The life of a provincial lady: A study of E.M. Delafield and her works

by Violet Powell

This is a biography of E.M.Delafield, born Edmee Elizabeth Monica de la Pasture, whose novel "The Diary of a Provincial Lady" was a best-seller. It includes analyses of her major works and her own vivid account of her months in a Belgian convent.

Genres: Biography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Lady Violet Powell, born Violet Georgiana Pakenham, third daughter of Thomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of Longford and Lady Mary Julia Child Villiers (daughter of Victor Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey), was a writer and critic.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be an immensely helpful read as a fan of E.M. Delafield's Provincial Lady series. Though a fan, I did not know much about the writer herself nor the breadth of her other works. I read other reviewer's disappointment in the lack of biographical data in this novel. I could see their points; however, Powell writes in the majority of the biographical information in relation to the chronological order of Delafield's novels. Then provides a brief summary with analysis of the work being discussed in a very conversational way. Which I found all of which in keeping with what seems to be Powell's intent based on the title of this book.

I did wish for more biographical information. Powell gives us tantalizing glimpses into Delafield the person vs. Delafield the writer and I was absolutely intrigued. Delafield's mother was a popular author and a hard force in her daughters' lives. We follow Delafield's life as a novitiate in a Belgian convent to her marriage to Paul Dashwood and subsequent move to Singapore for his career as an engineer. On her return to England we follow the rest of her life in which her career begins to really flourish.

I feel Powell rather glosses over Delafield's talent as an educator. Based on her pupils earning awards for their high marks while she taught in a convent, I felt like this was a launching point to discuss Delafield's other works related to her thoughts on education. One glaring piece of information that seemed to be mentioned far too briefly was Delafield's work as the FIRST woman to sit on the Bench at Cullompton as the Commission of Peace. One fellow magistrate threatened to resign if a woman was allowed to become one... he resigned. The male magistrates, after two years, ceased to warn her about "unpleasant cases" which involved sexual or criminal assault. Delafield instead insisted on the benefit of having a woman present when another woman had to give testimony to a room full of men. She also sent mothers of children, offenders and witnesses out of the Court when children had to testify- she found children spoke more freely without "parental solicitude or prompting". Powell also barely hints at the circumstances of Delafield's son's death. It was deemed he met with an accident in the Armoury and died of gunshot wounds. Powell never outright says it, but the way she skirts around the after effects gave the impression there was something more to the story. A quick wikipedia search mentions the possibly of suicide but not proven. Powell's focus is very much on the works of Delafield and she seems to give more privacy than readers who want to know more about Delafield the person would like. I was intrigued with what condition caused Delafield's failing health. It never is really explored. So all in all, we enough peeks into the Delafield's life to want to know more.

The main value in this book is the treatise really on all of Delafield's work as a novelist, playwright, magazine and short story writer, and questionable time as a broadcaster. I enjoyed this book immensely and have another Delafield biography on order. Sadly, the only one I could find on her.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very readable, account of the life and works of the real Provincial Lady. It's not really a scholarly work, but I don't feel that it suffers from this lack. My only real quibble, is that there are a lot of summaries of the plots of her novels which are full of spoilers to the stories. Other than the Provincial Lady books, many of her works aren't easy to get hold of, but I do have quite a few, so I'm looking forward to these.

[Squeak2017 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only time the prose in this biography comes to life is when in an early chapter Delafield herself describes her time as a novice nun, and when the author reaches the Provincial Lady era, when you can hear an echo of Delafield’s voice in the background. Otherwise the writing is pedestrian and the analysis of Delafield’s work is superficial. It was interesting to fill in a few details of Delafield’s life, but I would like to read a more insightful review of Delafield’s life than this one.

[Donnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides the back story to the Provincial Lady's diaries. Also gives descriptions of many of her novels. Most seem to involve controlling females (usually a mother), shallow men and fretful heroines. Am intrigued by Thank Heavens Fasting, though.

Interesting re: her death. First, an adoring dog curls up on her bed every day, until the day before she dies--when the dog goes out into the garden and dies. Second, on the day of her death a robin comes in through the window and perches on her bed. A message, perhaps, from her adored son who had died two years earlier and whom she called "Robin" in the Provincial Lady books?

[Bill Connington · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors. Her humor is dry, her observation is cool, her self-assessment is critical. A wryly funny book. About a particular time (early 1930s) and place (Devon, England). It is also an historical record of England and English people of that time. The author has a penetrating and humorous voice.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, there's neither enough biographical detail nor enough literary criticism here to be truly satisfying. The highlight was "The Brides of Heaven", Delafield's own account of her time as a postulant in a convent, which was worth buying the book for.

[Lesley]

Underwhelmed. Delafield =/= her literary persona as the Provincial Lady.