Between the Covers: Jilly Cooper on Sex, Socialising and Survival

by Jilly Cooper

‘ One truth I have learnt, as middle age enmeshes me like Virginia creeper, is that I shall never change―because my capacity for self-improvement is absolutely nil .’ A classic collection of journalism from the legendary Jilly Cooper. Wonderfully warm and astonishingly acerbic, Jilly’s observations from her days as a much-loved newspaper columnist cover everything on sex, socialising and survival - from marriage and friendship; the minutiae of family life and the tedium of going to visit people for the weekend; to the stress of hosting dinner parties and the descent of middle age. Entertaining and full of heart, join Jilly Between the Covers to explore the very highs and lows of everyday life. Praise for Jilly
'Joyful and mischievous' Jojo Moyes
'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' Marian Keyes
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding

Genres: Nonfiction, Comedy, Memoir, Audiobook, Essays, British Literature, Autobiography

240 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2021

About the author

Dame Jilly Cooper, OBE (born February 21, 1937) was an English author. She started her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She was most famous for writing the six blockbuster novels the Rutshire Chronicles.

Reviews

[Zoey Curato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I must admit I have never read a Jilly Cooper book but I thought this one sounded interesting. In fact it was not a “story” but instead snippets of her favourite columns from her years as a newspaper columnist. I actually enjoyed this premise as the chapters were quick and changing and whilst I may not have enjoyed every one, they were over quickly if not. Before reading I could have written what I knew about Jilly on a postage stamp! I knew she wrote racy romance novels and was maybe a horsey posh lady!!! Well I was close! I found myself struggling to relate to Jilly on most things. Whilst she continually mentions having financial troubles and living in very un-posh lodgings it is blatantly obvious that Mrs Cooper comes from a very privileged background; old money I would call it!

That said I did find most of her stories funny, if a little dated. As I said I couldn’t really relate to a lot of it and I do think that this book is aimed at women of an older age than myself. I think fans of Jilly would really enjoy this book and would really be able to laugh a long to most of her stories. My favourite quote was “I’m an imperfect reader – I can get through a whole novel in an evening and not remember a character from it two days later”!! I’m glad its not just me – I even had to go back onto my Kindle to check the name of the book and I only finished it a couple of hours ago!!

[Vicki Antipodean Bookclub · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I think what I like best about books is that they are all things to all moods. You can read poetry when you’re in love, Anthony Powell when you want to meet a few amusing people, Nancy Mitford when you need a good giggle. Montaigne when you want your sanity restored.”
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The indomitable Jilly Cooper
This collection of her Sunday Times columns, the first of which appeared in the paper in 1969, made me laugh out loud which was tricky when trapped reading in the dark between a cat and a husband who opened a bleary eye at me for making the bed shake. Not an earthquake, simply the joy of Jilly. She always reminds me a little of the Wife of Bath, slightly lascivious and full of life. I now have visions of Wordsworth charging around his Lakeland cottage shouting “What the bloody hell rhymes with daffodils? Fetch me the rhyming dictionary Dorothy.” A story of bird-watchers on Safari had me in fits as they all charged out the French doors with bulging cheeks full of All-Bran at every strangled squawk

A much needed tonic after some recent heavy reads, but in true Jilly style she’d like a great big splash of gin in hers. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading Jilly Cooper's early novels as a teenager, when they were serialised in (I think) Petticoat magazine. The plots (if memory serves) all featured upper middle-class young women and their romantic exploits. The books were light and filled with puns and I enjoyed them immensely. When Cooper moved on to the world of Polo, I followed - I knew nothing about the sport, or horses, but she was my guilty pleasure and I read the first two or three.

Between the Covers is a collection of articles, all of which were previously published in the Sunday Times, beginning in the 1960s. The earliest felt to me to remarkably similar to those early novels, but from the viewpoint of the 2020s they (not surprisingly) suffer from feeling somewhat dated and even the puns felt a little laboured to me. The later articles were by far a better read; the writing felt more natural and the puns didn't make me groan quite so much.

All in all, this was a pleasant book to dip in and out of.

[Kate: The Quick and the Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jilly Cooper - her Rutshire Chronicles were pretty much my constant companions throughout my teens and twenties - and was so pleased to be granted access to read this collection of her journalism. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book features a selection of Cooper's journalism covering the period she wrote columns for The Times (roughly from the end of the 1960s to the early 1980s). As expected from Cooper, it features meditations on sex - the raunchy nature of her fiction books is well-known - but also mid-life, family, pets, domesticity, relationships and plenty more. It is also packed with humour - there's lots of self-deprecation, witty turns of phrase, puns and plenty of Cooper's ability to see the ridiculous in situations.

Given my rather *vintage* status as a Jilly Cooper reader, I was slightly disappointed to learn that there is no new material in the book - I hadn't previously read a lot of Cooper's journalism but some of the pieces were definitely familiar to me. This would be great though for those who haven't encountered the stories of Cooper's private life told in lively and hilarious detail before.

I did vaguely wonder whether the pieces would appear dated, but I'd say they still felt relevant and modern. There were plenty of bits that felt relatable, especially around the topics of middle age and family given that this is where I am currently! Obviously, Cooper's view of scrimping and saving might be different to mine given that her and her husband seem to have some choice London addresses, but I appreciate the sentiment. I also liked her thoughts on female friendship and her candid approach to telling her stories, disasters and all. I loved the fact that she was far from being a domestic goddess, as that is my lot also!

It is a very funny book, although it must be noted that Cooper's selection here deliberately swerves some of the sadder issues from her life that her fans will know about. This makes it a lovely introduction to jolly Jilly, but not the whole story of course. Still, it is a fun and extremely cheery jaunt through life as a young (later middle-aged) wife. I'm not sure if the pieces are arranged chronologically - I'd assumed so but it would have been useful to know when they were first published.

Alongside the book, I also listened to the audiobook read by Pandora Sykes - I'd whole-heartedly recommend this option as the anecdotes spring off the page and Jilly Cooper's wit and humour comes alive.

Overall, I'd say this is an engaging and funny introduction to Cooper's journalism of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. It won't tell the whole story of an autobiography, but it will make you laugh and think and empathise. It's 100% recycled material for us oldies (well, except a new foreword), but 100% entertaining.

[Eva Hnizdo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great fun. I like the witty observations, the puns, I like her other books, too. Typical "chicklit" but very very clever.

[Michele Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cut my late teenage salacious reading years on Jilly Cooper. And this was deliciously Jilly Cooper.

[Rachel Chew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was a nice... instead it’s just extracts she wrote for The Sunday Times.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was disappointing.

[Ellie Beagley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining as always

[Evelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and enjoyable 🥰

[Clazzzer C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. It was fun, frank and real. I felt she didn’t hold back and gave us, the readers and general public an honest account of what it was like to walk in her shoes, lead her life and exist in the public eye. She came across as very likeable, as someone who would be very good company at a dinner party. It was well written and well edited. It never lagged and I didn’t find myself even once skimming or checking how much more there was left to read. I’d highly recommend it as a fun, light read, not too taxing yet enjoyable.

[Emma Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Jilly Cooper, her wit is second to none.
Between the Covers tells of Jilly's marriage and her friendships, her navigation through society and her general disasters in life.
When reading Jilly's writing it's almost as if you are in the room with her and you are curled up on the sofa and she is regaling you with another dinner party horror.

Literally a laugh out loud book from beginning to end I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Mary Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

It was lovely to read some Jilly Cooper even if these are articles are from the past. It reminded me how much I liked stories such as Imogen and Harriet. Jilly talks very openly about her emotions and her life and now with her we are looking back on her and our own histories. I think it will introduce a new audience to her work and hopefully open up her back catalog!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly I haven’t found this that interesting , which is a shame as I normally love Jilly Cooper’s writing.

[Danielle Amor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Received An eBook Version Of This From @netgalley In Exchange For An Honest Review.

I Thoroughly Enjoyed This Book As It Isn’t A Story, But Rather Snippets From Her Past! I Am Old Enough To Know Who Jilly Cooper Is, But Young Enough Not To Have Read Her Columns!

It Was Really Quick To Read And Her Wit Is Hilarious. I Kept Giggling Away To Myself (Which Is Not Easy When You Have Stitches Following Surgery!!)

My Favourite Extracts Are The Following ~

🔸 The reasons for my predicament are threefold. First, I adore food; second, I am devoid of self-control; and third, the moment I feel bored, unhappy or frustrated, I start eating.

🔸 We always have at least six unidentifiable cards from people called John. (Made Me Think Of Gavin & Stacey, Step Brother John!)

🔸 When I go into other people’s houses the first thing I look at is their books. If they haven’t got any, I immediately want to go home again.

🔸 We’ve always had a better eye for a bar than a bargain.

🔸 There was no more rolling up at 10:30, like we used to at the Playgroup, when I had a hangover and overslept.

A Brilliant Light Read, That I Highly Recommend - With A Gin & Tonic!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant enough blast from the past - I loved Jilly Cooper in my youth until she started writing her bonk busters (I preferred Jackie Collins). However the articles in this short volume were first published in the late 60s - mid 70s and I suppose it is a testament to her writing that I actually remember reading many of them during that time.

Compared to many writers, these articles stand up pretty well. Their tone is very upper middle class - on counting the different types of picture on her Christmas cards, she had 17 that showed a regimental crest; I didn't even realise such cards existed. The only piece that touched my 21st century sensitivities was on being newly married and her husband fairly brutally separating her from the old friends he didn't approve of while expecting to keep all his friends and for her to bond with their partners, even though she had nothing in common with them.

I did enjoy this little bit of nostalgia but they made me smile wistfully rather than laugh out loud, so the book will be returned to my local library and I won't be buying my own copy

[Franziska Self Fisken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light-hearted, witty, fun yet searingly honest about her love for dogs, her children, her husband Leo, her cheerful chaotic household management and cookery, her enthusiasm for reading.

Quotations

- why do people think it is so much more virtuous to read biographies than novels? Most novels are biographical anyway. Novelists are so busy writing about their friends and enemies that usually the only line of fiction in their whole book is the bit at the beginning about: 'None of the characters bears any resemblance to any living person.'
- But to return to reading, I am constantly amazed by how many people consider it rather a decadent pastime. Those awful women - Good Housekeeping seals usually - who say so smugly: 'Oh I never get time to read,' as though there were some merit in the fact they spend their evenings making bread and running up curtains.

[Sam Whittaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nostalgic delight! I grew up reading Jilly Cooper and remember her columns from my parents’ copy of the Sunday Times.

I was lovely to revisit them and be amazed how the world has moved on! Monthly off licence and mini cab bills, endless dinner parties (always 3 courses) and having a daily - it was a different era. Jilly’s style developed as she matured as a writer, from the rather stilted early columns to the confident, double-entendre strewn later ones. They are a love letter to her family, animals and home in Putney.

It’s a quick and highly enjoyable read, fun for any Jilly Cooper fan.

[Victoria Wilks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Jilly Coopers unique writing style, so I was extremely excited to start this book.
The characters in this book are fun and realistic, with traits that really give them a more 'human' feel.
The entire storyline flowed perfectly and kept me engrossed right to the very end. The writing style is exactly what I have come to expect of Jilly's books, and it certainly pulled me in to this marvellous story.

This was a light hearted, fun, truly enjoyable read that I read within a day as I just couldn't put it down.

[Rona Nimmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between the Sheets by Jilly Cooper

A well written series of essays by the much loved journalist and author looking at life from varying angles and ages a vintage Ms Cooper at her best humour.
It follows her life as a wife ,mother and journalist through the main part and it lets the reader reflect how different the decades have been. It will make you smile if not laugh out loud. If you’re familiar with Jilly Cooper from a few decades ago it is worth the read for sheer nostalgia and may be able to relate to them . A very enjoyable read. 4.5/5

[Sally Tyrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always used to love jillys books particularly riders and rivals so was keen to read between the bedcovers!
A funny laugh out loud read that you can race through, so entertaining to hear about jillys young adult life as she navigates her way trying to be a mum wife lover writer etc etc! So many humerous anecdotes from family life,dinner parties,friendships and work and really interesting to read about London life in her youth!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

[Georgina Abbotts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different to what I would normally read but it was insightful.This book is a collection of newspaper columns Jilly wrote.it was an interesting read getting to know about Jilly and Leo's marriage.ut was very insightful to how open Jilly was sharing her life with her readers.jilly was unable to have children so they adopted.tgia book covers topics of marriage,friendships,weekends away to hosting dinner parties.

[Alia Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

-ternyata mau perempuan taun 70an mau perempuan taun 2020an ya masalahnya sama aja ya. Mulai dari sulitnya beresin rumah, gagal diet, cemburu sama mantannya pasangan, kemakan promo skincare...
-buku ini nggak ngasih jawaban dari masalah yang penulis tulis, TAPI buku ini membuat sadar kalau kita perempuan nggak sendirian dalam menghadapi masalah hidup
- kumpulan essay, jadi ya agak ngantuk juga kalo dibaca langsung dalam one-go.

[Brian Gowthorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable listen and a reminder that she identifies as Yorkshire. Her talent for puns is remarkable and the brilliant Oxford English graduate is only barely concealed beneath the domestic chaos and self deprecation. JC is also honest about the difficulties of being married but needing to keep trying. And, as always, it’s hard to juggle the demands of home and family with the solitude required to be a writer.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library doesn't have a lot of choice in audio books so I thought I would try this while gardening. Never read Jilly Cooper before. It's very listenable and quite funny in places. Light hearted. Probably the best thing is hearing something that is almost like a blog from 50 years ago. Not relatable, but still entertaining.

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite my love of horses, I don’t think I’ve ever read any of Jilly Coopers books, although somehow I know that she’s is known for her racey writting. This however isn’t, it’s a collection of the columns she used to write for a paper. Some of them are very dated, some of them amusing, some just didn’t hold my interest, but they are short and easy to read making this a quick read.

[Katy Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely quick read that made me laugh. It a collection of Jilly Cooper’s columns in the Sunday Times from the 60s and 70s and, while a lot has changed since then, the overarching themes of life and love still resonate.

I really enjoyed it.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I just adore Jilly. She is the timeless balm we all need in our lives, and she never fails to me giggle - and then, sometimes - unexpectedly catch me off guard with a sentence that's just so true it makes me stop and think for a moment. Five stars for this book!

[Samantha Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't actually a novel like previous Jilly Cooper books but more like snippets from her past. It is mainly a collection of her Sunday Times newspaper columns.
It is a fun and Frank read from that period and an insight to the authors life then.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, I don’t think I’ve read one of her books fully. But this was great to see an insight into her life.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.