend review by Alisha and by QNPoohBear
September 2, 2017
World War II is raging on and the train station is not what it used to be, what with female porters, London evacuees turned petty thieves, no more ladies' waiting room and Sir Harry and Lady Waring living downstairs in their own home. The Priory has been turned into a convalescent home for soldiers with a strict Matron in charge; the Dower House is a top-secret base and servants are hard to come by. The Warings are happy living in reduced quarters with the middle-aged daughter of their former nanny in the kitchen and another local woman to "do" for them. Then they are asked to take in an unknown intelligence officer and his wife. Reluctant to give up more space to strangers, the Warings can't say no. They are delighted to discover the new guests are none other than the Mertons. Mrs. Merton, Lydia Keith that was, is the daughter of an old acquaintance and her energy and enthusiasm are just the thing to cheer up the Warings' niece Leslie. Leslie has had a nervous breakdown and needs to recover. Having other young people around will certainly cheer her up. As the weeks turn into months, the guests become like family as they weather courtships, folklore, a silly servant and numerous wounded servicemen. More than one couple will be affianced before the end of the novel.
It was such a delight to catch up with Lydia and Noel, Philip, Geraldine and Tommy, Mrs. Morland and Tony and other characters from previous novels. After the cliffhanger ending of Cheerfulness Breaks In I HAD to know what happened. I was not disappointed. The plot of the novel is a little complicated with several characters playing major roles but after I weeded the soldiers out and got to know the new characters, I enjoyed it very much. The plot moved pretty quickly but I felt like the ending was rushed. I want to know what happens next! Also, the bits about the railway were rather uninteresting, especially in the opening chapter. I gather the author was trying to paint a picture of a bygone era that was rapidly changing. I conclude she lamented the changes and was a staunch supporter of the strict class-based system of the pre-war era. This shows in the way characters address each other, how they interact, how work is done and also in Leslie's devotion to the estate and the people on it.
I picked this up mainly because I had enjoyed Lydia so much. She's a breath of fresh air among the taciturn British. She has changed a little now she's a married woman. I did not like how she felt the need to conform to Noel's tastes. At first I was uncomfortable with it but then the old Lydia would pop out every so often and I was happy to see it. She has grown up a lot because of the war and will probably grow even more. I had reservations about her marrying Noel, but she seems devoted to him and still has her own individual identity. Noel is still a nice guy, though rather boring.
Other recurring characters include Philip Winters, ex-schoolmaster and ex-Communist turned soldier. He narrowly escaped marriage to the ditzy Rose but is now longing for romance. He has a sensitive soul masked by wry humor. Philip is intelligent beyond my understanding and his book of Horace is the catalyst to bring him to the Priory and into the lives of the main characters. I liked his plot well enough but the misunderstandings drove me crazy. Also returning are Tommy Needham, the Dean's former secretary turned soldier. Tommy is in need of recuperation after fighting with the free French (a hilarious misunderstanding of the word fighting ensues) which brings him back to Barsetshire. He's grown a little more strong in mind and body but still a bit bashful. He seems attracted to strong women who will boss him around. Geraldine, his fiance, is frightening! She's efficient and strong-minded. She goes after what she wants with gusto! There is a brief appearance by a certain soldier's annoying wife and a very very brief cameo with the Mixo-Lydians "No No Never!"
The rest of the secondary characters are new, or new to me. Sir Harry and Lady Waring are very kind, generous people. I love their relationship. They're very sweet and loving towards each other. Angela Thirkell had a way of making elderly men very endearing and Lord Harry is no exception. I didn't love him as much as poor Lord Bond or deaf Lord Pomfret, but that's mostly because he is in such a loving relationship. His wife knows how to help him out without his knowing and take the reins in business transactions. The poor dear Lord Harry is a bit clueless, but very sweet. Lady Waring is also kind to young women who need an older mother/friend-figure in their lives. She is a very lovely person. Leslie Waring, their niece, is a complicated character. She's very driven in her career and her responsibilities left her literally high and dry (or low and wet) ending in a nervous breakdown. She is rather moody but perhaps because she has too much time to think and reflect. She is devoted to the estate and the people on it. Her identity is tied up into being the heir's sister and she can't imagine herself being anything else. She is intelligent and knows what she wants out of life professionally, but relationship wise, she isn't very smart. I did not like her constant misgivings and misunderstandings. They were rather deliberate on her part. I did like her relationship with Lydia. They both needed another young woman to confide in.
Downstairs we have Selina, the maid, a major character here. She's a middle-aged widow who acts like she's 20. She giggles a lot and that is a bit annoying but she is devoted to her employers and would never deliberately do anything to annoy them. She has her own romantic entanglements to sort out. I found her very immature and silly for her age. I didn't like how her romance played out and how everyone else thought they knew what was best for her. Her persistent suitor is Jasper Margett, a half-gypsy, mostly wild gamekeeper. He is an odd character for sure but amusing to the reader. Her other suitors include the various soldiers convalescing upstairs and just about any other man she meets. I wondered who she would choose and hoped she wouldn't choose any of them because I didn't like the way they went about their wooing. Selina's mother, Nanny Allen, plays a major role in the subplot about Tommy Needham. Nanny Allen is a bully! She would scare me if I lived with her. Her ruminations on "Baby Crawley" and other previous babies are absolutely hilarious.
The soldiers and Matron round out the cast of characters. I had a hard time following who was who. Matron provides for some funny moments, especially involving the kitten Winston.
This is another delightful entry into the Barsetshire series. I have to go back and read some of the earlier books so I can move forward and see what happens to everyone after the war ends.
It was such a delight to catch up with Lydia and Noel, Philip, Geraldine and Tommy, Mrs. Morland and Tony and other characters from previous novels. After the cliffhanger ending of Cheerfulness Breaks In I HAD to know what happened. I was not disappointed. The plot of the novel is a little complicated with several characters playing major roles but after I weeded the soldiers out and got to know the new characters, I enjoyed it very much. The plot moved pretty quickly but I felt like the ending was rushed. I want to know what happens next! Also, the bits about the railway were rather uninteresting, especially in the opening chapter. I gather the author was trying to paint a picture of a bygone era that was rapidly changing. I conclude she lamented the changes and was a staunch supporter of the strict class-based system of the pre-war era. This shows in the way characters address each other, how they interact, how work is done and also in Leslie's devotion to the estate and the people on it.
I picked this up mainly because I had enjoyed Lydia so much. She's a breath of fresh air among the taciturn British. She has changed a little now she's a married woman. I did not like how she felt the need to conform to Noel's tastes. At first I was uncomfortable with it but then the old Lydia would pop out every so often and I was happy to see it. She has grown up a lot because of the war and will probably grow even more. I had reservations about her marrying Noel, but she seems devoted to him and still has her own individual identity. Noel is still a nice guy, though rather boring.
Other recurring characters include Philip Winters, ex-schoolmaster and ex-Communist turned soldier. He narrowly escaped marriage to the ditzy Rose but is now longing for romance. He has a sensitive soul masked by wry humor. Philip is intelligent beyond my understanding and his book of Horace is the catalyst to bring him to the Priory and into the lives of the main characters. I liked his plot well enough but the misunderstandings drove me crazy. Also returning are Tommy Needham, the Dean's former secretary turned soldier. Tommy is in need of recuperation after fighting with the free French (a hilarious misunderstanding of the word fighting ensues) which brings him back to Barsetshire. He's grown a little more strong in mind and body but still a bit bashful. He seems attracted to strong women who will boss him around. Geraldine, his fiance, is frightening! She's efficient and strong-minded. She goes after what she wants with gusto! There is a brief appearance by a certain soldier's annoying wife and a very very brief cameo with the Mixo-Lydians "No No Never!"
The rest of the secondary characters are new, or new to me. Sir Harry and Lady Waring are very kind, generous people. I love their relationship. They're very sweet and loving towards each other. Angela Thirkell had a way of making elderly men very endearing and Lord Harry is no exception. I didn't love him as much as poor Lord Bond or deaf Lord Pomfret, but that's mostly because he is in such a loving relationship. His wife knows how to help him out without his knowing and take the reins in business transactions. The poor dear Lord Harry is a bit clueless, but very sweet. Lady Waring is also kind to young women who need an older mother/friend-figure in their lives. She is a very lovely person. Leslie Waring, their niece, is a complicated character. She's very driven in her career and her responsibilities left her literally high and dry (or low and wet) ending in a nervous breakdown. She is rather moody but perhaps because she has too much time to think and reflect. She is devoted to the estate and the people on it. Her identity is tied up into being the heir's sister and she can't imagine herself being anything else. She is intelligent and knows what she wants out of life professionally, but relationship wise, she isn't very smart. I did not like her constant misgivings and misunderstandings. They were rather deliberate on her part. I did like her relationship with Lydia. They both needed another young woman to confide in.
Downstairs we have Selina, the maid, a major character here. She's a middle-aged widow who acts like she's 20. She giggles a lot and that is a bit annoying but she is devoted to her employers and would never deliberately do anything to annoy them. She has her own romantic entanglements to sort out. I found her very immature and silly for her age. I didn't like how her romance played out and how everyone else thought they knew what was best for her. Her persistent suitor is Jasper Margett, a half-gypsy, mostly wild gamekeeper. He is an odd character for sure but amusing to the reader. Her other suitors include the various soldiers convalescing upstairs and just about any other man she meets. I wondered who she would choose and hoped she wouldn't choose any of them because I didn't like the way they went about their wooing. Selina's mother, Nanny Allen, plays a major role in the subplot about Tommy Needham. Nanny Allen is a bully! She would scare me if I lived with her. Her ruminations on "Baby Crawley" and other previous babies are absolutely hilarious.
The soldiers and Matron round out the cast of characters. I had a hard time following who was who. Matron provides for some funny moments, especially involving the kitten Winston.
This is another delightful entry into the Barsetshire series. I have to go back and read some of the earlier books so I can move forward and see what happens to everyone after the war ends.
February 11, 2026
Another charming Barsetshire novel, and one of several set during WWII. It's mostly a quiet English village comedy with a touch of romance, although there is a background of wartime anxiety and weariness, and worry for husbands and brothers and sons in peril. The book would stand alone, but many characters from past novels appear, and the title refers to the way the younger characters have matured and changed; in particular Lydia, the former self-centered hoyden, is now married and reflective.
These books tend to focus on upper-class characters: Sir Harry and Lady Waring lost their only son in the first war, and now they are living in the servants quarters of their house which has been requisitioned as a military convalescent home, on an encumbered estate which will pass to a nephew, while still attempting to carry out their antiquated lord-of-the-manor responsibilities. But there are plenty of ordinary people. For instance, the book opens with Mr. Beadle the stationmaster, who was long accustomed to ruling over a luxurious, well-ordered rail station and being admired by train-obsessed little boys. Now his station is shabby and under-lit; he has saucy cigarette-smoking girls for porters and no first class carriages to offer the gentry; and the little boys have turned their gaze to airplanes.
These books tend to focus on upper-class characters: Sir Harry and Lady Waring lost their only son in the first war, and now they are living in the servants quarters of their house which has been requisitioned as a military convalescent home, on an encumbered estate which will pass to a nephew, while still attempting to carry out their antiquated lord-of-the-manor responsibilities. But there are plenty of ordinary people. For instance, the book opens with Mr. Beadle the stationmaster, who was long accustomed to ruling over a luxurious, well-ordered rail station and being admired by train-obsessed little boys. Now his station is shabby and under-lit; he has saucy cigarette-smoking girls for porters and no first class carriages to offer the gentry; and the little boys have turned their gaze to airplanes.
June 23, 2013
While not my favorite of Thirkell's Barsetshire series - like other reviewers I am also working my way through chronologically - I found the increasingly somber and reflective tone fitting to the time this novel is set, three to four years into the war. There is still plenty of Thirkell's signature dry humor, affectionate portrayals of new characters (Nannie, Matron, Selina and Mr. Beedle were some of my faves!), and pleasurable visits from beloved old friends from previous outings. I read these books for the light, dry British humor, delightful characters and as corny as it sounds, a look at a vanished world - life in the English countryside in the golden years between world wars, which characters here silently lament but bravely endure with typical British stiff upper lips amid the amazing hardships, shortages and deprivations people cheerfully put up with for the war effort. America has been in two 10-year wars simultaneously and there has been no sacrifice asked or given except for a very tiny portion of the population that serves in the armed forces; I can't imagine modern Americans or Brits putting up with the conditions civilians endured in WWII! Greatest generation indeed...
September 20, 2007
Like cheap vanilla ice cream, this book is bland, sweet, and not particularly flavorful. Set in the fictional Barsetshire during WWII, this period piece shows us an England when mores, standards, and social roles are changing, but where there are still tea and nannies; the squire can't eat his dinner in peace because people turn to him for help with all their problems; and upper-class romances are the stuff of high drama while lower-class romances are played for comedy. But ah for a more innocent age, when middle-aged spinsters could call their cats "pussy" and the following exchange could be made with a perfectly straight face:
"I recall you used to love to ride the cock on the carousel."
"I still adore cocks, but I'm married now."
One of the biggest problems of this book is that it is one in an apparently interminable series, and it is so stuffed with references to incidents and persons in other books that it's rather like attending the high school reunion of someone you don't know very well to start with.
"I recall you used to love to ride the cock on the carousel."
"I still adore cocks, but I'm married now."
One of the biggest problems of this book is that it is one in an apparently interminable series, and it is so stuffed with references to incidents and persons in other books that it's rather like attending the high school reunion of someone you don't know very well to start with.
January 22, 2021
It's really hard to describe an Angela Thirkell book to someone who hasn't read one. Set in an imaginary county in England from the period between the wars to the 1950's, filled with villages with names like Winter Overcotes, they give you a glimpse of life then but aren't actually realistic. The series follows a large number of characters' lives - from retired Nannies to retired Generals, from their wives, daughters, and wards to the old fellow who runs the local train station. Someone always falls in love, but they're not really romances. I especially love the books that show what life was like between the wars or during WWII. This book is set during the second war, and it's theme is definitely explained by the title.
The main feature of Thirkell's writing is the follies of human beings. No one escapes her scrutiny. One character is not too bright, another talks too much, someone is prone to depression, another to lousy practical jokes. The weakness of people are clearly laid out - but always with a kind of affection that makes me smile. Thirkell doesn't make fun of her characters in a mean way. In fact, when I read them I'm struck by her fondness for people, including their foibles, not despite them.
You don't have to read them in order, but it's fun if you can, as a couple of minor characters from one book will show up as MCs in another. For instance, remembering Lydia from an earlier book made it even more fun to see her grown and married here.
NB - I feel compelled to add that this is not the book to read if you're going to be offended by wives who are sometimes foolish and straightened out by their slightly older husbands. It doesn't bother me, because there are also going to be some foolish husbands who are taken in hand by their wives, or mothers or sisters. So it balances out as you go through the series.
The main feature of Thirkell's writing is the follies of human beings. No one escapes her scrutiny. One character is not too bright, another talks too much, someone is prone to depression, another to lousy practical jokes. The weakness of people are clearly laid out - but always with a kind of affection that makes me smile. Thirkell doesn't make fun of her characters in a mean way. In fact, when I read them I'm struck by her fondness for people, including their foibles, not despite them.
You don't have to read them in order, but it's fun if you can, as a couple of minor characters from one book will show up as MCs in another. For instance, remembering Lydia from an earlier book made it even more fun to see her grown and married here.
NB - I feel compelled to add that this is not the book to read if you're going to be offended by wives who are sometimes foolish and straightened out by their slightly older husbands. It doesn't bother me, because there are also going to be some foolish husbands who are taken in hand by their wives, or mothers or sisters. So it balances out as you go through the series.
April 30, 2020
Another of Thirkell's novels set during WW2. Sir Harry and Lady Waring's home, The Priory, has been turned into a convalescent Hospital, but this doesn't stop them offering rooms to Noel and Lydia Merton. Their niece, Leslie has also come to stay with them, she is recovering from having been torpedoed while returning from America. Fortunately, she becomes rather fond of Phillip Winter, Noel and Lydia's friend who has been stationed near by.
Many characters make a return from her previous novels and I did struggle a bit to keep up with who was who as it has been a while since I read any of these books, this doesn't really matter to the storyline though, and you could easily read it as a stand alone.
Many characters make a return from her previous novels and I did struggle a bit to keep up with who was who as it has been a while since I read any of these books, this doesn't really matter to the storyline though, and you could easily read it as a stand alone.
February 8, 2022
I have lost count of the times I have said how much I love Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire novels. Well, this one, not so much. It seemed rather long with not overmuch happening. Still it was ok, and it was nice to learn what was happening with characters from previous novels.
December 18, 2010
Angela Thirkell wrote a couple of dozen of books about the high and low society of the fictional county of Barsetshire. They are all full of thoroughly nice people, with the occasional tyrannical nanny or pompous bureaucrat thrown in for variety. My favorites are the ones set during WWII or immediately thereafter ("Peace breaks out" is a particular favorite). In "Growing up" we have the familiar cast pf characters of an Angela Thirkell novel : displaced aristocrats, the deserving middle class, devoted family servants, upstart villagers. It's too much to use the word "plot" here; the gently rambling story centers around the tentative romance between a mobilized schoolmaster and a young heiress on a self-imposed sick-leave. No spicy stuff here: the couple gets engaged on a railroad platform and can't even exchange a kiss before the train pulls away, taking the lover to his next military deployment.
The war is never discussed directly, but one of Angela Thirkell's talents is to show how it affects those who are left behind. There are two young women in the book whose beloved brothers are far away; the waiting for letters that always come too late is a constant motif throughout the story. The kindness of the local squire is shown by his remembering to ask about the elderly stationmaster's son who is a prisoner in a camp. The effects on women are described too, often with comic effect. Many women find out that war work is more fun than domestic service or a life as a leisurely country matron. The men don't always welcome this new independence, and the stationmaster's despair at having to deal with two talkative and irreverent young women as porters is funny but revealing of the prejudices of the times.
Yet through it all the reader senses the warm sympathy that Angela Thirkell has for her characters, and we can't help but share it.
The war is never discussed directly, but one of Angela Thirkell's talents is to show how it affects those who are left behind. There are two young women in the book whose beloved brothers are far away; the waiting for letters that always come too late is a constant motif throughout the story. The kindness of the local squire is shown by his remembering to ask about the elderly stationmaster's son who is a prisoner in a camp. The effects on women are described too, often with comic effect. Many women find out that war work is more fun than domestic service or a life as a leisurely country matron. The men don't always welcome this new independence, and the stationmaster's despair at having to deal with two talkative and irreverent young women as porters is funny but revealing of the prejudices of the times.
Yet through it all the reader senses the warm sympathy that Angela Thirkell has for her characters, and we can't help but share it.
June 6, 2022
It's 1943, and Angela Thirkell uses this story to update us on the war experiences of just about everyone in Barsetshire. Through letters, gossip, etc. we learn of our friends the Bartons, the Fosters, the Brandons, the Villarses, the Deans, and so forth. Mme. Brownscu is still telling everyone off in French, Mrs. Spender is still monopolizing every conversation, and Mrs. Tebbens is still creating economical and unappetizing meals from bits of leftovers. But this book is mostly about Lydia Keith, in her grown-up persona as Lydia Merton, and her hosts the Warings. As usual, Thirkell delivers a witty social commentary, embued with the values of its time.
December 31, 2015
Lydia is now grown up and married, and she and her husband are the secondary stars of this book. But the Warings are the the chief stars - Sir Harry, Lady Waring, and their niece Leslie. The two girls brothers are off at the war, as World War II is still going on. Philip, who was formerly engaged to Rose Birkett several books ago) also makes an important appearance. The general theme of the book is how the young people have grown up and are still growing up, with Thirkell's trademark humor and talent for language. My favorite line this one (from memory, so probably paraphrased) is when Philip says something "in a low passionate voice, which gave the impression of stifled croup."
November 30, 2020
Published in 1943 this was probably written in 1942, a very troubled year; the time span of the novel is from late Autumn through to early Spring. I read, probably in one of Carola Oman's novels of war on the home front, that the winter was terrible as the Spring was lovely and the harvest bountiful.
Here we follow Lydia and her new husband Noel Merton. Lydia has been a favourite of mine since, Summer Half, or even earlier as both she and Noel, unmarried and uninterested in each other – in that way – were also on stage in The Brandons.
Noel is now an officer, of course, being a sahib – well educated and well mannered, wealthy and with a profession. He is ordered to Barsetshire and Lydia tags along. A captain at the local camp rings up Lady Waring at The Priory wondering if she can lodge a young couple. This being war-time Lord and Lady Waring have already leant their manor for use as a convalescent hospital and are living in the servants quarters. Hard times; but they have a cook, a baker, a maid, gardener, gamekeeper and the help of various convalescents so they manage. Lydia and Noel come to stay with them as paying guests.
The Warings' only son was killed in the "last" war. Sir Harry reflects:
"There was no child to inherit; the place would go to a cousin in the Navy, who had spent much of his life out of England. What a weary business it all was, giving one’s best to a place where one’s widow wouldn’t even have the right to live."
The cousin who will inherit has a sister who also comes to live with them, having had a very responsible job which took her to America among other things. She suffers from PTSD (unknown at the time) after being torpedoed and spending several days in a life-boat. She comes to the Priory fragile and wan but bucks up as the story progresses, not least due to her becoming the focus of the novel's main love story.
This is in fact a very varied novel with several sub-plots to keep the reader interested. Aside from the love story of Leslie – the Warings' niece – an acquaintance from earlier in the series and now a dashing officer, we have the love story of Mrs Crockett – widow – and her suitors, Jasper the disreputable game-keeper who may indeed have gypsy blood, Private Jenks and Sergeant Hopkins; there is a thief pilfering money at the railway station at Winter Overcotes, there is a further love story as Olivia Crawley's young man, Mr Needham returns – from Libya – not without injury, previously he was curate for Olivia's father the Dean but now wants a "living"– a parish of his own. He is bordered with Selina Crockett's mother Mrs Allen, the former Waring nanny and a powerful force in the village.
One of the things I disliked about the book was the snobbishness. Ms Thirkell usually balances things and does so even here, showing the kindness and generosity the stationmaster shows to Lydia and to others, but there is character which bothers me as the educated privileged wink and sneer at poor Captain Hooper. It is he who has organized Noel and Lydia's stay with the Warings. Noel comments that he is "a very good officer", but:
"'What gentleman?' said Sir Harry.
'Captain Harper, or some such name, Sir Harry. I didn’t like to ask again because he seemed so——'
'No, he was not upset, Selina, and he’s not a gentleman, and his name is Hooper.'"
One must not, [Captain Hooper] said, let etiquette go by the board even in these times of change, and he must introduce Lady Waring to Major Merton. Everyone behaved extremely well. 'Etiquette is not the word,' said Dr. Ford..."
Captain Hooper should have said: "introduce Major Merton to Lady Waring". the "inferior person to the social superior". A solecism i.e. breach of etiquette. Further:
"'And now we have a few moments to ourselves while our common friend is in the other part of the house, would you like to talk business?' [said Lady Waring]
'How few women would have said ‘common’ rather than ‘mutual’! said Major Merton admiringly.'" The "admiringly" bothers me. Further:
"'A pleasure, I’m sure,'" said Captain Hooper. This sounds innocent enough in my ears but is apparently "non-U" i.e. used by the lower (middle)classes in what they think is upper-class idiom.
Of course Captain Hooper does try too hard:
"Not quite your sort, Lady Waring. Schoolmaster in private life, you know. They’re all a bit morbid. He hasn’t got the right idear about Russiar either."
"Not quite" is snobbish for "not quite quite etc." showing Hooper's lack of self-awareness. NOSD - "Not our sort dear" is the upper-class expression of class distinction.
Speaking in a company of classically educated people Captain Hooper should realize that it would not be proper to say: "no one would be learning Latin in a few years and mensar and all that useless rot. Biology and aerodynamics and sensible stuff, he said."
It was surely not Ms Thirkell's intent to provide him with an argument which turned out to be perfectly true.
"'Good morning, sir,' said Captain Hooper jauntily. 'Are you off to the gay metropolis like me? Take my tip, and it’s worth having, if you want a good lunch go to the Poubelle in Hentzau Street. It’s run by Les Free Frogs and there’s a spot of pre-war Dubonnet if you ask Mademersell Rose at the bar.' Sir Harry had hardly ever been deliberately rude in his life, but undoubtedly he would have snubbed Captain Hooper in a way even that thick-skinned officer would feel..."
A snub is apparently acceptable behaviour for friendly advice given about a good restaurant?
Social mores seem to me overly complex.
"“And now, Mrs. Merton,” she said, “as we hope to have you here for some time, I am going to ask if you will let me call you Lydia. It is such a charming name and it suits you.” Lydia blushed with pleasure and as she afterwards said to Noel, was so glad that Lady Waring did not go on by asking her to call her Harriet, for it would have made her very uncomfortable. But no such thought had come into Lady Waring’s head, for to her Christian names were not things to be thrown about lightly and she was capable of feeling just as much affection for people without dashing into informal modes of address..."
“'Good-bye and thank you so much for your tea-party,' said Lydia. 'I hope you don’t mind me calling you Nannie, like Leslie? I’ve got an old Nannie at home, Mrs. Twitcher is her name.' Nannie, smiling grimly, said she didn’t suppose it would be any use saying no, but Lydia could see that she was not displeased by the familiarity..."
Familiarity is apparently acceptable if assumed von oben.
Lydia was a brash out-spoken girl but has become: "during the last two years, married to her own blissful content, willing to please Noel Merton in all outward things in her deep security of pleasing his heart, she had so schooled her old wildness and conformed to his excellent taste in matters of dress and appearance, that we might be forgiven if we did not recognize her for a moment."
This was a bit depressing, but fortunately Lydia still finds ways to express herself.
There is, unfortunately, also some kowtowing to the patriarchy, aside from Lydia's remarks. Leslie – the Waring niece – comments:
"'I think it is frightening,' said Leslie. 'Most of the women I had under me were incredibly efficient and I don’t think they were any more trying than the men. But it’s all upside down. It is quite horrid not to be able to feel that men are superior beings. I’d much rather I did.'”
Lydia has also learned to "judge" in a way she did not seem to do before:
"Looking across the dinner-table at her friend Octavia, Mrs. Noel Merton, bringing a fresh eye to bear on her, for they had not met in the last two years, thought she saw a faint but decided improvement..."
Poor Octavia is not kindly treated:
"She had acquired a not very good permanent wave in her uninteresting hair; her dress, obviously a standardized utility product, had some faint approach to style, though it might have fitted better across the shoulders; and her talk, though far from sparkling, appeared to be sensible..."
"...'Of course I like nursing better than anything, and the war’s a splendid opportunity,' said Octavia, her face lighting up in so far as such an uninteresting face could be said to do such a thing..."
"Philip, who had never looked upon Octavia as anything but so dull that she practically didn’t exist..."
"Leslie admired in Octavia a thoroughness and capacity for taking pains which almost excused her dullness."
Fortunately not everyone feels so: "Look at Octavia. Doesn’t she look wonderful to-night?” says Tommy, her betrothed.
"'I had quite forgotten she was coming,' said Lady Waring, conscience-stricken by the appalling gulf between her precept and her practice, her heartfelt praise of Matron and her entire want of interest in that estimable woman."
Lady Waring also tosses out: "Dr. Davies in the village is very nice, but I cannot quite fancy a woman doctor..."
A few witticisms:
"living as she did by older and by no means despicable standards of conduct, she approved courtesy to one’s elders. It might come from the heart, it might be only an outward form, but it helped to keep civilization going..."
"An angry elderly clergyman hustled them through the service with such vigour that they emerged breathless but glowing with virtue..."
"The cottage, which was so Early English Water Colour as to be almost incredible, stood below a hanger (a wooded hill), a small stream purling beside it. The walls were of a kind of wattle and daub, of a creamy colour, the roof was thatched, the windows latticed and very small."
This seems too pastorally idyllic to be true, and is:
"Owing to its position the cottage suffered from every conceivable drawback of picturesque rural life. The hanger prevented any sun from reaching it except in the late evenings of midsummer when it is almost in the north. The purling brook overflowed every spring and autumn, leaving mud and old leaves all over the garden and sometimes in the cottage. The well was apt to run dry or at other times produced water with a peculiar and unpleasant smell... The windows let in draughts and kept out what light there was..."
This is the home of Jasper, the gypsy game-keeper who is at times distressed by his grandmother, a witch, who has come back to haunt him in the form of a black hare.
"His mother, the witch’s only child, longed passionately for her son to be respectable, perhaps the more because her husband, one of the most accomplished poachers in the district, and the village ne’er-do-weel in his spare time, wished his son to follow his own profession..."
Fans of Mr Trollpe's Barchester may recognize that not only Reverend Crawley (from The Last Chronicle of Barset has descendants living – and prospering – in Ms Thirkell's series, but also Dr Fillgrave – from the novel Dr Thorne is recalled in Sir Abel Fillgrave, also a medico.
“'Are you sure you know your way back?' said Philip, with what appeared to him to be courteous though icy detachment. 'Oh yes,' said Leslie, in a voice which was meant to express 'Ah, do not so reject me,' but came out like 'Of course I do, you great fool'..."
"Private Jenks said his uncle had a hook instead of a hand. 'Came in handy in all sorts of ways, it did,' he added. 'He wasn’t born like that of course.'”
"...nervous of showing a decided opinion on any race, religion, or way of political thought, because unexpected passions suddenly rise so high when the world is in what Mrs. Brandon in an inspired moment had called the stock-pot."
Ah, Mrs Brandon: "...who to everyone’s surprise and most of all to her own, was in charge of the local Land Girls, and doing the job very well in her own peculiar way..."
"...The two ladies had a slight acquaintance and liked each other without intimacy. If the truth must be told, which it mostly mustn’t as being apt to cause disagreeableness, Lady Waring almost classed Mrs. Morland in her mind as a very worthy sort of person..."
Mrs Morland is the popular novelist who, in her confused way, brings some perspective to the stories. Here though it is – surprisingly - Lady Waring who reflects:
"This led her to a consideration of how very difficult it must be for people to write novels, because all the young heroines were in the Forces or civilian jobs and all the young heroes the same, so that there was very little time for novelists to make them fall in love with each other, unless they made the hero be a flying officer and the heroine a Waaf, and then one would have to know all the details of the R.A.F. or one would make the most dreadful howlers..."
Other than the snobbishness, which stuck in my craw, this is a very pleasant novel of how the war has entered into every aspect of life in the wonderful county of Barsetshire.
Here we follow Lydia and her new husband Noel Merton. Lydia has been a favourite of mine since, Summer Half, or even earlier as both she and Noel, unmarried and uninterested in each other – in that way – were also on stage in The Brandons.
Noel is now an officer, of course, being a sahib – well educated and well mannered, wealthy and with a profession. He is ordered to Barsetshire and Lydia tags along. A captain at the local camp rings up Lady Waring at The Priory wondering if she can lodge a young couple. This being war-time Lord and Lady Waring have already leant their manor for use as a convalescent hospital and are living in the servants quarters. Hard times; but they have a cook, a baker, a maid, gardener, gamekeeper and the help of various convalescents so they manage. Lydia and Noel come to stay with them as paying guests.
The Warings' only son was killed in the "last" war. Sir Harry reflects:
"There was no child to inherit; the place would go to a cousin in the Navy, who had spent much of his life out of England. What a weary business it all was, giving one’s best to a place where one’s widow wouldn’t even have the right to live."
The cousin who will inherit has a sister who also comes to live with them, having had a very responsible job which took her to America among other things. She suffers from PTSD (unknown at the time) after being torpedoed and spending several days in a life-boat. She comes to the Priory fragile and wan but bucks up as the story progresses, not least due to her becoming the focus of the novel's main love story.
This is in fact a very varied novel with several sub-plots to keep the reader interested. Aside from the love story of Leslie – the Warings' niece – an acquaintance from earlier in the series and now a dashing officer, we have the love story of Mrs Crockett – widow – and her suitors, Jasper the disreputable game-keeper who may indeed have gypsy blood, Private Jenks and Sergeant Hopkins; there is a thief pilfering money at the railway station at Winter Overcotes, there is a further love story as Olivia Crawley's young man, Mr Needham returns – from Libya – not without injury, previously he was curate for Olivia's father the Dean but now wants a "living"– a parish of his own. He is bordered with Selina Crockett's mother Mrs Allen, the former Waring nanny and a powerful force in the village.
One of the things I disliked about the book was the snobbishness. Ms Thirkell usually balances things and does so even here, showing the kindness and generosity the stationmaster shows to Lydia and to others, but there is character which bothers me as the educated privileged wink and sneer at poor Captain Hooper. It is he who has organized Noel and Lydia's stay with the Warings. Noel comments that he is "a very good officer", but:
"'What gentleman?' said Sir Harry.
'Captain Harper, or some such name, Sir Harry. I didn’t like to ask again because he seemed so——'
'No, he was not upset, Selina, and he’s not a gentleman, and his name is Hooper.'"
One must not, [Captain Hooper] said, let etiquette go by the board even in these times of change, and he must introduce Lady Waring to Major Merton. Everyone behaved extremely well. 'Etiquette is not the word,' said Dr. Ford..."
Captain Hooper should have said: "introduce Major Merton to Lady Waring". the "inferior person to the social superior". A solecism i.e. breach of etiquette. Further:
"'And now we have a few moments to ourselves while our common friend is in the other part of the house, would you like to talk business?' [said Lady Waring]
'How few women would have said ‘common’ rather than ‘mutual’! said Major Merton admiringly.'" The "admiringly" bothers me. Further:
"'A pleasure, I’m sure,'" said Captain Hooper. This sounds innocent enough in my ears but is apparently "non-U" i.e. used by the lower (middle)classes in what they think is upper-class idiom.
Of course Captain Hooper does try too hard:
"Not quite your sort, Lady Waring. Schoolmaster in private life, you know. They’re all a bit morbid. He hasn’t got the right idear about Russiar either."
"Not quite" is snobbish for "not quite quite etc." showing Hooper's lack of self-awareness. NOSD - "Not our sort dear" is the upper-class expression of class distinction.
Speaking in a company of classically educated people Captain Hooper should realize that it would not be proper to say: "no one would be learning Latin in a few years and mensar and all that useless rot. Biology and aerodynamics and sensible stuff, he said."
It was surely not Ms Thirkell's intent to provide him with an argument which turned out to be perfectly true.
"'Good morning, sir,' said Captain Hooper jauntily. 'Are you off to the gay metropolis like me? Take my tip, and it’s worth having, if you want a good lunch go to the Poubelle in Hentzau Street. It’s run by Les Free Frogs and there’s a spot of pre-war Dubonnet if you ask Mademersell Rose at the bar.' Sir Harry had hardly ever been deliberately rude in his life, but undoubtedly he would have snubbed Captain Hooper in a way even that thick-skinned officer would feel..."
A snub is apparently acceptable behaviour for friendly advice given about a good restaurant?
Social mores seem to me overly complex.
"“And now, Mrs. Merton,” she said, “as we hope to have you here for some time, I am going to ask if you will let me call you Lydia. It is such a charming name and it suits you.” Lydia blushed with pleasure and as she afterwards said to Noel, was so glad that Lady Waring did not go on by asking her to call her Harriet, for it would have made her very uncomfortable. But no such thought had come into Lady Waring’s head, for to her Christian names were not things to be thrown about lightly and she was capable of feeling just as much affection for people without dashing into informal modes of address..."
“'Good-bye and thank you so much for your tea-party,' said Lydia. 'I hope you don’t mind me calling you Nannie, like Leslie? I’ve got an old Nannie at home, Mrs. Twitcher is her name.' Nannie, smiling grimly, said she didn’t suppose it would be any use saying no, but Lydia could see that she was not displeased by the familiarity..."
Familiarity is apparently acceptable if assumed von oben.
Lydia was a brash out-spoken girl but has become: "during the last two years, married to her own blissful content, willing to please Noel Merton in all outward things in her deep security of pleasing his heart, she had so schooled her old wildness and conformed to his excellent taste in matters of dress and appearance, that we might be forgiven if we did not recognize her for a moment."
This was a bit depressing, but fortunately Lydia still finds ways to express herself.
There is, unfortunately, also some kowtowing to the patriarchy, aside from Lydia's remarks. Leslie – the Waring niece – comments:
"'I think it is frightening,' said Leslie. 'Most of the women I had under me were incredibly efficient and I don’t think they were any more trying than the men. But it’s all upside down. It is quite horrid not to be able to feel that men are superior beings. I’d much rather I did.'”
Lydia has also learned to "judge" in a way she did not seem to do before:
"Looking across the dinner-table at her friend Octavia, Mrs. Noel Merton, bringing a fresh eye to bear on her, for they had not met in the last two years, thought she saw a faint but decided improvement..."
Poor Octavia is not kindly treated:
"She had acquired a not very good permanent wave in her uninteresting hair; her dress, obviously a standardized utility product, had some faint approach to style, though it might have fitted better across the shoulders; and her talk, though far from sparkling, appeared to be sensible..."
"...'Of course I like nursing better than anything, and the war’s a splendid opportunity,' said Octavia, her face lighting up in so far as such an uninteresting face could be said to do such a thing..."
"Philip, who had never looked upon Octavia as anything but so dull that she practically didn’t exist..."
"Leslie admired in Octavia a thoroughness and capacity for taking pains which almost excused her dullness."
Fortunately not everyone feels so: "Look at Octavia. Doesn’t she look wonderful to-night?” says Tommy, her betrothed.
"'I had quite forgotten she was coming,' said Lady Waring, conscience-stricken by the appalling gulf between her precept and her practice, her heartfelt praise of Matron and her entire want of interest in that estimable woman."
Lady Waring also tosses out: "Dr. Davies in the village is very nice, but I cannot quite fancy a woman doctor..."
A few witticisms:
"living as she did by older and by no means despicable standards of conduct, she approved courtesy to one’s elders. It might come from the heart, it might be only an outward form, but it helped to keep civilization going..."
"An angry elderly clergyman hustled them through the service with such vigour that they emerged breathless but glowing with virtue..."
"The cottage, which was so Early English Water Colour as to be almost incredible, stood below a hanger (a wooded hill), a small stream purling beside it. The walls were of a kind of wattle and daub, of a creamy colour, the roof was thatched, the windows latticed and very small."
This seems too pastorally idyllic to be true, and is:
"Owing to its position the cottage suffered from every conceivable drawback of picturesque rural life. The hanger prevented any sun from reaching it except in the late evenings of midsummer when it is almost in the north. The purling brook overflowed every spring and autumn, leaving mud and old leaves all over the garden and sometimes in the cottage. The well was apt to run dry or at other times produced water with a peculiar and unpleasant smell... The windows let in draughts and kept out what light there was..."
This is the home of Jasper, the gypsy game-keeper who is at times distressed by his grandmother, a witch, who has come back to haunt him in the form of a black hare.
"His mother, the witch’s only child, longed passionately for her son to be respectable, perhaps the more because her husband, one of the most accomplished poachers in the district, and the village ne’er-do-weel in his spare time, wished his son to follow his own profession..."
Fans of Mr Trollpe's Barchester may recognize that not only Reverend Crawley (from The Last Chronicle of Barset has descendants living – and prospering – in Ms Thirkell's series, but also Dr Fillgrave – from the novel Dr Thorne is recalled in Sir Abel Fillgrave, also a medico.
“'Are you sure you know your way back?' said Philip, with what appeared to him to be courteous though icy detachment. 'Oh yes,' said Leslie, in a voice which was meant to express 'Ah, do not so reject me,' but came out like 'Of course I do, you great fool'..."
"Private Jenks said his uncle had a hook instead of a hand. 'Came in handy in all sorts of ways, it did,' he added. 'He wasn’t born like that of course.'”
"...nervous of showing a decided opinion on any race, religion, or way of political thought, because unexpected passions suddenly rise so high when the world is in what Mrs. Brandon in an inspired moment had called the stock-pot."
Ah, Mrs Brandon: "...who to everyone’s surprise and most of all to her own, was in charge of the local Land Girls, and doing the job very well in her own peculiar way..."
"...The two ladies had a slight acquaintance and liked each other without intimacy. If the truth must be told, which it mostly mustn’t as being apt to cause disagreeableness, Lady Waring almost classed Mrs. Morland in her mind as a very worthy sort of person..."
Mrs Morland is the popular novelist who, in her confused way, brings some perspective to the stories. Here though it is – surprisingly - Lady Waring who reflects:
"This led her to a consideration of how very difficult it must be for people to write novels, because all the young heroines were in the Forces or civilian jobs and all the young heroes the same, so that there was very little time for novelists to make them fall in love with each other, unless they made the hero be a flying officer and the heroine a Waaf, and then one would have to know all the details of the R.A.F. or one would make the most dreadful howlers..."
Other than the snobbishness, which stuck in my craw, this is a very pleasant novel of how the war has entered into every aspect of life in the wonderful county of Barsetshire.
July 16, 2009
The second of 3 Barsetshire books I picked up at the library, covering time periods I missed in my own collection. Lydia has been following her husband Noel Merton to each of his military postings, and now they have rooms in the home of General Waring (Cecil's uncle, from whom he will inherit the estate now hosting the Mertons). Also in the household is Cecil's sister Leslie, recovering from a breakdown after surviving the destruction of her ship while crossing the Atlantic. Lydia is her usual loveable but a more disciplined self, always eager to help; now she can help Leslie. Leslie isn't yet emotionally strong enough to handle a romance, and almost drives Phillip Winter away. Thirkell engagingly centers much of the action about the old railroad station at Winter Overcotes (Thirkell has a knack for inventing funny village names that sound real). IMO, another of the most heartwarming books in this series.
January 4, 2021
In this most satisfactory novel, Thirkell continues following the residents of Barsetshire as they live through WWII. Growing Up focuses mainly on the twenty-somethings living in Winter Overcotes, as they take on adult responsibilities and grow out of childish thinking. Thirkell writes with humor, charm, and just a bit of snark, which makes her books a true pleasure to read. They must be read in order, though, so as to keep up with the characters. If you like a gentle read, and have any interest in England in the 1930's and 1940's, I certainly recommend this series. (High Rising begins the series.)
May 30, 2012
Found this Angela Thirkell novel I'd not read at a book sale. It's set during WW II and stars all the usuals from Winter Overcoates and Barchester. The interwoven stories of all the characters, upstairs and downstairs, is a marvel.
I am continually awed by the amount of sacrifice Brits made during and long after the war.
I am continually awed by the amount of sacrifice Brits made during and long after the war.
March 12, 2017
Not one of Thirkell's most sparkling books, but an interesting view of the start of WWII on the home front. I got a very old edition with a 1960's cover (not the one shown) and the back blurb was entertaining, as the writer clearly was trying to cram Thirkell into a mode of romance novel that she just doesn't fit.
May 29, 2022
Another brilliant book by this author. Lots of old friends and acquaintances all just a little older than when we first met them in the first of this series of books.
As always highly amusing at times and immensely readable.
As always highly amusing at times and immensely readable.
January 17, 2009
It was fun, a nice escape from work. Not heavy literature, but amusing.
Read
August 9, 2011Possibly my fave.
July 20, 2013
This is one of my favorites of Thirkell's books--the tone is more sombre and thoughtful, while still maintaining the humor that is so enjoyable.
March 18, 2014
Intrigue during The Blitz in London; who do you/can you trust?
January 6, 2018
The story was pleasant, the writing good, it was just somehow flat. Maybe just not my thing.
January 21, 2018
I loved this one because we got to see so many characters from Summer Half. Lydia Keith Merton is such a delight!
January 29, 2020
Thirkell sliding towards her more reactionary, right-wing years, but still not so far in that direction I cannot enjoy the book. As the title says, it is about some of the younger characters growing up, and specifically (but quietly) about Lydia coming into herself --
Along with that, there were some lovely character moments in the relationship between Philip and Leslie, and just lots of good Lydia maturing that I loved. And really nice bits of how women get along with each other -- yes, it is so annoying that Thirkell only considers a very tiny slice of people human, she is an awful person, but somehow I do come away from her books feeling like I see myself much more clearly and am better able to navigate my own life with kindness.
Along with that, there were some lovely character moments in the relationship between Philip and Leslie, and just lots of good Lydia maturing that I loved. And really nice bits of how women get along with each other -- yes, it is so annoying that Thirkell only considers a very tiny slice of people human, she is an awful person, but somehow I do come away from her books feeling like I see myself much more clearly and am better able to navigate my own life with kindness.
June 19, 2023
This was the first Thirkell novel where I had some difficulty in keeping track of the characters. Noel Merton is back, with Lydia Keith as Mrs Merton, Colin Keith is posted overseas, Philip Winter, the ex-fiancé of Rose Birkett is the main love interest, Mrs Brownscu, the Mixo-Lydian refugee, makes an appearance to remind us she exists, Mrs Morland, her delightful son Tony (now in the army) and Dr Ford are back, along with Major Spender and his inquisitive and talkative wife. There are a wealth of characters that make their debut entrance, although they have links by blood or marriage through all of Barsetshire.
One of the best - I think I've said that about every Thirkell book so far, and it's the truth. The plot is ephemeral and unimportant, but no one else has such characters, for while they may be occasionally unpleasant, like Mrs Brownscu or Mrs Spender, we sense a great fellow feeling with them. Thirkell's feel for the language, and her instinct for fun are rarely met with elsewhere. The talk that Mrs Morland gives as an author to convalescent soldiers alone is worth reading the book for.
One of the best - I think I've said that about every Thirkell book so far, and it's the truth. The plot is ephemeral and unimportant, but no one else has such characters, for while they may be occasionally unpleasant, like Mrs Brownscu or Mrs Spender, we sense a great fellow feeling with them. Thirkell's feel for the language, and her instinct for fun are rarely met with elsewhere. The talk that Mrs Morland gives as an author to convalescent soldiers alone is worth reading the book for.
November 16, 2020
Was there ever such an England as the one found in Angela Thirkell's novels or characters like the ones who inhabit it? "Growing Up" takes place during World War II, but the denizens of Thirkell's Barsetshire seem practically unfazed by the cataclysmic events taking place in the world. They have a cozy little universe of their own where everyone--at least tangentially--knows everyone else, where everyone knows his or her place and is content to inhabit it, where comedy infects every corner and even an arm lost in battle can be a source of humor. Thirkell seems even to be laughing at herself as portrayed in the character Mrs. Morland, writer of potboilers, who in a lecture on how to write a novel to recuperating wounded soldiers says, "...and I'm perfectly sure none of you have read any of my books and I really don't see why you should." Many of the soldiers had, indeed, read her books, just as readers of every sort have become fans of Angela Thirkell. For them, there are novels galore, 17 in the Barsetshire series alone. For me, one was enough.
January 16, 2023
Published in 1943, this volume of the Barsetshire novels is set in the part of the county where everything has “sheepish” names - that made me smile to start off with. At Beliers Priory, the Warings are living in the servants quarters but make room for the Mertons to stay. Lydia and Noel are characters who featured in earlier Barsetshire books - and various other characters also reappear either in either important or cameo roles. There’s a nod towards Cold Comfort Farm in the character of Jasper too with Nannie Allen as the stereotypical Nanny treating the adults like the babies she once cared for. It’s witty and amusing and interesting to see how the younger characters from previous books are developed and grown up. With characteristics recognisable in real people, it’s as Leslie Waring says, “I thought people like that only happened in books [~] but it all goes to show that authors don’t really exaggerate anything”
December 11, 2016
Angela Thirkell has become an addiction. Have almost finished her Barsetshire series, but read the books out of order; and like the NYT reviewer, I'd like to reread the series of thirty something volumes in chronological order. The books are very much the same, but if you respond to her witty and hapless county worthies, it is great fun. It's been a nice change from my reading obsession with British crime. Hope some new ones are out there waiting for me.
December 2, 2018
Thirkell’s books are definitely more enjoyable when they are set pre-Welfare State and she’s not condemning the Labour Government and the NHS. And in this one her landed gentry are still living in their own home, albeit in the servants quarters while a hospital takes over the main part of the building, so we’re not expected to grieve for wealthy people who can no longer live exactly as all their ancestors did. Still a bit Upstairs Downstairs, but not too bad.
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