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Secret, très secret
Nous reconnaissons avec bonheur dans ces trois nouvelles, dans des genres parfois fort inattendus - roman d'espionnage, scènes de la vie anglaise pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale - la voix inimitable de Barbara Pym : son humour, sa cruauté, sa bonté aussi. Barbara Pym (1913-1980) est aujourd'hui reconnue comme une des très grandes romancières anglaises du XXe siècle. Elle a laissé un important héritage littéraire : neuf romans, vingt-sept nouvelles, plusieurs volumes de journaux, et une abondante correspondance.
- GenresShort Stories
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
27 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Pym
41 books1,002 followersPeople know British writer Barbara Pym for her comic novels, such as
Excellent Women
(1952), of English life.
After studying English at St Hilda's College, Oxford, Barbara Pym served in the Women's Royal Naval Service during World War II. From 1950 to 1961, she published six novels, but her 7th was declined by the publisher due to a change in the reading public's tastes.
The turning point for Pym came with a famous article in the 1975 Times Literary Supplement in which two prominent names, Lord David Cecil and Philip Larkin, nominated her as the most underrated writer of the century. Pym and Larkin had kept up a private correspondence over a period of many years. Her comeback novel, Quartet in Autumn, was nominated for the Booker Prize. Another novel, The Sweet Dove Died, previously rejected by many publishers, was subsequently published to critical acclaim, and several of her previously unpublished novels were published after her death.
Pym worked at the International African Institute in London for some years, and played a large part in the editing of its scholarly journal, Africa, hence the frequency with which anthropologists crop up in her novels. She never married, despite several close relationships with men, notably Henry Harvey, a fellow Oxford student, and the future politician, Julian Amery. After her retirement, she moved into Barn Cottage at Finstock in Oxfordshire with her younger sister, Hilary, who continued to live there until her death in February 2005. A blue plaque was placed on the cottage in 2006. The sisters played an active role in the social life of the village.
Several strong themes link the works in the Pym "canon", which are more notable for their style and characterisation than for their plots. A superficial reading gives the impression that they are sketches of village or suburban life, with excessive significance being attached to social activities connected with the Anglican church (in particular its Anglo-Catholic incarnation). However, the dialogue is often deeply ironic, and a tragic undercurrent runs through some of the later novels, especially Quartet in Autumn and The Sweet Dove Died.
After studying English at St Hilda's College, Oxford, Barbara Pym served in the Women's Royal Naval Service during World War II. From 1950 to 1961, she published six novels, but her 7th was declined by the publisher due to a change in the reading public's tastes.
The turning point for Pym came with a famous article in the 1975 Times Literary Supplement in which two prominent names, Lord David Cecil and Philip Larkin, nominated her as the most underrated writer of the century. Pym and Larkin had kept up a private correspondence over a period of many years. Her comeback novel, Quartet in Autumn, was nominated for the Booker Prize. Another novel, The Sweet Dove Died, previously rejected by many publishers, was subsequently published to critical acclaim, and several of her previously unpublished novels were published after her death.
Pym worked at the International African Institute in London for some years, and played a large part in the editing of its scholarly journal, Africa, hence the frequency with which anthropologists crop up in her novels. She never married, despite several close relationships with men, notably Henry Harvey, a fellow Oxford student, and the future politician, Julian Amery. After her retirement, she moved into Barn Cottage at Finstock in Oxfordshire with her younger sister, Hilary, who continued to live there until her death in February 2005. A blue plaque was placed on the cottage in 2006. The sisters played an active role in the social life of the village.
Several strong themes link the works in the Pym "canon", which are more notable for their style and characterisation than for their plots. A superficial reading gives the impression that they are sketches of village or suburban life, with excessive significance being attached to social activities connected with the Anglican church (in particular its Anglo-Catholic incarnation). However, the dialogue is often deeply ironic, and a tragic undercurrent runs through some of the later novels, especially Quartet in Autumn and The Sweet Dove Died.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 27, 2013
I actually read No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym. it is NOT listed in goodreads despite being one of her famous books and a fascinating read about two spinsters. one ends up with a Viennese store manager and the other with a romantic and handsome writer. very funny.
April 1, 2020
What is there not to like about Barbara Pym.
July 12, 2025
So Very Secret by Barbara Pym, adapted for BBC Radio
9 out of 10
Having been elated by Excellent Women by Barbara Pym- reviewed at realini.blogspot.com - I took the chance to listen to the dramatization of another work by the same fabulous author.
In fact, if you are interested, you find the play on YouTube and can also download it if you are interested.
This is 1941, when World War II and some rather sensational events take place, far from the frontline, in the countryside.
Harriet Jekyl is portrayed by the extravagant Miriam Margoyles - in some appearances on various shows, she makes some bold, rather shocking statements, such as the one about her meeting Laurence Olivier, when 'she creamed her nickers'
Cassandra Swan is the other key figure, one could argue that she is the main character, while Harriet Jekyl is more of a supporting role.
Early on, there is a very interesting assertion, one that I agree with, about the Russians being just as bad as the Nazis.
It is one of the awful paradoxes of Western Europe, which bans - as it should be - Nazi parties and propaganda, while being tolerant, at times even taking in coalitions, the communist groups or the far left.
Stalin and Mao have killed many more millions than Hitler, therefore they have all been just as monstrous.
Harriet Jekyl takes a bun and a book, only to disappear.
Cassandra or Cassie, as her friend calls her, would become the James Bond, Jason Bourne or a lesser known Mata Hari, when clues are found and she becomes embroiled in a rather adventurous quest for her friend.
Furthermore, a message is left by her disappeared friend, which says that she should deliver papers from a drawer to a man who needs them.
Harriet was supposed to have a perm, but the inquisitive, amateur detective only finds the book and the half eaten bun, with the note telling her to make the important delivery.
Enemy spies, presumably, take trouble to prevent the heroine from taking the documents to Gladstone.
She meets Hugh Fordythe - if that is the spelling, I could hear the name, I think, but I am not sure if it the correct one.
The other side invites the innocent Cassandra to see the cacti, only to use chloroform to render her unconscious.
A spoiler alert seems to be required here.
Perhaps long before this stage.
However, I most often do not include them, for it seems to be a lack of modesty...
Assuming that someone reads this, takes the effort to look at more than two lines and then uses the advise to read the work.
In this case, it is also such an obscure feature, that you can only find two identical entries on Google, with no more than ten words about it and then the theater production itself.
The enemy is tenacious and almost stops the intrepid, amateur Secret Agent.
But she may be helped by other people, women who have an extraordinary spirit of observation.
When the vicious man that is pursuing the protagonist pretends he is the brother, one of these ladies is both observant and insightful in turning him away...
I could see that the vile man had nothing to do with you, she would say later.
So Very Secret is a very entertaining play - in this BBC adaptation- and it is only about fifty four minutes long.
9 out of 10
Having been elated by Excellent Women by Barbara Pym- reviewed at realini.blogspot.com - I took the chance to listen to the dramatization of another work by the same fabulous author.
In fact, if you are interested, you find the play on YouTube and can also download it if you are interested.
This is 1941, when World War II and some rather sensational events take place, far from the frontline, in the countryside.
Harriet Jekyl is portrayed by the extravagant Miriam Margoyles - in some appearances on various shows, she makes some bold, rather shocking statements, such as the one about her meeting Laurence Olivier, when 'she creamed her nickers'
Cassandra Swan is the other key figure, one could argue that she is the main character, while Harriet Jekyl is more of a supporting role.
Early on, there is a very interesting assertion, one that I agree with, about the Russians being just as bad as the Nazis.
It is one of the awful paradoxes of Western Europe, which bans - as it should be - Nazi parties and propaganda, while being tolerant, at times even taking in coalitions, the communist groups or the far left.
Stalin and Mao have killed many more millions than Hitler, therefore they have all been just as monstrous.
Harriet Jekyl takes a bun and a book, only to disappear.
Cassandra or Cassie, as her friend calls her, would become the James Bond, Jason Bourne or a lesser known Mata Hari, when clues are found and she becomes embroiled in a rather adventurous quest for her friend.
Furthermore, a message is left by her disappeared friend, which says that she should deliver papers from a drawer to a man who needs them.
Harriet was supposed to have a perm, but the inquisitive, amateur detective only finds the book and the half eaten bun, with the note telling her to make the important delivery.
Enemy spies, presumably, take trouble to prevent the heroine from taking the documents to Gladstone.
She meets Hugh Fordythe - if that is the spelling, I could hear the name, I think, but I am not sure if it the correct one.
The other side invites the innocent Cassandra to see the cacti, only to use chloroform to render her unconscious.
A spoiler alert seems to be required here.
Perhaps long before this stage.
However, I most often do not include them, for it seems to be a lack of modesty...
Assuming that someone reads this, takes the effort to look at more than two lines and then uses the advise to read the work.
In this case, it is also such an obscure feature, that you can only find two identical entries on Google, with no more than ten words about it and then the theater production itself.
The enemy is tenacious and almost stops the intrepid, amateur Secret Agent.
But she may be helped by other people, women who have an extraordinary spirit of observation.
When the vicious man that is pursuing the protagonist pretends he is the brother, one of these ladies is both observant and insightful in turning him away...
I could see that the vile man had nothing to do with you, she would say later.
So Very Secret is a very entertaining play - in this BBC adaptation- and it is only about fifty four minutes long.
June 25, 2024
3.5 stars. Quite fun. Listened on Audible, dramatised version with Miriam Margolies.
August 21, 2025
I listened to the audio dramatisation of this (with the wonderful Miriam Margolyes!) and I did not take “umbrage” at this frightfully hush hush spy caper!
Great stuff.
Great stuff.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews