What do you think?
Rate this book
Stanley and Elsie
The First World War is over, and in a quiet Hampshire village, artist Stanley Spencer is working on the commission of a lifetime, painting an entire chapel in memory of a life lost in the war to end all wars. Combining his own traumatic experiences with moments of everyday redemption, the chapel will become his masterpiece.
When Elsie Munday arrives to take up position as housemaid to the Spencer family, her life quickly becomes entwined with the charming and irascible Stanley, his artist wife Hilda and their tiny daughter Shirin.
As the years pass, Elsie does her best to keep the family together even when love, obsession and temptation seem set to tear them apart...
When Elsie Munday arrives to take up position as housemaid to the Spencer family, her life quickly becomes entwined with the charming and irascible Stanley, his artist wife Hilda and their tiny daughter Shirin.
As the years pass, Elsie does her best to keep the family together even when love, obsession and temptation seem set to tear them apart...
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2019
26 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Upson
15 books539 followersNicola Upson was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. She has worked in theatre and as a freelance journalist, and is the author of two non-fiction works, and the recipient of an Escalator Award from Arts Council England. She lives with her partner and splits her time between Cambridge and Cornwall.
Nicola is currently writing the sixth book in the 'Josephine Tey' series, and a standalone novel set in the 1920s.
Series:
* Josephine Tey
Nicola is currently writing the sixth book in the 'Josephine Tey' series, and a standalone novel set in the 1920s.
Series:
* Josephine Tey
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 3, 2019
What a lovely, lovely story. Beautiful and melancholy. Based on the real painter, Sir Stanley Spencer and his wife, painter, Hilda. The story is narrated by Elsie who is hired to be their housekeeper, but ends up as friends with both. It covers the period of time when Stanley is painting the Sandham Memorial chapel, through his marriage with Hilda and his infatuation with another woman that will come between them all. Hearing and seeing through Elsie's thoughts and conversations, the reader gets a very intimate and real look at their lives.
The prose is gorgeous, the novel flows seamlessly. This is one of those quiet novels that brings the reader inside of the story. Stanley is a rather selfish, but kind man, who doesn't see anything wrong with his needs and wants. He is sometimes brutally but unknowingly cruel, but despite that it is hard to dislike the man. Nor any of these characters, who are just trying to find security in life. The descriptions of the various areas are also beautifully described. I wish I could post pictures of the chapel and other painting, but my computer knowledge doesn't stretch to that length.
The ending of the book is perfect, brings things nicely together. But of course thAt isn't the end of the story, as the authors note at books end will take the reality of the story a little further.
ARC from Netgalley.
The prose is gorgeous, the novel flows seamlessly. This is one of those quiet novels that brings the reader inside of the story. Stanley is a rather selfish, but kind man, who doesn't see anything wrong with his needs and wants. He is sometimes brutally but unknowingly cruel, but despite that it is hard to dislike the man. Nor any of these characters, who are just trying to find security in life. The descriptions of the various areas are also beautifully described. I wish I could post pictures of the chapel and other painting, but my computer knowledge doesn't stretch to that length.
The ending of the book is perfect, brings things nicely together. But of course thAt isn't the end of the story, as the authors note at books end will take the reality of the story a little further.
ARC from Netgalley.
November 7, 2019
ETA: At the bottom of my review, I have included an additional link to a photo. It’s priceless.
**********
I picked up this book of historical fiction curious to learn more about the English painter Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) and his paintings. He is particularly well known for his large paintings on the walls of the Sandham Memorial Chapel in the village of Burghclere, Hampshire, England. The chapel paintings were commissioned in 1923 by Mary and Louis Behrend in memory of Mary’s brother and the many other “forgotten dead” of the First World War. Seventeen in number, the series of paintings were completed in 1932. Spencer’s paintings were inspired by his own memories of the war. He had been an orderly at the Beaufort War Hospital in Bristol and an infantryman in Salonika, Macedonia. The paintings depict not men fighting but instead a multitude of individual soldiers carrying out everyday tasks, floating higgledy-piggledy over the tableaux. On viewing, one wonders what the artist was saying. In picking up the book, I was seeking an answer to this.
The question of art turned out to be only the starting point. Dysfunctional conjugal/love relationships loom up large as one reads. Life being stranger than fiction applies here in spades. The book is not just about Stanley Spencer. It is about Hilda Carline Spencer (1889-1950), Stanley’s first wife. It is about Patricia Preece (1894-1966), Stanley’s second wife. It is about Dorothy Hepworth (1898-1978). Dorothy and Patricia were lesbians, closeted of course. Their love for each other was indestructible; they were determined nothing would come between them. It was agreed Patricia would marry Stanley*. . Patricia became Stanley’s second wife. Stanley’s love for his first wife, his infatuation for his second wife and his mind-boggling belief that he could have both is something to observe. It is absurd! To this mix is added the bizarre actions of Patricia and Dorothy. Remember, it is Dorothy that Patricia loves. Art is in fact not the central theme of this book! I had an immensely difficult time comprehending the strange behavior of these four real life characters! What is drawn here is true. Of course, I had to check on Wiki. The author does not alter facts.
Then there is Elsie, the Spencers’ housemaid. She comes to the family at the age of twenty- two. It is she who is fictional. Her relationship with Stanley is added to the complicated knot of relationships spoken of above. Elsie falls under Stanley’s spell a bit, too.
For most of this book I had a very, very hard time understanding these people. I was convinced that how the author drew the relationships had to be a matter of speculation. Little felt credible to me. The facts were right, but all was so strange that I had difficulty accepting underlying motives, emotions and thoughts.
The story deals primarily with the five years Elsie worked as an all-around maid for the Spencers. She also cared for the couple’s two young children. Then she marries……… and years pass. At the end, we see how the relationships, once established, turned out in the long run. It was at this point all fell into place for me, both Stanley’s art and the behavior of the people. Stanley is . It is in how the author swiftly draws the passage of time and ties up Elsie’s final meeting with Stanley, that all falls into place.
Through the author’s concluding words, what Stanley was trying to say with his art became suddenly clear to me too. His message is hinted at the start, but at this early stage I did not understand. At the beginning Stanley tells us that the worst of going to war is leaving home; leaving home brings loneliness and separation. At the end the following statement is made: “It’s the people that make a landscape.” One looks back at the paintings and all that has happened, finally all falls into place.
I don’t quite know why understanding arrives at the book’s end, but I believe it is related to the words by which the author expresses herself, the changed time perspective and what Stanley has learned from life after the passage of years.
I was frustrated during much of the time spent with this book. I cannot disregard this fact. In addition, not all my questions have been satisfactorily answered. I remain uncertain about Stanley’s religious beliefs, which are an essential part of his paintings. The relationship between Patricia and Dorothy alters half-way through; at the start, Patricia was the dominant one of the two, then Dorothy took control. I could only guess at possible reasons for this change. Eventually, by the end, through Elsie and Hilda, I came to understand what it was in Stanley that made him appealing, but why Elsie stayed in his employment as long as she did still doesn’t make sense to me. Elsie, the fictional character, is on the whole problematic. Her relationship with her husband does not come alive, and I question the credibility of her outspokenness with the Spencers. Is she friend or is she maid? Ultimately, I got more out of reading Wiki’s articles on the four central characters.
I provide them here:
Stanley Spencer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley...
Hilda Carline:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_C...
Patricia Preece:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrici...
Dorothy Hepworth:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
Now, the narration of the audiobook! This, as usual, I rate separately from the book itself. The audiobook´s narrator is Gabrielle Glaister. The women sound all exactly the same, and keep in mind each has a different personality! I dislike over-dramatization, but it is helpful to hear who is speaking. In conversations it is difficult to discern who says what. Often, I had to rewind. Names are not clearly pronounced. Hilda and Stanley’s elder daughter, Shirin, is sometimes pronounced as Sharon. I had trouble with other names, of both people and places, too. The narration makes listening to the story more difficult than it need be. I do not like the narration; I have given it one star.
*You simply must look at the marriage photo of Patricia and Stanley. Look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrici...
From left to right is seen Dorothy, Patricia, Stanley and Jas Wood (best man). Look at the hats. Look at who is standing closest to whom. Look how you can cut the photo down the middle. The book’s author wonderfully describes the scene, but here it is before your eyes!
**********
I picked up this book of historical fiction curious to learn more about the English painter Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) and his paintings. He is particularly well known for his large paintings on the walls of the Sandham Memorial Chapel in the village of Burghclere, Hampshire, England. The chapel paintings were commissioned in 1923 by Mary and Louis Behrend in memory of Mary’s brother and the many other “forgotten dead” of the First World War. Seventeen in number, the series of paintings were completed in 1932. Spencer’s paintings were inspired by his own memories of the war. He had been an orderly at the Beaufort War Hospital in Bristol and an infantryman in Salonika, Macedonia. The paintings depict not men fighting but instead a multitude of individual soldiers carrying out everyday tasks, floating higgledy-piggledy over the tableaux. On viewing, one wonders what the artist was saying. In picking up the book, I was seeking an answer to this.
The question of art turned out to be only the starting point. Dysfunctional conjugal/love relationships loom up large as one reads. Life being stranger than fiction applies here in spades. The book is not just about Stanley Spencer. It is about Hilda Carline Spencer (1889-1950), Stanley’s first wife. It is about Patricia Preece (1894-1966), Stanley’s second wife. It is about Dorothy Hepworth (1898-1978). Dorothy and Patricia were lesbians, closeted of course. Their love for each other was indestructible; they were determined nothing would come between them. It was agreed Patricia would marry Stanley*. . Patricia became Stanley’s second wife. Stanley’s love for his first wife, his infatuation for his second wife and his mind-boggling belief that he could have both is something to observe. It is absurd! To this mix is added the bizarre actions of Patricia and Dorothy. Remember, it is Dorothy that Patricia loves. Art is in fact not the central theme of this book! I had an immensely difficult time comprehending the strange behavior of these four real life characters! What is drawn here is true. Of course, I had to check on Wiki. The author does not alter facts.
Then there is Elsie, the Spencers’ housemaid. She comes to the family at the age of twenty- two. It is she who is fictional. Her relationship with Stanley is added to the complicated knot of relationships spoken of above. Elsie falls under Stanley’s spell a bit, too.
For most of this book I had a very, very hard time understanding these people. I was convinced that how the author drew the relationships had to be a matter of speculation. Little felt credible to me. The facts were right, but all was so strange that I had difficulty accepting underlying motives, emotions and thoughts.
The story deals primarily with the five years Elsie worked as an all-around maid for the Spencers. She also cared for the couple’s two young children. Then she marries……… and years pass. At the end, we see how the relationships, once established, turned out in the long run. It was at this point all fell into place for me, both Stanley’s art and the behavior of the people. Stanley is . It is in how the author swiftly draws the passage of time and ties up Elsie’s final meeting with Stanley, that all falls into place.
Through the author’s concluding words, what Stanley was trying to say with his art became suddenly clear to me too. His message is hinted at the start, but at this early stage I did not understand. At the beginning Stanley tells us that the worst of going to war is leaving home; leaving home brings loneliness and separation. At the end the following statement is made: “It’s the people that make a landscape.” One looks back at the paintings and all that has happened, finally all falls into place.
I don’t quite know why understanding arrives at the book’s end, but I believe it is related to the words by which the author expresses herself, the changed time perspective and what Stanley has learned from life after the passage of years.
I was frustrated during much of the time spent with this book. I cannot disregard this fact. In addition, not all my questions have been satisfactorily answered. I remain uncertain about Stanley’s religious beliefs, which are an essential part of his paintings. The relationship between Patricia and Dorothy alters half-way through; at the start, Patricia was the dominant one of the two, then Dorothy took control. I could only guess at possible reasons for this change. Eventually, by the end, through Elsie and Hilda, I came to understand what it was in Stanley that made him appealing, but why Elsie stayed in his employment as long as she did still doesn’t make sense to me. Elsie, the fictional character, is on the whole problematic. Her relationship with her husband does not come alive, and I question the credibility of her outspokenness with the Spencers. Is she friend or is she maid? Ultimately, I got more out of reading Wiki’s articles on the four central characters.
I provide them here:
Stanley Spencer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley...
Hilda Carline:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_C...
Patricia Preece:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrici...
Dorothy Hepworth:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
Now, the narration of the audiobook! This, as usual, I rate separately from the book itself. The audiobook´s narrator is Gabrielle Glaister. The women sound all exactly the same, and keep in mind each has a different personality! I dislike over-dramatization, but it is helpful to hear who is speaking. In conversations it is difficult to discern who says what. Often, I had to rewind. Names are not clearly pronounced. Hilda and Stanley’s elder daughter, Shirin, is sometimes pronounced as Sharon. I had trouble with other names, of both people and places, too. The narration makes listening to the story more difficult than it need be. I do not like the narration; I have given it one star.
*You simply must look at the marriage photo of Patricia and Stanley. Look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrici...
From left to right is seen Dorothy, Patricia, Stanley and Jas Wood (best man). Look at the hats. Look at who is standing closest to whom. Look how you can cut the photo down the middle. The book’s author wonderfully describes the scene, but here it is before your eyes!
April 24, 2019
“I don’t want them to look like war paintings, Elsie. I want them to look like heaven.” When I was offered a copy of this novel to review as part of the blog tour, I was unfamiliar with the name of its subject, the artist Sir Stanley Spencer (1891–1959) – until I realized that he painted the WWI-commemorative Sandham Memorial Chapel in Hampshire, which I had never visited (until last week; see my blog for details and photos) but knew was just 5.5 miles from my home in Berkshire.
Take another look at the title, though: two characters are given double billing, the second of whom is Elsie Munday, who in the opening chapter presents herself for an interview with Stanley and his wife, Hilda (also a painter), who promptly hire her to be their housemaid at Chapel View in 1928. This creates a setup similar to that in Girl with a Pearl Earring, with a lower-class character observing the inner workings of an artist’s household and giving plain-speaking commentary on what she sees. Upson’s close third-person narration sticks with Elsie for the whole of Part I, but in Part II the picture widens out, with the point of view rotating between Hilda, Elsie and Dorothy Hepworth, the reluctant third side in a love triangle that develops between Stanley and her partner, Patricia Preece.
Hilda and Stanley argue about everything, from childrearing to art: they even paint dueling portraits of Elsie – with Hilda’s Country Girl winning out. Elsie knows she’s lucky to have such a comfortable position with the Spencers and their daughters at Burghclere, and later at Cookham, but she’s uneasy at how Stanley turns her into a confidante in his increasingly tempestuous marriage. Hilda, frustrated at Stanley’s selfish, demanding ways, often returns to her family home in Hampstead, leaving Elsie alone with her employer. Stanley doesn’t give a fig for local opinion, but Elsie knows she has a reputation to protect – especially considering that her moments alone with Stanley aren’t entirely free of sexual tension.
I love reading about artists’ habits – how creative work actually gets done – so I particularly loved the scenes where Elsie, sent on errands, finds Stanley up a ladder in the chapel, pondering how to get a face or object just right. On more than one occasion he borrows her kitchen items, such as a sponge and cooked and uncooked rashers of bacon, so he can render them perfectly in his paintings. I also loved that this is a local interest book for me, with Newbury, where I live, mentioned four or five times in passing as the nearest big town. Part II, with its account of Stanley’s extramarital doings becoming ever more sordid, didn’t grip me as much as Part I, but I found the whole to be an elegantly written study of a very difficult man and the ties that he made and broke over the course of several decades.
For the tone as well as the subject matter, I would particularly recommend it to readers of Jonathan Smith’s Summer in February and Graham Swift’s Mothering Sunday, and especially Esther Freud’s Mr. Mac and Me.
Originally published, with images, on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Take another look at the title, though: two characters are given double billing, the second of whom is Elsie Munday, who in the opening chapter presents herself for an interview with Stanley and his wife, Hilda (also a painter), who promptly hire her to be their housemaid at Chapel View in 1928. This creates a setup similar to that in Girl with a Pearl Earring, with a lower-class character observing the inner workings of an artist’s household and giving plain-speaking commentary on what she sees. Upson’s close third-person narration sticks with Elsie for the whole of Part I, but in Part II the picture widens out, with the point of view rotating between Hilda, Elsie and Dorothy Hepworth, the reluctant third side in a love triangle that develops between Stanley and her partner, Patricia Preece.
Hilda and Stanley argue about everything, from childrearing to art: they even paint dueling portraits of Elsie – with Hilda’s Country Girl winning out. Elsie knows she’s lucky to have such a comfortable position with the Spencers and their daughters at Burghclere, and later at Cookham, but she’s uneasy at how Stanley turns her into a confidante in his increasingly tempestuous marriage. Hilda, frustrated at Stanley’s selfish, demanding ways, often returns to her family home in Hampstead, leaving Elsie alone with her employer. Stanley doesn’t give a fig for local opinion, but Elsie knows she has a reputation to protect – especially considering that her moments alone with Stanley aren’t entirely free of sexual tension.
I love reading about artists’ habits – how creative work actually gets done – so I particularly loved the scenes where Elsie, sent on errands, finds Stanley up a ladder in the chapel, pondering how to get a face or object just right. On more than one occasion he borrows her kitchen items, such as a sponge and cooked and uncooked rashers of bacon, so he can render them perfectly in his paintings. I also loved that this is a local interest book for me, with Newbury, where I live, mentioned four or five times in passing as the nearest big town. Part II, with its account of Stanley’s extramarital doings becoming ever more sordid, didn’t grip me as much as Part I, but I found the whole to be an elegantly written study of a very difficult man and the ties that he made and broke over the course of several decades.
For the tone as well as the subject matter, I would particularly recommend it to readers of Jonathan Smith’s Summer in February and Graham Swift’s Mothering Sunday, and especially Esther Freud’s Mr. Mac and Me.
Originally published, with images, on my blog, Bookish Beck.
September 12, 2023
The book was very easy to read from the first pages. What I didn’t realize until last pages is that it’s based on real people and places. Cannot imagine what it’s like to recreate thoughts of real people and try to get it right. In the end the trick is to show the details and how complex the feelings are in any relationship and that there is so much to it than just dates and names when people were born, married, divorced, etc. The book made me ponder again what is the line that artists shouldn’t cross in search for inspiration (and if there is one).
May 20, 2019
I love Nicola Upson’s “Josephine Tey” novels, in which a fictionalised version of the Golden Age crime writer investigates mysteries. Here, though, Nicola has turned her attention to other real-life people, and I suspect stuck much closer to reality than in the Josephine stories. Indeed, the extraordinary true story of the Spencers and those around them needs little embroidery, and must have proved an almost irresistible subject for a novel.
The artist Stanley Spencer, his wife Hilda Carline, also an artist, and the remarkable sagas which surrounded them, neighbour Patricia Preece, and her lover Dorothy Hepworth, are seen here largely through the eyes of their long-standing (and often long-suffering) maid - and subject of two paintings - Elsie Munday. The perceptive, vibrant and down to earth Elsie is, with the possible exception of Stanley and Hilda’s daughters Shirin and Unity, by far the most likeable character and the first half of the book is entirely from her perspective. Later, we also begin to see the viewpoints of other characters. The lifelong relationship of Preece and Hepworth would surely make a fascinating book in itself.
I loved this story, about people of whom I previously knew little, though I now feel considerably better informed. I love it when a book teaches me something, and Stanley and Elsie had me frequently looking up more information, particularly about the distinctive art of Stanley Spencer and Hilda Carline. My researches led me to clips of the recent documentary “Stanley and his Daughters” - if anyone knows where I can watch the whole thing, please tell!
Nicola Upson is a wonderful writer and has excelled here in creating the world of Stanley and Elsie, evoking a real sense of the artworks and the rural locations of Burghclere and Cookham. I now really want to visit the chapel, though unfortunately it’s a bit far away from my home in Scotland.
An excellent read.
The artist Stanley Spencer, his wife Hilda Carline, also an artist, and the remarkable sagas which surrounded them, neighbour Patricia Preece, and her lover Dorothy Hepworth, are seen here largely through the eyes of their long-standing (and often long-suffering) maid - and subject of two paintings - Elsie Munday. The perceptive, vibrant and down to earth Elsie is, with the possible exception of Stanley and Hilda’s daughters Shirin and Unity, by far the most likeable character and the first half of the book is entirely from her perspective. Later, we also begin to see the viewpoints of other characters. The lifelong relationship of Preece and Hepworth would surely make a fascinating book in itself.
I loved this story, about people of whom I previously knew little, though I now feel considerably better informed. I love it when a book teaches me something, and Stanley and Elsie had me frequently looking up more information, particularly about the distinctive art of Stanley Spencer and Hilda Carline. My researches led me to clips of the recent documentary “Stanley and his Daughters” - if anyone knows where I can watch the whole thing, please tell!
Nicola Upson is a wonderful writer and has excelled here in creating the world of Stanley and Elsie, evoking a real sense of the artworks and the rural locations of Burghclere and Cookham. I now really want to visit the chapel, though unfortunately it’s a bit far away from my home in Scotland.
An excellent read.
September 12, 2023
I was surprised when I read the highly rated reviews on Goodreads. I read 70% of this book, and you might ask "You've gotten this far, why not finish?" But life is too short to torture myself. I admit, I also skimmed the paragraphs which is what helped me get to the 70% mark.
I did not care about any of these characters. Who cares that Stanley is a famous artist who wants to have his cake and eat it too? Who cares that Patricia is clearly seeking to exploit Stanley financially? Who cares that Hilda loves Stanley and keeps going back to him? And why is Elsie the main POV?
I suppose there is an argument to be made here that great art excuses poor behaviour but this was such a mundane story I can't muster the energy to discuss further. To satisfy myself, I read Stanley Spencer's Wikipedia entry. I would give the wiki entry a 6.5/10.
I did not care about any of these characters. Who cares that Stanley is a famous artist who wants to have his cake and eat it too? Who cares that Patricia is clearly seeking to exploit Stanley financially? Who cares that Hilda loves Stanley and keeps going back to him? And why is Elsie the main POV?
I suppose there is an argument to be made here that great art excuses poor behaviour but this was such a mundane story I can't muster the energy to discuss further. To satisfy myself, I read Stanley Spencer's Wikipedia entry. I would give the wiki entry a 6.5/10.
August 30, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. It evoked the story of one of England's most celebrated twentieth century painters, Stanley Spencer, and the women in his life, including the sensible, cheerful live-in maid Elsie in a most vivid and involving way. Early twentieth century village life, an eccentric lifestyle, and the complicated lives of imperfect fractured people is brought to life in an entirely readable way. This is a story of love, obsession, the thought processes of a painter, the English countryside written in a way that demands to be read, compulsively.
April 25, 2019
When I started reading this book, it immediately struck me how nice the prose was. It had such a lovely flow and it really drew me into the story - I read this book in 2 days! I was completely swept away by Upson's depiction of country life.
Stanley and Elsie is a fascinating portrait of married life. The book features some very witty dialogue, as well as more poignant moments. I will admit that some of the characters' decisions infuriated me; I felt so much sympathy for Stanley's wife, Hilda! I loved her character and was sad to see what she had to go through. There are definitely both likeable and unlikeable characters in this book.
The story looks simple on the surface but dig deeper and it is a truly captivating historical fiction with lots of interesting meditations on family life. I also loved the descriptions of the paintings and the artistic process as a whole; it's something I also enjoyed about Jessie Burton's The Muse, so I'd recommend this if you enjoyed that one!
I find it fascinating that this book is based on a real person and I definitely went digging after I finished the book! From what I can tell, Upson has remained fairly faithful to Stanley Spencer's actual life story; I almost feel like I know the man now and I would love to go and view an exhibition of his artwork!
Stanley and Elsie is a fascinating portrait of married life. The book features some very witty dialogue, as well as more poignant moments. I will admit that some of the characters' decisions infuriated me; I felt so much sympathy for Stanley's wife, Hilda! I loved her character and was sad to see what she had to go through. There are definitely both likeable and unlikeable characters in this book.
The story looks simple on the surface but dig deeper and it is a truly captivating historical fiction with lots of interesting meditations on family life. I also loved the descriptions of the paintings and the artistic process as a whole; it's something I also enjoyed about Jessie Burton's The Muse, so I'd recommend this if you enjoyed that one!
I find it fascinating that this book is based on a real person and I definitely went digging after I finished the book! From what I can tell, Upson has remained fairly faithful to Stanley Spencer's actual life story; I almost feel like I know the man now and I would love to go and view an exhibition of his artwork!
October 2, 2019
This is an exceptional book, a novelisation of a key period in the life of the artist Stanley Spencer. Much of it is told through the voice of Elsie Munday, who was housemaid to the Spencers and became a family friend.
The novel starts when Elsie starts her employment, at the time when Stanley is painting his masterpiece, the interior of the War Memorial Chapel in Burghclere. At that time, Stanley is married to Hilda and they have a young daughter Shirin. The marriage is tempestuous but Stanley later looks back at this time as happy.
Everything changes when Stanley sets eyes on Patricia Preece on a visit to his home village of Cookham. He becomes infatuated and obsessed. Patricia is in fact in a long-standing relationship with artist Dorothy Hepworth, but they are financially hard-up and Patricia decides to manipulate Stanley to provide for them. This ends in Stanley divorcing Hilda to marry Patricia, but the new marriage is a sham, and Stanley regrets it for the rest of his life.
The novel is historically accurate and succeeds in bringing the characters within it to life. Stanley is an odd little man, an artistic genius but destroyed by his own vanity. The novel is exquisitely written, lyrical and evocative of place and time. I only ever keep books which are really special to me - this is a keeper!
The novel starts when Elsie starts her employment, at the time when Stanley is painting his masterpiece, the interior of the War Memorial Chapel in Burghclere. At that time, Stanley is married to Hilda and they have a young daughter Shirin. The marriage is tempestuous but Stanley later looks back at this time as happy.
Everything changes when Stanley sets eyes on Patricia Preece on a visit to his home village of Cookham. He becomes infatuated and obsessed. Patricia is in fact in a long-standing relationship with artist Dorothy Hepworth, but they are financially hard-up and Patricia decides to manipulate Stanley to provide for them. This ends in Stanley divorcing Hilda to marry Patricia, but the new marriage is a sham, and Stanley regrets it for the rest of his life.
The novel is historically accurate and succeeds in bringing the characters within it to life. Stanley is an odd little man, an artistic genius but destroyed by his own vanity. The novel is exquisitely written, lyrical and evocative of place and time. I only ever keep books which are really special to me - this is a keeper!
May 16, 2019
Stanley and Elsie is a fictionalised story featuring artist Stanley Spencer and is set in a small Hampshire village just after the First World War.
There's something really special about this story and the writing. Nicola Upson's stylish and elegant prose really brings her characters to life. The reader will not like all of them, but there's no doubting that she's made them feel as real as possible - flaws and all.
Elsie Munday arrives for an interview. She's after the job as a maid to artist Stanley and his wife and daughter. Stanley has taken on a large commission; he's painting a chapel in memory of those lost in the war. Elsie's background is very different to that of the Spencers, having been brought up in a small house, crowded with numerous siblings and very little money.
However, Elsie can certainly hold her own, and it's probably her lack of social etiquette that allows her to speak so freely to her new employers. She soon becomes a permanent fixture in their lives and is witness to the internal workings of their quite remarkable marriage.
I have really enjoyed my short spell with the Spencers and Elsie. Nicola Upson's story is beautifully crafted, compelling and addictive. Her prose is arresting and the narrative is excellent.
There's something really special about this story and the writing. Nicola Upson's stylish and elegant prose really brings her characters to life. The reader will not like all of them, but there's no doubting that she's made them feel as real as possible - flaws and all.
Elsie Munday arrives for an interview. She's after the job as a maid to artist Stanley and his wife and daughter. Stanley has taken on a large commission; he's painting a chapel in memory of those lost in the war. Elsie's background is very different to that of the Spencers, having been brought up in a small house, crowded with numerous siblings and very little money.
However, Elsie can certainly hold her own, and it's probably her lack of social etiquette that allows her to speak so freely to her new employers. She soon becomes a permanent fixture in their lives and is witness to the internal workings of their quite remarkable marriage.
I have really enjoyed my short spell with the Spencers and Elsie. Nicola Upson's story is beautifully crafted, compelling and addictive. Her prose is arresting and the narrative is excellent.
October 9, 2022
I had NO idea this was based on real people. I was just happy to read a new Nicola Upson novel. Quite engrossing and entertaining.
May 7, 2019
Stanley and Elsie was a novel that made me cry, laugh and spend more time on the internet looking at art than any book I’ve read before. I had never heard of Stanley Spencer or Hilda Carline and I found the story concerning the painting of the chapel fascinating.
The first part of the novel which focuses on Elsie was my favourite part. I loved the way she handled both Spencer and Hilda, refusing to keep her thoughts regarding the behaviour to each other and their children to herself. She saw them as people, who made many mistakes but who also had a lot of good points despite letting Stanley’s work dominate their lives. She wasn’t just an employee, she was a friend. It was Elsie who made me laugh, she was so down to earth.
When the account switched to Patricia and Dorothy in part two my feelings regarding Stanley changed. Selfish, critical and self obsessed but I felt he didn’t deserve what they had planned for him. There was nothing that endeared me to these two.
It is the first book I have read by this author and completely different to what I usually read. I am so pleased I read it, it’s wonderful.
The first part of the novel which focuses on Elsie was my favourite part. I loved the way she handled both Spencer and Hilda, refusing to keep her thoughts regarding the behaviour to each other and their children to herself. She saw them as people, who made many mistakes but who also had a lot of good points despite letting Stanley’s work dominate their lives. She wasn’t just an employee, she was a friend. It was Elsie who made me laugh, she was so down to earth.
When the account switched to Patricia and Dorothy in part two my feelings regarding Stanley changed. Selfish, critical and self obsessed but I felt he didn’t deserve what they had planned for him. There was nothing that endeared me to these two.
It is the first book I have read by this author and completely different to what I usually read. I am so pleased I read it, it’s wonderful.
October 4, 2023
This book was really slow to start with, and I nearly have up on it. However, I didn't and I'm glad as it is so beautifully written, telling an interesting story.
I'm not sure if it's poetic licence on the part of the author, but Stanley seems an awful, awful man. So selfish and belligerent, determined to have his own way whatever. He must have known that Patricia was a lesbian, but did he just believe that one good man could convert her to heterosexuality? All this won't stop me going to see the chapel though.
01/10/23: visited the chapel and loved it, in part because some of the panels are set in Bristol near where I once lived.
I'm not sure if it's poetic licence on the part of the author, but Stanley seems an awful, awful man. So selfish and belligerent, determined to have his own way whatever. He must have known that Patricia was a lesbian, but did he just believe that one good man could convert her to heterosexuality? All this won't stop me going to see the chapel though.
01/10/23: visited the chapel and loved it, in part because some of the panels are set in Bristol near where I once lived.
June 17, 2019
Such an enjoyable read. This wonderfully compelling novel about British artist Stanley Spencer is intelligent, thoughtful and well-researched. Narrated by the Spencers’ housekeeper Elsie Munday, it’s both entertaining and informative, and feels completely convincing. With vivid depictions of the people, the places and the paintings, I really felt that I got to know Stanley Spencer and his family and friends, and also gained an insight into his art. Highly recommended.
June 9, 2020
I loved all the St Ives chapters, particularly the days before Stanley shows up. I also got a real kick out of seeing the picture of Patricia, Dorothy, Stanley and Jas outside the butchers! I had no idea that was an actual picture and the scene for this in the book is again one that I enjoyed.
January 26, 2020
Loved every page of this. Upson manages to make art you can't see sing, and characters you should loath become sympathetic. The world Upson creates is so real you almost feel embarrassed looking in. Wonderful, wonderful writing!
May 1, 2019
I do love a book set around real people or real life events and so I jumped at the chance to read Stanley and Elsie.
Stanley is Stanley Spencer, artist. Elsie is the woman employed by Stanley and his wife, Hilda, to be their maid. This is the 1920s, almost ten years after the First World War ended. Stanley is working on an epic project, paintings on the walls of a chapel commissioned in memory of his patron's late brother. This is where Elsie enters the life of the Spencer family and where she finds herself utterly entrenched in their lives.
I would guess that Nicola Upson has done an awful lot of research into the Spencers and so the bones of the story are factually correct, but also that she's obviously fictionalised conversations and day to day life. What I'm getting round to saying is that she's done a fantastic job at weaving together fact and fiction. Although I love 'faction' I do sometimes find that an author is restricted by the need to stick to the facts. Here though, Upson achieves something quite special: she uses the facts to draw me completely into the fiction.
Mind you, it's quite a story anyway. They do say the truth is stranger than fiction. I had never heard of Stanley Spencer and so it's been quite the journey of discovery for me. He was a bit odd, a bit self-absorbed and more than a little selfish. But the people around him put up with him because of who he was and what he was doing. I found myself getting quite annoyed with him a lot of the time, and then all of a sudden he would do something rather lovely that redeemed him (a little).
The fact that I had never heard of Stanley meant that I didn't have any preconceptions and the story of his life was all new to me. For that reason, I'm not going to go into any of the facts of his life here as you might want to approach it in the same way. What I did do, though, was constantly search on the internet throughout the whole book, looking up the people and the paintings - be careful if you do this as spoilers can occur! It just shows how interested I was in what I was reading though.
I haven't really mentioned Elsie so far and yet she was my favourite character by far. In fact, I liked the sections about her immensely and loved reading about her simply going about her job as maid. I think she was more than a maid really, more of a housekeeper, and she was well-respected. I particularly liked how she became quite the confidante for both Stanley and Hilda, almost a nanny to their children, and yet she also still knew her place as a servant. I liked her so much that, at the beginning of part two when it seemed as though the focus would move away from Elsie, I actually said out loud "oh no, Elsie". I didn't want to lose her.
Stanley and Elsie is just wonderful in every way. The settings are portrayed vividly and the characterisations are perfect. The writing is quite poetic, quite lyrical, quite beautiful, and this imagining of their lives is just lovely.
Stanley is Stanley Spencer, artist. Elsie is the woman employed by Stanley and his wife, Hilda, to be their maid. This is the 1920s, almost ten years after the First World War ended. Stanley is working on an epic project, paintings on the walls of a chapel commissioned in memory of his patron's late brother. This is where Elsie enters the life of the Spencer family and where she finds herself utterly entrenched in their lives.
I would guess that Nicola Upson has done an awful lot of research into the Spencers and so the bones of the story are factually correct, but also that she's obviously fictionalised conversations and day to day life. What I'm getting round to saying is that she's done a fantastic job at weaving together fact and fiction. Although I love 'faction' I do sometimes find that an author is restricted by the need to stick to the facts. Here though, Upson achieves something quite special: she uses the facts to draw me completely into the fiction.
Mind you, it's quite a story anyway. They do say the truth is stranger than fiction. I had never heard of Stanley Spencer and so it's been quite the journey of discovery for me. He was a bit odd, a bit self-absorbed and more than a little selfish. But the people around him put up with him because of who he was and what he was doing. I found myself getting quite annoyed with him a lot of the time, and then all of a sudden he would do something rather lovely that redeemed him (a little).
The fact that I had never heard of Stanley meant that I didn't have any preconceptions and the story of his life was all new to me. For that reason, I'm not going to go into any of the facts of his life here as you might want to approach it in the same way. What I did do, though, was constantly search on the internet throughout the whole book, looking up the people and the paintings - be careful if you do this as spoilers can occur! It just shows how interested I was in what I was reading though.
I haven't really mentioned Elsie so far and yet she was my favourite character by far. In fact, I liked the sections about her immensely and loved reading about her simply going about her job as maid. I think she was more than a maid really, more of a housekeeper, and she was well-respected. I particularly liked how she became quite the confidante for both Stanley and Hilda, almost a nanny to their children, and yet she also still knew her place as a servant. I liked her so much that, at the beginning of part two when it seemed as though the focus would move away from Elsie, I actually said out loud "oh no, Elsie". I didn't want to lose her.
Stanley and Elsie is just wonderful in every way. The settings are portrayed vividly and the characterisations are perfect. The writing is quite poetic, quite lyrical, quite beautiful, and this imagining of their lives is just lovely.
August 2, 2019
My knowledge of English artist Stanley Spencer was sketchy to say the least when I started reading ‘Stanley and Elsie’ by Nicola Upson. This is a biographical novel that walks a difficult line between true fact and imagined conversation and walks it with skill, delicacy and drama. Definitely a novel for anyone who loves art.
Upson takes us into the Spencer household at Chapel View, Burghclere after the Great War when Elsie Munday starts work as a housemaid. Stanley Spencer has been commissioned to paint the inside of a chapel; his wife Hilda, also a painter, minds their young daughter Shirin. Through Elsie’s eyes we see the lives of this family, their ups and downs, the artistic differences, the selfishnesses of Stanley and Hilda, smoothed by the tact, diplomacy and efficiency of Elsie. The title could make some people assume Stanley and Elsie were romantically attached but theirs is a master/servant relationship that deepened into mutual respect and friendship. Stanley, selfish, focussed, is a difficult master, a difficult husband, and Elsie finds herself caught in the middle of disputes between husband and wife. Often she is exasperated with both of them. Instead she becomes indispensable to the household.
Upson gives us an insight into the lives of this family, their daily tasks, the squabbles, the unexpected joys. She combines small inconsequential details of painting with, through Elsie’s growing appreciation of art, the big picture destruction, grief and lasting devastation of war on Stanley’s generation of men. Upson is excellent at portraying place; the Spencers move between Burghclere, Cookham and Hampstead Heath as their marriage disintegrates, a separation complicated by Stanley’s obsession with another woman. No one could have forseen the consequences of this obsession. Stanley is selfish and self-absorbed, Hilda also but to a lesser degree; both can be loving with their children one minute and dismissive the next. At times, neither are particularly likeable; Elsie is the one who picks up the pieces.
Elsie is the core of this story. As narrator we not only see the Spencers through her eyes, we also see her grow from young girl to competent, confident young woman.
The ending was under-whelming but I see it must have been difficult to know how and when to end the novel.
A delightful read. I particularly enjoyed picturing the paintings in my mind as I turned the pages. Reading ‘Stanley and Elsie’ makes me want to visit Sandham Memorial Chapel near Newbury, Hampshire, now a National Trust property, and also to explore Upson’s other novels.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
Upson takes us into the Spencer household at Chapel View, Burghclere after the Great War when Elsie Munday starts work as a housemaid. Stanley Spencer has been commissioned to paint the inside of a chapel; his wife Hilda, also a painter, minds their young daughter Shirin. Through Elsie’s eyes we see the lives of this family, their ups and downs, the artistic differences, the selfishnesses of Stanley and Hilda, smoothed by the tact, diplomacy and efficiency of Elsie. The title could make some people assume Stanley and Elsie were romantically attached but theirs is a master/servant relationship that deepened into mutual respect and friendship. Stanley, selfish, focussed, is a difficult master, a difficult husband, and Elsie finds herself caught in the middle of disputes between husband and wife. Often she is exasperated with both of them. Instead she becomes indispensable to the household.
Upson gives us an insight into the lives of this family, their daily tasks, the squabbles, the unexpected joys. She combines small inconsequential details of painting with, through Elsie’s growing appreciation of art, the big picture destruction, grief and lasting devastation of war on Stanley’s generation of men. Upson is excellent at portraying place; the Spencers move between Burghclere, Cookham and Hampstead Heath as their marriage disintegrates, a separation complicated by Stanley’s obsession with another woman. No one could have forseen the consequences of this obsession. Stanley is selfish and self-absorbed, Hilda also but to a lesser degree; both can be loving with their children one minute and dismissive the next. At times, neither are particularly likeable; Elsie is the one who picks up the pieces.
Elsie is the core of this story. As narrator we not only see the Spencers through her eyes, we also see her grow from young girl to competent, confident young woman.
The ending was under-whelming but I see it must have been difficult to know how and when to end the novel.
A delightful read. I particularly enjoyed picturing the paintings in my mind as I turned the pages. Reading ‘Stanley and Elsie’ makes me want to visit Sandham Memorial Chapel near Newbury, Hampshire, now a National Trust property, and also to explore Upson’s other novels.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
August 8, 2019
Nicola Upson’s novel, Stanley and Elsie, covers five years in the lives of the painter, Sir Stanley Spencer, and the young woman who was hired as his housekeeper, while he was painting the Sandham Memorial Chapel.
I have to admit that I didn’t know very much about Sir Stanley Spencer before reading Nicola Upson’s novel which made me reliant on her to bring him alive on the page and draw me in. She certainly achieved this, taking me right into the heart of this household and summoning up all the characters, so that I felt as if they were moving around me while I was reading.
Nicola Upson’s reimagining of this period in Stanley and Elsie’s lives is seen through Elsie’s eyes. We arrive with her for her first day in service, which is also her first time away from home. We join the household when she does and this provides a fresh perspective on the three members of the family, their life together and family dynamic, and how it is organised – or wasn’t, until she arrived.
This also allows Nicola Upson to give more prominence to the women’s stories, those of Hilda, Patricia Preece and Dorothy Hepworth, all artists in their own right but more often footnotes to Sir Stanley’s more public success story. Now we get to see the private man and working artist behind the public image, seen through the women’s eyes. It would be particularly unusual for Elsie’s story to be told, and that’s a shame because she’s quite a character. She knows her own mind, finds happiness and joy in simple pleasures, and provides a good counterbalance to the bohemian storms of discontent that rage around her.
No sooner had I finished reading than I was busy googling Cookham, the Sandham Chapel and other paintings, most notably his portrait of Elsie, which he titled Elise, as well as that painted by his first wife, Hilda Carline. I was struck by how closely they resembled what I had imagined from reading Nicola Upson’s incredibly accurate descriptions of them.
Nicola Upson conjures up the household and the artwork they produce with precise yet playful prose to create a fascinating insight into these people’s lives; Stanley and Elsie is a masterful blend of her research and reimagining that feels as loyal to, and fond of, her subjects as Elsie was towards the family she tended and every bit as vital as she was to them.
I have to admit that I didn’t know very much about Sir Stanley Spencer before reading Nicola Upson’s novel which made me reliant on her to bring him alive on the page and draw me in. She certainly achieved this, taking me right into the heart of this household and summoning up all the characters, so that I felt as if they were moving around me while I was reading.
Nicola Upson’s reimagining of this period in Stanley and Elsie’s lives is seen through Elsie’s eyes. We arrive with her for her first day in service, which is also her first time away from home. We join the household when she does and this provides a fresh perspective on the three members of the family, their life together and family dynamic, and how it is organised – or wasn’t, until she arrived.
This also allows Nicola Upson to give more prominence to the women’s stories, those of Hilda, Patricia Preece and Dorothy Hepworth, all artists in their own right but more often footnotes to Sir Stanley’s more public success story. Now we get to see the private man and working artist behind the public image, seen through the women’s eyes. It would be particularly unusual for Elsie’s story to be told, and that’s a shame because she’s quite a character. She knows her own mind, finds happiness and joy in simple pleasures, and provides a good counterbalance to the bohemian storms of discontent that rage around her.
No sooner had I finished reading than I was busy googling Cookham, the Sandham Chapel and other paintings, most notably his portrait of Elsie, which he titled Elise, as well as that painted by his first wife, Hilda Carline. I was struck by how closely they resembled what I had imagined from reading Nicola Upson’s incredibly accurate descriptions of them.
Nicola Upson conjures up the household and the artwork they produce with precise yet playful prose to create a fascinating insight into these people’s lives; Stanley and Elsie is a masterful blend of her research and reimagining that feels as loyal to, and fond of, her subjects as Elsie was towards the family she tended and every bit as vital as she was to them.
May 5, 2019
Based on the life of the artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959), Stanley and Elsie is a fascinating look at art, the wounds of war and Stanley Spencer through the eyes of the women in his life.
Writing fiction about art is almost the ultimate test in descriptive writing as the goal is clearly to get the reader to not only be able to visualise the art as they read, but appreciate the technical detail and the feelings that a particular piece evokes. In this way, Nicola Upson has accomplished something extraordinary. I felt like I was standing in Sandham memorial chapel (the building filled with murals on everyday life during WW1, painted by Spencer) along with Elsie, seeing Spencer's vast and distinctive depictions of war memories.
I really enjoyed the reflections on finding joy in the everyday, mundane tasks and it made me pause and think about my mindset when it comes to work and daily life. I agree with Spencer's idea of there being something heroic in the everyday, of keeping on despite everything, and cherishing the peace of mundane moments. This is something that I also found within the novel, reading about the life of the Spencers. I love the comfort that historical fiction brings, especially books that spend time on the day to day lives of people in the past. The simple joy of seeing how people lived their daily lives, their tasks and homemaking, their view on hard work and holidays by the seaside.
Nicola Upson did such a fantastic job with the setting of the novel that the Berkshire countryside felt almost like another character, and it made me feel a connection to a part of England that I haven't yet visited. There is some beautiful writing on nature, weather and the changing of the seasons, which I particularly appreciated.
Stanley and Elsie is a cosy book which deals with some big and uncomfortable topics whilst also being a comfortable and relaxing read. It has a slow burn of atmosphere and is a fascinating insight into the emotional and domestic life of a distinguished artist.
Writing fiction about art is almost the ultimate test in descriptive writing as the goal is clearly to get the reader to not only be able to visualise the art as they read, but appreciate the technical detail and the feelings that a particular piece evokes. In this way, Nicola Upson has accomplished something extraordinary. I felt like I was standing in Sandham memorial chapel (the building filled with murals on everyday life during WW1, painted by Spencer) along with Elsie, seeing Spencer's vast and distinctive depictions of war memories.
I really enjoyed the reflections on finding joy in the everyday, mundane tasks and it made me pause and think about my mindset when it comes to work and daily life. I agree with Spencer's idea of there being something heroic in the everyday, of keeping on despite everything, and cherishing the peace of mundane moments. This is something that I also found within the novel, reading about the life of the Spencers. I love the comfort that historical fiction brings, especially books that spend time on the day to day lives of people in the past. The simple joy of seeing how people lived their daily lives, their tasks and homemaking, their view on hard work and holidays by the seaside.
Nicola Upson did such a fantastic job with the setting of the novel that the Berkshire countryside felt almost like another character, and it made me feel a connection to a part of England that I haven't yet visited. There is some beautiful writing on nature, weather and the changing of the seasons, which I particularly appreciated.
Stanley and Elsie is a cosy book which deals with some big and uncomfortable topics whilst also being a comfortable and relaxing read. It has a slow burn of atmosphere and is a fascinating insight into the emotional and domestic life of a distinguished artist.
May 10, 2019
Stanley Spencer is already famous when Elsie Munday is employed as housekeeper for him and his wife. Hilda is also a painter, but she’s lost interest since leaving London for a small Hampshire village where Stanley has accepted a mammoth commission to decorate the walls of a chapel with his experiences of the First World War. Although Elsie’s mother worries about her mixing with arty types, the young woman is easily able to hold her own, becoming the confidante of both husband and wife and a second mother to their little girl.
Elsie feels most comfortable with Stanley initially but, over the years, although she never gives up on him, her affections shift. The catalyst might be the couple’s decision to send their elder daughter to live with an acquaintance when another baby is born. Or it might be when Stanley insists on moving his family to Cookham, where he grew up, before his work on the chapel is completed and against the wishes of his wife. But the final straw must be when Stanley, despite his love for Hilda and hers for him, abandons her for another painter, Patricia Preece.
All three women feature in Stanley Spencer’s artwork but, in Stanley and Elsie, Nicola Upson gives them a voice. And through their thoughts and feelings, we see Spencer in all his contradictory humanity: charismatic, but also exhausting; driven and idealistic, albeit somewhat naive; narcissistic but occasionally generous, thoughtful and kind. While I warmed to Elsie as a character, the novel became more interesting in the second half when Stanley, Hilda and Patricia – who, even on the day of her marriage to Stanley, sees him only as a meal ticket, her partner, Dorothy, being her one true love – are all on the path to self-destruction. Luckily for Elsie, she had another option in marriage and motherhood with a decent, albeit ordinary, man.
Domestic triangles: Disturbance & Stanley and Elsie https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post...
Elsie feels most comfortable with Stanley initially but, over the years, although she never gives up on him, her affections shift. The catalyst might be the couple’s decision to send their elder daughter to live with an acquaintance when another baby is born. Or it might be when Stanley insists on moving his family to Cookham, where he grew up, before his work on the chapel is completed and against the wishes of his wife. But the final straw must be when Stanley, despite his love for Hilda and hers for him, abandons her for another painter, Patricia Preece.
All three women feature in Stanley Spencer’s artwork but, in Stanley and Elsie, Nicola Upson gives them a voice. And through their thoughts and feelings, we see Spencer in all his contradictory humanity: charismatic, but also exhausting; driven and idealistic, albeit somewhat naive; narcissistic but occasionally generous, thoughtful and kind. While I warmed to Elsie as a character, the novel became more interesting in the second half when Stanley, Hilda and Patricia – who, even on the day of her marriage to Stanley, sees him only as a meal ticket, her partner, Dorothy, being her one true love – are all on the path to self-destruction. Luckily for Elsie, she had another option in marriage and motherhood with a decent, albeit ordinary, man.
Domestic triangles: Disturbance & Stanley and Elsie https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post...
February 13, 2023
Elsie Munday, from a large poor village family, lands a job as a maid in the home of artist Stanley Spencer and his wife Hilda. Over many years as a member of the household she observes, from uncomfortably close quarters, the collapse of the Spencers' marriage and then his embarrassing second marriage to Patricia Preece. Whilst Patricia maintains her lesbian relationship with artist Dorothy Hepworth, Stanley struggles to maintain a sexual relationship with Hilda. This is interesting material by any standards. The descriptions of the countryside in Burghfield and Cookham are very evocative. Upson has a lively compelling style, each new chapter getting our attention very swiftly. But after a first half entirely from Elsie's point of view - and a sharp, savvy narrator she is - we are abruptly taken into the heads of Dorothy and Hilda as well. This was no doubt intended to reveal more of the growing relationship, if such it can be called, between Patricia and Stanley, but the attempt at unravelling such an enigma is bound to fail. Elsie quite likes Stanley, his ability to mix in all classes, his practicality and his generosity. She always calls him 'Mr Spencer' and keeps the appropriate social distance, and it would have been interesting to see her view of his increasingly-strange behaviour. Instead Upson attempts to bring us right into Spencer's two marriages. But we finish the book very little the wiser about his character. Looking at his work - superbly executed, but wilfully strange - I do suspect he must have had a wit, a brilliance and a charisma all his own. That is sadly lacking here. Had the author concentrated on Elsie, that would not have mattered so much. This book has a lot going for it, but it could have been far better with a more focused structure.
December 8, 2025
I finished Stanley and Elsie at the weekend and it was very enjoyable. My only problem was in wondering how much of a novel it was - I kept checking other sources to verify points, every time finding verification, and additionally fulfilling my desire to know more - I can recommend the Arena documentary available on YouTube with his delightful daughters - Shirin is still alive at 100 years old. In the novel adequate space is given to Spencer’s inner monster destroying relationships, reason, security, aided and abetted by his new muse Patricia Preece.
Edward Said wrote:
“Novels, therefore, are aesthetic objects that fill gaps in an incomplete world: they satisfy a human urge to add to reality by portraying (fictional) characters in which one can believe. Novels are much more than that, of course. Nevertheless, I should like now to consider the institution of narrative prose fiction as a kind of appetite that writers develop for modifying reality—as if from the beginning—as a desire to create a new or beginning fictional entity while accepting the consequences of that desire.”
Excerpt From ‘Beginnings’, (1975) Edward W. Said
Using Elsie as both modifier and a new beginning is a way of holding the subject to account. Of course there are always gaps as well as changing contexts driven by particular narratives (love, war, money etc) so I wondered about the constant flux - the push and pull between fact and fiction - we misremember, misunderstand, change our minds, lie, deceive, similarly novelists make things up, so how should the reader respond to these non-fictional / fictional artifices? In that respect I am bewildered. Perhaps we all eventually become fictional entities, perhaps we already are.
Edward Said wrote:
“Novels, therefore, are aesthetic objects that fill gaps in an incomplete world: they satisfy a human urge to add to reality by portraying (fictional) characters in which one can believe. Novels are much more than that, of course. Nevertheless, I should like now to consider the institution of narrative prose fiction as a kind of appetite that writers develop for modifying reality—as if from the beginning—as a desire to create a new or beginning fictional entity while accepting the consequences of that desire.”
Excerpt From ‘Beginnings’, (1975) Edward W. Said
Using Elsie as both modifier and a new beginning is a way of holding the subject to account. Of course there are always gaps as well as changing contexts driven by particular narratives (love, war, money etc) so I wondered about the constant flux - the push and pull between fact and fiction - we misremember, misunderstand, change our minds, lie, deceive, similarly novelists make things up, so how should the reader respond to these non-fictional / fictional artifices? In that respect I am bewildered. Perhaps we all eventually become fictional entities, perhaps we already are.
April 29, 2020
Two years ago, on a hot summer’s day, I went to Cookham in search of Stanley Spencer. Nestled around a high street, the village is small and probably rather peaceful under normal circumstances, but I’d managed to turn up on the weekend of Rock the Moor, a festival which had taken over the meadows down by the river. As I studied the pictures in the Stanley Spencer Gallery, a converted chapel at the far end of the village, my contemplation was underlaid by the distant, persistent throb of drums. It was all rather wonderful, in its own bizarre way. Stanley Spencer is an artist I don’t know well, but I like what I’ve seen of his work. It has the kind of robustness, the rounded simplicity and simplified geometric flair, that I find in the works of other British artists of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and which always appeals to me (think Laura Knight; Augustus John; or, in a slightly later period, the young Lucian Freud). It was inevitable that this novel would capture my attention, but I came to it with caution: all too often, art-historical novels disappoint. But not this one. In simple but evocative prose, Upson unfolds the story of the Spencer family and their maid Elsie Munday, in a story that spans thirty years and offers an absorbing insight into one of the most tumultuous and bizarre artistic marriages of the 20th century. Fascinating and beautifully researched...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/04/24/s...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/04/24/s...
June 4, 2019
Review
I fell in love with Elsie Munday as soon as I started reading this book. Elsie goes into service as the housemaid for famous painter Stanley Spencer, his wife Hilda and their daughter Shirrin while Stanley has been commissioned to paint war paintings in the chapel at Burghclere. She quickly becomes a part of the family, speaking her mind and becoming confidante to Stanley and Hilda in their volatile marriage.
When Patricia Preece and Dorothy Hepworth come onto the scene, things change for everybody, but Elsie remains the backbone through everything.
I enjoyed Part 1 of the book most of all, due to learning how the family establishes itself. And seeing Stanley through Elsie's eyes. Throughout the book I felt a frustration with Stanley, yet I also felt pity for him as well. The way that Nicola Upson manages to put this across is so cleverly written.
This book took me longer to read than usual due to all of the researching I was doing. I now know so much about the lives and paintings of all those involved and can't wait to visit Sandham Memorial Chapel to see the paintings for myself.
I loved this book and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I stopped reading it; I'm missing Elsie and Stanley!
Thanks
With many thanks to the author Nicola Upson, Publishers Duckworth and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.
I fell in love with Elsie Munday as soon as I started reading this book. Elsie goes into service as the housemaid for famous painter Stanley Spencer, his wife Hilda and their daughter Shirrin while Stanley has been commissioned to paint war paintings in the chapel at Burghclere. She quickly becomes a part of the family, speaking her mind and becoming confidante to Stanley and Hilda in their volatile marriage.
When Patricia Preece and Dorothy Hepworth come onto the scene, things change for everybody, but Elsie remains the backbone through everything.
I enjoyed Part 1 of the book most of all, due to learning how the family establishes itself. And seeing Stanley through Elsie's eyes. Throughout the book I felt a frustration with Stanley, yet I also felt pity for him as well. The way that Nicola Upson manages to put this across is so cleverly written.
This book took me longer to read than usual due to all of the researching I was doing. I now know so much about the lives and paintings of all those involved and can't wait to visit Sandham Memorial Chapel to see the paintings for myself.
I loved this book and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I stopped reading it; I'm missing Elsie and Stanley!
Thanks
With many thanks to the author Nicola Upson, Publishers Duckworth and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.
January 16, 2022
This is a great story but I didn't really get on with the writing of it in the form of fictionalised non-fiction instead of biography.
The story is told by Elsie, housekeeper at the Spencer home. By having her providing the telling, it offers a calm centre, yet fierce loyalty, to messy self-indulgent lives. She does not judge despite being opinionated and acts as confidante to Stanley and his first wife Hilda as well as their daughter Shirin.
She is unafraid of challenging what she sees around her, or to offer comment on Spencer’s art as it evolves. A lifelong friendship evolves until Stanley's marriage lurches toward a menage a trois. It is for the reader to judge the narcissistic artist and his need to have whatever he wants, even down to wanting to manage Hilda's artistic life. He thought he could "turn" lesbian Patricia (Preece) and instead ended up supporting Patricia and her partner, Dorothy Hepworth, their plan outsmarting his.
I was left wondering whether a constant stream of misery and torment (cast upon those he claimed to love the most) was what Stanley need to inspire his art and his genius as his daughter, Unity, said was "his most precious child". His contradictions are obvious in his works of resurrection and redemption
The story is told by Elsie, housekeeper at the Spencer home. By having her providing the telling, it offers a calm centre, yet fierce loyalty, to messy self-indulgent lives. She does not judge despite being opinionated and acts as confidante to Stanley and his first wife Hilda as well as their daughter Shirin.
She is unafraid of challenging what she sees around her, or to offer comment on Spencer’s art as it evolves. A lifelong friendship evolves until Stanley's marriage lurches toward a menage a trois. It is for the reader to judge the narcissistic artist and his need to have whatever he wants, even down to wanting to manage Hilda's artistic life. He thought he could "turn" lesbian Patricia (Preece) and instead ended up supporting Patricia and her partner, Dorothy Hepworth, their plan outsmarting his.
I was left wondering whether a constant stream of misery and torment (cast upon those he claimed to love the most) was what Stanley need to inspire his art and his genius as his daughter, Unity, said was "his most precious child". His contradictions are obvious in his works of resurrection and redemption
June 10, 2019
It is my first book by Nicola Upson, and I was surprised by the story. I love historical fiction, and this is a very good book about the life of Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959). I must admit I didn’t know the work of Sir Stanley Spencer and this book gave me the opportunity to discover a painter and his works. It left me with the wish to I to go and visit the Sandham Memorial Chapel.
I loved more the first part where it is well described the life and the relationship between Elsie, the Spencers’ housemaid and Stanley. It is a beautiful description of everyday family-life with its ups and downs.
The second part of the book was interesting but, because it was a quite detailed description of the conjugal struggles and of Stanley relationship with Patricia Preece, I didn’t like much.
I recommend this book to readers who loved “The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain because it describes the marriage life and troubles of an artist and to the readers who love to learn more about artists.
Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved more the first part where it is well described the life and the relationship between Elsie, the Spencers’ housemaid and Stanley. It is a beautiful description of everyday family-life with its ups and downs.
The second part of the book was interesting but, because it was a quite detailed description of the conjugal struggles and of Stanley relationship with Patricia Preece, I didn’t like much.
I recommend this book to readers who loved “The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain because it describes the marriage life and troubles of an artist and to the readers who love to learn more about artists.
Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 10, 2020
Nicola Upson is better known for the series of crime fiction novels featuring Josephine Tey, a real person who wrote detective novels and plays. Here she takes on the story of Stanley Spencer, one of the great english painters of the 20th Century. The Elsie in the title is Elsie Munday who comes to work for Stanley and his wife Hilda as a housemaid while he is painting a chapel in Burghclere south of Newbury.
Nicola Upson has beautifully recreated the feel of the 1920s and all of the real people in the book. There were times, lots of times, when I wanted to smack Stanley about the head to get him to do the "right thing". But all of these people are real, and what happens in the book is what happened in reality.
I started off the second part of the book feeling very antagonistic to two of the main characters Patricia and Dorothy, but by the end I was feeling sympathetic to the situation that they found themselves in too.
If you can get through the third part without a tear coming to your eye, I think you should stick to reading textbooks in future.
Nicola Upson has beautifully recreated the feel of the 1920s and all of the real people in the book. There were times, lots of times, when I wanted to smack Stanley about the head to get him to do the "right thing". But all of these people are real, and what happens in the book is what happened in reality.
I started off the second part of the book feeling very antagonistic to two of the main characters Patricia and Dorothy, but by the end I was feeling sympathetic to the situation that they found themselves in too.
If you can get through the third part without a tear coming to your eye, I think you should stick to reading textbooks in future.
April 5, 2025
I picked up this book with some trepidation but it far exceeded my expectations. It is engaging and though none of the main characters, with the exception of Elsie, is sympathetic I soon wanted to know what would happen (I sort of knew already but I suppose I wanted to know how Upson would handle it). It is clever to tell the story largely from Elsie's point of view. Stanley Spencer comes across as a monster but a created monster, not a natural one; it is suggested that it is his experiences in the War that have changed him but there is more than a hint that actually it is artistic success that has warped his view of himself and others and of the world. Patricia Preece is, I think, realistically drawn as self-centred and manipulative. Even Hilda Carline and Dorothy Hepworth are depicted in an unflattering light at times. Altogether it is a rather subtle and nuanced portrait of a highly interesting if frustrating group of people. Perhaps my engagement with the book was enhanced by reading it in St Ives, just along the street from Harry's Court.
October 1, 2019
I have read other books by Nicola Upson and enjoyed them. I was surprised by this book as I did not read the synopsis and thought it was a murder mystery which it certainly is not.
This is a detailed look at the life of the artist Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959). I had never heard of this person and looked him up as a result.
The first part is a detailed everyday look at life in the Spencer home with their maid Elsie. Part two was about the relationship decline between Stanley his wife Hilda and Patricia Preece. This part was really hard going and I was going to give up on the book a few times but talked myself into keeping going.
I look back on it as overall a lovely book and I thought it had a sad but satisfying ending. I can see this will not be for everyone. I can recommend it now that Ive completed it.
This is a detailed look at the life of the artist Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959). I had never heard of this person and looked him up as a result.
The first part is a detailed everyday look at life in the Spencer home with their maid Elsie. Part two was about the relationship decline between Stanley his wife Hilda and Patricia Preece. This part was really hard going and I was going to give up on the book a few times but talked myself into keeping going.
I look back on it as overall a lovely book and I thought it had a sad but satisfying ending. I can see this will not be for everyone. I can recommend it now that Ive completed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews