What do you think?
Rate this book
Landscape in Sunlight
At the end of the war, Mrs. Midge stayed on. While the war lasted Mrs. Custance had accepted her as part of the war-effort; it was only in the past year or two that Mrs. Midge had been transferred to the category which Mrs. Custance described as "people we could manage without."
Elizabeth Fair's rollicking second novel takes place in Little Mallin, where village life is largely dominated by preparations for the August Festival. Out of such ordinary material Fair weaves a tale of conflict, scheming, misunderstanding--and of course romance.
Among the villagers are a vicar dreaming of ancient Greece; his wife, largely concerned with getting their daughter married off; the melancholic Colonel Ashford; the eccentric Eustace Templer and his nephew; not to mention Mrs. Midge and her delicate son. The author said the novel was meant for people who "prefer not to take life too seriously." Compton Mackenzie said it was "in the best tradition of English humour."
Furrowed Middlebrow is delighted to make available, for the first time in over half a century, all six of Elizabeth Fair's irresistible comedies of domestic life. These new editions all feature an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford.
"Where she breaks with the Thirkell school is in her total absence of sentimentality and her detached and witty observation of her characters."--The Sphere
"A real success ... will give pleasure to those for whom Trollope and Jane Austen remain the twin pillars of English fiction."--John O'London's Weekly
Elizabeth Fair's rollicking second novel takes place in Little Mallin, where village life is largely dominated by preparations for the August Festival. Out of such ordinary material Fair weaves a tale of conflict, scheming, misunderstanding--and of course romance.
Among the villagers are a vicar dreaming of ancient Greece; his wife, largely concerned with getting their daughter married off; the melancholic Colonel Ashford; the eccentric Eustace Templer and his nephew; not to mention Mrs. Midge and her delicate son. The author said the novel was meant for people who "prefer not to take life too seriously." Compton Mackenzie said it was "in the best tradition of English humour."
Furrowed Middlebrow is delighted to make available, for the first time in over half a century, all six of Elizabeth Fair's irresistible comedies of domestic life. These new editions all feature an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford.
"Where she breaks with the Thirkell school is in her total absence of sentimentality and her detached and witty observation of her characters."--The Sphere
"A real success ... will give pleasure to those for whom Trollope and Jane Austen remain the twin pillars of English fiction."--John O'London's Weekly
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
95 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Fair
14 books70 followersElizabeth Mary Fair was born in 1908 in Haigh, Lancashire, a small village not far from Wigan.] Her father was the land agent for the 10th Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, whose family seat, Haigh Hall, was nearby. Elizabeth and her sister were educated by a governess. Her father died in 1934 and the family moved to Hampshire, where they had a small house and a large garden in New Forest.
During World War II Fair served for five years as an ambulance driver in the Civil Defence Corps in Southampton. In 1944 she joined the Red Cross and spent eighteen months in Ceylon, India, and Belgium.[3]
After returning to England in 1947, she moved to Boldre in Hampshire.
Fair wrote six novels of English village life that humorously and gently dissected the "polite social politics" of village denizens while managing to incorporate a romance or two. Reviewers typically compare her work to that of Margery Sharp or Angela Thirkell, with Stevie Smith and other reviewers noting that her work has affinities with Trollope. Of her novel All One Summer, the author wrote that it was meant for people like herself who "prefer not to take life too seriously". Writer Compton Mackenzie said of this novel that it was "in the best tradition of English humour".
Fair's third novel, The Native Heath (1954) was published with a jacket design by Shirley Hughes.
Fair published her last novel in 1960 and died in 1997 (Taken from Author Bio in her books, added in other information from online resources)
During World War II Fair served for five years as an ambulance driver in the Civil Defence Corps in Southampton. In 1944 she joined the Red Cross and spent eighteen months in Ceylon, India, and Belgium.[3]
After returning to England in 1947, she moved to Boldre in Hampshire.
Fair wrote six novels of English village life that humorously and gently dissected the "polite social politics" of village denizens while managing to incorporate a romance or two. Reviewers typically compare her work to that of Margery Sharp or Angela Thirkell, with Stevie Smith and other reviewers noting that her work has affinities with Trollope. Of her novel All One Summer, the author wrote that it was meant for people like herself who "prefer not to take life too seriously". Writer Compton Mackenzie said of this novel that it was "in the best tradition of English humour".
Fair's third novel, The Native Heath (1954) was published with a jacket design by Shirley Hughes.
Fair published her last novel in 1960 and died in 1997 (Taken from Author Bio in her books, added in other information from online resources)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 18, 2024
Another village novel for me but this time set in Little Mallin. I love escaping into the lives of the people who live in these villages. They always know each others business and talk is always rife with gossip. The main event in this book is preparing for the church August fete. It is laugh out loud funny at times. It is charming and delightful- a real treat at this time of the year!
Published: 1953
Published: 1953
November 9, 2020
A light-hearted story of village life. It is probably more worthy of a 4* rating, but I really enjoyed sinking into its warmth.
Not an awful lot happens in this book, but the author fills her stories with such well drawn characters. There are a lot to get to know, so it is a bit slow to get going, but I soon got to know and, for the most part, love them.
The most important thing in Mrs Custance's life is the Village Fate, known as The Day, and a lot of the story centres on this, allowing Fair to poke gentle fun at some of her characters foibles, but some of the other goings on, like the picnic and the the event of the Fence, are equally entertaining.
I have really enjoyed he Elizabeth Fair novels I've read so far, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them.
Not an awful lot happens in this book, but the author fills her stories with such well drawn characters. There are a lot to get to know, so it is a bit slow to get going, but I soon got to know and, for the most part, love them.
The most important thing in Mrs Custance's life is the Village Fate, known as The Day, and a lot of the story centres on this, allowing Fair to poke gentle fun at some of her characters foibles, but some of the other goings on, like the picnic and the the event of the Fence, are equally entertaining.
I have really enjoyed he Elizabeth Fair novels I've read so far, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them.
January 23, 2018
Absolutely loved this book.
Full of charm and witty observations of wonderful characters!
Just what I needed.
Will be looking out for more of her books.
So glad that these have now been reprinted!
Full of charm and witty observations of wonderful characters!
Just what I needed.
Will be looking out for more of her books.
So glad that these have now been reprinted!
July 18, 2022
It's surprising that I ended up giving this one four stars, because for a significant part of the book I had trouble keeping characters straight, or even really caring whether I could or not. I blame this on the fact that I had long intervals between reading the first part of the book. The latter half I breezed through, and the comedic moments kept me chuckling until I decided that really I do like it.
In this book, multiple characters in a village pop in and out, like each other or don't, change their minds in some cases, and generally all manage to get along in spite of eccentricities. So it's a gentle, domestic book with middle-class and slightly upper-class Brits from the mid-20th century. Just my cup of tea.
Here is a sample:
"Mr. Custance appeared at the door, holding a book in his hand and asking if Amy could find room for it in her suitcase. Mrs. Custance answered blithely that he would not need books in Cornwall; they would go for long walks and there would be other people to talk to in the evenings. Since he already had several books secreted in his own suitcase and in his coat pockets, Mr. Custance took this rebuff bravely."
I do like that! ;)
In this book, multiple characters in a village pop in and out, like each other or don't, change their minds in some cases, and generally all manage to get along in spite of eccentricities. So it's a gentle, domestic book with middle-class and slightly upper-class Brits from the mid-20th century. Just my cup of tea.
Here is a sample:
"Mr. Custance appeared at the door, holding a book in his hand and asking if Amy could find room for it in her suitcase. Mrs. Custance answered blithely that he would not need books in Cornwall; they would go for long walks and there would be other people to talk to in the evenings. Since he already had several books secreted in his own suitcase and in his coat pockets, Mr. Custance took this rebuff bravely."
I do like that! ;)
January 6, 2018
This was my second Elizabeth Fair book. It got off to a slow start and I almost put it aside, but I am so happy I finished it. After I got all the characters straight, the subtleties of their personalities often had me laughing out loud. As satisfying as a Miss Read book, or as one reviewer described her: Elizabeth Fair is "Angela Thirkell without the sentimentality." I love that these books have a little bit of the sharp edge of wit. My cup of tea!
March 27, 2022
Agreeable light reading, if village fetes are your cup of tea.
June 13, 2017
Right up my alley--descriptive, charming view of domestic life with no real action but vicars, tea, minor tempest-in-a-teapot aggravations created by circumstances of daily living. It's all told with gentle wit as the author observes the foibles of human nature.
January 29, 2018
Charming and Delightful
This delightful book is another gentle tale of life in an English village in the 1950s. Lower Mallin is not a particularly pretty village; peaceful, visitors say, (but they see only the surface), and is inhabited by some very peculiar people. The author pokes subtle fun at pretensions and foibles. Her humour, as a contemporary critic put it, is “Austen-like”, and so it is. Eustace Templer, owner of the Big House in the village, ‘Prospect House’, is an acknowledged eccentric, but then, most of the inhabitants of Lower Mallin are eccentric or downright odd in one way or another. There are exceptions, two of whom are Cassandra (Cassie) Custence, the vicar’s daughter, and George Brigham, son of Sir James (from Mallin Hall), who seem to be oases of normality, seemingly gliding along with an ease that comes from having lived there all their lives.
Amy Custence, wife of vicar Edward, and mother of Cassie is a domineering woman who thinks her way is the only way, but would be horrified at the notion should anyone summon up enough courage to tell her so. Isabel Templer, sister of Eustace, whose mind is “volatile and illogical”, nevertheless has a strong streak of common sense, intuition, and insight. Eustace and Isabel have taken in their orphaned niece, Lily, aged seventeen, and two nephews, Felix, nearly fifteen, and Leonard who is ten. Colonel Henry Ashford, married to the Templers’ sister, Barbara (Bonny) is also living with them temporarily while Bonny is recuperating after an operation. The Colonel knows what the duties of a guest are, but is sorely tried by the ramshackle way Prospect House is run. He has a car that is his pride and joy and delights in offering rides to anyone who wants, but when Isabel “organises” a picnic with Henry and Cassandra providing transport, as well as being an abysmal failure, it ends disastrously for Henry and especially for his precious car, but is rather droll for the reader.
The Big Event in this story is the annual Fete, held this year at Mallin Hall, to raise funds for the upkeep of the church. It is referred to as the ‘Day’ and is considered by Amy to be “her” Fete, although, of course, she never says this aloud. The weather is uncertain, are the alternative plans good enough, if it is raining on the Day? Will crowds come, and if it rains, will they still come? Should a Church Fete have a fortune teller? Will all the volunteers turn up to set up and then ‘man’ the stalls? Will it be a success or failure? Does Amy have to organise and do everything herself? Nerves fray, feelings run high, what could possibly go wrong, or right?
This is another witty look at life in an English village, a way of life that no longer exists, with perceptive character studies, humour, and an understated romance. This very entertaining visit to Lower Mallin is a sheer delight to read.
This delightful book is another gentle tale of life in an English village in the 1950s. Lower Mallin is not a particularly pretty village; peaceful, visitors say, (but they see only the surface), and is inhabited by some very peculiar people. The author pokes subtle fun at pretensions and foibles. Her humour, as a contemporary critic put it, is “Austen-like”, and so it is. Eustace Templer, owner of the Big House in the village, ‘Prospect House’, is an acknowledged eccentric, but then, most of the inhabitants of Lower Mallin are eccentric or downright odd in one way or another. There are exceptions, two of whom are Cassandra (Cassie) Custence, the vicar’s daughter, and George Brigham, son of Sir James (from Mallin Hall), who seem to be oases of normality, seemingly gliding along with an ease that comes from having lived there all their lives.
Amy Custence, wife of vicar Edward, and mother of Cassie is a domineering woman who thinks her way is the only way, but would be horrified at the notion should anyone summon up enough courage to tell her so. Isabel Templer, sister of Eustace, whose mind is “volatile and illogical”, nevertheless has a strong streak of common sense, intuition, and insight. Eustace and Isabel have taken in their orphaned niece, Lily, aged seventeen, and two nephews, Felix, nearly fifteen, and Leonard who is ten. Colonel Henry Ashford, married to the Templers’ sister, Barbara (Bonny) is also living with them temporarily while Bonny is recuperating after an operation. The Colonel knows what the duties of a guest are, but is sorely tried by the ramshackle way Prospect House is run. He has a car that is his pride and joy and delights in offering rides to anyone who wants, but when Isabel “organises” a picnic with Henry and Cassandra providing transport, as well as being an abysmal failure, it ends disastrously for Henry and especially for his precious car, but is rather droll for the reader.
The Big Event in this story is the annual Fete, held this year at Mallin Hall, to raise funds for the upkeep of the church. It is referred to as the ‘Day’ and is considered by Amy to be “her” Fete, although, of course, she never says this aloud. The weather is uncertain, are the alternative plans good enough, if it is raining on the Day? Will crowds come, and if it rains, will they still come? Should a Church Fete have a fortune teller? Will all the volunteers turn up to set up and then ‘man’ the stalls? Will it be a success or failure? Does Amy have to organise and do everything herself? Nerves fray, feelings run high, what could possibly go wrong, or right?
This is another witty look at life in an English village, a way of life that no longer exists, with perceptive character studies, humour, and an understated romance. This very entertaining visit to Lower Mallin is a sheer delight to read.
May 28, 2025
I can see I will need to read all of Fair's books. Such restful stories where the characters' flaws are treated with kind humor, and the difficulties introduced are soon resolved. If I make them sound twee, they aren't. Fair had a sharp insight into human nature, but also an optimism about forgiveness and compromise. From the afterword:
...'perfect light reading with a dash of lemon in it...All are characterized by their English countryside settings and their shrewd and witty study of human nature.
May 22, 2023
A very lovely D.E. Stevenson-esque story. Had a bit of trouble keeping the cast of characters straight at first (and also, was so very tired that I kept falling asleep. No fault of the story, just my own current circumstances). But once I was into it I wanted to both savor it and rush through to find out what would happen next.
Very well drawn village inhabitants with a gentle but humorous edge. They have faults and failures but everyone works together when they must. Elizabeth Fair must have noticed and understood everyone around her to get the people this right.
Not as deep as Elizabeth Goudge, not as flippant as Stella Gibbon, and somehow kinder than Miss Read, means this adds up to a quite satisfying "middlebrow" read.
A few favorite lines:
"Mrs Custance was fond of saying that she was just an ordinary woman, and in saying it she contrived to suggest that this was much the best thing to be. She was constantly on the watch lest her nearest and dearest should do anything markedly unusual; for an ordinary woman, to be consistent, must have an ordinary family circle surrounding her." There's also a short bit about Mrs Custance believing herself to be the soul of discretion that I loved. (People who believe this about themselves so seldom are!)
"To enjoy pretending to be eccentric is, in itself, a sort of eccentricity."
"Sir James had the happy belief that the things which belonged to him were somehow better than the things which belonged to other people." (Everyone knows someone like this, right?)
Very well drawn village inhabitants with a gentle but humorous edge. They have faults and failures but everyone works together when they must. Elizabeth Fair must have noticed and understood everyone around her to get the people this right.
Not as deep as Elizabeth Goudge, not as flippant as Stella Gibbon, and somehow kinder than Miss Read, means this adds up to a quite satisfying "middlebrow" read.
A few favorite lines:
"Mrs Custance was fond of saying that she was just an ordinary woman, and in saying it she contrived to suggest that this was much the best thing to be. She was constantly on the watch lest her nearest and dearest should do anything markedly unusual; for an ordinary woman, to be consistent, must have an ordinary family circle surrounding her." There's also a short bit about Mrs Custance believing herself to be the soul of discretion that I loved. (People who believe this about themselves so seldom are!)
"To enjoy pretending to be eccentric is, in itself, a sort of eccentricity."
"Sir James had the happy belief that the things which belonged to him were somehow better than the things which belonged to other people." (Everyone knows someone like this, right?)
September 6, 2023
2.75/5
I contemplated DNF-ing this over the last couple weeks but kept pushing through... I definitely don't regret finishing it but it's was quiet underwhelming and I'll probably forget everything about it by next week.... I'm very very picky with slice of life stories and prefer a little "more" in the writing, the plot (more "action" if you will), etc... Maybe this style of British literature just doesn't suit my tastes which is completely okay. But I'm always open to more recommendations!
I contemplated DNF-ing this over the last couple weeks but kept pushing through... I definitely don't regret finishing it but it's was quiet underwhelming and I'll probably forget everything about it by next week.... I'm very very picky with slice of life stories and prefer a little "more" in the writing, the plot (more "action" if you will), etc... Maybe this style of British literature just doesn't suit my tastes which is completely okay. But I'm always open to more recommendations!
August 2, 2020
Vicarage fetes, summer picnics, village spinsters and romance - no we're not in a Jane Austen novel, but not too far off, either. Thanks to Furrowed Middlebrow Press for making Elizabeth Fair's charming mid-century novels available again.
January 21, 2024
Charming and enjoyable .
The dry wit kept me engrossed .
I think it’s wonderful that these are being republished.
This is the 2nd in the series of 6
I am looking forward to reading them all
The dry wit kept me engrossed .
I think it’s wonderful that these are being republished.
This is the 2nd in the series of 6
I am looking forward to reading them all
August 18, 2023
Дуже легка, літня книжка про повоєнне англійське сільке життя, де майже нічого не відбувається, багато ексцентричних персонажів, дотепні спостереження, літні пікніки, непорозуміння, любовна лінія в стилі Джейн Остін і все крутиться навколо the Day - серпневого благодійного ярмарку.
Авторка пише в кращх традиціях Джейн Остін і Ентоні Троллопа з маленькою ноткою меланхолії, ��о їй випало описувати епоху і стидь життя, яке відходило - джентельмени не могли вже н емати професії, а кухарки і прислуга не були вже такі common.
Авторка пише в кращх традиціях Джейн Остін і Ентоні Троллопа з маленькою ноткою меланхолії, ��о їй випало описувати епоху і стидь життя, яке відходило - джентельмени не могли вже н емати професії, а кухарки і прислуга не були вже такі common.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2022
2.5, rounding up. I so wanted to like this but it just fell flat and my mind kept wandering (to other books I could be reading). Will definitely give Elizabeth Fair another chance in the future!
April 28, 2023
Elizabeth Fair at her perceptive best - a lighthearted satire of post-war English country life, complete with eccentric characters, village gossip, inevitable misunderstandings, a church fête - and the requisite happy ending.
January 23, 2018
This is a gentle read that is well-written and doesn’t take the reader for an idiot and one who needs everything spelt out. The jibes at human foibles, the quirks of characters and the descriptions of countryside and country living are what this book is about. If you expect major and dramatic plot lines, you’ve picked up the wrong book.
October 9, 2017
Accurately described by a reviewer as a “shrewd and witty study of human nature.” Light and amusing - like a softer version of a Wodehouse or Trollope novel.
July 18, 2022
Another Elizabeth Fair novel that I liked quite a lot. (I’m thinking Seaview House wasn’t the best one to start with, at least for me.)
In Landscape in Sunlight, we again have two adjoining villages and a big cast of characters, from the sweet to the eccentric. I did have trouble keeping them straight at first, but they eventually sorted themselves.
In an especially dear thread early in the book, 17-year-old Lily has just left school and dreams of a life of sparkling and witty conversations. Yet she doesn’t know how to converse, so she sets off to have conversations as practice. We also have two unmarried sisters who are so exuberant they are nicknamed Fizz and Pop; and (closer to the heart of the book) two 20-somethings whose strained relationship suggests a history.
As the book builds to the village fête—a.k.a. The Day—we see neighbors trying to get along (or not); the gentry struggling to afford upkeep of the family home; servants run amok; younger characters figuring out their futures; and the daily comings and goings of village life.
With many sympathetic characters, and even the annoying characters treated with kindness, this is a classic, cozy village read.
In Landscape in Sunlight, we again have two adjoining villages and a big cast of characters, from the sweet to the eccentric. I did have trouble keeping them straight at first, but they eventually sorted themselves.
In an especially dear thread early in the book, 17-year-old Lily has just left school and dreams of a life of sparkling and witty conversations. Yet she doesn’t know how to converse, so she sets off to have conversations as practice. We also have two unmarried sisters who are so exuberant they are nicknamed Fizz and Pop; and (closer to the heart of the book) two 20-somethings whose strained relationship suggests a history.
As the book builds to the village fête—a.k.a. The Day—we see neighbors trying to get along (or not); the gentry struggling to afford upkeep of the family home; servants run amok; younger characters figuring out their futures; and the daily comings and goings of village life.
With many sympathetic characters, and even the annoying characters treated with kindness, this is a classic, cozy village read.
March 9, 2018
Elizabeth Fair's writing is both sharp and loving. I love the way she sees everyone's foibles and in doing so makes us chuckle. She reminds us of the silliness of everyday life and makes it easy to laugh at and accept ourselves and others.
In this book, the vicar's wife is preparing for a village fete, the Templars want to politely get rid of their tenants, and the odd assortment of villagers meet at picnics and parties. It's a quiet plot with a little romance thrown in; it never gets dull if you enjoy humanity.
In this book, the vicar's wife is preparing for a village fete, the Templars want to politely get rid of their tenants, and the odd assortment of villagers meet at picnics and parties. It's a quiet plot with a little romance thrown in; it never gets dull if you enjoy humanity.
July 27, 2021
What a fun book from the 50s! It's full of quirky characters and British humor.
April 1, 2022
2/5 stars; Landscape in Sunlight by Elizabeth Fair; A Furrowed Middlebrow Book from Dean Street Press; originally published in 1953
CWs: several uses of the slurs “gypsy” and “midget”
This was the March middlebrow book club pick, many members taking the title as the promise of a cheerful reprieve from recent winter blues. I did my best to finish the book by 5:30PM PST and was a whopping ten pages off. Oh well, because by that point it’s obvious how the book ends and it’s decidedly underwhelming. Spoilers for the last ten pages simply do not exist. (I read them immediately following the meeting and said, “Welp. That’s done.”)
I’ve had quite the run of low-star reads lately and, unfortunately, Landscape in Sunlight does not break the trend. Described on the back of my Dean Street Press edition as “Elizabeth Fair’s rollicking second novel,” it may have been her second but it’s anything but rollicking. While there are moments of humor, they’re few and never uproarious-laughter inducing. It can also be difficult to tell who, exactly, is the butt of the joke, making for a rather uncomfortable reading experience.
Fair is liberal with the uncritical and totally unnecessary use of the slurs mentioned above and, honestly, neither myself nor anyone else who discussed the book this evening understand what Fair’s point was, if she even had one. I certainly don’t think every story requires a moral, per se, but when much of the conflict involves upstairs/downstairs and gendered themes, you’d think that by the end the author would make it clear where her sympathies lie.
Not much more to say other than Landscape in Sunlight is a quick read (yay!) and made for a very fast book club discussion (boo!). I do plan on trying Fair again as I’ve heard favorable reports regarding Bramton Wick and The Mingham Air. I do not, however, recommend wasting your time or money on pursuing this particular novel of hers.
CWs: several uses of the slurs “gypsy” and “midget”
This was the March middlebrow book club pick, many members taking the title as the promise of a cheerful reprieve from recent winter blues. I did my best to finish the book by 5:30PM PST and was a whopping ten pages off. Oh well, because by that point it’s obvious how the book ends and it’s decidedly underwhelming. Spoilers for the last ten pages simply do not exist. (I read them immediately following the meeting and said, “Welp. That’s done.”)
I’ve had quite the run of low-star reads lately and, unfortunately, Landscape in Sunlight does not break the trend. Described on the back of my Dean Street Press edition as “Elizabeth Fair’s rollicking second novel,” it may have been her second but it’s anything but rollicking. While there are moments of humor, they’re few and never uproarious-laughter inducing. It can also be difficult to tell who, exactly, is the butt of the joke, making for a rather uncomfortable reading experience.
Fair is liberal with the uncritical and totally unnecessary use of the slurs mentioned above and, honestly, neither myself nor anyone else who discussed the book this evening understand what Fair’s point was, if she even had one. I certainly don’t think every story requires a moral, per se, but when much of the conflict involves upstairs/downstairs and gendered themes, you’d think that by the end the author would make it clear where her sympathies lie.
Not much more to say other than Landscape in Sunlight is a quick read (yay!) and made for a very fast book club discussion (boo!). I do plan on trying Fair again as I’ve heard favorable reports regarding Bramton Wick and The Mingham Air. I do not, however, recommend wasting your time or money on pursuing this particular novel of hers.
June 20, 2018
Loved this one almost as much as Bramton Wick. This was my second book by Elizabeth Fair, and one of my favorite aspects of her writing is how clearly I can imagine the little village. Bramton Wick and Little Mallin, while both have a charming, quaint, sunny small-town feel, are very different. I particularly loved the imagery of the bridge between Mallinford and Little Mallin, as well as the sparse homes surrounding it. The true nature of the relationship between George and Cassandra is kept a secret until the very end, which I appreciated--it made sense, as it was a secret to the town, too. Like Bramton Wick, Landscape in Sunlight is full of colorful, interesting characters. I'd give it 4.5 for a rather slow start (for which I have a high tolerance). There came a point though when I couldn't put it down, and I was sorry when it ended.
April 6, 2017
Charming
This open hearted story of 'Village life' is compared in the blurb to Angela Thirkell. But Elizabeth Fair avoids much of Thirkell's snobbishness, and reminds me more of Miss Read. There is the same gently honest depiction of English country life after the war. Fair's character driven story is a real pleasure to read.
This open hearted story of 'Village life' is compared in the blurb to Angela Thirkell. But Elizabeth Fair avoids much of Thirkell's snobbishness, and reminds me more of Miss Read. There is the same gently honest depiction of English country life after the war. Fair's character driven story is a real pleasure to read.
April 6, 2018
Fair's gentle, amusing, perceptive novel follows the residents of Little Mallin for the few months leading up to the church's Festival (known by many as "the Day"). Fair's characters breathe and her locations become visible to the reader. The plot is light and fun, with a great deal of human nature thrown in.
July 22, 2020
A light-hearted story of English village life in the 1950's. It portrays a charming view of domestic life with no real action but plenty of charm. You will find vicars, teas, unique characters and a summer fete. I enjoyed the author's use of a gentle wit to develop the eccentricities of each character. If you are looking for a light, amusing read then this one's for you.
February 8, 2025
DNF I've enjoyed other books from this author, but this one is just plain boring.
June 13, 2023
3.5 stars
Like many other reviewers it took me a long time, maybe half the book, to get the characters straight and to care about them. The names were unfamiliar (Custance, Templer, Midge) and I found myself plodding and retracing to recollect who they were.
My favorite story line was the overprotected twentysomething man living with his Mama, who talked to him during a "crisis" in the third person. He was entangled in a web of mother-love. Gag. Each small step he made to assert his independence and take action on his own was glorious reading.
I call these English Village Novels. A huge part of the pleasure in reading them is the atmosphere, as revealed in the words and phrases. Here are ones that tickled me, ones I joyfully looked up and wrote down:
his literary labours
much of a muchness
a tall, gaunt woman, encased in late-middle-age
she, like the basilisk, had a death-dealing glare
Autumn Fête
she became captious
they're both much too — too — "Squiffy"
forged her way through porridge
we distempered this room last April
bounding like an overweight gazelle
I'm delighted to have found a new author to fill the slot of light reading.
Like many other reviewers it took me a long time, maybe half the book, to get the characters straight and to care about them. The names were unfamiliar (Custance, Templer, Midge) and I found myself plodding and retracing to recollect who they were.
My favorite story line was the overprotected twentysomething man living with his Mama, who talked to him during a "crisis" in the third person. He was entangled in a web of mother-love. Gag. Each small step he made to assert his independence and take action on his own was glorious reading.
I call these English Village Novels. A huge part of the pleasure in reading them is the atmosphere, as revealed in the words and phrases. Here are ones that tickled me, ones I joyfully looked up and wrote down:
his literary labours
much of a muchness
a tall, gaunt woman, encased in late-middle-age
she, like the basilisk, had a death-dealing glare
Autumn Fête
she became captious
they're both much too — too — "Squiffy"
forged her way through porridge
we distempered this room last April
bounding like an overweight gazelle
I'm delighted to have found a new author to fill the slot of light reading.
December 5, 2020
This book has all the components to be pleasant read, including a small village setting and a cast of well-described characters. The writing is enjoyable too, with many insightful and entertaining turns of phrase about human foibles. As for the story, there is a romance, a church fete, and a troublesome tenant.
While it was a pleasant enough read, there ended up being entirely too many characters of similar types. There were two eccentric older gentleman, two abstracted characters, and multiple young ladies. The story also seemed distracted, and skipped from one storyline to the next. For me, at least, this had the effect that I did not feel I knew the characters in the romance storyline before that reached its culmination. As for the tenant storyline, by the end I was clearly expected to have certain sympathies, but it was not clear to me why, since the character that ended up benefiting was one of the least likeable ones.
Overall, this was my least favorite of Elizabeth Fair's books so far, and I would recommend reading The Native Heath or A Winter Away instead.
While it was a pleasant enough read, there ended up being entirely too many characters of similar types. There were two eccentric older gentleman, two abstracted characters, and multiple young ladies. The story also seemed distracted, and skipped from one storyline to the next. For me, at least, this had the effect that I did not feel I knew the characters in the romance storyline before that reached its culmination. As for the tenant storyline, by the end I was clearly expected to have certain sympathies, but it was not clear to me why, since the character that ended up benefiting was one of the least likeable ones.
Overall, this was my least favorite of Elizabeth Fair's books so far, and I would recommend reading The Native Heath or A Winter Away instead.
March 27, 2022
This book, one of six novels by Elizabeth Fair, is undemanding and gently witty while examining the ways and wherefores of village life with a knowing eye. It is ‘in the best tradition of English humor.’ A novel of vicars, village rivalries, summer fetes, little snobberies and burgeoning romance, it is a perfect example of a certain kind of English middlebrow novel, set in Little Mallin, on the rim of the larger town of Mallinford by a toll bridge which must be crossed to get from one place to the other and whoever crosses the bridge may be held up in conversation by one or both of the Misses Fenn who live nearby thereby causing a traffic backup. As spring turns to summer, Mrs. Custance, the vicar’s wife is concerned about preparations for the August Fete. She has decided this year it will be held on the grounds of Sir James Brigham’s house. She also has a grudge against George, Sir James’ son, who once wooed her daughter Cassandra, but Cassandra is brought together with George again over this summer. Mrs. Midge is another person Mrs. Custance has taken a dislike to, basically because she wants her to move out of Prospect cottage with her delicate son Lukin an adult who is babied by his mum, the cottage to be allotted to Colonel Ashford. Before the festival preparations get underway properly, Mrs. Custance is looking to marry off her daughter but definitely not to George, who she deems a lazy layabout. A summer picnic at which most of the players show up turns out disastrously. Although not much happens plot-wise, lots of little events occur which drive the action forward making this just the kind of story I enjoy getting involved in, so if you like that kind of thing I highly recommend dipping into Landscape in Sunlight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews