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A Glove Shop in Vienna and Other Stories
Curl up with a collection of romantic short stories taking you from nineteenth-century Vienna, over the wild moors of Northumberland to the snowy streets of pre-revolutionary St Petersberg.
Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. This edition features an introduction by author and journalist Amanda Craig. Join Great Uncle Max, torn between his secret love for Susie, the enchanting glove-shop assistant, and the devotion of his opera-singing wife. Meet Nina, the beautiful chanteuse, who always wears a white rose for Paul, the lover who years ago disappeared to allow her success. And agonize with Kira, a dancer in Russia’s Imperial Ballet School, thrown out onto the streets of St Petersburg and found by Edwin, a lonely dreamer. Complex, witty and peopled with characters who surprise themselves as well as us, Eva Ibbotson’s short stories uncover the great passions of everyday life.
Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. This edition features an introduction by author and journalist Amanda Craig. Join Great Uncle Max, torn between his secret love for Susie, the enchanting glove-shop assistant, and the devotion of his opera-singing wife. Meet Nina, the beautiful chanteuse, who always wears a white rose for Paul, the lover who years ago disappeared to allow her success. And agonize with Kira, a dancer in Russia’s Imperial Ballet School, thrown out onto the streets of St Petersburg and found by Edwin, a lonely dreamer. Complex, witty and peopled with characters who surprise themselves as well as us, Eva Ibbotson’s short stories uncover the great passions of everyday life.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
87 people are currently reading
1001 people want to read
About the author
Eva Ibbotson
79 books2,360 followersEva Ibbotson (Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) was a novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.
Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.
Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.
Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.
Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 26, 2021
Re-read for historical/cultural details. Still deeply loathed most of it. Treacly sentimentality and revolting morals, such as repeated shaming and blaming of wives who aren't always eager to have sex with their husbands (as though there aren't plenty of good health/relational reasons why that might be the case). Again, the one exception is the story THE LITTLE COUNTESS which works precisely because it mercilessly parodies the sentimentality of the rest of the book.
--
I was nearly going to give this book one star (the BURN IT, BURRRRRRN IIIIIT rating) but then right at the end, along came the story "The Little Countess" and convinced me that I should give it one more star for being thoroughly charming and amusing and not poisonous all the way through.
I enjoyed Eva Ibbotson's A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS several years ago, though I thought that on closer inspection I'd feel uncomfortable with some of the author's assumptions. This book of short stories, mostly old-fashioned romantic tales of love in pre-war Europe, starring ballerinas, opera stars, and governesses, more clearly showcases both the author's strengths and shortcomings. The main strength is the amusement value--the book is often witty and sometimes genuinely romantic, and some of the stories (like the aforementioned "Little Countess") are actually perfectly enjoyable.
The shortcoming is basically the author's incredible capacity for being simultaneously drippily sentimental and horribly cynical. Salvation comes through an endless parade of manic pixie dream girls. Generosity and selflessness are cute things that should be kept rigidly where they belong and not allowed to threaten one's happiness. And oh, have a bit of adultery, it's worth the guilt and anguish.
I don't mind cynicism, but concealing it like this behind a facade of sticky sentimentality is just revolting.
--
I was nearly going to give this book one star (the BURN IT, BURRRRRRN IIIIIT rating) but then right at the end, along came the story "The Little Countess" and convinced me that I should give it one more star for being thoroughly charming and amusing and not poisonous all the way through.
I enjoyed Eva Ibbotson's A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS several years ago, though I thought that on closer inspection I'd feel uncomfortable with some of the author's assumptions. This book of short stories, mostly old-fashioned romantic tales of love in pre-war Europe, starring ballerinas, opera stars, and governesses, more clearly showcases both the author's strengths and shortcomings. The main strength is the amusement value--the book is often witty and sometimes genuinely romantic, and some of the stories (like the aforementioned "Little Countess") are actually perfectly enjoyable.
The shortcoming is basically the author's incredible capacity for being simultaneously drippily sentimental and horribly cynical. Salvation comes through an endless parade of manic pixie dream girls. Generosity and selflessness are cute things that should be kept rigidly where they belong and not allowed to threaten one's happiness. And oh, have a bit of adultery, it's worth the guilt and anguish.
I don't mind cynicism, but concealing it like this behind a facade of sticky sentimentality is just revolting.
September 17, 2022
I have yet to find a book by Eva Ibbotson that I haven’t loved. She once said that she wrote the books that she would want to read if she was unwell and stuck in bed which describes them perfectly. They’re comforting tales which in reading you know it will all work out in the end. This book is a collection of her short stories, mostly all set somewhere between the turn of the 19th/20th century until a few years after the Second World War. Each tale follows a fairly similar pattern of presenting the protagonist, showing a great problem, obstacle or dilemma, making us believe that a specific solution and ending will occur, and then, in the last few sentences, provide a twist to the narrative to complete the tale in a way that is both better than you imagined and clever. There are far too many different stories within this to go into much detail but many stood out for me; they made me laugh, empathise, feel sympathy and joy for the characters. Entire novels nicely wrapped in just a few pages each. I shall return to this book again!
March 6, 2018
It's a little tough to rate a book that contains so many different stories, some of which I LOVED, others I was more ambivalent about, all of which were beautifully written. I finally settled on four stars, because of the near-equal amount of five-star stories and three/two star ones, best to settle somewhere in the middle, I think.
So here's a rundown of the stories.
1) Vicky and The Christmas Angel
Sigh. I don't get why this story is so well reviewed. To me, it's well-written (but what ISN'T by Eva Ibbotson, come on!) but sentimental with a bad message. It's supposed to be this story about growing up and Christmas for children, but if you ask me it just encourages lying to little kids, which I'm not cool with. Also a little girl does not become an adult JUST BECAUSE she accidentally finds out Santa doesn't exist. That's just lame.
2) Doushenka
Oh, I LOVED this one. Not only is it named after one of my FAVORITE Russian endearments "My soul/little soul" (or something to that effect -- I don't actually SPEAK Russian, sorry), but it's such a beautiful story even without the charming title. A man, Edwin, dreams of going to Russia but ends up in a dead-end life with a wife who isn't very affectionate and obviously doesn't share his passion for all things Russian. He finally goes to Russia and winds up meeting a girl named Kira who is kicked out of ballet school and falls ill. He nurses her back to health and grows to love her, but eventually he makes the sacrifice to get her back into ballet school and returns to his wife.
This story broke my heart -- I know it's adultery, but I wanted him to be with Kira. He could have gotten a divorce or something from his wife anyway, as I see it. He had all those plans for their future together and then bamo gave it up! He and Kira were just so cute together, doing puzzles of the Tsar's daughter and things!
But I guess it's still a bittersweet ending rather than a full-on tragic one, since Edwin took charge of his life and had his happy memories and Kira got to be a ballerina.
3) A Glove Shop in Vienna
The title story. it was okay. Just more adultery but less charmingly presented than Doushenka. I guess the twist that the wife set up the whole thing was kinda interesting... Otherwise, good writing (again DUH) but not a mind-boggling tale.
4) This Beetroot Is Not Screaming
Meh. Cool title, dull(ish) story.
5) A Rose in Amazonia
If you loved A Company of Swans (which I did) you will probably really like this one -- it's similar and shares a lot of settings/themes.
6) A Little Disagreement
WHAT a darkly funny story! I loved this one! A couple has the 'silent treatment' for years on end, and we don't know why throughout the story until the last line. There was adultery involved (is it just me or is that a weirdly running theme with this anthology? It's getting a touch uncomfortable at this point...), but that wasn't what the man's wife was mad about. She was mad because he insulted her baking skills.
It sounds stupid, but it was actually very funny, and I giggled out loud when I read it.
7) Tangle of Seaweed
Two dull-minded people find love. Cute, but not great.
8) Sidi
A starlet's daughter finds love, loses it, then finds it again. A sweet, if underwhelming tale.
9) A Dark-haired Daughter
A beautiful piece on motherhood. A mother wants a dark haired daughter, sick of having boy after boy, she gets another boy and loves him all the same.
10) This Year's Winner
I'm not actually sure what the point of this story was. Beauty queens are female dogs if they're black-haired and from England? Awkward girls only get kidnapped by accident? (shrugs).
11) The Great Carp Ferdinand
Fish hijinks ensue. 'nough said.
12) Osmandine
Um... (picks up book and struggles to remember what this one was even about).... Um... Oh, yes, this was... Oh, yeah, the Pharmacy one... Sigh. It was all right, I guess. Some girl takes over a pharmacy and changes lives...blah blah blah... If she wasn't so well written (this IS Ibbotson, remember), she'd be a mary-sue.
13) The Brides of Tula
To cheat or not to cheat, that is the question! So yeah, more adultery. They should just call this book "Adultery Stories: plus a scattered few that maybe don't touch on that subject, but if you blink you'll miss them". Also, if you're married for the love of GOD, don't go to Russia or you'll end up with an affair or almost-affair on your conscience. Apparently it's part of the experience if these stories are to be taken seriously...
14) With Love and Swamp Noises
I struggle to recall if this story actually had a plot, rather than just a bunch of pretty words strung together.
15) The Adultery of Jenny Craig
Yep, MORE adultery. What the (bleep) Ibbotson? I LOVE your writing, lady (I'm still not over the fact you passed on and we're not getting anything new from you ever again), but is everyone in your short stories cheating on everyone else?
Though, I do have to give this story kudos for portraying adultery in a negative light, and thus retracting all the messages of the stories that came before it in this anthology.
16) Theatre Street
Ooh! This was a pretty good one! Not as heart-wrenching as Doushenka but still lovely and about a ballerina around world war 1. Also, we get a cameo from the Tsar and his two oldest daughters, Olga and Tatiana, so that was fun! I adore Romanov cameos in Ibbotson stories! Brings me back to my first reading of "Countess Below Stairs".
17) The Magi of Markham Street
Gawd Bless Us Every One! Also, baby-stealing. But remember, kids, it's OKAY, as long as you save the baby's life by accident in the process, all charges will be dropped.
18) The Little Countess
This story tied up too neatly and rushed, but it was cute. A bunch of Russians leave their diaries out, a governess intervenes in their lives because they're dumb, and happy endings ensue.
19) A Question of Riches
AWWWWWWWWWWW. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one -- it's tied with Doushenka for my favorite story in this book (those two alone are why this is on my favorite list). A little boy has two grandmothers. One is wealthy, one is poor. Love and caring eventually lead the boy to proclaim his poor grandmother "the rich one" in the sweetest way possible. I read this before bed last night to finish up the book and I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
So here's a rundown of the stories.
1) Vicky and The Christmas Angel
Sigh. I don't get why this story is so well reviewed. To me, it's well-written (but what ISN'T by Eva Ibbotson, come on!) but sentimental with a bad message. It's supposed to be this story about growing up and Christmas for children, but if you ask me it just encourages lying to little kids, which I'm not cool with. Also a little girl does not become an adult JUST BECAUSE she accidentally finds out Santa doesn't exist. That's just lame.
2) Doushenka
Oh, I LOVED this one. Not only is it named after one of my FAVORITE Russian endearments "My soul/little soul" (or something to that effect -- I don't actually SPEAK Russian, sorry), but it's such a beautiful story even without the charming title. A man, Edwin, dreams of going to Russia but ends up in a dead-end life with a wife who isn't very affectionate and obviously doesn't share his passion for all things Russian. He finally goes to Russia and winds up meeting a girl named Kira who is kicked out of ballet school and falls ill. He nurses her back to health and grows to love her, but eventually he makes the sacrifice to get her back into ballet school and returns to his wife.
This story broke my heart -- I know it's adultery, but I wanted him to be with Kira. He could have gotten a divorce or something from his wife anyway, as I see it. He had all those plans for their future together and then bamo gave it up! He and Kira were just so cute together, doing puzzles of the Tsar's daughter and things!
But I guess it's still a bittersweet ending rather than a full-on tragic one, since Edwin took charge of his life and had his happy memories and Kira got to be a ballerina.
3) A Glove Shop in Vienna
The title story. it was okay. Just more adultery but less charmingly presented than Doushenka. I guess the twist that the wife set up the whole thing was kinda interesting... Otherwise, good writing (again DUH) but not a mind-boggling tale.
4) This Beetroot Is Not Screaming
Meh. Cool title, dull(ish) story.
5) A Rose in Amazonia
If you loved A Company of Swans (which I did) you will probably really like this one -- it's similar and shares a lot of settings/themes.
6) A Little Disagreement
WHAT a darkly funny story! I loved this one! A couple has the 'silent treatment' for years on end, and we don't know why throughout the story until the last line. There was adultery involved (is it just me or is that a weirdly running theme with this anthology? It's getting a touch uncomfortable at this point...), but that wasn't what the man's wife was mad about. She was mad because he insulted her baking skills.
It sounds stupid, but it was actually very funny, and I giggled out loud when I read it.
7) Tangle of Seaweed
Two dull-minded people find love. Cute, but not great.
8) Sidi
A starlet's daughter finds love, loses it, then finds it again. A sweet, if underwhelming tale.
9) A Dark-haired Daughter
A beautiful piece on motherhood. A mother wants a dark haired daughter, sick of having boy after boy, she gets another boy and loves him all the same.
10) This Year's Winner
I'm not actually sure what the point of this story was. Beauty queens are female dogs if they're black-haired and from England? Awkward girls only get kidnapped by accident? (shrugs).
11) The Great Carp Ferdinand
Fish hijinks ensue. 'nough said.
12) Osmandine
Um... (picks up book and struggles to remember what this one was even about).... Um... Oh, yes, this was... Oh, yeah, the Pharmacy one... Sigh. It was all right, I guess. Some girl takes over a pharmacy and changes lives...blah blah blah... If she wasn't so well written (this IS Ibbotson, remember), she'd be a mary-sue.
13) The Brides of Tula
To cheat or not to cheat, that is the question! So yeah, more adultery. They should just call this book "Adultery Stories: plus a scattered few that maybe don't touch on that subject, but if you blink you'll miss them". Also, if you're married for the love of GOD, don't go to Russia or you'll end up with an affair or almost-affair on your conscience. Apparently it's part of the experience if these stories are to be taken seriously...
14) With Love and Swamp Noises
I struggle to recall if this story actually had a plot, rather than just a bunch of pretty words strung together.
15) The Adultery of Jenny Craig
Yep, MORE adultery. What the (bleep) Ibbotson? I LOVE your writing, lady (I'm still not over the fact you passed on and we're not getting anything new from you ever again), but is everyone in your short stories cheating on everyone else?
Though, I do have to give this story kudos for portraying adultery in a negative light, and thus retracting all the messages of the stories that came before it in this anthology.
16) Theatre Street
Ooh! This was a pretty good one! Not as heart-wrenching as Doushenka but still lovely and about a ballerina around world war 1. Also, we get a cameo from the Tsar and his two oldest daughters, Olga and Tatiana, so that was fun! I adore Romanov cameos in Ibbotson stories! Brings me back to my first reading of "Countess Below Stairs".
17) The Magi of Markham Street
Gawd Bless Us Every One! Also, baby-stealing. But remember, kids, it's OKAY, as long as you save the baby's life by accident in the process, all charges will be dropped.
18) The Little Countess
This story tied up too neatly and rushed, but it was cute. A bunch of Russians leave their diaries out, a governess intervenes in their lives because they're dumb, and happy endings ensue.
19) A Question of Riches
AWWWWWWWWWWW. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one -- it's tied with Doushenka for my favorite story in this book (those two alone are why this is on my favorite list). A little boy has two grandmothers. One is wealthy, one is poor. Love and caring eventually lead the boy to proclaim his poor grandmother "the rich one" in the sweetest way possible. I read this before bed last night to finish up the book and I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
December 26, 2020
I tried this for Christmas and it failed to set the mood. The subtitle in my edition is ‘Winter Stories’, but a more apt summary would be ‘just any old short stories’. Crucially, they are too disparate to hang together well as a collection, although I must give immense credit to the designers for this one. Oh, to stand on an icy pavement in Vienna, bundled up in a coat, turning my face and closed eyes into the falling snow. Sigh.
Having enjoyed A Song for Summer, this one piqued my interest. There are some gems in here. ‘The Brides of Tula’ is the one that I remember sticking out for me as immensely moving, and the stories set in pre-War Europe are evocative and dreamy ( and also probably rose-tinted) depictions. But some are teeth-achingly saccharine – and that’s why this book made me gag a little.
A Glove Shop in Vienna lacks much of Ibbotson’s trademark charm and wit. Sure, some of the stories showcase her love of culture and her writing abilities. But they also showcase her shortcomings. Many of the instalments echo one another in uninspiring ways; others are far too sentimental; others seem to lack any true direction; and more than one depicts men punishing their wives for not wanting sex every night, the lines of consent blurring a little too much for comfort.
Certainly not Ibbotson’s rich historical romances that I came for. With thanks to the publisher for the bookseller review copy.
Having enjoyed A Song for Summer, this one piqued my interest. There are some gems in here. ‘The Brides of Tula’ is the one that I remember sticking out for me as immensely moving, and the stories set in pre-War Europe are evocative and dreamy ( and also probably rose-tinted) depictions. But some are teeth-achingly saccharine – and that’s why this book made me gag a little.
A Glove Shop in Vienna lacks much of Ibbotson’s trademark charm and wit. Sure, some of the stories showcase her love of culture and her writing abilities. But they also showcase her shortcomings. Many of the instalments echo one another in uninspiring ways; others are far too sentimental; others seem to lack any true direction; and more than one depicts men punishing their wives for not wanting sex every night, the lines of consent blurring a little too much for comfort.
Certainly not Ibbotson’s rich historical romances that I came for. With thanks to the publisher for the bookseller review copy.
March 22, 2017
I love Eva Ibbotson. Her novels have that wonderful combination of nostalgia and realism and idealism and romance that it's just like hearing the most wonderful love story that your friends have to tell. Even her children's books, even the books set during the Holocaust, they still have this sort of air of innocence and magic that just gets me right in the heart.
This doesn't always translate well into her short stories. A few of them are impenetrable or unmemorable. But most of them are the same kind of nostalgically lovely stories about people in love, about people torn between different kinds of love (for self, for lover, for family, for country), about long-lost loves and miraculous reunions and, of course, Vienna.
If you've already read Eva Ibbotson, you know whether you like her books or not, and I'd definitely recommend her short stories. If you haven't, I wouldn't start here; pick up one of her children's books, The Secret of Platform 13 or Which Witch? to begin with, and then make your way up to her adult stories. But this anthology is still gorgeous, and I still loved it.
This doesn't always translate well into her short stories. A few of them are impenetrable or unmemorable. But most of them are the same kind of nostalgically lovely stories about people in love, about people torn between different kinds of love (for self, for lover, for family, for country), about long-lost loves and miraculous reunions and, of course, Vienna.
If you've already read Eva Ibbotson, you know whether you like her books or not, and I'd definitely recommend her short stories. If you haven't, I wouldn't start here; pick up one of her children's books, The Secret of Platform 13 or Which Witch? to begin with, and then make your way up to her adult stories. But this anthology is still gorgeous, and I still loved it.
January 1, 2021
Some of these didn’t slap that hard but some of them were so lovely and those stories tended to be the ones where she had taken the idea and made a novel from it so shout out to Eva who almost never missed.
December 27, 2018
DNF @ 50%
All I can say is that it was very Eva Ibbotson...
All I can say is that it was very Eva Ibbotson...
December 30, 2020
hmmm a 3.5 - you can trace the DNA of Eva's romance novels back to these very easily but a lot of the time the stories tipped into schmaltz without the charm and lightness that the novels have more space for. but having said that there were several stories that were very fun and sweet and exactly what I'd anticipated from this collection, and it was worth reading even if just for the story about the old woman who pretended to be on her deathbed so she could justify forgiving her husband for saying her strudel tasted like a boot
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2020
more sourness & slyness in this collection than i expected, & less sparkle. still some glimmers of warmth & humour & fun, but also a Lot of adultery and disappointment !
Read
December 24, 2024all the stories here fall into one of three categories:
1) family christmas-time shenanigans
2) area woman saves the day through sheer luck and pluck
3) and they found each other again after FORTY-FIVE YEARS APART!!!!
anyway they're all lovely - favourites include Vicky and the Christmas Angel, The Great Carp Ferdinand, and The Little Countess. the perfect Christmas book to read!
1) family christmas-time shenanigans
2) area woman saves the day through sheer luck and pluck
3) and they found each other again after FORTY-FIVE YEARS APART!!!!
anyway they're all lovely - favourites include Vicky and the Christmas Angel, The Great Carp Ferdinand, and The Little Countess. the perfect Christmas book to read!
January 6, 2021
For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...
One of my 2021 Reading Resolutions is to find more comfort reads and since Eva Ibbotson described herself as trying to write the sort of stories that people would like to read while they have the flu, she seemed like a good place to start. This turned out to be an excellent decision. Not only that but this collection of short fiction features at least five stories which hinge around a Christmas scene, making for a perfect pick for Blogmas. Warm-hearted and full of love, A Glove Shop in Vienna is a book to which I will definitely be returning.
The collection has an old-fashioned feel and although I read that it was published in 1984, I would have guessed more around the 1950s or 60s. Several of the stories are set during one of the world wars or take place during the grand days of Old Vienna. In terms of tone, there is something slightly peculiar going on. It is always a great love, the characters are always loyal and true and their happy ending always feels assured. Yet in the background to Ibbotson's narration there is a quiet cynicism. She is encouraging us to believe in these starry-eyed stories because deep down we know that such things are not true. These are fairytales for grown-ups.
I had so many 'favourite' moments in this book. In 'Vicky's Christmas Angel', the titular Vicky comes to see that those responsible for Christmas magic may look rather different than you expect. In 'A Question of Riches', young Jeremy knows exactly where he is best loved. In 'The Little Countess', a straight-talking English governess sets a family of Russian aristocrats on the right path. And 'A Dark-Haired Daughter' captures such a truth about being an expectant mother. Unusually for a collection of short fiction, I enjoyed every story.
It was funny to see peeks from Ibbotson's children's fiction scattered across the collection. Osmandine and several other female lead characters seemed reminiscent of Belladonna from Which Witch? But for the first time, I got to appreciate her as an adult writer. A Glove Shop in Vienna has Ibbotson's same trademark elegance and wit which first drew me in as a child. But these are stories written to enchant adults. Tired adults going into their third national lockdown. Adults who want to dream of ballerinas in Moscow or finding true love in a glove shop in Vienna. Perfect reading for cold grey days - I can already think of at least three friends who deserve a copy.
One of my 2021 Reading Resolutions is to find more comfort reads and since Eva Ibbotson described herself as trying to write the sort of stories that people would like to read while they have the flu, she seemed like a good place to start. This turned out to be an excellent decision. Not only that but this collection of short fiction features at least five stories which hinge around a Christmas scene, making for a perfect pick for Blogmas. Warm-hearted and full of love, A Glove Shop in Vienna is a book to which I will definitely be returning.
The collection has an old-fashioned feel and although I read that it was published in 1984, I would have guessed more around the 1950s or 60s. Several of the stories are set during one of the world wars or take place during the grand days of Old Vienna. In terms of tone, there is something slightly peculiar going on. It is always a great love, the characters are always loyal and true and their happy ending always feels assured. Yet in the background to Ibbotson's narration there is a quiet cynicism. She is encouraging us to believe in these starry-eyed stories because deep down we know that such things are not true. These are fairytales for grown-ups.
I had so many 'favourite' moments in this book. In 'Vicky's Christmas Angel', the titular Vicky comes to see that those responsible for Christmas magic may look rather different than you expect. In 'A Question of Riches', young Jeremy knows exactly where he is best loved. In 'The Little Countess', a straight-talking English governess sets a family of Russian aristocrats on the right path. And 'A Dark-Haired Daughter' captures such a truth about being an expectant mother. Unusually for a collection of short fiction, I enjoyed every story.
It was funny to see peeks from Ibbotson's children's fiction scattered across the collection. Osmandine and several other female lead characters seemed reminiscent of Belladonna from Which Witch? But for the first time, I got to appreciate her as an adult writer. A Glove Shop in Vienna has Ibbotson's same trademark elegance and wit which first drew me in as a child. But these are stories written to enchant adults. Tired adults going into their third national lockdown. Adults who want to dream of ballerinas in Moscow or finding true love in a glove shop in Vienna. Perfect reading for cold grey days - I can already think of at least three friends who deserve a copy.
December 30, 2019
When I was a teenager, I read Eva Ibbotson's Madensky Square and fell in love with the romance of her characters (though I probably didn't really understand everything I was reading.) A Glove Shop in Vienna and Other Stories has the flavor of classic stories by authors like Edith Wharton but writen in the 1980s. There are also touches of humor and little twists to the endings (similar to O. Henry, but more subtle.) These stories feel like magic and enchantment to me.
September 16, 2021
80 millionth re-read
January 3, 2023
A collection of short stories, mostly about love triumphing over everything. There’s delightful writing and humor throughout, as well as many elements present in her full-length romance novels. Recommended for fans of the author.
December 3, 2021
No wonder it took me this long to go through it, that was a jumble of average cliché short stories, with an exception or two.
December 22, 2021
Charming, well told, a little dated but mostly in a good way, this didn’t quite do it for me like Journey to the River Sea did.
September 15, 2022
1.5
i didn’t even really read a page of this book, it didn’t interest me and didn’t catch my attention. i never really expected much of this book but still was disappointed
i didn’t even really read a page of this book, it didn’t interest me and didn’t catch my attention. i never really expected much of this book but still was disappointed
December 31, 2022
Eva Ibbotson’s work is pure magic , and all 18 stories in this collection are food for your soul.
August 4, 2021
I wouldn't recommend this collection of mostly fairly old-fashioned short stories for their own sake, unless you're an Eva Ibbotson fan. If you are, it's delightful to see how she played with characters and plots that later show up in her novels. She has such a sure hand at introducing characters. A writer could do worse than study how she manages to do that with so many characters in so little space. She also tries out riskier things, like a couple of adultery stories. I'm glad to have read it.
February 24, 2020
Hmm, I am a big lover of Ibbotson's romance books. I very much grew up on them and while I know they can be quite repetitive or in some cases a little boring I still adore them with all my heart. They offer a sense of familiarity and comfort that I just can't explain. That being said, I definitely feel Ibbotson is much more suited to a full-length novel than the shorter stories she delivered in this collection, several of them felt rushed for me and so I struggled to feel invested as the characters' stories were over in just a few pages, these were the standout stories for me but many of the rest of them were just a bit...meh. A few of them I would have adored to read a novel-length version of.
Vicky’s Snow Angel - 2.5 stars - very little happened but a somewhat sweet story and message
Doushenka - 3.5 stars - effectively two stories in one, both about love, and I found myself caught up in both of them
This Beetroot is Not Screaming - 2 stars - NOTHING HAPPENED. There was very little build up to anything that happened and this just felt rather pointless
A Rose in Amazonia 3.5 stars
Somewhat sweet, somewhat wholesome, but like every other book in this series (bar the titular story) felt very rushed
A Little Disagreement 4 stars
Somewhat humorous, a nice little twist, definitely one of the better stories in this collection so far
Tangle of Seaweed 2.5 stars
Bland, a little boring, and very unbelievable
Sidi 4.5 stars
Found this to be most wholesome story so far, and definitely the most typical Ibbotson
A Dark-Haired Daughter 2 stars
Pointless to be honest, so short that I struggled to feel anything
This Year's Winner 4 starts
This was a sweet and fun story, again somewhat reminiscent of longer length Eva Ibbotson works
The Great Carp Ferdinand 3.5 stars
Somewhat fun, a little pointless, but it had the heart and humour I like
Osmandine 3 stars
A typical story, not the most memorable, could have done with a bit more heart
The Brides of Tula 2 stars
A story about adultery and I didn't find myself very invested
With Love and Swamp Noises 3 stars
Another sweet story, again very reminescent of 'traditional' Ibbotson
The Adultery of Jenny Craig 2.5 stars
Adultery (again) and another story I found I didn't really care about
Theatre Street 4.5 stars
Again I think this would have worked so well as a full-length Ibbotson, it had all the traditional themes she likes and I found it so sweet
The Magi of Markham Street 3 stars
Not really very memorable? But it was okay I guess
The Little Countess 3 stars
Again not the most memorable, the ones towards the end started to blend in if they weren't super great
A question of Riches 4.5 stars
By far my favourite of the bunch, took a step away from romantic love to look at familial love and the true meaning of being rich
Vicky’s Snow Angel - 2.5 stars - very little happened but a somewhat sweet story and message
Doushenka - 3.5 stars - effectively two stories in one, both about love, and I found myself caught up in both of them
This Beetroot is Not Screaming - 2 stars - NOTHING HAPPENED. There was very little build up to anything that happened and this just felt rather pointless
A Rose in Amazonia 3.5 stars
Somewhat sweet, somewhat wholesome, but like every other book in this series (bar the titular story) felt very rushed
A Little Disagreement 4 stars
Somewhat humorous, a nice little twist, definitely one of the better stories in this collection so far
Tangle of Seaweed 2.5 stars
Bland, a little boring, and very unbelievable
Sidi 4.5 stars
Found this to be most wholesome story so far, and definitely the most typical Ibbotson
A Dark-Haired Daughter 2 stars
Pointless to be honest, so short that I struggled to feel anything
This Year's Winner 4 starts
This was a sweet and fun story, again somewhat reminiscent of longer length Eva Ibbotson works
The Great Carp Ferdinand 3.5 stars
Somewhat fun, a little pointless, but it had the heart and humour I like
Osmandine 3 stars
A typical story, not the most memorable, could have done with a bit more heart
The Brides of Tula 2 stars
A story about adultery and I didn't find myself very invested
With Love and Swamp Noises 3 stars
Another sweet story, again very reminescent of 'traditional' Ibbotson
The Adultery of Jenny Craig 2.5 stars
Adultery (again) and another story I found I didn't really care about
Theatre Street 4.5 stars
Again I think this would have worked so well as a full-length Ibbotson, it had all the traditional themes she likes and I found it so sweet
The Magi of Markham Street 3 stars
Not really very memorable? But it was okay I guess
The Little Countess 3 stars
Again not the most memorable, the ones towards the end started to blend in if they weren't super great
A question of Riches 4.5 stars
By far my favourite of the bunch, took a step away from romantic love to look at familial love and the true meaning of being rich
September 5, 2015
This short story collection was interesting because it showed the ugly side of the sentimentality and romanticism that is usually heralded in Ibbotson's work, which is to say adultery. One of the draws of the other Ibbotson novels is that people can have their happily ever after without destroying existing marriages or abandoning their kids in the process, selfish cheaters being one of the main reasons I often avoid romance novels. It's my least favorite fiction motif and it was a bit of a downer to find the title story was about a man cheating on a fat demanding wife with a cute selfless waifish mistress, even if the twist ending lessened the sting. That was the most palatable of the other three adultery stories because of it's historical context, marriage was less personal than than the more contemporary stories where people cheat because they're bored and then convince themselves it was because of true love. The writing style suggests the overwhelming motivator of the infidelity was thrills rather than love, I do not believe I am misinterpreting the work. Some very cynical stories are included in this collection, padded by flowery prose and character denial ( I do love my husband, I do, but I must keep cheating because feelings. ) I guess this collection was a good way to exorcise some demons that are inevitable to arise when you write about irrational romanticism; that the heart is capricious, arbitrary, and unspeakably selfish unless kept in check and reasoned with. That being said, Ibbotson is Ibbotson and if you love the style of her other works this is definitely worth reading. She writes with grace and gentleness, and none of the stories ever veer into lewd or vindictive territory. Some of them are very sweet and all are a little funny.
November 4, 2023
*reread 2023*
There are definitely too many stories about cheating on your husband/wife in this small collection, but if you miss those out you have a wonderful bunch of short but sweet, perfectly Ibbotson stories.
(changed to 4 stars...)
*reread 2022*
I'm a sucker for romances where the guy seems to be going for the beautiful, put together woman but in the end realises that he's actually in love with the messy, all-over-the-place, not-exactly-a-looker woman. I could read stories like that all day. If you happen to come across this book but don't have time to read all of them may I suggest a few: Tangle of Seaweed, Sidi, This Year's Winner, With Love and Swamp Noises, Theatre Street, The Magi of Markham Street, The Little Countess and A Question of Riches (i realise now that it perhaps would have been easier for me to list the stories not to read, my bad)
*2021*
I made the decision a while ago that I would read less romance books becuase I was becoming too much of a romantic (if that's possible?) and it was #notcool.
So I read this, a collection of Ibbotson short stories, in which almost every story was a love one (and Ibbotson love stories are the most luscious and warm of them all) except the final story which might have been my favourite, children and their grandparents make the best protagonists.
Also, did Ibbotson have an affair? She seems to love a good 'I married this guy but I'm in love with this other guy so that's why having an affair is Ok' story. Put me off those ones slightly. But the rest are what I imagine the Turkish Delight in Narnia tasted like - just like perfectness.
And she makes me want to visit Russia and Vienna (where all of the best romances happen).
There are definitely too many stories about cheating on your husband/wife in this small collection, but if you miss those out you have a wonderful bunch of short but sweet, perfectly Ibbotson stories.
(changed to 4 stars...)
*reread 2022*
I'm a sucker for romances where the guy seems to be going for the beautiful, put together woman but in the end realises that he's actually in love with the messy, all-over-the-place, not-exactly-a-looker woman. I could read stories like that all day. If you happen to come across this book but don't have time to read all of them may I suggest a few: Tangle of Seaweed, Sidi, This Year's Winner, With Love and Swamp Noises, Theatre Street, The Magi of Markham Street, The Little Countess and A Question of Riches (i realise now that it perhaps would have been easier for me to list the stories not to read, my bad)
*2021*
I made the decision a while ago that I would read less romance books becuase I was becoming too much of a romantic (if that's possible?) and it was #notcool.
So I read this, a collection of Ibbotson short stories, in which almost every story was a love one (and Ibbotson love stories are the most luscious and warm of them all) except the final story which might have been my favourite, children and their grandparents make the best protagonists.
Also, did Ibbotson have an affair? She seems to love a good 'I married this guy but I'm in love with this other guy so that's why having an affair is Ok' story. Put me off those ones slightly. But the rest are what I imagine the Turkish Delight in Narnia tasted like - just like perfectness.
And she makes me want to visit Russia and Vienna (where all of the best romances happen).
February 26, 2011
As with most short story collections that are cobbled instead of created on purpose, this is uneven; and it's both slightly irritating and fascinating to trace Ibbotson's repeated themes and motifs. Russia, ballet, affairs, estates, milk-teeth necklaces: they seem to have been to Ibbotson what pianists, lecherous old roues, marine life, and spaghetti sauce were to Madeleine L'Engle.
September 24, 2025
I really love Eva Ibbotson and have read nine of her novels (none of her books expressly for children). She's a beautiful writer, but she does tend to repeat herself. Each story in this book is enjoyable on its own, with some of them being brilliant, but when you read them all at once you do (or at least I do) get a bit run down by the repetitive elements. I'd say the best way to read this collection is to savor it--say one story a day or one story a week until you finish.
1. Vicky and the Christmas Angel: A story about a little girl named Vicky discovering the truth of Santa Claus, essentially. It’s sweet and full of warm holiday spirit and I liked the ending when it isn’t counted as a tragedy that her Christmas was ruined, but simply shows that she has moved out of childhood and is now grouped with the adults rather than the kids who still believe. The image of a little girl reading to her siblings in the bathroom was reused in Madensky Square. 4 out of 5
2. Doushenka: A young man is obsessed with Russia to the point of distraction and eventually moves there and falls in love with a ballet dancer who has just been kicked out of school. They have a brief affair before he realizes that she truly loves dance and returns her to school. I found it forgettable after reading the whole book and had to go back to remind myself what this story was about. 2.5 out of 5
3. A Glove Shop in Vienna: The title story isn’t actually one of the best in the volume. This one concerns a man who keeps a mistress who is supposed to be the great love of his life, only to realize that his wife basically set him up with the mistress to keep them all happy and fulfilled. There was some lovely writing in this story, but I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters or the situation. 3 out of 5
4. This Beetroot is Not Screaming: Much as I love her, Ibbotson does have a tendency to write female characters who are very close to being ‘Mary Sue’ figures. Sometimes she goes over the edge, as is the case with the girl lead in this story, a beautiful little waif who couldn’t possibly dissect a worm in zoology school. Just being around her makes all of these scientist guys give up their disciplines and go into the arts instead. This is similar to but much worse than The Morning Gift, where Ibbotson kept Ruth on the right side of the line. 2 out of 5
5. A Rose in Amazonia: One of my favorites in the volume. This is about a pair of star-crossed lovers who are pulled apart when they are young. The woman becomes a famous opera singer; the man a rubber baron in the Amazon. They are both dreadfully unhappy and their lives don’t go as they planned. They are reunited unexpectedly in South America and they both get over their pride and fall back in love. Gorgeously written (as with the South America sections of A Company of Swans) and I liked the lovers. 4 out of 5
6. A Little Disagreement: A clever concept. A rich old lady keeps pretending she is on her death bed (she’s fine) so that she can forgive everyone in her household for their wrong-doing. She hasn’t spoken to her husband in years over a minor disagreement and uses this ruse to try to apologize to him, but never can quite do it. The narrator is the son of one of the servants. Funny, interesting and totally unique. 4 out of 5
7. A Tangle of Seaweed: Another fun one. Two unrelated couples are not suited for one another and they all end up at the zoo aquarium one day. A little kid sets off a smoke bomb for his own reasons and the two couples are accidentally mixed. It’s just a light-hearted one with a fun set-up. The scatter-brained girl is a little bit in the Ibbotson Mary Sue realm (and I’d be annoyed too if someone lost my engagement ring over and over again) but it’s a brief story. 3.5 out of 5
8. Sidi: My favorite in the book and a story that I think Eva Ibbotson could have expanded into a complete novel. There is a lot of rich characterization here and the plot setup is wonderful. A little girl is raised by a pair of divorced parents, neither of whom have any interest in her. She is shuffled back and forth between them with her governess and has no sense of belonging. She meets and falls in love with a little boy in Poland who lives at a railway station with his parents. They meet up every once in awhile as she changes trains and are eventually separated by her life and, later, the war. The characters are both great, the romance is gorgeous (there are a couple of magical scenes of them together in a wheat field, and later with a Christmas tree) and it has a happy ending. Wonderful. 5 out of 5
9. A Dark-Haired Daughter: A comic story. A worn-down woman keeps giving birth to rambunctious boys when she longs for a little girl she can dote on. The narrator is her neighbor, who also hopes she can have a girl. It’s one of the shortest stories in the book and it has a little twist ending that was enjoyable. 3 out of 5
10. This Year’s Winner: Something really different. Most of Ibbotson’s works are set between 1912 and the second World War. This story seems to be set more contemporary to the publication of this collection (so, the 1980s somewhere). It’s so weird to read something from Ibbotson like this, and it feels out of place in the book. It’s about a girl from a tiny island nation who gets entered into a Miss Universe style beauty pageant. Everyone ends up falling in love with her and her eccentricities and a few bizarre things happen (including an attempted ransoming). Not my favorite. 2.5 out of 5
11. The Great Carp Ferdinand: Charming. A story about a fish and the family that loved him. A wealthy Viennese family is given a live carp that they are supposed to kill and eat at Christmas. Of course, everyone in the family kind of falls in love with the carp while he is swimming around in the bathtub and they can’t bring themselves to kill him. There’s a little romance with the daughter and a doctor she meets on the street as well. Of the comedy stories, this was one of the better ones. 3.5 out of 5
12. Osmandine: Another story featuring the generic Eva Ibbotson leading lady–so empathetic and sweet that they completely change all the people around them just by existing. She even adopts a poor worm, which reminded me of the girl from This Beetroot is Not Screaming. This girl takes over a pharmacy for a few days and cures everyone’s ills just by listening to their problems, giving them advice and filling their prescriptions with placebos. Kind of fun. 3 out of 5
13. The Brides of Tula: One of many stories in this volume involving an extramarital affair. It’s a little hard to remember which of them is which. This one involves a woman who falls in love with a man who is not her (kind) husband and goes to three of her friends for advice on what to do. They all give her very different advice, and she ends up deciding to continue the affair and having one day with her lover every season of the year. I’m just not a fan of affairs and I didn’t like the foolish narrator. 2 out of 5
14. With Love and Swamp Noises: The narrator takes over as the chief curator of a natural sciences museum. There is an Ibbotson Lady in attendance, who is just so gosh darned good for this world and sees nothing quirky about hiring people with no experience (pregnant ladies, old men, homeless people) to work in the museum for free. Everyone at the museum becomes a family. Of course, the narrator falls in love with the girl. 2.5 out of 5
15. The Adultery of Jenny Craig: The name of the lead character is distracting (due to the weight loss mogul) and the story is very similar to The Brides of Tula. A housewife with a very nice husband falls in love with another guy and goes about having an affair in a ‘civilized’ manner. This one was brief and there wasn’t really much of a hook to it. I found the man she had an affair with very unappealing as well. 1.5 out of 5
16. Theatre Street: This is one of the longest stories in the volume and I found myself wishing that it had a different ending. There is a small amount of magical realism in this (with the characters suggesting that they knew each other in a past life). An Englishman tours a Russian ballet school and falls instantly in love with one of the dancers. They spend some idyllic time together in Paris and then World War I breaks out and he goes to fight. She is told he died, and I kind of wished that he had because it would have been a more realistic and interesting story. Of course, he didn’t actually die and they are reunited. It was well-written, but just too similar to other stories. 3 out of 5
17. The Magi of Markham Street: Another of the comedy stories, and this one was really fun. The narrator is a young teacher who is trying to put on a nativity play with her class. They decide they want a real live baby to play the baby Jesus and hijinks ensue. It was fun, something different and just the right length for the subject matter. 4 out of 5
18. The Little Countess: An English governess stays with a Russian family in the countryside. Everyone in the family keeps a diary which she is expected to read and comment upon. The only daughter falls in love with the young tutor assigned to her younger brothers, but she is engaged to marry a gross prince figure. In the end, the governess solves everyone’s problems by simply applying common sense to their melodrama and self-pity. I liked the governess because she was so pragmatic and unflighty–the opposite of the traditional Ibbotson heroine (that was the little countess). 3.5 out of 5
19. A Question of Riches: A little boy is sent to boarding school (his mother is in Africa with her new husband) and on his breaks, he divides his time between his two grandmothers. His maternal Grandmother is very rich but cold and boring. His paternal Nana is poor but fun and normal. Of course, he prefers Nana and starts to have a wonderful time every time he goes to stay with her. The ending of this one actually brought a little tear to my eye. It was exactly the right note to end the whole volume on and I liked that there is no romance at all in this one–it’s just about the love between a boy and his nana. One of my favorites. 5 out of 5
Five favorites: Sidi | A Question of Riches | A Rose in Amazonia | A Little Disagreement | Vicky and the Christmas Angel
Repeated concepts/themes/characters:
Natural sciences / anthropology
Academia in general
Ballet or opera
Vienna
Russia
Adultery
People having perfectly good partners, but deciding to cheat on them anyway with a ‘soulmate’
Leading girls who have over-large eyes and are entirely pure and untainted by the world. They would never hurt another and approach absolutely everything with complete innocence and no guile. They refuse to hurt animals and are able to completely change the lives of others simply by being their special, perfect selves. No one dislikes them.
Christmas
1912 through the end of World War II
Found family
1. Vicky and the Christmas Angel: A story about a little girl named Vicky discovering the truth of Santa Claus, essentially. It’s sweet and full of warm holiday spirit and I liked the ending when it isn’t counted as a tragedy that her Christmas was ruined, but simply shows that she has moved out of childhood and is now grouped with the adults rather than the kids who still believe. The image of a little girl reading to her siblings in the bathroom was reused in Madensky Square. 4 out of 5
2. Doushenka: A young man is obsessed with Russia to the point of distraction and eventually moves there and falls in love with a ballet dancer who has just been kicked out of school. They have a brief affair before he realizes that she truly loves dance and returns her to school. I found it forgettable after reading the whole book and had to go back to remind myself what this story was about. 2.5 out of 5
3. A Glove Shop in Vienna: The title story isn’t actually one of the best in the volume. This one concerns a man who keeps a mistress who is supposed to be the great love of his life, only to realize that his wife basically set him up with the mistress to keep them all happy and fulfilled. There was some lovely writing in this story, but I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters or the situation. 3 out of 5
4. This Beetroot is Not Screaming: Much as I love her, Ibbotson does have a tendency to write female characters who are very close to being ‘Mary Sue’ figures. Sometimes she goes over the edge, as is the case with the girl lead in this story, a beautiful little waif who couldn’t possibly dissect a worm in zoology school. Just being around her makes all of these scientist guys give up their disciplines and go into the arts instead. This is similar to but much worse than The Morning Gift, where Ibbotson kept Ruth on the right side of the line. 2 out of 5
5. A Rose in Amazonia: One of my favorites in the volume. This is about a pair of star-crossed lovers who are pulled apart when they are young. The woman becomes a famous opera singer; the man a rubber baron in the Amazon. They are both dreadfully unhappy and their lives don’t go as they planned. They are reunited unexpectedly in South America and they both get over their pride and fall back in love. Gorgeously written (as with the South America sections of A Company of Swans) and I liked the lovers. 4 out of 5
6. A Little Disagreement: A clever concept. A rich old lady keeps pretending she is on her death bed (she’s fine) so that she can forgive everyone in her household for their wrong-doing. She hasn’t spoken to her husband in years over a minor disagreement and uses this ruse to try to apologize to him, but never can quite do it. The narrator is the son of one of the servants. Funny, interesting and totally unique. 4 out of 5
7. A Tangle of Seaweed: Another fun one. Two unrelated couples are not suited for one another and they all end up at the zoo aquarium one day. A little kid sets off a smoke bomb for his own reasons and the two couples are accidentally mixed. It’s just a light-hearted one with a fun set-up. The scatter-brained girl is a little bit in the Ibbotson Mary Sue realm (and I’d be annoyed too if someone lost my engagement ring over and over again) but it’s a brief story. 3.5 out of 5
8. Sidi: My favorite in the book and a story that I think Eva Ibbotson could have expanded into a complete novel. There is a lot of rich characterization here and the plot setup is wonderful. A little girl is raised by a pair of divorced parents, neither of whom have any interest in her. She is shuffled back and forth between them with her governess and has no sense of belonging. She meets and falls in love with a little boy in Poland who lives at a railway station with his parents. They meet up every once in awhile as she changes trains and are eventually separated by her life and, later, the war. The characters are both great, the romance is gorgeous (there are a couple of magical scenes of them together in a wheat field, and later with a Christmas tree) and it has a happy ending. Wonderful. 5 out of 5
9. A Dark-Haired Daughter: A comic story. A worn-down woman keeps giving birth to rambunctious boys when she longs for a little girl she can dote on. The narrator is her neighbor, who also hopes she can have a girl. It’s one of the shortest stories in the book and it has a little twist ending that was enjoyable. 3 out of 5
10. This Year’s Winner: Something really different. Most of Ibbotson’s works are set between 1912 and the second World War. This story seems to be set more contemporary to the publication of this collection (so, the 1980s somewhere). It’s so weird to read something from Ibbotson like this, and it feels out of place in the book. It’s about a girl from a tiny island nation who gets entered into a Miss Universe style beauty pageant. Everyone ends up falling in love with her and her eccentricities and a few bizarre things happen (including an attempted ransoming). Not my favorite. 2.5 out of 5
11. The Great Carp Ferdinand: Charming. A story about a fish and the family that loved him. A wealthy Viennese family is given a live carp that they are supposed to kill and eat at Christmas. Of course, everyone in the family kind of falls in love with the carp while he is swimming around in the bathtub and they can’t bring themselves to kill him. There’s a little romance with the daughter and a doctor she meets on the street as well. Of the comedy stories, this was one of the better ones. 3.5 out of 5
12. Osmandine: Another story featuring the generic Eva Ibbotson leading lady–so empathetic and sweet that they completely change all the people around them just by existing. She even adopts a poor worm, which reminded me of the girl from This Beetroot is Not Screaming. This girl takes over a pharmacy for a few days and cures everyone’s ills just by listening to their problems, giving them advice and filling their prescriptions with placebos. Kind of fun. 3 out of 5
13. The Brides of Tula: One of many stories in this volume involving an extramarital affair. It’s a little hard to remember which of them is which. This one involves a woman who falls in love with a man who is not her (kind) husband and goes to three of her friends for advice on what to do. They all give her very different advice, and she ends up deciding to continue the affair and having one day with her lover every season of the year. I’m just not a fan of affairs and I didn’t like the foolish narrator. 2 out of 5
14. With Love and Swamp Noises: The narrator takes over as the chief curator of a natural sciences museum. There is an Ibbotson Lady in attendance, who is just so gosh darned good for this world and sees nothing quirky about hiring people with no experience (pregnant ladies, old men, homeless people) to work in the museum for free. Everyone at the museum becomes a family. Of course, the narrator falls in love with the girl. 2.5 out of 5
15. The Adultery of Jenny Craig: The name of the lead character is distracting (due to the weight loss mogul) and the story is very similar to The Brides of Tula. A housewife with a very nice husband falls in love with another guy and goes about having an affair in a ‘civilized’ manner. This one was brief and there wasn’t really much of a hook to it. I found the man she had an affair with very unappealing as well. 1.5 out of 5
16. Theatre Street: This is one of the longest stories in the volume and I found myself wishing that it had a different ending. There is a small amount of magical realism in this (with the characters suggesting that they knew each other in a past life). An Englishman tours a Russian ballet school and falls instantly in love with one of the dancers. They spend some idyllic time together in Paris and then World War I breaks out and he goes to fight. She is told he died, and I kind of wished that he had because it would have been a more realistic and interesting story. Of course, he didn’t actually die and they are reunited. It was well-written, but just too similar to other stories. 3 out of 5
17. The Magi of Markham Street: Another of the comedy stories, and this one was really fun. The narrator is a young teacher who is trying to put on a nativity play with her class. They decide they want a real live baby to play the baby Jesus and hijinks ensue. It was fun, something different and just the right length for the subject matter. 4 out of 5
18. The Little Countess: An English governess stays with a Russian family in the countryside. Everyone in the family keeps a diary which she is expected to read and comment upon. The only daughter falls in love with the young tutor assigned to her younger brothers, but she is engaged to marry a gross prince figure. In the end, the governess solves everyone’s problems by simply applying common sense to their melodrama and self-pity. I liked the governess because she was so pragmatic and unflighty–the opposite of the traditional Ibbotson heroine (that was the little countess). 3.5 out of 5
19. A Question of Riches: A little boy is sent to boarding school (his mother is in Africa with her new husband) and on his breaks, he divides his time between his two grandmothers. His maternal Grandmother is very rich but cold and boring. His paternal Nana is poor but fun and normal. Of course, he prefers Nana and starts to have a wonderful time every time he goes to stay with her. The ending of this one actually brought a little tear to my eye. It was exactly the right note to end the whole volume on and I liked that there is no romance at all in this one–it’s just about the love between a boy and his nana. One of my favorites. 5 out of 5
Five favorites: Sidi | A Question of Riches | A Rose in Amazonia | A Little Disagreement | Vicky and the Christmas Angel
Repeated concepts/themes/characters:
Natural sciences / anthropology
Academia in general
Ballet or opera
Vienna
Russia
Adultery
People having perfectly good partners, but deciding to cheat on them anyway with a ‘soulmate’
Leading girls who have over-large eyes and are entirely pure and untainted by the world. They would never hurt another and approach absolutely everything with complete innocence and no guile. They refuse to hurt animals and are able to completely change the lives of others simply by being their special, perfect selves. No one dislikes them.
Christmas
1912 through the end of World War II
Found family
December 21, 2023
I don’t think A Glove Shop in Vienna is necessarily for everyone, but for me it really hit the spot for my reading mood this time of year. In (most of) these stories, we go back to the world before World War I, a glittering world run by empires (I kind of picture the opening scene and narration of Anastasia as the vibes), and they are filled with delicious nostalgia and old-world romance. I won’t make the mistake of claiming the world was better back then – it absolutely wasn’t for the majority of people – but I’ve always felt an attraction to that time period and I will probably always be charmed by certain elements of it.
This was, in want of a better word, a truly indulgent read for me. I have taken so long to read this, not because I didn’t like it, but because I liked it so much. I didn’t want to spoil the reading experience by reading it on my noisy and interrupted commute, and I refused to start a story and not finish it in the same sitting (I wanted to stay in the atmosphere of each story until it was done), so I primarily read it in the evenings and usually only a story per evening. There was old-world Russia, Vienna, England, there was winter and Christmas and mostly happy endings and comforting feelings – and there was also old-fashioned stereotypes and gender roles, but oh, I didn’t mind too much. I just got cosy and enjoyed myself.
This was, in want of a better word, a truly indulgent read for me. I have taken so long to read this, not because I didn’t like it, but because I liked it so much. I didn’t want to spoil the reading experience by reading it on my noisy and interrupted commute, and I refused to start a story and not finish it in the same sitting (I wanted to stay in the atmosphere of each story until it was done), so I primarily read it in the evenings and usually only a story per evening. There was old-world Russia, Vienna, England, there was winter and Christmas and mostly happy endings and comforting feelings – and there was also old-fashioned stereotypes and gender roles, but oh, I didn’t mind too much. I just got cosy and enjoyed myself.
December 4, 2023
.This collection of short stories is quintessential Eva Ibbotson, filled with heartwarming stories about love, family, and the importance of enjoying the small moments in life. I have quite a few mixed feelings about this book, because while some of the stories almost moved me to tears, there was a recaring theme of infidelity throughout almost every story. It got pretty frustrating after a while, reading story after story about people cheating on their sponses and there always being some very weak reason to justify it. It left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. But that being said, Eva Ibbotson has such a talent for creating characters that are so easy to absolutely fall in love with, and stettings that make you feel completely immersed. I still had a really lovely time reading some of the stories, but I'm happy to be done it so I can just go back to reading her novels instead.
October 25, 2019
The only thing worse than a mediocre male english professor writing about mediocre male english professors having affairs is when an intelligent woman author does it for him.
I loved Eva Ibbotson's kid lit, and switching from that to her adult lit and finding that she loved to write short stories about women being punished for refusing to have sex with their husbands and what an "absolute, brilliant psychologist" Freud is -- kind of a slap in the face, like finding out JK Rowling is a racist and Anne McCaffrey had a non-con kink. I know, I know, product of her time and all, but not something I want to read, thanks.
I loved Eva Ibbotson's kid lit, and switching from that to her adult lit and finding that she loved to write short stories about women being punished for refusing to have sex with their husbands and what an "absolute, brilliant psychologist" Freud is -- kind of a slap in the face, like finding out JK Rowling is a racist and Anne McCaffrey had a non-con kink. I know, I know, product of her time and all, but not something I want to read, thanks.
December 28, 2023
Quite a mixed collection of short stories. Some I liked a lot, some were nothing special, some I despised. In general, I would say that the atmosphere is always the highlight. Whether it's turn-of-the-century Vienna, 1950s London or 1920s Manaus right after the collapse of the rubber price, this was always beautifully done. The writing itself was lovely, too. My biggest issue was that the attitudes are very dated, sometimes in a problematic way, and that made some stories tough to read (others were perfectly fine). And there was often a thread of sentimentality that was not my thing. Still, worth reading.
July 16, 2021
Why would you publish a short story collection without a contents page? Why, Pan Macmillan, why?
This collection doesn't quite hang together, and there are assumptions about marriage which don't hold up to modern scrutiny, but Ibbotson's wit and charm and ability to bring out the joy of ordinary life shine through. I'm generally not a fan of the love at first sight trope, or excuses for adultery, but Ibbotson's one of the few authors who can seduce me with both.
This collection doesn't quite hang together, and there are assumptions about marriage which don't hold up to modern scrutiny, but Ibbotson's wit and charm and ability to bring out the joy of ordinary life shine through. I'm generally not a fan of the love at first sight trope, or excuses for adultery, but Ibbotson's one of the few authors who can seduce me with both.
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