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Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse
Throughout her life, Nell Stillman has struggled to find meaning in an increasingly chaotic world. A complicated marriage to a boorish husband; an early widowhood spent longing for her congressman lover; the loss of her child, a shell shocked WWI hero — her road has not been easy. But somehow she manages to find moments of grace, more often than not through the genial voice of P.G. Wodehouse, the beloved British novelist. Spanning the first half of the twentieth century, Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse celebrates the power of great novels — from Austen to Chekhov — to transform, console, and teach us the value of friendship and love.
We first traveled to Harvester, Minnesota, twenty-five years ago in the bookclub favorite and New York Times best-selling novel, The Cape Ann. This new book, which brings us home to that small town on the prairie along with all of the wonderful characters who live there, is sure to be a classic.
We first traveled to Harvester, Minnesota, twenty-five years ago in the bookclub favorite and New York Times best-selling novel, The Cape Ann. This new book, which brings us home to that small town on the prairie along with all of the wonderful characters who live there, is sure to be a classic.
456 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2015
214 people are currently reading
2234 people want to read
About the author
Faith Sullivan
9 books117 followersFaith Sullivan was born and raised in southern Minnesota. Married to drama critic Dan Sullivan, she lived twenty-some years in New York and Los Angeles, returning to Minnesota often to keep her roots planted in the prairie. She is the author of Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse (2015), Gardenias (2005), What a Woman Must Do (2002), The Empress of One (1997), The Cape Ann (1988), Mrs. Demming and The Mythical Beast (1986), Watchdog (1982) and Repent, Lanny Merkel (1981). A “demon gardener, flea marketer, and feeder of birds,” Sullivan lives in Minneapolis with her husband. They have three grown children.
She is the winner of the Midwest Book Award, the Langum Prize for Historical Fiction, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize and the Ben Franklin Prize, and is a Minnesota Book Award Finalist.
She is the winner of the Midwest Book Award, the Langum Prize for Historical Fiction, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize and the Ben Franklin Prize, and is a Minnesota Book Award Finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 405 reviews
May 30, 2017
Just what I needed after some heavier books I've read lately. A charming, old fashioned story about 70 years in the life of Nell Stillman; widow, mother, 3rd grade schoolteacher, friend, lover, and most important of all, lifetime reader of good books, with P.G. Wodehouse being her personal savior and the author she could turn to at any time for escape.
"Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did non-readers cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a non-reading world must be."
" a book was not flesh and blood; John was. But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainer, philosopher, sometimes healer. The list was endless.... "
" Mr. Wodehouse was a friend who took her hand, saying, "I'll show you an innocent place, and I'll be there when you need me." A gentle man.
This book was an escape to a more innocent world in a small village in Minnesota during the first half of the 20th century. Bad things still happened, just like today. There were cruel people, friends and family died, neighbors kept their secrets, shit happened, as the saying goes. But Nell endured, and if you can read the last few pages without tears in your eyes, then you have a cold, cold heart. This book is not great literature, but a great book nevertheless.
"Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did non-readers cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a non-reading world must be."
" a book was not flesh and blood; John was. But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainer, philosopher, sometimes healer. The list was endless.... "
" Mr. Wodehouse was a friend who took her hand, saying, "I'll show you an innocent place, and I'll be there when you need me." A gentle man.
This book was an escape to a more innocent world in a small village in Minnesota during the first half of the 20th century. Bad things still happened, just like today. There were cruel people, friends and family died, neighbors kept their secrets, shit happened, as the saying goes. But Nell endured, and if you can read the last few pages without tears in your eyes, then you have a cold, cold heart. This book is not great literature, but a great book nevertheless.
February 4, 2016
What a lovely, charming, true-to-life book; complete with great love, great happiness, great sorrow, tragedy, triumphs, great friendships, enemies, good and bad family relationships, small-town gossip, all levels of age-related trials and blessings – just totally complete with living life.
Nell is an avid reader, hence the title. She finds that the humor and antics of P.D.Wodehouse's novels calm and save her. Ms. Sullivan's novel may do the same for you. You definitely will live Nell's life with her as you read along her journey that begins in the late 1800's, continues through the first world war, the depression, and on through WWII and beyond. What strength of character she has through her struggles and what a friend she is.
This is not a complicated story, but a heart-warming one. Simplistic in its writing, but multifaceted in its telling.
It contains one of the most poignant goodbye letters I have ever read.
This is not typically the type of book I am interested in, but I have just added two more of Ms. Sullivan's books to my list and hope they are as good as this one was.
Nell is an avid reader, hence the title. She finds that the humor and antics of P.D.Wodehouse's novels calm and save her. Ms. Sullivan's novel may do the same for you. You definitely will live Nell's life with her as you read along her journey that begins in the late 1800's, continues through the first world war, the depression, and on through WWII and beyond. What strength of character she has through her struggles and what a friend she is.
This is not a complicated story, but a heart-warming one. Simplistic in its writing, but multifaceted in its telling.
It contains one of the most poignant goodbye letters I have ever read.
This is not typically the type of book I am interested in, but I have just added two more of Ms. Sullivan's books to my list and hope they are as good as this one was.
December 7, 2015
I absolutely loved this book! Loved the characters, loved the time - late 1800s into the 1960s, loved the characters, loved this woman's love of books. I will definitely read Ms. Sullivan's other books now. This one centers around Nell Stillman, a woman living in the town of Harvester, MN. Nell finds solace in the books she reads, but when she discovers P.G. Wodehouse, she is hooked. Much goes on in this plucky woman's life as she makes her way through the 20th century. She teaches third grade in the local school, she makes friends and keeps secrets, she lives through World War I and suffers some of its consequences. I would love to have her as a friend. It will be hard for me to pick up another book after finishing this one.
July 3, 2017
What am I missing here? Why does everyone rave about this book? I'm halfway through and looking for a reason to finish. The writing is uneven, the story is moving awfully slow (although the timeline isn't, so why doesn't more happen?!) and I don't find most of the characters all that compelling. Sorry, but I just don't get it.
October 29, 2015
Setting is the northern plains, in a small town, in the early 1900s. A young woman in her 20s, Nell, loses her husband (no great loss there) and has to provide for her small son. As we learn from her obituary at the beginning of the book, she does this by teaching school. But her life is much more complicated than that, and she finds a great deal of solace in works of literature, particularly those of P. G. Wodehouse. There isn't much of a story arc, just a woman's life as she moves through the historical events of the early 20th century. A lot of it is pretty tragic.
She got done what she had to each day and then took solace in a good book, or other pleasures as she found them. She had no ambition for anything greater. I can't decide whether that makes her admirable or not.
She got done what she had to each day and then took solace in a good book, or other pleasures as she found them. She had no ambition for anything greater. I can't decide whether that makes her admirable or not.
May 4, 2016
Didn't finish it. And I really tried with this one, because I adore P.G. Wodehouse's writing and I didn't want to believe that I couldn't empathize with a character who loves Mr. Wodehouse the way I do. Finally I just admitted to myself that the characters were flat and I didn't care about them. They were just lifeless paper cutouts moving around. Also, this was set in a small town and I hate small town books. Small towns make me feel suffocated, both in truth and in fiction. It's a pity because I was hoping for much more. Poor old Mr. Wodehouse. May you get a more worthy tribute.
October 15, 2017
A day of the learned is longer than the life of the ignorant. - Seneca
Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did nonreaders cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a nonreading world must be.
And so much history. Sadness, too-I mean sadness in the history. (London)
And if I learn to be a good person-a loving, generous, blithesome person-I can be a good wife and mother and friend. Isn't that so?
Like Cora, George was moving into that pale landscape where the sun shines dimly through a scrim of vanished possibilities.
One came home again.
To be unsophisticated was no crime if you weren't narrow, and she hoped that her reading kept her from that. Through novels you glimpsed the grim night that could eventually overtake the intolerant.
Since I doubt God will take offense, why should I?
One thing he noticed about running was that after fifteen or twenty minutes, a knot in his gut he hadn't known was there began to unclench.
A book was not flesh and blood. But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainment, philosopher, sometimes healer.
I admire folks who pay due regard to the activities they undertake. Every man needs a pasttime or tow that he respects and that recompenses him.
Motherpride just was.
Arvina's eyes were small and set too close, lending her a judgmental aspect-as if she'd been born was a gavel in her hand.
But something about being hated made you feel guilty.
To be alone in the dark, together, murmuring the inconsequent observations that mark intimacy and trust, was a rare treat, and the pleasure was unspeakably sharp and sweet.
I cannot help pondering if that isn't the physical choice of a thinker. (long-distance running)
They could hear the night breathe,as prairie nights do-the heave and sigh of warm earth, of things growing and waiting to be cut down.
Fashion is for fools. Quality is always in style.
Hilly suspected that they just wore each other down to dust and ran out of shells.
Don't let it bile (boil) on and on, darlin'. Somethin' blessed biles away.
Pleased to have come and grateful to leave.
He was caught between two places so different, they'd never understand each other.
One can never really repair the hole left by the death of someone dear. Each blessed soul is unique, so how could we possibly replace it?
L'heure bleu (twilight hour)
He was as always, perhaps more so each time.
As time passed, a trickle of shame oozed into the heart of the community. "But only into the left ventricle," snapped Eudora.
"Your mother loves you. You know that, don't you?"
Sally shrugged. "Maybe. But what good does that do?"
If you put your hand on a piece of old furniture, it'll tell you stories.
Well, you know what a bacchanal that'll be. Too noisy for me.
But that's my daughter-in-law for you. ever the Pollyanna.
It is the year empty of event that in memory seems to have passed quickly, since it contains no mileposts of occurrence to give it substance. On the other hand, a year full of event seems longer in memory because of its many mileposts. The hourglass of time seeming to speed up with the last grains of sand falling.
Thanks for the use of your scotch.
The early August evening was bathwater warm and poignant with the scent of mown grass.
As an old woman, she luxuriated in remembered pleasures.
His innocence almost painful in its perfection. (baby Hilly)
I have outlived my sins. It's very freeing to outlive your sins.
Time to get ready for Mass. She still went, and wondered why.
At eighty-five, she'd outlived her secrets, as Elvira had outlived her sins. Age freed one of much baggage.
There wasn't much you could do with an eighty-five-year-old face but own it.
God, I'm glad to hear that. (Nell & John as lovers)
And, darling girls, talk to me sometimes, from across this permeable boundary, as I have talked to Hilly and John and my friends Eudora and Juliet. I'm here. I'll listen.
Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did nonreaders cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a nonreading world must be.
And so much history. Sadness, too-I mean sadness in the history. (London)
And if I learn to be a good person-a loving, generous, blithesome person-I can be a good wife and mother and friend. Isn't that so?
Like Cora, George was moving into that pale landscape where the sun shines dimly through a scrim of vanished possibilities.
One came home again.
To be unsophisticated was no crime if you weren't narrow, and she hoped that her reading kept her from that. Through novels you glimpsed the grim night that could eventually overtake the intolerant.
Since I doubt God will take offense, why should I?
One thing he noticed about running was that after fifteen or twenty minutes, a knot in his gut he hadn't known was there began to unclench.
A book was not flesh and blood. But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainment, philosopher, sometimes healer.
I admire folks who pay due regard to the activities they undertake. Every man needs a pasttime or tow that he respects and that recompenses him.
Motherpride just was.
Arvina's eyes were small and set too close, lending her a judgmental aspect-as if she'd been born was a gavel in her hand.
But something about being hated made you feel guilty.
To be alone in the dark, together, murmuring the inconsequent observations that mark intimacy and trust, was a rare treat, and the pleasure was unspeakably sharp and sweet.
I cannot help pondering if that isn't the physical choice of a thinker. (long-distance running)
They could hear the night breathe,as prairie nights do-the heave and sigh of warm earth, of things growing and waiting to be cut down.
Fashion is for fools. Quality is always in style.
Hilly suspected that they just wore each other down to dust and ran out of shells.
Don't let it bile (boil) on and on, darlin'. Somethin' blessed biles away.
Pleased to have come and grateful to leave.
He was caught between two places so different, they'd never understand each other.
One can never really repair the hole left by the death of someone dear. Each blessed soul is unique, so how could we possibly replace it?
L'heure bleu (twilight hour)
He was as always, perhaps more so each time.
As time passed, a trickle of shame oozed into the heart of the community. "But only into the left ventricle," snapped Eudora.
"Your mother loves you. You know that, don't you?"
Sally shrugged. "Maybe. But what good does that do?"
If you put your hand on a piece of old furniture, it'll tell you stories.
Well, you know what a bacchanal that'll be. Too noisy for me.
But that's my daughter-in-law for you. ever the Pollyanna.
It is the year empty of event that in memory seems to have passed quickly, since it contains no mileposts of occurrence to give it substance. On the other hand, a year full of event seems longer in memory because of its many mileposts. The hourglass of time seeming to speed up with the last grains of sand falling.
Thanks for the use of your scotch.
The early August evening was bathwater warm and poignant with the scent of mown grass.
As an old woman, she luxuriated in remembered pleasures.
His innocence almost painful in its perfection. (baby Hilly)
I have outlived my sins. It's very freeing to outlive your sins.
Time to get ready for Mass. She still went, and wondered why.
At eighty-five, she'd outlived her secrets, as Elvira had outlived her sins. Age freed one of much baggage.
There wasn't much you could do with an eighty-five-year-old face but own it.
God, I'm glad to hear that. (Nell & John as lovers)
And, darling girls, talk to me sometimes, from across this permeable boundary, as I have talked to Hilly and John and my friends Eudora and Juliet. I'm here. I'll listen.
February 17, 2017
Oh, what a delight! I loved this book.
I just saw that a panel discussion with authors was being held where the main topic was why it's important to keep writing during a time of turmoil, and that is this book's thesis. Nell has some wonderful things happen in her life, like her darling son Hillyard (Hilly or short) and great friends and eventually, a lover interest. But she's had some bad things too, such as her first husband, and eventually the death of people close to her. The book spans about 50 years so some of the sad things are inevitable (although towards the end it did feel a bit like a piling on). And when bad things happen (the sinking of the Lusitania with friends on board, the outbreak of The Great War and Hilly's enlistment), time and again, she turns to the wonderful, witty, often hilarious novels of the inimitable P.G. Wodehouse. Nell is a teacher and a great lover of literature, and while the small town of Harvester, MN doesn't have a real library (at least not until the end of the book), Nell is able to borrow books, and a wealthy family does endow an honor library at the local power company early on. At one point Nell even writes Mr. Wodehouse a fan letter, which expresses something I've said many times myself (although she says it more eloquently), about how books can save a life. It might not feel that way, especially for novels that might even get dismissed as lightweight and silly, but there are times when our own trials are so difficult to bear, that we need to escape, and to find humor in life, most especially at times when we might otherwise fear we'll never know humor again.
Personally, I read Life With Jeeves, a Wodehouse collection of 4 novels during my wedding planning, which was one of the most stressful times in my life. I wholeheartedly agree with Nell that Wodehouse is one of the best distractions from life, when life is being a jerk. And sadly for Nell, who is a smart, kind, decent woman, life is often jerky. Sometimes we all feel that life has been unusually jerky. 2016 was like that. And why didn't I read any Wodehouse in 2016? Why didn't I read this lovely book? I meant to, but I kept getting sidetracked. I am overjoyed I finally got to it, and annoyed that I didn't read it sooner. This book was occasionally delightful, sometimes heartbreaking, but always thoughtful and touching. As a novel of small-town Midwest in the first half of the 20th century, it is a wonderful slice of Americana with a heart of gold.
I just saw that a panel discussion with authors was being held where the main topic was why it's important to keep writing during a time of turmoil, and that is this book's thesis. Nell has some wonderful things happen in her life, like her darling son Hillyard (Hilly or short) and great friends and eventually, a lover interest. But she's had some bad things too, such as her first husband, and eventually the death of people close to her. The book spans about 50 years so some of the sad things are inevitable (although towards the end it did feel a bit like a piling on). And when bad things happen (the sinking of the Lusitania with friends on board, the outbreak of The Great War and Hilly's enlistment), time and again, she turns to the wonderful, witty, often hilarious novels of the inimitable P.G. Wodehouse. Nell is a teacher and a great lover of literature, and while the small town of Harvester, MN doesn't have a real library (at least not until the end of the book), Nell is able to borrow books, and a wealthy family does endow an honor library at the local power company early on. At one point Nell even writes Mr. Wodehouse a fan letter, which expresses something I've said many times myself (although she says it more eloquently), about how books can save a life. It might not feel that way, especially for novels that might even get dismissed as lightweight and silly, but there are times when our own trials are so difficult to bear, that we need to escape, and to find humor in life, most especially at times when we might otherwise fear we'll never know humor again.
Personally, I read Life With Jeeves, a Wodehouse collection of 4 novels during my wedding planning, which was one of the most stressful times in my life. I wholeheartedly agree with Nell that Wodehouse is one of the best distractions from life, when life is being a jerk. And sadly for Nell, who is a smart, kind, decent woman, life is often jerky. Sometimes we all feel that life has been unusually jerky. 2016 was like that. And why didn't I read any Wodehouse in 2016? Why didn't I read this lovely book? I meant to, but I kept getting sidetracked. I am overjoyed I finally got to it, and annoyed that I didn't read it sooner. This book was occasionally delightful, sometimes heartbreaking, but always thoughtful and touching. As a novel of small-town Midwest in the first half of the 20th century, it is a wonderful slice of Americana with a heart of gold.
September 29, 2016
I am 25% through the book and it is just okay. The characters behave in a way that is inexplicable. Why on earth is Cora friends with Elvira? Nothing feels like it is going anywhere. The reviews 0n this book are amazing, so it may not be a genre that I like and it clearly is one the most reviewers do. Is this going to get better? So the big question is do I finish it? Book club is Monday.
Okay, so I kept on reading and now I am going to stop. What rubbish. Poorly written and cardboard characters.
Okay, so I kept on reading and now I am going to stop. What rubbish. Poorly written and cardboard characters.
February 9, 2016
I truly enjoyed this novel - it was chosen for book club as it probably would not have crossed my path. Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse feels timeless in its story and told from the perspective of a strong woman with strong female characters. The gentleness of the story is contrasted with the reality of life and all of its perils. I highly recommend!
August 10, 2016
It's been 2 days since I finished this book and I desperately miss the characters! I love Nell's relationship with books - "Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did nonreaders cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a nonreading world must be."
July 17, 2016
I picked up this book while browsing displays at the library. It was not on my tbr, and I don't remember purchasing it. I don't even know if any of my friends read it.
I LOVED IT!!! I read it from about 8:00 PM until almost 2:00 AM, and it was worth it!!!
Highly recommended!!!
I LOVED IT!!! I read it from about 8:00 PM until almost 2:00 AM, and it was worth it!!!
Highly recommended!!!
April 4, 2023
Another wonderful book by Faith Sullivan. This tells the story of Nell Stillman, a young mother widowed with a baby son to raise, in the small town of Harvester, Minnesota, at the turn of the century. Nell becomes a public school teacher, falls in love with a local congressman, endures heartache, and enjoys rich friendships. Nell's nightly routine of reading P.G. Wodehouse never fails to bring her humor and comfort.
August 22, 2018
The plotting and characterizations are just OK, but the tone is lovely, and it turns this into four-star comfort reading, a bit like the Mma Ramotswe books or Jan Karon’s Mitford series before she got carried away by religiosity.
August 21, 2022
This is the second of Faith Sullivan’s books that I have read. The first was The Cape Ann - both books great! Now I find there are several more. The characters are amazing. It’s just so sad how everyone in her life dies.
April 9, 2024
This was a very charming small town book with lots of endearing characters. I recommend for when you need a light read!
April 30, 2016
This book covers a sizeable timeline. At the start, it introduced Nell, a 24 years old protagonist and her very young son just eighteen months old; the year was 1900. The book followed her all the way through to age 85 years; the year was 1961. During this time, Cunard's Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, President McKinley was shot, President T. Roosevelt took office, Lindbergh (Lucky Lindy) flew across the Atlantic, Pearl Harbour happened, America joined the war, outhouses were demolished and filled up, old cook stoves were replaced by electric ones, telephones became a reality, and yet Nell continued to live in the apartment above the meat shop –well there were a few improvements to the place; she certainly replaced the heated brick wrapped in a towel for warmth.
What a lovely lady is our fictional Nell! When her husband died at 35 years, Nell resolved to focus on raising Hillyard, her only son, and to ingrain in him gentleness and non-violence. The reader can deduce that Nell was subject to spousal abuse during her short marriage. To avoid spoilers, let's just say that the author did a great job with this character. While every reader wants Nell’s life to get better, life does not always have happy endings so in this way, the story line more closely resembles reality.
Since I love to read and Nell loves to read, she felt like a kindred spirit so I enjoyed some of her words and passages relating to books. Here are a few:
"A book was not flesh and blood; John was. But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainer, philosopher, sometimes healer. The list was endless."
"With retirement would come more leisure for this blessed passion. Nell hoped she had left her charges with a love of reading, one of the few things they could count on in life. The years could rob them of friends and farms, of youth and health, but books would endure."
"Mr. Wodehouse is my savior," Nell tugged off her gloves. "If I'm down in the dumps, I run away to his books. Everybody needs a place like that where they're happy and...safe."
Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball, books were a cushion. How on earth non-readers cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a non-reading world must be."
This heart-warming book explores friendships, relationships, family dynamics, motherhood, societal mores from a long ago period, small communities & towns, gossip, endurance, faith, and more.
Other notable characters are:
Elvira – stoic, brave, considerate
Aunt Martha – shallow, self-centred, uncharitable
Hillyard – respectful, kind, giving
John – intellectual, ambitious, caring
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it especially for those who love books.
What a lovely lady is our fictional Nell! When her husband died at 35 years, Nell resolved to focus on raising Hillyard, her only son, and to ingrain in him gentleness and non-violence. The reader can deduce that Nell was subject to spousal abuse during her short marriage. To avoid spoilers, let's just say that the author did a great job with this character. While every reader wants Nell’s life to get better, life does not always have happy endings so in this way, the story line more closely resembles reality.
Since I love to read and Nell loves to read, she felt like a kindred spirit so I enjoyed some of her words and passages relating to books. Here are a few:
"A book was not flesh and blood; John was. But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainer, philosopher, sometimes healer. The list was endless."
"With retirement would come more leisure for this blessed passion. Nell hoped she had left her charges with a love of reading, one of the few things they could count on in life. The years could rob them of friends and farms, of youth and health, but books would endure."
"Mr. Wodehouse is my savior," Nell tugged off her gloves. "If I'm down in the dumps, I run away to his books. Everybody needs a place like that where they're happy and...safe."
Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball, books were a cushion. How on earth non-readers cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a non-reading world must be."
This heart-warming book explores friendships, relationships, family dynamics, motherhood, societal mores from a long ago period, small communities & towns, gossip, endurance, faith, and more.
Other notable characters are:
Elvira – stoic, brave, considerate
Aunt Martha – shallow, self-centred, uncharitable
Hillyard – respectful, kind, giving
John – intellectual, ambitious, caring
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it especially for those who love books.
March 11, 2018
A charming story set in a small town in Minnesota. I loved the book and found it a refreshing read. I couldn’t, however, fall in love with the main character. Nell is ambivalent: a strong and surprisingly independent woman for her times on one side and, at the same time, a frightened little mouse who remains cooped up in her apartment hiding behind books when life is calling her to action. Maybe we all are ambivalent in some way in life and she certainly makes no secret of being content of where she’s at in life. It is disconcerting how oblivious she is to her son being bullied and tormented both as a young lad and later as a wounded soldier. She refuses to marry John and take her son to Washington DC where he could receive better care and stop being made fun of. She keeps stalling so that she doesn’t have to change a thing in her life. The fact that she feels so attached to her town and its people is admirable, yet it comes at a great cost for others, also her lover who ends up dying alone in the capital.
There are also some characters that are not fully developed or simply abandoned along the way: Elvira and her daughter, and the three girls Nell is so fond of.
There are also some characters that are not fully developed or simply abandoned along the way: Elvira and her daughter, and the three girls Nell is so fond of.
April 15, 2017
I'm not really sure what to say about this novel. I love PG Wodehouse novels, so the title intrigued me. It's basically about a woman living in a small town in Minnesota at the turn of the 20th century. Almost immediately, her husband dies leaving her with a small son and memories of her husband's abuse. A kindly couple take her under their wing and help her find a job to support herself and her child. Over the next 60ish years, Nell continues to live in the same apartment above the butcher in little Harvester. She discovers Wodehouse and the power his story telling has to comfort and cheer her throughout various trials and tribulations. It's a sweet story.
October 3, 2016
4.5 stars for me. This is a lovely book about the life of Nell Stillman, an ordinary person. She has sorrows and disappointments, but she makes a family out of friends and books (particularly those of P.G. Wodehouse). While harsh things happen in her story, the book itself is gentle. I loved it!
March 27, 2017
This book was recommended to me and I will recommend it to you.
The characters and storylines are wonderfully fleshed out. The poor main character has a lot happen to her during her lifetime but she manages to get through it with the help of others and books!!
There is a theme of the books running through the storyline but it is not overwhelming at all!!
I really enjoyed this book!!
The characters and storylines are wonderfully fleshed out. The poor main character has a lot happen to her during her lifetime but she manages to get through it with the help of others and books!!
There is a theme of the books running through the storyline but it is not overwhelming at all!!
I really enjoyed this book!!
November 16, 2015
This was THE WORST book I have ever read. No storyline, everyone she loves or is close to dies, and the writing is atrocious. Don't be fooled by the pretty cover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2025
One of my new favorite books and my new favorite authors. What a charming book!!
January 30, 2023
I kept checking the publishing date on this book, thinking surely I was mistaken. A novel written in such a demure and refreshing way has to be older. But I have to admit, the first one-third of the story wasn't an easy one for me; I kept waiting for Mr. Wodehouse or some other dynamic to appear. After the bumpy start, I fell into the story of Harvester, Minnesota and Nell Stillman. To quote Nell, "In books are found solace, companionship, entertainment, and enlightenment. The stuff of our salvation."
June 5, 2018
I can see why people find this book charming, but I'm afraid I got stuck on a line at the very beginning of the book and never forgave the author for it, "Nell had expected a girl with thick ankles and thicker wits." I'm sure this says more about me than the book.
August 28, 2016
The following passages alone would have been sufficient to place this novel among my favorites:
"And wasn't it a good thing to have an aspect of one's nature illuminated by a character? A book could be a mirror helping one to understand oneself, accept oneself - maybe even one's more refractory parts."
"Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did nonreaders cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a nonreading world must be."
"A book was not flesh and blood; ... But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainer, philosopher, sometimes healer. The list was endless.
And Mr. Wodehouse, well, he was a conjuror, summoning a world that had never been but was more real than any that had; a world that provided all that the so called real world withheld - most especially, friends who didn't leave."
"When you hadn't the courage to face the future head on, you could still approach it obliquely, on a circuitous route through the printed page. Was there anyone on earth who'd understand how grinding fear could be locked away for a moment of laughter?"
"... to celebrate the power of literature to comfort, enlighten, entertain, transform, and, doggone it, make us a lot more fun to be around."
Faith Sullivan's candid, loving portrayal of Nell Stillman and the influential people in her life, however, earns similar accolades. The characters are brought to life in such a way that I could not help trying to give them advice and correct the flaws and foibles which actually made them real. There is no dearth of tragedy. The triumphs are often understated and seem thoroughly appropriate. This novel is rooted in history, yet the dilemmas and acts of kindness are timeless.
"And wasn't it a good thing to have an aspect of one's nature illuminated by a character? A book could be a mirror helping one to understand oneself, accept oneself - maybe even one's more refractory parts."
"Life could toss your sanity about like a glass ball; books were a cushion. How on earth did nonreaders cope when they had nowhere to turn? How lonely such a nonreading world must be."
"A book was not flesh and blood; ... But a book was nearly everything else: companion, instructor, travel guide, entertainer, philosopher, sometimes healer. The list was endless.
And Mr. Wodehouse, well, he was a conjuror, summoning a world that had never been but was more real than any that had; a world that provided all that the so called real world withheld - most especially, friends who didn't leave."
"When you hadn't the courage to face the future head on, you could still approach it obliquely, on a circuitous route through the printed page. Was there anyone on earth who'd understand how grinding fear could be locked away for a moment of laughter?"
"... to celebrate the power of literature to comfort, enlighten, entertain, transform, and, doggone it, make us a lot more fun to be around."
Faith Sullivan's candid, loving portrayal of Nell Stillman and the influential people in her life, however, earns similar accolades. The characters are brought to life in such a way that I could not help trying to give them advice and correct the flaws and foibles which actually made them real. There is no dearth of tragedy. The triumphs are often understated and seem thoroughly appropriate. This novel is rooted in history, yet the dilemmas and acts of kindness are timeless.
November 17, 2018
A partial list of authors who wrote, or have written, fiction set in small-town Minnesota: Jon Hassler, Vidar Sundstol Leif Enger, Garrison Keillor, William Kent Krueger, Sinclair Lewis.
I know that's not a complete list, but it seems like a lot already. Is it just because I live in Minnesota that I'm aware of a lot of Minnesota-centric fiction? If I lived in another state, would I be aware of just as much fiction set in that state?
What say you, Delaware?
In any event, Faith Sullivan was a new entry to the genre for me when I came across "Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse" at my local used bookstore. I had sworn that I would only buy a book if I found one I really wanted, but that was a false oath. "Good Night" merely attracted my interest. I thought: Sounds clever; I'll buy it.
The story covers most of the adult life of Nell Stillman, which covers much of the 20th century. It's spent in the fictional, but believable, small town of Harvester, Minnesota. Her life has its pleasures, but she also goes through more hardships than most. She's victimized by small-town gossip and small-mindedness but blessed with small-town enduring and genuine friendships. Her refuge when things aren't going well, and even when they are, is in reading, and particularly in reading the works of P.G. Wodehouse.
It's a good story, but it felt long to me, longer than it actually was, with more fabric and bridge than I care to read about. When it comes to authors who evoke small-town life, I guess I'm more of a Hassler guy. It's just a matter of taste, really.
I know that's not a complete list, but it seems like a lot already. Is it just because I live in Minnesota that I'm aware of a lot of Minnesota-centric fiction? If I lived in another state, would I be aware of just as much fiction set in that state?
What say you, Delaware?
In any event, Faith Sullivan was a new entry to the genre for me when I came across "Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse" at my local used bookstore. I had sworn that I would only buy a book if I found one I really wanted, but that was a false oath. "Good Night" merely attracted my interest. I thought: Sounds clever; I'll buy it.
The story covers most of the adult life of Nell Stillman, which covers much of the 20th century. It's spent in the fictional, but believable, small town of Harvester, Minnesota. Her life has its pleasures, but she also goes through more hardships than most. She's victimized by small-town gossip and small-mindedness but blessed with small-town enduring and genuine friendships. Her refuge when things aren't going well, and even when they are, is in reading, and particularly in reading the works of P.G. Wodehouse.
It's a good story, but it felt long to me, longer than it actually was, with more fabric and bridge than I care to read about. When it comes to authors who evoke small-town life, I guess I'm more of a Hassler guy. It's just a matter of taste, really.
November 26, 2016
Independent bookseller The Bookworm brought this novel to a presentation at my senior living community. I purchased it because the prologue, an obituatary written by the deceased years before her death, intrigued me. I loved the book, wishing that I could give it a 4.5 or 4.8 rating. I wouldn't recommend it for my most discerning friends, including those in the Elysian Fields, hence it's not quite a 5. On second thought, maybe I would. The story takes us through the life of the main character as a young adult in the early 1900's until her death - I guess in her 80's. The plot lines aren't original, but how many of our lives are? We love, we make mistakes, we live through wars, we suffer, we lose our loved ones, sometimes too early & sometimes after they've lived their three score and ten. Sulliver skillfully portrays each character in a way that we feel we know them. I'll let you figure out the significance of the title, and it is significant, but it's a great read for those who love books, Wodehouse not withstanding.
August 7, 2016
So happy to say I hurt my back today cos that meant I could lie out on the back porch and read this book cover to cover! It may just turn out to be my favourite book of 2016. Nell Stillman seems to lead a 'small' life in a small town but it's filled with all the joys and tragedies most of us experience. The book spans the years from 1900 to the 60's. Her one comfort during her lifetime is her love of the works of PG Wodehouse, whose humour whisks her away from the sadness and stress of life. For people who appreciate the value in escaping into a good book, this will definitely resonate.
PS my favourite quote from the book: 'it is a good and rare thing to realize when we are happy'.
PS my favourite quote from the book: 'it is a good and rare thing to realize when we are happy'.
February 9, 2017
Lovely small-town saga. As a Wodehouse fan myself, I couldn't resist. This is the story of a woman whose quiet heroism triumphs over difficulties. You can't help rooting for Nell Stillman.
I found it a little unrealistic that the main character just happened to have "enlightened 21st century attitudes" to mental illness, physical disability, premarital sex, unwed motherhood and homosexuality in early 20th century Minnesota. I suppose the author wanted us to like her. But we're grownups. A few character flaws, and historic reality, make characters more interesting.
That's a minor quibble with an otherwise delightful book.
I found it a little unrealistic that the main character just happened to have "enlightened 21st century attitudes" to mental illness, physical disability, premarital sex, unwed motherhood and homosexuality in early 20th century Minnesota. I suppose the author wanted us to like her. But we're grownups. A few character flaws, and historic reality, make characters more interesting.
That's a minor quibble with an otherwise delightful book.
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