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The Pop Larkin Chronicles #1
The Darling Buds of May
Introducing the Larkins, a family with aa deserved place in popular mythology.
Here they come, in the first of their hilarious rural adventures, crashing their way through the English countryside in the wake of Pop, the quick-eyed golden-hearted junk-dealer,and ma,with a mouthful of crisps and a laugh like a jelly.
Here they come, in the first of their hilarious rural adventures, crashing their way through the English countryside in the wake of Pop, the quick-eyed golden-hearted junk-dealer,and ma,with a mouthful of crisps and a laugh like a jelly.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
166 people are currently reading
3219 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Bates
278 books194 followersHerbert Ernest Bates, CBE is widely recognised as one of the finest short story writers of his generation, with more than 20 story collections published in his lifetime. It should not be overlooked, however, that he also wrote some outstanding novels, starting with The Two Sisters through to A Moment in Time, with such works as Love For Lydia, Fair Stood the Wind for France and The Scarlet Sword earning high praise from the critics. His study of the Modern Short Story is considered one of the best ever written on the subject.
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
He was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire and was educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he was briefly a newspaper reporter and a warehouse clerk, but his heart was always in writing and his dream to be able to make a living by his pen.
Many of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands of England, particularly his native Northamptonshire. Bates was partial to taking long midnight walks around the Northamptonshire countryside - and this often provided the inspiration for his stories. Bates was a great lover of the countryside and its people and this is exemplified in two volumes of essays entitled Through the Woods and Down the River.
In 1931, he married Madge Cox, his sweetheart from the next road in his native Rushden. They moved to the village of Little Chart in Kent and bought an old granary and this together with an acre of garden they converted into a home. It was in this phase of his life that he found the inspiration for the Larkins series of novels -The Darling Buds of May, A Breath of French Air, When the Green Woods Laugh, etc. - and the Uncle Silas tales. Not surprisingly, these highly successful novels inspired television series that were immensely popular.
His collection of stories written while serving in the RAF during World War II, best known by the title The Stories of Flying Officer X, but previously published as Something in the Air (a compilation of his two wartime collections under the pseudonym 'Flying Officer X' and titled The Greatest People in the World and How Sleep the Brave), deserve particular attention. By the end of the war he had achieved the rank of Squadron Leader.
Bates was influenced by Chekhov in particular, and his knowledge of the history of the short story is obvious from the famous study he produced on the subject. He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes (each delightfully illustrated) which were subsequently published in a one-volume Autobiography.
Bates was a keen and knowledgeable gardener and wrote numerous books on flowers. The Granary remained their home for the whole of their married life. After the death of H. E Bates, Madge moved to a bungalow, which had originally been a cow byre, next to the Granary. She died in 2004 at age 95. They raised two sons and two daughters.
primarily from Wikipedia, with additions by Keith Farnsworth
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews
August 31, 2025
Larkin by name… Larkin by nature… It runs in the family…
A mammoth Ma… A wolfish Pop… And a litter of six pups…
Suddenly here comes a taxman… As the song goes: “Let me tell you how it will be There’s one for you, nineteen for me ‘Cause I’m the taxman…” But here it isn’t the case… For the taxman the visit turns out to be too taxing…
Many curious things start happening simultaneously as well as one after another…
To some gluttony is a deadly sin and to some it’s a pure delight…
What’s bad for the goose is good for the gander.
Montgomery, the only boy, had been named after the general. Primrose had come in the Spring. Zinnia and Petunia were twins and they were the flowers Ma liked most. Victoria, the youngest girl, had been born in plum-time.
Suddenly he couldn’t remember why they had called the eldest Mariette.
A mammoth Ma… A wolfish Pop… And a litter of six pups…
Suddenly here comes a taxman… As the song goes: “Let me tell you how it will be There’s one for you, nineteen for me ‘Cause I’m the taxman…” But here it isn’t the case… For the taxman the visit turns out to be too taxing…
Mr Charlton shut his eyes. This grave mistake made him think that he was on the deck of a sinking ship, in a hurricane. He opened his eyes with great haste and the deck came up at him.
Many curious things start happening simultaneously as well as one after another…
As they crossed from the garden to the big meadow beyond Mariette took Mr Charlton’s hand. In the startled fashion of a young colt he almost jumped as she touched him.
To some gluttony is a deadly sin and to some it’s a pure delight…
What’s bad for the goose is good for the gander.
August 27, 2025
As Pop Larkin would say “Perfick”!
March 24, 2013
Po ovom romanu je snimljena i sjajna serija (pre nekoliko meseci prikazivao ju je HRT) sa sjajnim Dejvidom Džejsonom (Del boj) i Ketrin Zita-Džonsovom... Zdrav britanski humor... Ovo je jedna od "must" knjiga (plus "must" serija)!
May 23, 2018
This was “perfick” reading for the warm May afternoons we’ve been having. It’s the kind of novella you can polish off in a sitting or two, and
The Novel Cure
prescribes it as a tonic for cynicism. Just like tax inspector Cedric Charlton, you’ll find yourself drawn into the orbit of Pop and Ma Larkin and their six children – indomitably cheery hedonists, the lot of them. Mr. Charlton has traveled to the Larkins’ country home in Kent to press upon Pop, a junk dealer, the importance of filling in his tax return, but before long the financial forms are totally forgotten. Now known as “Charley,” our hapless hero floats along on a stream of unstinting alcohol and unending feasts. He helps with the strawberry picking and the preparations for a gymkhana to be hosted on Pop’s field. What he doesn’t know is that oldest daughter Mariette is in a bit of trouble and he might be just the man to help. Ma and Pop are more calculating than they let on (especially considering this came out in 1958), but gosh, you can’t help but love them. Plus Bates writes so evocatively about the British countryside in late spring. I’m generally very wary of sequels; should I try the four further Larkin books?
Favorite passages:
“Over all this a sky as blue as the thrushes’ eggs … spread with unblemished purity. The near fringes of meadows had become, overnight, white with moon-daisies, drifts of summer snow. a cuckoo called and was answered by another, the notes like those of tender horns, the birds hidden in oak-trees, among curtains of thickest olive flower.”
“An afternoon of delicious golden content folded its transparent envelope more and more softly about the paradisiacal Larkin world, over the outlying meadow scintillating with its million buttercups and the shady fragrant walnut tree. Pop sighed and remarked how perfick it was.”
Favorite passages:
“Over all this a sky as blue as the thrushes’ eggs … spread with unblemished purity. The near fringes of meadows had become, overnight, white with moon-daisies, drifts of summer snow. a cuckoo called and was answered by another, the notes like those of tender horns, the birds hidden in oak-trees, among curtains of thickest olive flower.”
“An afternoon of delicious golden content folded its transparent envelope more and more softly about the paradisiacal Larkin world, over the outlying meadow scintillating with its million buttercups and the shady fragrant walnut tree. Pop sighed and remarked how perfick it was.”
April 25, 2019
Pop Larkin claims to have no income from his 35 acre farm - yet he is able to provide the best food and drink for his large family.
He welcomes Mr Charlton, a tax inspector into his home and into the arms of his seventeen year old daughter.
Kisses sweeter than wine
‘Oh! Mr Charlton, I’m so happy I think I’ll kiss you too.’
Mariette, to the unconcealed delight and satisfaction of Ma and Pop, bent and kissed Mr Charlton briefly, but with purpose, full on the lips. Mr Charlton recoiled in a crimson cloud, hearing about him trumpets of disaster. Everyone was laughing.
When he came to himself he knew he could never forget that moment. He was trembling all over. It was impossible to describe what the full soft lips of Mariette had felt like against his own except that it was, perhaps, like having them brushed by the skin of a warm firm plum, in full ripeness, for the first time.
We are able to observe a love story from the parent's view with a background of rich country living.
Enjoy!
He welcomes Mr Charlton, a tax inspector into his home and into the arms of his seventeen year old daughter.
Kisses sweeter than wine
‘Oh! Mr Charlton, I’m so happy I think I’ll kiss you too.’
Mariette, to the unconcealed delight and satisfaction of Ma and Pop, bent and kissed Mr Charlton briefly, but with purpose, full on the lips. Mr Charlton recoiled in a crimson cloud, hearing about him trumpets of disaster. Everyone was laughing.
When he came to himself he knew he could never forget that moment. He was trembling all over. It was impossible to describe what the full soft lips of Mariette had felt like against his own except that it was, perhaps, like having them brushed by the skin of a warm firm plum, in full ripeness, for the first time.
We are able to observe a love story from the parent's view with a background of rich country living.
Enjoy!
Read
April 8, 2010Best read in the midst of winter to remind you that golden summers and autumns will indeed come round again. A deep warning though to have your fridge and freezer fully stocked as you will get hungry and find yourself peckish for roast goose and 5 types of potatoes. Having some bottles of your favourite snifter is also advised. Heart warming without being mawkish, Bates will remind you of the simple but wonderful pleasure of walking through the English countryside.
August 10, 2021
I have always enjoyed British comedy and The Darling Buds of May was a comedy drama television series that aired for two years from 1991-1993. Set in Kent, where I myself lived for four years, the series followed the life of the Larkin family. It starred David Jason (from 'Only Fools and Horses' fame) as Pop Larkin, and Catherine Zeta-Jones ('The Mask of Zorro') played his eldest daughter Mariette.
Pop Larkin with his family [Source: Willow and Thatch]
The Darling Buds of May is the first book in the Pop Larkin Chronicles, a series of five books that joyfully tell the stories of the Larkins. Their only source of income is through selling scrap, picking strawberries, selling farm animals or returning items they tire of. So how do they afford buying horses, cars, perfumes, fine furniture and holidays abroad? Seems I'm not the only one who wants to know. The tax man is close behind!
First published in 1958, there are aspects of the chronicles that some would undoubtedly term "politically incorrect" in 2021. That said, they do make me giggle, chuckle and grin against my will, and sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered.
Pop Larkin with his family [Source: Willow and Thatch]
The Darling Buds of May is the first book in the Pop Larkin Chronicles, a series of five books that joyfully tell the stories of the Larkins. Their only source of income is through selling scrap, picking strawberries, selling farm animals or returning items they tire of. So how do they afford buying horses, cars, perfumes, fine furniture and holidays abroad? Seems I'm not the only one who wants to know. The tax man is close behind!
First published in 1958, there are aspects of the chronicles that some would undoubtedly term "politically incorrect" in 2021. That said, they do make me giggle, chuckle and grin against my will, and sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered.
July 1, 2024
Oh, wow. What a jewel. I don't know how to describe this book - it's a small, perfectly round pastry - a profiterole if you will - of a book. It's delicious, it's filled with gooey laughter and it's small and sharp. At its heart, it's a comedy featuring an eccentric family and it's round and warm and gorgeous and bathing in the sun. I wish I knew more people like the characters depicted in the book. The kind that take you in without thinking, feed you more than your stomach can handle, insist you stay for more, fill you with goodness, generosity and hilarious stories and before you know it, that 'hello' is turning into a whole weekend that's the stuff of dreams. The Darling Buds of May is a special book, it made me long for a hedonistic life where my only concern would be to just sit back, and enjoy. I'm in love.
March 19, 2019
The Darling Buds of May is the first book of The Pop Larkin Chronicles, introducing the Larkin family from Kent, who enjoys nature, each other's company, food and drink immensely.
An amusing and lovely read.
An amusing and lovely read.
June 28, 2016
H.E. Batesin "Oi ihana toukokuu" (Book Studio, 1992) tuli monille meistä tutuksi saman nimisenä televisiosarjana, jonka suosion ansiosta lienee aikanaan julkaistu myös tämä pokkaripainos. Larkinin elämäniloisen perheen ensimmäisestä esiintymisestä maassamme ei kuitenkaan ollut kyse, olihan Otava ehtinyt julkaista kirjan tai ainakin osasia siitä jo vuonna 1959.
Vuoden 1992 pokkaripainokseen on mahdutettu sarjan kolme ensimmäistä pienoisromaania. Etenkin ensimmäinen niistä on varsin viehättävä. Pappa Larkinin mutkaton ja maanläheinen elämänasenne hymyilyttää, ja myös Englannin maaseutua ja Mamman ruokapöytään loihtimia herkkuja kuvataan kaikkia aisteja kutkuttavalla tavalla.
Tarinat toistavat aavistuksen verran toisiaan, ja aivan kuten toisen brittiläisen humoristin P.G. Wodehousen tapauksessa, ne saattavat olla parhaita pienissä erissä annosteltuina.
Vuoden 1992 pokkaripainokseen on mahdutettu sarjan kolme ensimmäistä pienoisromaania. Etenkin ensimmäinen niistä on varsin viehättävä. Pappa Larkinin mutkaton ja maanläheinen elämänasenne hymyilyttää, ja myös Englannin maaseutua ja Mamman ruokapöytään loihtimia herkkuja kuvataan kaikkia aisteja kutkuttavalla tavalla.
Tarinat toistavat aavistuksen verran toisiaan, ja aivan kuten toisen brittiläisen humoristin P.G. Wodehousen tapauksessa, ne saattavat olla parhaita pienissä erissä annosteltuina.
June 24, 2017
A British sitcom - I'm glad they don't put laugh tracks in audio books. This belongs on the same shelf as P. G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster and Jeeves stories, but it's rustic. If the folks from Green Acres and Petticoat Junction lived in England, the Larkins would be their neighbors. The ladies are certainly more lascivious, in an upbeat way, than I usually encounter. The story is a bit risque, in an innocent sort of way. Fun and jocularity.
April 30, 2015
Frankly, it should be compulsory for every human being on the planet to read The Darling Buds of May at least once in their life time - with the good example of Ma and Pop Larkin glowing cheerfully at the back of their minds like a summer's day in Kent, no human being could possibly want to start a war, exploit others for foul gain or deliberately hurt anyone! Which is why this book gets a "perfick" rating with all the stars available in the Goodreads universe.
Plot: Unsuspecting Mr Cedric Charlton, inspector of HM Revenue and Taxes, stumbles unwittingly into the most glorious - and notorious - nest of tax evaders known to gods. As soon as he claps eyes one the beautiful vision that is Mariette Larkin, however, Cedric forgets all about the buff-yellow tax form he came to deliver and falls wholeheartedly for the charm of the Larkins - twins, geese, ducks, goats, donkeys and all. At the beginning we suspect foul play, our sinful minds believe that the naive young man is going to be seduced into a marriage of convenience, for Mariette Larkin suspects she is pregnant by another man. She isn't even sure who the father might be, it certainly isn't Cedric, who has just appeared in the Larkin's ramshackle farmyard to collect taxes.
We soon discover, Ma and Pop Larkin are unconcerned about late 1950s conventions: a baby is simply a wonderful addition to the Larkin paradise on Earth. The Larkins may be little devils when it comes to tax evasion, but they are the kindliest creatures on the planet who'd never force their daughter into a marriage where she'd not be happy with the choice of groom and they couldn't care less about conventions of marriage either. Having produced 6 children without the encumbrance of a marriage certificate, Ma and Pop Larking know they can easily manage a grandchild that comes from "the wrong side of the blanket".
Inevitably, Cedric, who is turned into a proper Charley by Pop Larkin, learns to "use his loaf" and proposes to Mariette, learns to enjoy life and begins to view the tax office much as any right-thinking person on the planet would.
Filled with a wonderful sense of fun and sensuality, the book also introduces us to memorable characters like the impoverished Brigadier, sprightly spinster Edith Pilchester and the poor-as-church-mice Miss Barnwells, the effervescent Angela Snow (who is like a younger, female version of Pop himself) and the villains of the strawberry field, Poll and Lil Sanders, and the voluptuous temptress of the strawberry basket, Pauline Jackson.
If there are any Goodreads bookworms out there who have, like me, experienced the delights of strawberry picking on a hot summer's day, the book will bring a whole strawberry basket full of mixed emotions to your minds.
But who picks fruit these days and are they having nearly as much fun as we chosen few did, the Mariettes and Ma Larkins, the Charlies and tiny Aunt Fans, the multitude of kids who stuffed their gobs with the succulent, juicy strawberries until their lips, tongues and cheeks were as red as the fruit itself - like I did some 40 years ago?
Forever bathed in golden sunlight and blessed with the fragrance of gardenia, buttercups and may, not to mention sage and onion and roast geese, and ringing with the laughter of Ma Larkin and Pop's belching, The Darling Buds of May is simply a must-read. Best consumed while lolling about in a spring meadow with Kent's deep blue skies twinkling above and a basket of strawberries by one's side. Perfick, as Pop would say!
Plot: Unsuspecting Mr Cedric Charlton, inspector of HM Revenue and Taxes, stumbles unwittingly into the most glorious - and notorious - nest of tax evaders known to gods. As soon as he claps eyes one the beautiful vision that is Mariette Larkin, however, Cedric forgets all about the buff-yellow tax form he came to deliver and falls wholeheartedly for the charm of the Larkins - twins, geese, ducks, goats, donkeys and all. At the beginning we suspect foul play, our sinful minds believe that the naive young man is going to be seduced into a marriage of convenience, for Mariette Larkin suspects she is pregnant by another man. She isn't even sure who the father might be, it certainly isn't Cedric, who has just appeared in the Larkin's ramshackle farmyard to collect taxes.
We soon discover, Ma and Pop Larkin are unconcerned about late 1950s conventions: a baby is simply a wonderful addition to the Larkin paradise on Earth. The Larkins may be little devils when it comes to tax evasion, but they are the kindliest creatures on the planet who'd never force their daughter into a marriage where she'd not be happy with the choice of groom and they couldn't care less about conventions of marriage either. Having produced 6 children without the encumbrance of a marriage certificate, Ma and Pop Larking know they can easily manage a grandchild that comes from "the wrong side of the blanket".
Inevitably, Cedric, who is turned into a proper Charley by Pop Larkin, learns to "use his loaf" and proposes to Mariette, learns to enjoy life and begins to view the tax office much as any right-thinking person on the planet would.
Filled with a wonderful sense of fun and sensuality, the book also introduces us to memorable characters like the impoverished Brigadier, sprightly spinster Edith Pilchester and the poor-as-church-mice Miss Barnwells, the effervescent Angela Snow (who is like a younger, female version of Pop himself) and the villains of the strawberry field, Poll and Lil Sanders, and the voluptuous temptress of the strawberry basket, Pauline Jackson.
If there are any Goodreads bookworms out there who have, like me, experienced the delights of strawberry picking on a hot summer's day, the book will bring a whole strawberry basket full of mixed emotions to your minds.
But who picks fruit these days and are they having nearly as much fun as we chosen few did, the Mariettes and Ma Larkins, the Charlies and tiny Aunt Fans, the multitude of kids who stuffed their gobs with the succulent, juicy strawberries until their lips, tongues and cheeks were as red as the fruit itself - like I did some 40 years ago?
Forever bathed in golden sunlight and blessed with the fragrance of gardenia, buttercups and may, not to mention sage and onion and roast geese, and ringing with the laughter of Ma Larkin and Pop's belching, The Darling Buds of May is simply a must-read. Best consumed while lolling about in a spring meadow with Kent's deep blue skies twinkling above and a basket of strawberries by one's side. Perfick, as Pop would say!
August 3, 2018
Yes I do have two, different editons and it's because I could not resist those wonderful covers.
February 28, 2012
Ma and Pop Larkin and their five children – Mariette, Montgomery, Zinnia, Petunia and Primrose are returning home from a lovely outing to get fish and chips and some ice cream. When they arrive home, eldest Mariette notices a strange man in the yard, looking like he’s been waiting for them.
That man is Cedric Charlton and he’s from the tax office. It seems that Pop Larkin hasn’t lodged his tax form and Cedric (soon nicknamed ‘Charley’ by the family) is here to sort it out, get the form done and lodged. Pop however, has other ideas, inviting him to stay for tea. When Mariette takes a bit of a shine to him, Ma and Pop are quite happy to encourage a match.
Before he knows it, Charley has been introduced to all things country living in the lifestyle of Pop and Ma Larkin – copious copious copious amounts of food and drink, picking strawberries in the summer sun and hosting a gymkhana complete with fireworks. Although Charley can’t quite figure out what Pop Larkin does (he claims to be a farmer) and how he makes his money, any questions he has are soon brushed away in favour of another Dragon’s Blood or bowl of strawberries and cream.
The Darling Buds of May is a lightning read – weighing in at a tiny 137p. I read it for an online book club that I’ve recently just joined and I have to say, it was not what I was expecting at all. I knew there was a TV adaptation some years ago, although I’ve never seen it. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting but safe to say, this was not it.
The book is rich with description:
Ma shook all over, laughing like a jelly. Little rivers of yellow, brown and pinkish-purple cream where running down over her huge lardy hands. In her handsome big black eyes the cloudless blue May sky was reflected, making them dance as she threw out the splendid bank of her bosom, quivering under its salmon jumper.
In a tiny book, so many words are deeply devoted to the characters and food. The plot in all essence, is rather thin – it basically consists of Pop and the other Larkins distracting Charley every time he wants to talk about tax (usually with food, but often with alcohol or their attractive daughter Mariette) and the whole book reads like one 1950′s English country holiday. Picnic baskets, strawberries, whole legs of roasted pork, huge bacon and egg breakfasts, this book is capable of setting off deep cravings you didn’t know existed!
The characters (mostly Pop and Ma, the children aren’t explored much) are fun-loving but also kind-hearted and generous, sending away people that come to visit with food, such as nice cuts of pork from their pig they just slaughtered. They clearly have fun and enjoy life to the full, being involved in many things and engaging their children in the sort of lifestyle that would make most people envious. There’s also an element of the shifty too, as we never find out what Pop does and where his wads of cash come from! One thing was for certain – the second the Larkin’s got home and saw poor Charley standing there in their yard, he never, ever had a chance.
A lovely little surprising gem of a book. There are a couple more in the series and I am looking forward to reading those as well.
That man is Cedric Charlton and he’s from the tax office. It seems that Pop Larkin hasn’t lodged his tax form and Cedric (soon nicknamed ‘Charley’ by the family) is here to sort it out, get the form done and lodged. Pop however, has other ideas, inviting him to stay for tea. When Mariette takes a bit of a shine to him, Ma and Pop are quite happy to encourage a match.
Before he knows it, Charley has been introduced to all things country living in the lifestyle of Pop and Ma Larkin – copious copious copious amounts of food and drink, picking strawberries in the summer sun and hosting a gymkhana complete with fireworks. Although Charley can’t quite figure out what Pop Larkin does (he claims to be a farmer) and how he makes his money, any questions he has are soon brushed away in favour of another Dragon’s Blood or bowl of strawberries and cream.
The Darling Buds of May is a lightning read – weighing in at a tiny 137p. I read it for an online book club that I’ve recently just joined and I have to say, it was not what I was expecting at all. I knew there was a TV adaptation some years ago, although I’ve never seen it. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting but safe to say, this was not it.
The book is rich with description:
Ma shook all over, laughing like a jelly. Little rivers of yellow, brown and pinkish-purple cream where running down over her huge lardy hands. In her handsome big black eyes the cloudless blue May sky was reflected, making them dance as she threw out the splendid bank of her bosom, quivering under its salmon jumper.
In a tiny book, so many words are deeply devoted to the characters and food. The plot in all essence, is rather thin – it basically consists of Pop and the other Larkins distracting Charley every time he wants to talk about tax (usually with food, but often with alcohol or their attractive daughter Mariette) and the whole book reads like one 1950′s English country holiday. Picnic baskets, strawberries, whole legs of roasted pork, huge bacon and egg breakfasts, this book is capable of setting off deep cravings you didn’t know existed!
The characters (mostly Pop and Ma, the children aren’t explored much) are fun-loving but also kind-hearted and generous, sending away people that come to visit with food, such as nice cuts of pork from their pig they just slaughtered. They clearly have fun and enjoy life to the full, being involved in many things and engaging their children in the sort of lifestyle that would make most people envious. There’s also an element of the shifty too, as we never find out what Pop does and where his wads of cash come from! One thing was for certain – the second the Larkin’s got home and saw poor Charley standing there in their yard, he never, ever had a chance.
A lovely little surprising gem of a book. There are a couple more in the series and I am looking forward to reading those as well.
March 11, 2020
Just perfick.
I have recently been watching repeats of the TV series with David Jason and Catherine Zeta Jones, and wondered why I have never read the books. I decided to remedy this one Sunday afternoon, the little time it takes to read it, barring distractions. I might not want the Larkins as my neighbours, but in the books they are just charming, despite being slightly shifty, very showy, and basically greedy. It won't be long before I get to the next one.
I have recently been watching repeats of the TV series with David Jason and Catherine Zeta Jones, and wondered why I have never read the books. I decided to remedy this one Sunday afternoon, the little time it takes to read it, barring distractions. I might not want the Larkins as my neighbours, but in the books they are just charming, despite being slightly shifty, very showy, and basically greedy. It won't be long before I get to the next one.
Read
September 3, 2023What did I think? I am not sure. This is the first volume of the Larkin series with a cast of carefree rustics (maybe they are not really rustics, perhaps they are crooks) who do exactly what they want, get their money (in large quantities) from doing nothing (or worse) and, whatever they do, seem to land on their feet. The background is England in the 50s and 60s and there are many echoes of my own distant childhood. Who would like to read this book? Someone who is looking for an easy and entertaining read. Either someone who grew up far from this country (and thinks this is English humour or our joie de vivre) or someone who experienced this era and looks back on it with nostalgia and rose-tinted spectacles. Or maybe it is all perfick cynicism!
March 24, 2018
Qué libro tan más feliz. Alegre. Gozoso. Jolly. Mirthful. Merry. Perfick
August 23, 2015
I picked this up because I thought it would make a nice cosy bedtime read. Well it does, a bit. At first it reminded me strongly of Frank Capra's BW film, "You Can't Take It With You". The Larkins live what appears at first to be a hand-to-mouth existence on a ramshackle farm, though Pop Larkin is never seen to do any actual farmwork like feeding the animals, milking or mucking out. But then he does have five kids, all of whom are expected to pull their weight. In spite of having an extensive property to care for, the Larkins spend most of their time harvesting other people's fruit.
In another sense, their life is very much "hand to mouth": they are always gorging! The book starts with icecreams and crisps all round, then they drive home for tea, then dinner--and Pop and Ma Larkin seem to swill alcohol nonstop without ever being a whit the worse. No wonder Ma is hugely obese--the wonder is, no one else is!
Unfortunately, the metaphorical magic of the Capra film is missing from this book. I grew up around people rather like the Larkins (without the nonstop eating and drinking): generous, warmhearted and welcoming, but (like the Larkins and unlike the Capra family) rather judgemental of people who don't share their lifestyle and values. "Charlie", the taxman who is adopted by the Larkins (very much as in the aforementioned film, which may have served as inspiration for this book, as it came out in 1938 and was hugely popular) comes in for a lot of criticism behind his back for "lack of technique" and "not using his loaf", at least not in the way the Larkin menage thinks intelligence should manifest. I also got the growing feeling that Charlie was being entrapped by all the adult Larkins as husband fodder for Mariette.
The only thing that really grated on me was Pop going around kissing all the women on the mouth with unwarranted "velvety passion"--and this would appear to include his adult daughter. That made me cringe; it was badly out of place.
A frothy read that took only 3 hrs or so. But would I read it again? I doubt it. I really wanted to enjoy it more, and the ending was just--odd. It felt chopped short.
In another sense, their life is very much "hand to mouth": they are always gorging! The book starts with icecreams and crisps all round, then they drive home for tea, then dinner--and Pop and Ma Larkin seem to swill alcohol nonstop without ever being a whit the worse. No wonder Ma is hugely obese--the wonder is, no one else is!
Unfortunately, the metaphorical magic of the Capra film is missing from this book. I grew up around people rather like the Larkins (without the nonstop eating and drinking): generous, warmhearted and welcoming, but (like the Larkins and unlike the Capra family) rather judgemental of people who don't share their lifestyle and values. "Charlie", the taxman who is adopted by the Larkins (very much as in the aforementioned film, which may have served as inspiration for this book, as it came out in 1938 and was hugely popular) comes in for a lot of criticism behind his back for "lack of technique" and "not using his loaf", at least not in the way the Larkin menage thinks intelligence should manifest. I also got the growing feeling that Charlie was being entrapped by all the adult Larkins as husband fodder for Mariette.
The only thing that really grated on me was Pop going around kissing all the women on the mouth with unwarranted "velvety passion"--and this would appear to include his adult daughter. That made me cringe; it was badly out of place.
A frothy read that took only 3 hrs or so. But would I read it again? I doubt it. I really wanted to enjoy it more, and the ending was just--odd. It felt chopped short.
October 12, 2021
I read this and other 4 in the series back in 1990s when David Jason was Pop. Now once again ITV has done another version with Bradley Walsh fresh from Doctor Who. He has brought new freshness to Pop. H. E Bates wrote these books between 1958 - 1970 he had wonderful ideas of creating village life in post war themes that were comic relief from the dark days of late 1950s
I have read lot of his books over number of years and this classic series it has not aged like other books of its type it's the sort of P. G. Woodhouse of the age. A book that you can always read again and again if feeling depressed a laugh a page
I have read lot of his books over number of years and this classic series it has not aged like other books of its type it's the sort of P. G. Woodhouse of the age. A book that you can always read again and again if feeling depressed a laugh a page
August 1, 2022
What a bummer, I was so ready to love this novel but I felt uncomfortable from the beginning. The way the author decide that he must describe every 2 pages the body of women (Ma and Mariette particularly) was really off putting. The only thing Charley likes about Mariette is her body, we get it, it's summer she's hot.
But I was coming for a countryside charming yet eccentric family, not to witness H. E. Bates wish fulfillment about women half naked, women cooking for men, women fighting for a man, and men kissing women around just because they want to.
But I was coming for a countryside charming yet eccentric family, not to witness H. E. Bates wish fulfillment about women half naked, women cooking for men, women fighting for a man, and men kissing women around just because they want to.
June 6, 2007
A guilty, guilty pleasure.
May 7, 2018
The perfick book to read during a lovely, summery spell in May.
August 18, 2025
H. E. Bates was a prolific and multifaceted author, and a bestselling one for much of the mid-twentieth century, but if he is remembered now it is almost certainly for one of two things: his great novel of the Second World War, Fair Stood the Wind for France (now a Penguin Modern Classic) or his five short novels about the uproarious, devil-may-care Larkin family. Two television series based on the Larkin books have firmly cemented the characters in the national consciousness and the books are frequently reissued with new covers to capitalise on their refreshed profile. This first book was published in 1958 and it’s easy to see how it caught the mood of a nation emerging from over a decade of rationing and austerity. The Larkin family with their huge appetites, ripe sensuality, blissful ignorance of tedious things like taxes and government regulations and their untrammelled zest for life are joyous creations and life in their bucolic idyll is full of fun, humour and love. It’s to Bates’s credit as a storyteller that this fabulous mixture never strays towards mawkishness or sentimentality. I look forward to reading the other books in the series; they will be perfect (perhaps that should be ‘perfick’) pick-me-ups for moments when I’ve read too many serious books and am in need of a good laugh.
August 21, 2022
H.E.Bates,essentially a lover of the countryside, was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire in 1905 and enjoyed walking around the countryside, often the inspiration for many of his stories. He was discovered by Edward Garnett, reader for Jonathan Cape, who encouraged him and other up and coming writers of the period, to make the most of his budding talents, resulting in his first book being published at the age of 20. When the war broke out, he was the first writer to be commissioned by the Air Ministry solely as a writer of short stories. He became well known for his realistic wartime epics under the pen name of 'Flying Officer X', to be followed by others - 'How Sleep the Brave', 'Fair Stood the Wind for France' and 'The Purple Plain', starring Gregory Peck.
Other novels followed after the war, but perhaps his most popular creation turned out to be the Larkin family,based on a freewheeling junk trader called Sydney Larkin, whose full name was only spelt out in full when his wife was taking him severely to task. Coming back one evening with Ma and his six children, licking ice creams to discover a stranger in the yard, one Cedric Charlton, who has been sent to enquire why Pop has not completed his tax return. Before he knows where he is, he is investigating the 'strawberry lark' and numerous other delights that include the fair Mariette. 'Perfick', as Sid Larkin would say.
Other novels followed after the war, but perhaps his most popular creation turned out to be the Larkin family,based on a freewheeling junk trader called Sydney Larkin, whose full name was only spelt out in full when his wife was taking him severely to task. Coming back one evening with Ma and his six children, licking ice creams to discover a stranger in the yard, one Cedric Charlton, who has been sent to enquire why Pop has not completed his tax return. Before he knows where he is, he is investigating the 'strawberry lark' and numerous other delights that include the fair Mariette. 'Perfick', as Sid Larkin would say.
September 16, 2024
The book was written in the 50s and centers upon a family in the English countryside. They enjoy one another's company, good food, and the beauty of nature. That is all fine, but they are also constantly having over the top feasts, buying things luxuries, refusing to pay taxes, and while being spiteful about their neighbors. All their money comes from scams. The main question of the book is whether the pregnant 17 year old daughter can fool a random tax collector into thinking that he is the father of her baby. The family members are happily self-centered throughout.
June 21, 2018
A light comedic tale from the 50s about a large family of good-natured coarse hedonists, led by scrap metal dealer Pop, as they encounter and win over more genteel folks around them. The plot, such as it is, involves a pregnant teenage daughter, a taxman, some strawberry picking, and a gymkhana. It was a bit of a sitcom, and a period piece, but charming and perfect (or 'perfick') for a week that needed some open-minded levity.
April 30, 2019
It turns out you have to work pretty hard at hedonism. Mildly amusing rather than uproarious to my taste.
April 13, 2020
This funny and rollicking book follows the tale of a young office worker who meets the ever buoyant Larkin family on their small farm. Though this comedy was well written there was some light language and sex scenes (though not EXTREMELY detailed) so I would advise discretion with younger readers. A light read.
October 21, 2019
A lovely nostalgic read! I enjoyed it so much I had to go and find the first episode of the TV series on YouTube and watch that too.
August 4, 2014
Apparently I was around eleven when
The Darling Buds of May
aired on ITV. I'm not sure if I should be surprised that the young Catherine Zeta Jones could have had such a powerful effect on me at that age but, regardless, my other overpowering impression of it, looking back, is one of a nostalgic yearning for an England that never was. I suspect most people saw the series in that way but it does H.E. Bates a distinct disservice.
Written and published almost exactly ten years after Nineteen Eighty-Four , The Darling Buds Of May is, peculiarly and probably quite unintentionally, more accurately prophetic of modern British Society than that nightmare: here are a family who constantly eat crisps and ice-cream, who leave the television on through all daylight hours, whose parents are unmarried and drink heavily and who think nothing of their teen-aged daughter being single and pregnant. In fact, life is, by and large, 'perfick'.
It is not then, as my imperfect impressions and memories may have led me to believe, a poor-man's Cold Comfort Farm . In the hands of a satirist the Larkins would have been deliciously lampooned - as uncouth, vulgar new-money they're an easy target. They are instead though seen to be overwhelmingly happy with their life and we can't help but like and admire them - it's this that creates the false nostalgia impression. Instead, it's those people who are concerned with appearances and respectability who are the objects of fun, from the tweed-clad spinster, to the local squire concerned with keeping his tumbling pile to the white-collar office clerk.
If there's a political message here then (and I understand that debate on that point rages in some circles) then it's one of iconoclasm and individualism and that's something I can wholly get behind.
Written and published almost exactly ten years after Nineteen Eighty-Four , The Darling Buds Of May is, peculiarly and probably quite unintentionally, more accurately prophetic of modern British Society than that nightmare: here are a family who constantly eat crisps and ice-cream, who leave the television on through all daylight hours, whose parents are unmarried and drink heavily and who think nothing of their teen-aged daughter being single and pregnant. In fact, life is, by and large, 'perfick'.
It is not then, as my imperfect impressions and memories may have led me to believe, a poor-man's Cold Comfort Farm . In the hands of a satirist the Larkins would have been deliciously lampooned - as uncouth, vulgar new-money they're an easy target. They are instead though seen to be overwhelmingly happy with their life and we can't help but like and admire them - it's this that creates the false nostalgia impression. Instead, it's those people who are concerned with appearances and respectability who are the objects of fun, from the tweed-clad spinster, to the local squire concerned with keeping his tumbling pile to the white-collar office clerk.
If there's a political message here then (and I understand that debate on that point rages in some circles) then it's one of iconoclasm and individualism and that's something I can wholly get behind.
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