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Barsetshire #4
August Folly
A favorite summer pastime is the amateur theatrical. Here it serves as the stage for the farce that society can become when played in deadly earnest.
Angela Thirkell is the modern Jane Austen for some, and in this book, there are allusions to Mr. Frank Churchill and Mrs. Norris of Pride and Prejudice. It is understood the readers know their origins.
August Folly chronicles the lives and loves of modern Barsetshire with Thirkell's wit and sophistication. The gentlemen and gentlewomen display some less than cultivated manners but seem to pull back into character with an apology or a gallant act to save their esteem. The comedy is held together with word and deed - especially word.
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
30 people are currently reading
650 people want to read
About the author
Angela Thirkell
58 books258 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 137 reviews
May 21, 2020
I'm going to have a problem with my rating though as I gave Wild Strawberries & The Demon in the House 4★, & I liked this one quite a bit more - but not enough to give 4.5★. There were patches where I lost interest.
But the bits that worked were a lot a lot of fun. I loved the village politics & jostling for power (not so different from small town life, really) and I loved that all the characters had their flaws & quirks - just like real people.
The cricket scene was hysterical - & I lead the list of people who normally never enjoy anything about cricket!
The main things I didn't like were the contemptuous anti- women remarks that Thirkell puts into some of her characters' mouths.
& the ending was an (unnecessary) attempt to wrap everything up in a neat, tidy bow. Really Richard's
& bonus points for this;
I've never heard anyone other than my husband use that expression!
But the bits that worked were a lot a lot of fun. I loved the village politics & jostling for power (not so different from small town life, really) and I loved that all the characters had their flaws & quirks - just like real people.
The cricket scene was hysterical - & I lead the list of people who normally never enjoy anything about cricket!
The main things I didn't like were the contemptuous anti- women remarks that Thirkell puts into some of her characters' mouths.
& the ending was an (unnecessary) attempt to wrap everything up in a neat, tidy bow. Really Richard's
& bonus points for this;
"Tell Aunt Louise to boil her head," said Robin.
I've never heard anyone other than my husband use that expression!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
January 3, 2016
August Folly is one of Angela Thirkell's highly entertaining Barsetshire books set in Britain during the 1930s. This one involves a collection of country families, at least 2 Jane Austen references, a summer holiday production of the Greek play Hippolytus by Euripides, and the misunderstandings of several young couples as they fall in love.
March 9, 2015
What a lovely book.
Wonderful characters including a donkey called Modestine and a cat who's name is Gunnar.
I loved the dialogue between them.
I've often wondered what animals think!
I just love these books which are told with wit and charm.
A bygone era of class and manners.
Highly recommended!
I do hope that Virago are going to re print some more of these wonderful novels.
It seems I can't get enough of them.
Wonderful characters including a donkey called Modestine and a cat who's name is Gunnar.
I loved the dialogue between them.
I've often wondered what animals think!
I just love these books which are told with wit and charm.
A bygone era of class and manners.
Highly recommended!
I do hope that Virago are going to re print some more of these wonderful novels.
It seems I can't get enough of them.
May 12, 2020
August Folly is one of Angela Thirkell's standard slice-of-life social comedies set among the rural British lower gentry between the wars. It has many charms, though to misquote the Firesign Theater, a walk through the ocean of its soul would not get your feet wet.
We meet first the Tebben family, at the hanging-on-by-the-fingernails end of the gentry spectrum. They have their little country abode, hideously mismanaged by Mrs. Tebben, from which Mr. Tebben commutes to a humble job. Their son, Richard, has just finished the university education for which his parents scrimped and sacrificed but he failed to cover himself with glory. Richard is spending the summer nominally reading for the law or another profession, but he has little drive. His sister, Margaret, is overlooked and underappreciated, and the investment made in her brother's future precludes any investment in hers. I found her situation poignant and rooted for her to achieve a better fate.
Into their lives crash the Dean family, in-laws of the Tebbenses' neighbors, come to spend the summer in the country. The Deans are far better off, with the careless confidence of the well-to-do. The two families, adults and children, mingle like equals, but their economic differences lead to little schisms and stresses. Meanwhile, one of the self-appointed doyennes of the neighborhood, is getting up an amateur theatrical into which many of the principals are drawn.
Such is the flimsy stuff of which the plot is woven, but like cobwebs the threads prove surprisingly strong. Thirkell has a rather Austenish gift for making the reader appreciate the deeper aspects of life's trivialities, and she pairs it with a keen eye for folly that is also reminiscent of Austen, though a pale shadow of her predecessor's genius. It's clear from sporadic references to Austen's work that readers are supposed to get the homage. For me the comparison collapses in the end because Thirkell's characters tend to be rather shallow people, casually portrayed; there always seems to be more at stake in Austen's stories.
Still, a Thirkell novel is always a deft diversion that leaves me chuckling. Her novels are set in a twentieth-century version of Trollope's imaginary County of Barsetshire, and the place-names alone are worth the price of admission.
We meet first the Tebben family, at the hanging-on-by-the-fingernails end of the gentry spectrum. They have their little country abode, hideously mismanaged by Mrs. Tebben, from which Mr. Tebben commutes to a humble job. Their son, Richard, has just finished the university education for which his parents scrimped and sacrificed but he failed to cover himself with glory. Richard is spending the summer nominally reading for the law or another profession, but he has little drive. His sister, Margaret, is overlooked and underappreciated, and the investment made in her brother's future precludes any investment in hers. I found her situation poignant and rooted for her to achieve a better fate.
Into their lives crash the Dean family, in-laws of the Tebbenses' neighbors, come to spend the summer in the country. The Deans are far better off, with the careless confidence of the well-to-do. The two families, adults and children, mingle like equals, but their economic differences lead to little schisms and stresses. Meanwhile, one of the self-appointed doyennes of the neighborhood, is getting up an amateur theatrical into which many of the principals are drawn.
Such is the flimsy stuff of which the plot is woven, but like cobwebs the threads prove surprisingly strong. Thirkell has a rather Austenish gift for making the reader appreciate the deeper aspects of life's trivialities, and she pairs it with a keen eye for folly that is also reminiscent of Austen, though a pale shadow of her predecessor's genius. It's clear from sporadic references to Austen's work that readers are supposed to get the homage. For me the comparison collapses in the end because Thirkell's characters tend to be rather shallow people, casually portrayed; there always seems to be more at stake in Austen's stories.
Still, a Thirkell novel is always a deft diversion that leaves me chuckling. Her novels are set in a twentieth-century version of Trollope's imaginary County of Barsetshire, and the place-names alone are worth the price of admission.
May 15, 2020
5/2020 - rereading with Retro Reads group, looking forward to it! Actually in the middle of a much later book in the series, but these earlier books were so fun, want to see how this, my first Thirkell, holds up for me!
Well, held up beautifully - I can’t say it’s still my favorite, but you never forget your first! There are several books later in the series, especially those set right before and during WWII, that are favorites. I enjoyed revisiting the friendly and expansive Dean family, and the less exuberant, but amusing Tebbens family; I had to chuckle as Jessica Dean is just a baby in this book, but in the much later book I’m also reading, she’s a I’ve covered a lot of ground in Barsetshire alongside Thirkell and her ever-expanding cast of characters, and enjoyed it very much - it’s a real treat to touch base with beloved characters that have become old friends. Thirkell’s gentle humor and sentimental match-making continue to entertain me, and provide a welcome escape from pandemic worries!
4/25/2010 : This was my first Angela Thirkell novel and I really enjoyed it and look forward to digging out more of her books at my local used book store. As I am currently (and slowly!) working my way through Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire novels, I love the idea that Thirkell is picking up the same mythical Barsetshire places, families and even the gentle humor and social satire of Trollope. I agree with other reviewers that although she's in the category of Austen or Trollope for social comedy she's not at their level, but her writing reminds me more of Wodehouse (but not quite as farcical) or E.F. Benson's Lucia novels (but not quite as brilliantly snarky). I really enjoyed her light style and fond recreation of life between the wars in the English countryside, complete with summer theatricals, first loves, and other minor village intrigues. If you enjoy the authors mentioned above, you'll probably read this with a smile on your face, as I did!
Well, held up beautifully - I can’t say it’s still my favorite, but you never forget your first! There are several books later in the series, especially those set right before and during WWII, that are favorites. I enjoyed revisiting the friendly and expansive Dean family, and the less exuberant, but amusing Tebbens family; I had to chuckle as Jessica Dean is just a baby in this book, but in the much later book I’m also reading, she’s a I’ve covered a lot of ground in Barsetshire alongside Thirkell and her ever-expanding cast of characters, and enjoyed it very much - it’s a real treat to touch base with beloved characters that have become old friends. Thirkell’s gentle humor and sentimental match-making continue to entertain me, and provide a welcome escape from pandemic worries!
4/25/2010 : This was my first Angela Thirkell novel and I really enjoyed it and look forward to digging out more of her books at my local used book store. As I am currently (and slowly!) working my way through Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire novels, I love the idea that Thirkell is picking up the same mythical Barsetshire places, families and even the gentle humor and social satire of Trollope. I agree with other reviewers that although she's in the category of Austen or Trollope for social comedy she's not at their level, but her writing reminds me more of Wodehouse (but not quite as farcical) or E.F. Benson's Lucia novels (but not quite as brilliantly snarky). I really enjoyed her light style and fond recreation of life between the wars in the English countryside, complete with summer theatricals, first loves, and other minor village intrigues. If you enjoy the authors mentioned above, you'll probably read this with a smile on your face, as I did!
November 9, 2022
I love Angela Thirkell world. This cozy British atmosphere. Witty and charming.
I really admire British writers that they are able to create such critical study of society (nation) in such way. Not with pathos and drama but in a funny, enjoyable way (but also not stupid, simple). This is exactly why I am Anglophile.
One of the strongest points of the book were characters, generally likeable but not perfect, everyone had some own problems, scars.
I would have liked to have more of romance in Thirkell's novels, more interactions between lovers because she knew how to create a lovely scene. E.g.:
I was more thrilled reading High Rising and Wild Strawberries so I give this one "only" four stars, but still I really loved it. Comparing to many, many novels it was brilliant and amazing.
I really admire British writers that they are able to create such critical study of society (nation) in such way. Not with pathos and drama but in a funny, enjoyable way (but also not stupid, simple). This is exactly why I am Anglophile.
One of the strongest points of the book were characters, generally likeable but not perfect, everyone had some own problems, scars.
I would have liked to have more of romance in Thirkell's novels, more interactions between lovers because she knew how to create a lovely scene. E.g.:
"I'll lie here for ever if you ask me to," said Laurence, putting his arm round her and gently pulling her to him. "You will find a kind of hollow in my shoulder, eminently suitable for people to put their heads in. I've never cared much about having it used, but if you would just give it a trial and tell me what you think of it..."
I was more thrilled reading High Rising and Wild Strawberries so I give this one "only" four stars, but still I really loved it. Comparing to many, many novels it was brilliant and amazing.
August 12, 2016
I have been meaning to try Angela Thirkell’s books for a while but only just got down to it. I am glad that this was the one I started with. I only heard of Thirkell when I looked up her brother Denis Mackail (who was Kipling’s cousin (as was she), and wrote books that Wodehouse wished he’d written). August Folly is the delightful story of not one but many people (young and not so young) falling in love (some fancying themselves in love) with each other in the backdrop of rehearsals for an amateur performance of Hippolytus—only for things to fall in place—with some being shaken back into their senses, and others finding their way to love. Lots of literary references including as reviews have noted to Austen but there was also a touch of Austen in the plot. A comedy of manners, this was an enjoyable read—humorous but gentle—the kind that brings a smile to your face rather than making you burst out. I will be looking for more by her.
p.s. And I completely forgot to mention the cat Gunnar and the donkey Modestine have some interesting chats on the antics of their humans.
p.s. And I completely forgot to mention the cat Gunnar and the donkey Modestine have some interesting chats on the antics of their humans.
June 4, 2016
Summer in the Barsetshire town of Worsted is a busy time. Young Richard Tebben is home after failing his final exams at Oxford. His sister Margaret is also home for the summer after a year abroad. Their scholarly parents have little time for them and Richard likes it that way. He's horribly embarrassed by his gauche parents who ride around in a donkey cart and insist on keeping a terrible cook. Then the wealthy Dean family arrives to spend the summer with the Palmers, her brother and sister-in-law. The Deans have 9 children and 6 are with them: Laurence, the eldest son and former cricket player now busy in his father's office; Helen, the automobile lover; Betty, the scholar; Susan and Robin, a pair of mischievous youngsters and little Jessica. Richard develops an infatuation with Mrs. Dean and is determined the Deans think highly of him. Laurence loves Margaret Tebben who regards him as a friend and Mrs. Palmer has a scheme that will involve most of them. Her grand idea is to stage the Greek play Hippolytus and force everyone to participate. Before the busy summer gives way to autumn, they will be a little older and a little wiser.
This story has very little plot. The subject of the play gets picked up, dropped, picked up and dragged out too long. I really liked the Austen references though I didn't understand all of the literary references. It was slightly funny in parts but mostly I found the story too slow to really hook me. Some parts are from the POV of the animals which is really strange and jarring.
I kept forgetting who the characters were. There are so many of them the book needs a cheat sheet in the beginning to keep them all straight. I didn't really care for most of them. The only ones I really liked were Robin and Susan because they were funny. They reminded me of Felix in Georgette Heyer's Frederica though they were mischievous on purpose. Their final scene is VERY reminiscent of Heyer. I didn't like Richard much at all. By his age he should be over that teen angst stuff. He's so horrid to his parents and wants a different lifestyle than they can provide. His infatuation is silly and worthy of a young school boy. I kept forgetting he was done with his final year at university because he acted so young. Margaret is just the opposite. She is a little too sweet and good for my taste. She has a little too much pride. I didn't care for Helen either. She's very cold. She loves cars and that's not something I can relate to or understand. She wasn't very kind to anyone. I didn't care for her plot much and I was a little surprised at what happened. I wanted to like Betty because she's an intellectual but she was just too priggish about it.
The Tebben parents seem kind in their own abstracted way. I would like to have parents who are such noted scholars. Richard and Margaret don't take after their parents at all. Mr. Tebben is a little hard to really feel kindly towards but behind his crotchety and selfish manner is a man starved for intellectual companionship in his field and he can be congenial when he wants to be.
The Dean parents are also a bit distracted but more involved in their children's lives. Rachel is a lot like Lady Emily's daughter in Wild Strawberries - consumed with love for her family and blind to anything else. Included in their family group is Charles Fanshawe, an Oxford don and family friend. He's kind and I liked how he noticed what was going on around him- the only adult who knew everything and served as a confidant - almost like a priest.
Finally, there's Modestine, the donkey alias Neddy. He plays a huge role in the story. Though I normally love animal companions, he didn't really do anything for me.
This story has very little plot. The subject of the play gets picked up, dropped, picked up and dragged out too long. I really liked the Austen references though I didn't understand all of the literary references. It was slightly funny in parts but mostly I found the story too slow to really hook me. Some parts are from the POV of the animals which is really strange and jarring.
I kept forgetting who the characters were. There are so many of them the book needs a cheat sheet in the beginning to keep them all straight. I didn't really care for most of them. The only ones I really liked were Robin and Susan because they were funny. They reminded me of Felix in Georgette Heyer's Frederica though they were mischievous on purpose. Their final scene is VERY reminiscent of Heyer. I didn't like Richard much at all. By his age he should be over that teen angst stuff. He's so horrid to his parents and wants a different lifestyle than they can provide. His infatuation is silly and worthy of a young school boy. I kept forgetting he was done with his final year at university because he acted so young. Margaret is just the opposite. She is a little too sweet and good for my taste. She has a little too much pride. I didn't care for Helen either. She's very cold. She loves cars and that's not something I can relate to or understand. She wasn't very kind to anyone. I didn't care for her plot much and I was a little surprised at what happened. I wanted to like Betty because she's an intellectual but she was just too priggish about it.
The Tebben parents seem kind in their own abstracted way. I would like to have parents who are such noted scholars. Richard and Margaret don't take after their parents at all. Mr. Tebben is a little hard to really feel kindly towards but behind his crotchety and selfish manner is a man starved for intellectual companionship in his field and he can be congenial when he wants to be.
The Dean parents are also a bit distracted but more involved in their children's lives. Rachel is a lot like Lady Emily's daughter in Wild Strawberries - consumed with love for her family and blind to anything else. Included in their family group is Charles Fanshawe, an Oxford don and family friend. He's kind and I liked how he noticed what was going on around him- the only adult who knew everything and served as a confidant - almost like a priest.
Finally, there's Modestine, the donkey alias Neddy. He plays a huge role in the story. Though I normally love animal companions, he didn't really do anything for me.
May 13, 2019
Two ways in which Thirkell is particularly brilliant: class consciousness and lack of snobbery.
There's none of that rubbish about money not being important that makes Richard Curtis' films so annoying and clueless. There is a keen mind well aware of the subtleties of wealth and position, and how much hard work is necessary to managing without money.
But Thirkell doesn't rate some kinds of work as better than others. A pretty broad range of professions and jobs are represented, with an equally broad range of talents and interests, and anyone can find true love, if they don't determinedly avoid it. Characters are bad at conversation, or scholarship, or sports, or gardening, but it doesn't matter, there is always some other appealing quality to offset. It's very kind and refreshingly egalitarian.
Two simultaneous engagements and the suggestion of more without a separate chapter: bonus points for the extra technical difficulty. Not to mention the bizarre and unprecedented scenes between the cat, Gunnar, and the donkey, Mondestine. This is an author becoming confident and maybe even just a tiny bit crazed with success.
Probably not crazed at all. Probably only just relieved that this was going to work, and would enable the family's bills to be paid without the inconvenience of a husband, but whatever.
Library copy
There's none of that rubbish about money not being important that makes Richard Curtis' films so annoying and clueless. There is a keen mind well aware of the subtleties of wealth and position, and how much hard work is necessary to managing without money.
But Thirkell doesn't rate some kinds of work as better than others. A pretty broad range of professions and jobs are represented, with an equally broad range of talents and interests, and anyone can find true love, if they don't determinedly avoid it. Characters are bad at conversation, or scholarship, or sports, or gardening, but it doesn't matter, there is always some other appealing quality to offset. It's very kind and refreshingly egalitarian.
Two simultaneous engagements and the suggestion of more without a separate chapter: bonus points for the extra technical difficulty. Not to mention the bizarre and unprecedented scenes between the cat, Gunnar, and the donkey, Mondestine. This is an author becoming confident and maybe even just a tiny bit crazed with success.
Probably not crazed at all. Probably only just relieved that this was going to work, and would enable the family's bills to be paid without the inconvenience of a husband, but whatever.
Library copy
December 18, 2021
Hilarious, as all the books in the Barsetshire series that I tried so far: Pomfret towers and Wild Strawberries.
However, I found the second half of this one a bit -- gasp -- boring at times. And the ending was overly melodramatic. Still, a good light and fun read.
However, I found the second half of this one a bit -- gasp -- boring at times. And the ending was overly melodramatic. Still, a good light and fun read.
July 30, 2016
The story was light and frothy, with some shining moments. There were some cute scenes, often involving Modestine the donkey. Unfortunately I just could not buy into the story line of a 19 year old student being infatuated with a 51 year old woman with 9 (!!) children, some several years older than himself, no matter how beautiful she was. Another romance between a young woman and a man twice her age was similarly not very appealing. Also, all of the younger adults seemed remarkably childish. I have only read one other novel by this writer, High Rising, which I much preferred.
August 7, 2017
Wanda McCadden did a wonderful narration of this early entry in Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire series! The eccentric characters, especially Mrs. Tebbens, amuse me hugely and I found that knowing the plot from my previous reading didn't detract from my enjoyment. Great light-hearted summer book!
By the way, this book works well as a stand-alone novel. However, having now read the whole series, I did notice passing references to characters from the other books that I missed the first time around which increased my delight in the book.
By the way, this book works well as a stand-alone novel. However, having now read the whole series, I did notice passing references to characters from the other books that I missed the first time around which increased my delight in the book.
March 1, 2015
This book is adorable. It would be easy for characters in this type of comic novel to be caricatures, but Thirkell never falls into that trap; her characters have dark sides as well as surface sillinesses. Like Jane Austen she has a waspish humour which is well deployed in this book, particularly on the male characters ("Mr Fanshawe, who like most of his sex would enthusiastically neglect any woman, however charming, to talk to any man, however dull" is worthy of Austen herself).
Yet you can feel sympathy for even the less likable characters such as Richard -- she takes care to give them some more noble features too, and allows them to develop in the course of the story. Her casual sketching of the family dynamics of the Tebbens, and the difficulty of being gentry but much poorer than the neighbours, is both funny and perceptive. The conversations between cat and donkey were a touch of whimsy too far, but this novel is a short, entertaining read -- great as padding between more serious works.
Yet you can feel sympathy for even the less likable characters such as Richard -- she takes care to give them some more noble features too, and allows them to develop in the course of the story. Her casual sketching of the family dynamics of the Tebbens, and the difficulty of being gentry but much poorer than the neighbours, is both funny and perceptive. The conversations between cat and donkey were a touch of whimsy too far, but this novel is a short, entertaining read -- great as padding between more serious works.
September 10, 2016
There is nothing quite so nice as reading an entire book, cover to cover, in a single rainy Saturday.
And Angela Thirkell is, apparently, an excellent choice for this: light without being trashy. She has an eagle eye for her characters' flaws, but she also treats them with great empathy, and seems to wish them well. Her novels will never be big books, but they are well worth reading, and I will be saving the rest of the library's stock as a treat for future rainy Saturdays.
And Angela Thirkell is, apparently, an excellent choice for this: light without being trashy. She has an eagle eye for her characters' flaws, but she also treats them with great empathy, and seems to wish them well. Her novels will never be big books, but they are well worth reading, and I will be saving the rest of the library's stock as a treat for future rainy Saturdays.
October 8, 2015
Not quite as riveting as "Summer Half", but still a very enjoyable read. There's romance, calf love, precocious children, misunderstandings, fussy middle-aged ladies (really, some of them seem quite familiar ...), all the trimmings - and a happy ending for all. Liked it a lot.
November 7, 2016
I love Thirkell and this is an especially good summer read. And the audio book was delightful!
July 9, 2017
Highly entertaining light Summer reading.
August 30, 2022
August Folly was written by Angela Thirkell and published in 1936. It is the the fourth book in the Barsetshire series. In this one we follow siblings Richard and Margaret who go to stay with their parents over the summer. While there they get roped into becoming part of a greek play ( Hippolytus) that their neighbor Mrs. Palmer is putting on. Relations of Mrs. Palmer’s, the Deans come to stay for the summer as well and romance and friendship ensues.
This was another highly enjoyable installment of the Barsetshire series. I really am falling head over heals in love with these books. Thirkell manages to write about characters in such a humorous and quirky way. This book was cozy, charming and hilarious. Thirkell’s writing helps you see the dramas of life and people’s shortcomings from a lens of hilarity. Makes you lighten up a little. This one was filled with wonderful characters and romances. The Dean family had 6 children that they brought with them, which gave plenty of material for fun. Richard falls for Mrs. Dean with a puppy kind of love. Margaret falls for the oldest of the Dean’s offspring, Lawrence. Romance abounds with all it’s pitfalls in this charming village during an English summer. What a delight this was.
If you have not read any Angela Thirkell, I could not recommend her books more highly. Pure pleasure and happiness they bring. I can’t wait to continue reading through this series
This was another highly enjoyable installment of the Barsetshire series. I really am falling head over heals in love with these books. Thirkell manages to write about characters in such a humorous and quirky way. This book was cozy, charming and hilarious. Thirkell’s writing helps you see the dramas of life and people’s shortcomings from a lens of hilarity. Makes you lighten up a little. This one was filled with wonderful characters and romances. The Dean family had 6 children that they brought with them, which gave plenty of material for fun. Richard falls for Mrs. Dean with a puppy kind of love. Margaret falls for the oldest of the Dean’s offspring, Lawrence. Romance abounds with all it’s pitfalls in this charming village during an English summer. What a delight this was.
If you have not read any Angela Thirkell, I could not recommend her books more highly. Pure pleasure and happiness they bring. I can’t wait to continue reading through this series
January 30, 2022
Well, now I understand why there are book clubs that read only the works of Angela Thirkell. (They call themselves Thirkell Circles, and if you're in one, would you please invite me?) Anyway, this is set in the English countryside in the interwar years. People of various income levels develop appropriate and inappropriate crushes on each other. There's an amateur play. Also the farm animals can talk to one another, but that's not a main part of the book. There is a racial slur about 20% of the way in that I know was common in 1936 when this book was published but is still gross. The last couple of pages are especially satisfying because they hint at something that may happen years in the future.
February 8, 2014
Not quite 3 stars
This book is number 4 in the Barsetshire series. I read it right after I finished reading the 1st book in the series 'High Rising'. Both books stand completely on their own, and do not need to be read in any particular order.
I did not like this one as much as 'High Rising'. There were too many characters introduced in Chapter 1 (I lost count after the 24th one) and there was way too much discussion of cricket (which I did not understand in the least).
There were also several literary references that went sailing right over my head. For example: Thirkell's mule "Modestine" was named after a mule in 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Her character Richard felt quite ignorant when it was pointed out to him that Modestine was named after the donkey in the "famous book by RLS". I had to guess who RLS was, and do an internet search to come up with the tie-in. I, too, felt ignorant because I had never heard of the aforementioned book.
This novel was a bit of an uphill struggle for me. On the plus side, the book sparkled with Ms. Thirkell’s dry wit and droll sense of humor. I have higher hopes for the others in this series.
This book is number 4 in the Barsetshire series. I read it right after I finished reading the 1st book in the series 'High Rising'. Both books stand completely on their own, and do not need to be read in any particular order.
I did not like this one as much as 'High Rising'. There were too many characters introduced in Chapter 1 (I lost count after the 24th one) and there was way too much discussion of cricket (which I did not understand in the least).
There were also several literary references that went sailing right over my head. For example: Thirkell's mule "Modestine" was named after a mule in 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Her character Richard felt quite ignorant when it was pointed out to him that Modestine was named after the donkey in the "famous book by RLS". I had to guess who RLS was, and do an internet search to come up with the tie-in. I, too, felt ignorant because I had never heard of the aforementioned book.
This novel was a bit of an uphill struggle for me. On the plus side, the book sparkled with Ms. Thirkell’s dry wit and droll sense of humor. I have higher hopes for the others in this series.
January 13, 2011
Having just finished several fairly dark "reads" in a row, I needed some fluffy sweet literary sorbet to clear my palate for the next serious volume on my shelf. I was pretty sure that Angela Thirkell would provide exactly what I needed, and she did. Her characters concentrate on minutia, and things usually work out happily. Some of her books end with three suitable couples becoming engaged, some with only two. Adorable.
Of her books, I truly love "Pomfret Towers" (which soothes my soul because the characters are so NICE)and "Peace Breaks Out"(because of its interesting homefront setting.)
One thing I must say about "August Folly"-- or at least about the copy I read, printed by Moyer Bell-- I have never read a book with so MANY typographical errors! It might be helpful to other readers know this in advance, so they will not be perplexed as often as I was (until I caught on.)
Of her books, I truly love "Pomfret Towers" (which soothes my soul because the characters are so NICE)and "Peace Breaks Out"(because of its interesting homefront setting.)
One thing I must say about "August Folly"-- or at least about the copy I read, printed by Moyer Bell-- I have never read a book with so MANY typographical errors! It might be helpful to other readers know this in advance, so they will not be perplexed as often as I was (until I caught on.)
August 18, 2021
I didn't like this as well as I have the first 2 AT books I have read. It was way too similar in terms of character and plot. This is the 3rd book that a callow rather silly young man has fallen for a much older woman. Only in this one the young man was pretty unpleasant. There were really not any lovable characters in this one, in my view, to rescue the not very interesting bones that the plot is hung on. It resulted in losing my attention from time to time while listening. **2.5** stars.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
October 21, 2012
Takes a while to get used to the characters and to find out that they're generally likeable, because most of them have issues. Lots of people to keep track of. Wasn't sure how much I was enjoying it at least a third of the way through, but it ended well.
July 1, 2020
Something light to read before launching into some Doris Lessing.
Fluff, but enjoyable enough.
Fluff, but enjoyable enough.
June 9, 2019
Amusing to spend a few hours with the idle gentry in England, between the wars. Thirkell’s characterizations are nice, even if her romances are weak to the point of being perfunctory.
I enjoyed the small miseries of Mrs. Tebben’s economies, which of course are a symptom of their relative financial distress. “What she ate was a matter of indifference to Mrs. Tebben, who prided herself on being a good housewife”, and so Mr. Tebben is accustomed to cold and stewed tea which has been kept “for hours, under a tea-cosy, or in the fender”; and potatoes which didn’t have time to cook: “We could have them in if you like and just eat the outside part that is cooked, and have the rest properly boiled and use them up with the salad tonight.”
I liked the little bits giving the POV of the long-suffering donkey, Modestine, and the cat (who at one point is locked in the pantry by mistake where he is found “angrily eating the rest of the haddock”.)
The highlight of the book is Richard’s uncharacteristic and yet instinctive move to protect a little girl from danger. This, and his reaction afterwards, is a distinct improvement over his silly obsession with the ethereal, unobtainable Mrs. Dean.
I enjoyed the small miseries of Mrs. Tebben’s economies, which of course are a symptom of their relative financial distress. “What she ate was a matter of indifference to Mrs. Tebben, who prided herself on being a good housewife”, and so Mr. Tebben is accustomed to cold and stewed tea which has been kept “for hours, under a tea-cosy, or in the fender”; and potatoes which didn’t have time to cook: “We could have them in if you like and just eat the outside part that is cooked, and have the rest properly boiled and use them up with the salad tonight.”
I liked the little bits giving the POV of the long-suffering donkey, Modestine, and the cat (who at one point is locked in the pantry by mistake where he is found “angrily eating the rest of the haddock”.)
The highlight of the book is Richard’s uncharacteristic and yet instinctive move to protect a little girl from danger. This, and his reaction afterwards, is a distinct improvement over his silly obsession with the ethereal, unobtainable Mrs. Dean.
May 8, 2011
In August Folly, the fourth of Thirkell’s Barsetshire novels, the reader finds hirself once again the world of the English gentry in the years between the two World Wars. It is tempting to categorize this as light-weight book with two main functions: to entertain and the second to sketch in more completely the existing characters that make up the cast of the Bartsetshire novels and to add a few more members to that cast.
Those functions may have been the conscious intentions of the author however August Follyleaves the modern day reader with a carefully sketched picture of the realities of provincial life among the English gentry in the 1930s. In particular the reader is given an insight in the nuanced complications of economic inequalities among people of similar class status. The England in which this story has set has already begun to undergo the changes that would lead to, if such a thing c ould exist, a partial upheaval in the class system.
Many of the characters in this book seemed trapped in the contradictions between the economic/class system that was and the economic/class system that is to come. The families around whom this book revolves all belong to the gentry (they are, in the terminology of the time, ladies and gentlemen.) The sons attend university and clearly studying at Oxford or Cambridge are their only options for acquiring tertiary education. However, unlike previous generations of young men of their class, this cohort is more conscious of the limitations of such education in providing them with the skills required to get jobs (and make money) in the world of business. Whereas earlier generations of the gentry had been content (and able) for the most part to live off dividends and perhaps the income from their land the current generation was finding it more and more difficult to do the same.
The story itself revolves around one summer in the country life of three families living in the Barset countryside:[1] the Palmers, the Deans and the Tebbens. As is not uncommon in books of this type characters meet, interact, and misunderstand each other. Their actions and interactions take place against the attempt on the part of Mrs. Palmer to stage Euripides’s Hippolytus. Usually in romance/soap operas there would be a clear echo between the themes of the play being staged and the drama enacted among those rehearsing the play and yet, in this case, there is not. The modern reader may be struck with the extent to which the English at the time had such a shared culture that one could be fairly sure that any other ‘educated’ person would have read the same plays and know the same poetry. Aside from that sense of “shared culture” the overwhelming echo from play to book is that the characters about whom Thirkell is writing live as constrained lives as those in the play. There were but a narrow number of people that any individual could pair up with and there was but a narrow range of jobs any individual could enter be they upper, middle or working class.
Unlike many other novelists who include a number of characters who all belong to the gentry Thirkell does not rely on subtle clues to indicate to the readers the differences in financial statuses of the different families. Of the Palmers we learn little save that they have no children and they are quite comfortably situated. The Deans are clearly well heeled. There are nine children in the family and at no time is there any indication that choices are made for financial reasons. Mr. Dean works and is evidently successful although one doubts that the lifestyle of the family arises only from his wages. They own more than one car. They employ more than one chauffeur. They eat caviar and spend money without consideration. The Tebbens, on the other hand, are clearly struggling to maintain the what they consider the necessities of life. Mr. Tebben holds a position as a civil servant (or which we learn precious few details) and his wife writes economic text books. They cannot afford a car but they have a (not particularly good) cook. They hire household servants but worry about the cost of tea. Though they belong to the same class as the Deans and the Palmers the economic realities of their lives are so dissimilar that a modern reader, less schooled in the nuances of class, will wonder why they consider themselves part of the same social set.
If August Folly had been set in London the counterpoint of the old ways dying set against the formation of the next generation might have become lost in the midst of its own playing out. It is says much for why Thirkell was considered a popular and accessible (but fundamentally lightweight) author by her contemporaries that it is possible to read and enjoy her books without even noticing the underlying themes and tensions yet if one considers them carefully if the thematic material was removed there would be little left to read.
This is a story a people who are at best only minor actors upon the stage of their county and their country. They react rather than act and thus are at the mercy of the fates as to the direction of their own lives. Because they are born to a class that is accepted as “the leaders” they see themselves as having some degree of control over their lives and yet, as one looks back over the occurrences of the book, one realizes that Thirkell has presented to the audience characters with as little final control over their lives as had the characters in the Greek play they were staging.
[1] For those unfamiliar with the work of Thirkell – one of the major conceits of the greater number of her novels is that they take place in the same corner of England as Trollope explored in many of his novels. Not only do Thirkell’s readers encounter place names familiar from many of Trollope’s books the reader is also explicitly informed that Thirkell’s characters inhabit Trollope’s created England by having the narrator or characters identify other characters as descendants of individuals in Trollope’s books.
Those functions may have been the conscious intentions of the author however August Follyleaves the modern day reader with a carefully sketched picture of the realities of provincial life among the English gentry in the 1930s. In particular the reader is given an insight in the nuanced complications of economic inequalities among people of similar class status. The England in which this story has set has already begun to undergo the changes that would lead to, if such a thing c ould exist, a partial upheaval in the class system.
Many of the characters in this book seemed trapped in the contradictions between the economic/class system that was and the economic/class system that is to come. The families around whom this book revolves all belong to the gentry (they are, in the terminology of the time, ladies and gentlemen.) The sons attend university and clearly studying at Oxford or Cambridge are their only options for acquiring tertiary education. However, unlike previous generations of young men of their class, this cohort is more conscious of the limitations of such education in providing them with the skills required to get jobs (and make money) in the world of business. Whereas earlier generations of the gentry had been content (and able) for the most part to live off dividends and perhaps the income from their land the current generation was finding it more and more difficult to do the same.
The story itself revolves around one summer in the country life of three families living in the Barset countryside:[1] the Palmers, the Deans and the Tebbens. As is not uncommon in books of this type characters meet, interact, and misunderstand each other. Their actions and interactions take place against the attempt on the part of Mrs. Palmer to stage Euripides’s Hippolytus. Usually in romance/soap operas there would be a clear echo between the themes of the play being staged and the drama enacted among those rehearsing the play and yet, in this case, there is not. The modern reader may be struck with the extent to which the English at the time had such a shared culture that one could be fairly sure that any other ‘educated’ person would have read the same plays and know the same poetry. Aside from that sense of “shared culture” the overwhelming echo from play to book is that the characters about whom Thirkell is writing live as constrained lives as those in the play. There were but a narrow number of people that any individual could pair up with and there was but a narrow range of jobs any individual could enter be they upper, middle or working class.
Unlike many other novelists who include a number of characters who all belong to the gentry Thirkell does not rely on subtle clues to indicate to the readers the differences in financial statuses of the different families. Of the Palmers we learn little save that they have no children and they are quite comfortably situated. The Deans are clearly well heeled. There are nine children in the family and at no time is there any indication that choices are made for financial reasons. Mr. Dean works and is evidently successful although one doubts that the lifestyle of the family arises only from his wages. They own more than one car. They employ more than one chauffeur. They eat caviar and spend money without consideration. The Tebbens, on the other hand, are clearly struggling to maintain the what they consider the necessities of life. Mr. Tebben holds a position as a civil servant (or which we learn precious few details) and his wife writes economic text books. They cannot afford a car but they have a (not particularly good) cook. They hire household servants but worry about the cost of tea. Though they belong to the same class as the Deans and the Palmers the economic realities of their lives are so dissimilar that a modern reader, less schooled in the nuances of class, will wonder why they consider themselves part of the same social set.
If August Folly had been set in London the counterpoint of the old ways dying set against the formation of the next generation might have become lost in the midst of its own playing out. It is says much for why Thirkell was considered a popular and accessible (but fundamentally lightweight) author by her contemporaries that it is possible to read and enjoy her books without even noticing the underlying themes and tensions yet if one considers them carefully if the thematic material was removed there would be little left to read.
This is a story a people who are at best only minor actors upon the stage of their county and their country. They react rather than act and thus are at the mercy of the fates as to the direction of their own lives. Because they are born to a class that is accepted as “the leaders” they see themselves as having some degree of control over their lives and yet, as one looks back over the occurrences of the book, one realizes that Thirkell has presented to the audience characters with as little final control over their lives as had the characters in the Greek play they were staging.
[1] For those unfamiliar with the work of Thirkell – one of the major conceits of the greater number of her novels is that they take place in the same corner of England as Trollope explored in many of his novels. Not only do Thirkell’s readers encounter place names familiar from many of Trollope’s books the reader is also explicitly informed that Thirkell’s characters inhabit Trollope’s created England by having the narrator or characters identify other characters as descendants of individuals in Trollope’s books.
August 8, 2018
Frothy and funny. Ideal reading for a summer's day.
March 14, 2016
This would have been a three star if it were not for the last thirty pages which were absolutely wonderful!
This is one of the earlier novels in Thirkell's lovely Barsetshire series, and the fourth one that I have read. Although this was probably my least favourite of the ones I've read so far, it was still very enjoyable with the expected witty writing and the joyous, funny characters that Thirkell creates so brilliantly.
My favourite parts of this particular novel were the Dean family, who were wonderful and enchanting (especially the children who I loved very much), and some short snippets of conversation between a donkey, Modestine, and a cat, Gunnar, which were so hilarious and enjoyable.
The reason that I was set on giving this three stars for most of the reading experience was because of Richard, one of the main characters, who I found very annoying and slightly ridiculous. However, his character did get a lot better towards the end of the novel.
Overall this was a highly enjoyable instalment in the Barsetshire series, and I'd recommend it for anyone who loves romantic socio-comedies focused on middle-class families in 1930s Britain!
This is one of the earlier novels in Thirkell's lovely Barsetshire series, and the fourth one that I have read. Although this was probably my least favourite of the ones I've read so far, it was still very enjoyable with the expected witty writing and the joyous, funny characters that Thirkell creates so brilliantly.
My favourite parts of this particular novel were the Dean family, who were wonderful and enchanting (especially the children who I loved very much), and some short snippets of conversation between a donkey, Modestine, and a cat, Gunnar, which were so hilarious and enjoyable.
The reason that I was set on giving this three stars for most of the reading experience was because of Richard, one of the main characters, who I found very annoying and slightly ridiculous. However, his character did get a lot better towards the end of the novel.
Overall this was a highly enjoyable instalment in the Barsetshire series, and I'd recommend it for anyone who loves romantic socio-comedies focused on middle-class families in 1930s Britain!
June 21, 2009
Charming story of 2 families and the neighborhood of their summer retreat. Spoiled Richard, who did badly at Oxford in spite of his intellectual parents. His sister, dutiful, neglected Margaret who has grown up nicely in other people's homes. Beautiful, universally loved Mrs. Dean, and her nine children. The local J.P.'s wife, so determined to produce Greek plays that she ropes her neighbors into acting. An individualistic, 20-year-old donkey and his feline friend. Out of a bubbling brew of personalities comes a group who grow more likeable as they get to know themselves. My favorite novel so far this year.
September 24, 2013
I discovered Angela Thirkell completely by accident. Thrashing around the library looking for something to listen to while running, I chanced across August Folly in a playaway edition. What a treat! The characters engaged me immediately and I had to get the book because listening to it wasn't fast enough--I couldn't wait to see how this comedy of manners played out. I felt like I was reading a collaboration between Jane Austen and Miss Read. Charming romance, wonderful humor, memorable characters. And if you do listen to it, the reader, Wanda McCaddon, was wonderful as well.
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