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The Pop Larkin Chronicles #3
When the Green Woods Laugh
'When the Green Woods Laugh' was the third in a series of five immensely popular comic novels featuring the Larkin family, and consisting of ‘The Darling Buds of May’ (1958), ‘A Breath of French Air’ (1959), ‘When the Green Woods Laugh’ (1960), ‘Oh! To Be in England’ (1963), and ‘A Little of What You Fancy’ (1970).
Bates, speaking of how he was inspired to create the Larkin family, recalled the real junkyard that he often passed near his home in Kent; and he remembered seeing a family -- a father, mother and many children, sucking at ice-creams and eating crisps in a "ramshackle lorry that had been recently painted a violent electric blue".
He tried writing a brief tale based on the family, but soon decided that he couldn’t waste such a rich gallery of characters to a short story." Pop is a wonderful character who hates pomp, pretension and humbug; loves his family, but doesn’t hesitate to break a few rules... and his and the Larkins' secret is “that they live as many of us would like to live if only we had the guts and nerve to flout the conventions."
Bates, speaking of how he was inspired to create the Larkin family, recalled the real junkyard that he often passed near his home in Kent; and he remembered seeing a family -- a father, mother and many children, sucking at ice-creams and eating crisps in a "ramshackle lorry that had been recently painted a violent electric blue".
He tried writing a brief tale based on the family, but soon decided that he couldn’t waste such a rich gallery of characters to a short story." Pop is a wonderful character who hates pomp, pretension and humbug; loves his family, but doesn’t hesitate to break a few rules... and his and the Larkins' secret is “that they live as many of us would like to live if only we had the guts and nerve to flout the conventions."
121 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
42 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Bates
278 books194 followersHerbert Ernest Bates, CBE is widely recognised as one of the finest short story writers of his generation, with more than 20 story collections published in his lifetime. It should not be overlooked, however, that he also wrote some outstanding novels, starting with The Two Sisters through to A Moment in Time, with such works as Love For Lydia, Fair Stood the Wind for France and The Scarlet Sword earning high praise from the critics. His study of the Modern Short Story is considered one of the best ever written on the subject.
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
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May 8, 2013I got to this book in a very unusual way; it was signed and given to me by a stranger at a car boot sale on a sunny day. I finally got around to reading it, and I can see why it has such affectionate fans; it has, to use a cliché turn of phrase, a zest for life that is just about on par with Henry VIII. It represents an England I don't recognise in this sad recession-hit country. Of course the tension in the plot was thin as tissue paper, and it's very obvious the reader is meant to consider it impossible that a bottom pinch could ever be offensive. Very well. But then there was the line "if you're being raped, you might as well enjoy it while you can". I realise it was written and set in the past, but since the subject of serious sexual assault had not previously appeared in the story it was to me a slightly chilling moment in an otherwise very warm-hearted little story.
September 25, 2018
I really wanted to enjoy this book, as we have such a fondness for that bucolic view of the English countryside and that period of history. I only read the first couple of books a few years ago, and they were charming if slightly outdated in some instances. Unfortunately, I couldn’t turn a blind eye in this story. Not only does Pop make advances on a woman who is does not welcome them, but when she accuses him of indecent assault, the treatment of another woman in order to have the charges dismissed is awful. Finally, there is a comment made about rape by another female character that is completely abhorrent. I’ve given it two stars because I did enjoy the first half of the novel but felt more and more uncomfortable as it went on. It’s put me off reading the rest of the series, if I’m honest. I appreciate it’s of its time, but times have changed and I can’t ignore the treatment of some of the female characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2026
I picked this off my shelf in the hope that it would effectively counterbalance the elegant bleakness of the book I read immediately before it, Anita Brookner’s Strangers. It’s a light as air confection of only 120 pages, and as the third book in H. E. Bates’s Larkins series, a somewhat less substantial effort than the two previous books. Nevertheless, it’s full of sun and life and despite being very much of its time, a delightful entertainment and effective at lifting the gloom left by Miss Brookner.
July 16, 2016
Pop Larkin continues his shady business deals, always turning a profit by turning out the pockets of wealthy urban rubes. This time he sells the white-elephant estate he acquired to a stockbroker and his ever-dieting wife, laughing up his sleeve as he shoots their pheasant and snags their fish. Meanwhile, he is impatient to see his son-in-law prove his manhood by getting Mariette up the duff.
But all is not lovely in the green wood, as Pop finds himself hauled into court on a charge of indecent assault when he grabs the wrong derriere. Will he end up doing porridge?
It was an okay light read that only took an hour or so: better than the previous installment, but I wish there had been a little more plot to it than just Pop's sensual shenanigans. Did Bates fancy himself a dog? The narration is choppy; one minute it's the end of autumn--turn the page and spring is here. Bates could have done a lot more with the "rus in urbe" plot thread, toughing it out in a cavernous stately home through the winter; instead it's just more grabbing and kissing and leering. These days, Larkin would end up on the sex offender's register. I can't say this greenwood made me laugh or even smile; though I enjoyed the description of the countryside, I found the constant emphasis on Ma's obesity rather disgusting.
But all is not lovely in the green wood, as Pop finds himself hauled into court on a charge of indecent assault when he grabs the wrong derriere. Will he end up doing porridge?
It was an okay light read that only took an hour or so: better than the previous installment, but I wish there had been a little more plot to it than just Pop's sensual shenanigans. Did Bates fancy himself a dog? The narration is choppy; one minute it's the end of autumn--turn the page and spring is here. Bates could have done a lot more with the "rus in urbe" plot thread, toughing it out in a cavernous stately home through the winter; instead it's just more grabbing and kissing and leering. These days, Larkin would end up on the sex offender's register. I can't say this greenwood made me laugh or even smile; though I enjoyed the description of the countryside, I found the constant emphasis on Ma's obesity rather disgusting.
September 15, 2023
The larks continue but this time there is a new strand to the story as Pop ends up in court. Although the obsession with the flesh continues (particularly when present in large quantities) but I felt this volume was more fascinating!
January 18, 2021
Very cheeky story. Fun. The narrator is the same guy that played Charlie in the TV series.
November 4, 2021
The Larkin series, novellas and TV episodes, is one of my deepest sources of comfort. Its vividly bucolic descriptions of rural England charm me so absolutely because I have come to the books after watching the series as a child, so I cannot separate Bates’s words from the enveloping, fuzzily constructed visuals of the series.
Sadly, this book has jeopardised the series’ capacity to comfort me; the plot of Pop’s sexual assault of Mrs Jerobohm (because that is what it is) is so entirely without nuance or any attempt to review an alternative side that I felt quite repulsed from the man who has represented so much positivity for me for so long. In the television version, this altercation is more complex, and a genuine misunderstanding. In the novella, the sequence is:
1. Pop spends all day plotting how and when to grope Pinkie.
2. He gropes her thigh and bum while “helping her” off the boat.
3. She screams that he has violated her.
4. He admits to himself and others that he touched her but denies it is indecent assault.
What, precisely, is his defence? Oh yes - the fact that the chief witness is having extramarital sex and therefore her word is invalidated.
The hypocrisy of this world in which Pop sees every female in Kent and beyond as fair game, but a woman’s sexuality is shamed, is just a textbook disgrace of imbalance. Things age, not always well, but whereas the other old fashioned elements of the Larkins’ lives warm the heart, this plot is deeply chilling.
I hope I can try to isolate and separate this book from my wider enjoyment of a series that means so much to me.
Sadly, this book has jeopardised the series’ capacity to comfort me; the plot of Pop’s sexual assault of Mrs Jerobohm (because that is what it is) is so entirely without nuance or any attempt to review an alternative side that I felt quite repulsed from the man who has represented so much positivity for me for so long. In the television version, this altercation is more complex, and a genuine misunderstanding. In the novella, the sequence is:
1. Pop spends all day plotting how and when to grope Pinkie.
2. He gropes her thigh and bum while “helping her” off the boat.
3. She screams that he has violated her.
4. He admits to himself and others that he touched her but denies it is indecent assault.
What, precisely, is his defence? Oh yes - the fact that the chief witness is having extramarital sex and therefore her word is invalidated.
The hypocrisy of this world in which Pop sees every female in Kent and beyond as fair game, but a woman’s sexuality is shamed, is just a textbook disgrace of imbalance. Things age, not always well, but whereas the other old fashioned elements of the Larkins’ lives warm the heart, this plot is deeply chilling.
I hope I can try to isolate and separate this book from my wider enjoyment of a series that means so much to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2023
Another classic Larkin adventure!
February 21, 2016
I can not but give these books five stars because Herbert E Bates was a real master of the English language. With typical Brittish dry wit he can even make the description of a prawn cocktail exciting! The way he describes people, meals and nature you see them in front of you and can even smell the smells.
Otherwise, this third novel in the series about Pop Larkin and his family is darker than the two previous ones. Here and there you can still laugh about something but some not so nice characters are introduced that makes it less of a comedy. In this third book, another year has passed and Pop is full of disappointment that his daughter Mariette and son-in-law haven't made him a grandfather. They are still living under his roof as well since he has not had the time to build them the bungalow he has promised them since their engagement days. He has bought an old country house in preparation for the bungalow erection but has not yet torn the house down to get the brick for the bungalow, when suddenly a London couple descend on him and want to purchase the house. Pop sees a way of earning a lot of money so he embellishes everything about the estate to the prospective buyers and they not understanding anything about the countryside, buys the house for an absolutely ridiculous price.
Happily, Pop can now build a heated swimmingpool for Ma. But that is not the end of his problems with the old country house. At a party given by the new owners, Mr. and Mrs. Jerebohm, Pop get unwanted attention from a Mrs. Perigo that is well-known for being a man hunter. During the entire winter he has to ward her off. And then when Pop kindly rows Mrs. Jerebohm over her lake to pick flowers, and perhaps puts his hands where they do not quite belong, helping her out of a rocking boat, said Mrs. Perigo sees a chance to get back at him for not wanting HER. So it all ends up as a nasty court case, Pop being accused for violating Mrs. Jerebohm.
Needless to say, it all comes out all right but Mrs. Perigo and Mr. and Mrs. Jerebohm left a bitter taste in my mouth that made me like this book slightly less than the previous two.
Otherwise, this third novel in the series about Pop Larkin and his family is darker than the two previous ones. Here and there you can still laugh about something but some not so nice characters are introduced that makes it less of a comedy. In this third book, another year has passed and Pop is full of disappointment that his daughter Mariette and son-in-law haven't made him a grandfather. They are still living under his roof as well since he has not had the time to build them the bungalow he has promised them since their engagement days. He has bought an old country house in preparation for the bungalow erection but has not yet torn the house down to get the brick for the bungalow, when suddenly a London couple descend on him and want to purchase the house. Pop sees a way of earning a lot of money so he embellishes everything about the estate to the prospective buyers and they not understanding anything about the countryside, buys the house for an absolutely ridiculous price.
Happily, Pop can now build a heated swimmingpool for Ma. But that is not the end of his problems with the old country house. At a party given by the new owners, Mr. and Mrs. Jerebohm, Pop get unwanted attention from a Mrs. Perigo that is well-known for being a man hunter. During the entire winter he has to ward her off. And then when Pop kindly rows Mrs. Jerebohm over her lake to pick flowers, and perhaps puts his hands where they do not quite belong, helping her out of a rocking boat, said Mrs. Perigo sees a chance to get back at him for not wanting HER. So it all ends up as a nasty court case, Pop being accused for violating Mrs. Jerebohm.
Needless to say, it all comes out all right but Mrs. Perigo and Mr. and Mrs. Jerebohm left a bitter taste in my mouth that made me like this book slightly less than the previous two.
December 10, 2013
Fans of the movie "Withnail and I" (fans of the sort who quote the screenplay to one another), probably recall the character Marwood's thoughts on the Penrith farmer's grouchiness - "Not the attitude I'd been given to expect from the H.E. Bates novel I'd read. I thought they'd all be out the back drinking cider, discussing butter. Clearly a myth" - an aside which stuck with me for some time, until I finally investigated its subject.
Much of Bates' writing does seem to favor bucolic portrayal of small towns but when he was in his 50s (as was the 20th century), he switched to a more broadly comic creation in the form of the Larkin family, a lusty bunch, fond of a drop (or two), who live close enough to London to help the snobby well-to-do part with some of their money in their misguided pursuit of "country life".
The Larkins themselves are affluent enough, in a "high prole" way (to borrow Paul Fussell's term), and their dupes in this book, the Jerebohms, are sufficiently clueless social climbers to indicate that we are clearly past the privations of immediately post-war England, and a modern social system where class divisions persist but older oppositions of tenant farmer and genuine landed aristocracy are fading fast.
Much of Bates' writing does seem to favor bucolic portrayal of small towns but when he was in his 50s (as was the 20th century), he switched to a more broadly comic creation in the form of the Larkin family, a lusty bunch, fond of a drop (or two), who live close enough to London to help the snobby well-to-do part with some of their money in their misguided pursuit of "country life".
The Larkins themselves are affluent enough, in a "high prole" way (to borrow Paul Fussell's term), and their dupes in this book, the Jerebohms, are sufficiently clueless social climbers to indicate that we are clearly past the privations of immediately post-war England, and a modern social system where class divisions persist but older oppositions of tenant farmer and genuine landed aristocracy are fading fast.
May 7, 2015
Pop buys a stately home for demolition and sells it to a rich couple from the city with the promise of multitude of opportunities for shooting and fishing and plays on the recurring 'fish out of water' theme. The usual cocktail mixing and party throwing merriment continues until Pop finds himself up before the local magistrate for groping the lady of the manor!
The Pop Larkin Chronicles are the quintessential feel good, detached country-bound romp. Well known by the popular Darling Buds of May tv series starring David Jason and introducing one Catherine Zeta Jones to the world, this series of novellas set in rural Kent depict a time of post-war relief and joy and with the Larkin family, a sense of openness, lassez faire and an eagerness to get on with life, enjoy nature and all it brings, not to mention the ability to eat, drink and be merry. As a whole, the series delights but can be rather disjointed and sporadic between volumes. They are a joy though and have you yearning for a spot at their table being force fed and watered.
The Pop Larkin Chronicles are the quintessential feel good, detached country-bound romp. Well known by the popular Darling Buds of May tv series starring David Jason and introducing one Catherine Zeta Jones to the world, this series of novellas set in rural Kent depict a time of post-war relief and joy and with the Larkin family, a sense of openness, lassez faire and an eagerness to get on with life, enjoy nature and all it brings, not to mention the ability to eat, drink and be merry. As a whole, the series delights but can be rather disjointed and sporadic between volumes. They are a joy though and have you yearning for a spot at their table being force fed and watered.
June 27, 2016
Another good read in the Larkin series of books by H E Bates.
This one features Pop Larkin making a mint by selling on a property (which he had bought previously) to a City gent and his wife who think they want to enjoy the Country Life - but find it not entirely to their liking once they start living it.
In his usual gregarious way, Pop makes a harmless pass at the wife when he's showing her the lake on a boat, and she ends up accusing him of assault (egged on by someone else who has it in for Pop, after he refuses to be beguiled by her womanly wiles). The case ends up in court (Pop representing himself of course) and with a victory for common sense (and for Pop).
As with the previous books, the language is very descriptive and is enough to transport you back in time to the late 1950s when these books were written.
Not a lot happens in these books, but you can't avoid being entranced by the whole idea and evocative language used to describe the wondrous scenery and settings.
This one features Pop Larkin making a mint by selling on a property (which he had bought previously) to a City gent and his wife who think they want to enjoy the Country Life - but find it not entirely to their liking once they start living it.
In his usual gregarious way, Pop makes a harmless pass at the wife when he's showing her the lake on a boat, and she ends up accusing him of assault (egged on by someone else who has it in for Pop, after he refuses to be beguiled by her womanly wiles). The case ends up in court (Pop representing himself of course) and with a victory for common sense (and for Pop).
As with the previous books, the language is very descriptive and is enough to transport you back in time to the late 1950s when these books were written.
Not a lot happens in these books, but you can't avoid being entranced by the whole idea and evocative language used to describe the wondrous scenery and settings.
July 25, 2016
Loved it! Again I have to say how marvellous Philip Franks narration is for both male and female characters. I really hope Naxos audio record the other two books in the series because they're lovely listening.
The only thing that bothers a bit is the court case; because of course Pop did grab Pinky and actually that's the thing that shows how (hopefully) times and attitudes are changing. It's no longer acceptable behaviour. I just wanted to say, but realise it's lighthearted fiction and humorous in the main. I've thoroughly enjoyed the three audio books.
The only thing that bothers a bit is the court case; because of course Pop did grab Pinky and actually that's the thing that shows how (hopefully) times and attitudes are changing. It's no longer acceptable behaviour. I just wanted to say, but realise it's lighthearted fiction and humorous in the main. I've thoroughly enjoyed the three audio books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2012
What a great series. I don't think this is everyone's cup of tea though. I took a peek at one of the later books and it seems Pop has a heart attack which comes as no surprise considering the level of drinking, cigar smoking and rich food being consumed. I am surprised Ma doesn't have one also. I chose to focus on the joys of the family and how they make life special for themselves and their friends. Will find the next two books and finish this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2018
Again like the second book in this series found this book to be just ok and definitely not as good as the first book. However saying this there were some lovely moments between the characters and the resolution of the conflict within this book was resolved well. I will be continuing with this series as I want to see where it goes and what the final resolution is.
July 15, 2020
The writing is charming but I was put off the entire series by the problematic sexual harassment themes toward the end of this book. At one point they all find it highly hilarious when someone quotes a Chinese proverb that’s supposed to have said, “If you’re going to be raped, you may as well relax and enjoy it while you can”!!
March 16, 2018
The Darling Buds of May was a delightful confection that also had some real insights into the state of British culture after World War II. The novels that follow have some of the same with but not much of the cultural analysis. Bates was working out a formula in this one.
July 23, 2018
Great read
These books are so good I have found it very hard to put them down . You can picture every word written . My mouth waters as they talk about the food .. not stop laughs and giggles
These books are so good I have found it very hard to put them down . You can picture every word written . My mouth waters as they talk about the food .. not stop laughs and giggles
August 20, 2018
Loved it. Think it is my favourite of the series so far.
The descriptions just bring the story to life. I can almost imagine myself there. In particular the Kent countryside just leaps off the page.
The descriptions just bring the story to life. I can almost imagine myself there. In particular the Kent countryside just leaps off the page.
July 27, 2010
aka 'When The Green Woods Laugh'.
April 29, 2012
Another enjoyable un-PC novel about the Larkins and their boozy fun filled life, worth a look in.
January 14, 2016
Wonderfully descriptive writing of days gone by with characters that jump from the page. Political correctness doesn't apply!
November 4, 2016
A great light read.
August 2, 2017
What an endearing bunch of alcoholics!
September 9, 2017
This book reminds you again the beauty of living together and being able to celebrate what good life has to offer. You will read every page with a smile on your face.
May 28, 2018
quite slight and perhaps not fitting with modern sensibilities.
October 6, 2024
Originally going to rate it 3⭐️, but at the end of the book there was a line “if you’re going to be raped you may as well relax and enjoy it while you can”, and everyone agreed. What the fuck🙂
June 1, 2020
Ripe with the promise of the Larkins commencing a relationship with the Jerebohm's, the first part of the book starts off like a new chapter in high summer, but fades into a mundanity that is uncharacteristic of Bates.
Partly the reason for this deflation in enjoyment is the lack of any real presence of the major figures of The Darling Buds, Mariette and Charley figuring only as cameos here, and the sourness of the newcomers. There is a warming evening of drinks with the Brigadier and the ebullient Angela Snow, and the appearance of the blooming beauty of Primrose, but these are interstitial sideshows rather than any developed themes or sub-plots. It is, perhaps, this lack of secondary development that makes Bates's lighter works sometimes too simplistic to thoroughly enjoy, unlike the depth and effect of his serious war novels, The Purple Plain [1944], the harrowing yet compelling The Scarlet Sword [1950], and the superlative Fair Stood The Wind For France [1971]. This was the case with A Breath Of French Air [1959], which was a disappointing follow-up to The Darling Buds. Yet, perhaps, after the utterly Bacchanalian estival (summer) magnificence that was the joy of Kent in high summer among the orchards and strawberry fields, painted with such bright and vivid colour in The Darling Buds of May, it is going to be not only difficult to maintain the exhilaration of its freshness and strength of its structure, but also its resplendent pastoral promise, in successive books.
This book also suffers from something that shouldn't have been allowed to get into print (p.144), and pulled me up short in astonishment. I really don't see the point, nor how it was allowed, and why it was even written.
The title, though, is magnificent - from Blake.
Partly the reason for this deflation in enjoyment is the lack of any real presence of the major figures of The Darling Buds, Mariette and Charley figuring only as cameos here, and the sourness of the newcomers. There is a warming evening of drinks with the Brigadier and the ebullient Angela Snow, and the appearance of the blooming beauty of Primrose, but these are interstitial sideshows rather than any developed themes or sub-plots. It is, perhaps, this lack of secondary development that makes Bates's lighter works sometimes too simplistic to thoroughly enjoy, unlike the depth and effect of his serious war novels, The Purple Plain [1944], the harrowing yet compelling The Scarlet Sword [1950], and the superlative Fair Stood The Wind For France [1971]. This was the case with A Breath Of French Air [1959], which was a disappointing follow-up to The Darling Buds. Yet, perhaps, after the utterly Bacchanalian estival (summer) magnificence that was the joy of Kent in high summer among the orchards and strawberry fields, painted with such bright and vivid colour in The Darling Buds of May, it is going to be not only difficult to maintain the exhilaration of its freshness and strength of its structure, but also its resplendent pastoral promise, in successive books.
This book also suffers from something that shouldn't have been allowed to get into print (p.144), and pulled me up short in astonishment. I really don't see the point, nor how it was allowed, and why it was even written.
The title, though, is magnificent - from Blake.
June 22, 2021
Yet another enjoyable book in the 5 book series with a real feel-good glow at the end. In this adventure Pa Larkin ends up in court due to an allegation by a woman scorned by him (she wants an affair) and he has a swimming pool built. Romance abounds and everyone lives happy lives in a countryside filled with plenty for all although not everyone has equal shares of nature's bounty (e.g the Brigadier).
What is interesting about these books, written just a few short decades ago, is the innocence of the age, what was construed as bringing happiness (children, friendship) and the absence of PC (which is why Pa ends up in court). How different it all seems to today.
Pa, massively generous despite being a Dell-boy like figure in his business dealings (and his attitude toward women) is liked by everyone and he apparently likes everyone (except women who attempt to seduce him). His munificence makes Pa into a Santa Claus type figure (or a Bill Gates type philanthropist) and his loyalty to Ma is legendary despite temptation being thrown his way (the woman scorned in this book).
Great stuff although at 120 pages way too short (which is why it only gets 4 stars).
What is interesting about these books, written just a few short decades ago, is the innocence of the age, what was construed as bringing happiness (children, friendship) and the absence of PC (which is why Pa ends up in court). How different it all seems to today.
Pa, massively generous despite being a Dell-boy like figure in his business dealings (and his attitude toward women) is liked by everyone and he apparently likes everyone (except women who attempt to seduce him). His munificence makes Pa into a Santa Claus type figure (or a Bill Gates type philanthropist) and his loyalty to Ma is legendary despite temptation being thrown his way (the woman scorned in this book).
Great stuff although at 120 pages way too short (which is why it only gets 4 stars).
January 18, 2025
The third in the Pop Larkin series, HE Bates’s ‘When the Green Woods Laugh’ (1960), actually has a plot of a kind, in addition to the usual riotous good nature and generosity of the Larkins’ family. If Pop Larkin appears blandly unprincipled, it is simply because he is not tres snob, as he learnt to say during the depressing weeks the Larkin family spent in France earlier that summer. His happy hospitality, and Ma’s talents as a cook, make them tremendously popular among the snooty upper class gentry who never eat (or drink) so well as in the Larkin home. Of course, there are some setbacks, such as when Pop Larkin has to stand trial in court for indecent assault, but then…
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