Candleford Green

Lark Rise to Candleford #3

by Flora Thompson

Book ...meals and other domestic matters were timed by them. To keep thus ahead of time was an old custom in many country families which was probably instituted to ensure the early rising of man and maid in the days when five or even four o'clock was not thought an unreasonably early hour at which to begin the day's work. The smiths still began work at six and Zillah, the maid, was downstairs before seven, by which time Miss Lane and, later, Laura, was also up and sorting the morning mail.The kitchen was a large room with a flagstone floor and two windows, beneath which stood a long, solid-looking table large enough to accommodate the whole household at mealtimes. The foreman and three young unmarried smiths lived in the house, and each of these had his own place at table. Miss Lane, in a higher chair than the others, known as a carving-chair, sat enthroned at the head of the table, then, on the side facing the windows, came Laura and Matthew, the foreman, with a long space of tablecloth between them,...

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, British Literature, 19th Century

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Flora Jane Thompson (5 December 1876 – 21 May 1947) was an English novelist and poet famous for her semi-autobiographical trilogy about the English countryside, Lark Rise to Candleford.

Flora benefited from good access to books when the public library opened in Winton, in 1907. Not long after, in 1911, she won an essay competition in The Ladies Companion for a 300-word essay about Jane Austen.[6] She later wrote extensively, publishing short stories and magazine and newspaper articles. She was a keen self-taught naturalist and many of her nature articles were anthologised in 1986.

Her most famous works are the Lark Rise to Candleford trilogy, which she sent as essays to Oxford University Press in 1938 and which were published soon after. She wrote a sequel Heatherley which was published posthumously. The books are a fictionalised, if autobiographical, social history of rural English life in the late 19th and early 20th century and are now considered minor classics.

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candleford Green is the third in what is spoken of as a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels. Make no mistake, they do not read as novels. Other than a little in the second book, there is scarcely any plot. What they are is a description of a time and a place-- northeastern Oxfordshire, England. The era is one of flux, characterized by mechanization, urbanization and rapid social change. In this, the last of the three books, the author speaks of her departure from home for three years to work with the postmistress in the nearby village of Candleford Green. This fictional village is based on the real village, Fringford. She is fourteen and a half and the year is 1891 when she begins employment. Flora goes by the alias Laura.

What is delivered are short vignettes describing life in the village—its inhabitants, village traditions and customs, the food eaten and how it is prepared, housing arrangements and lots of other details. Things such as daily postal routines and how exactly the telegraph functions, for example. Hair styles, clothing and village celebrations are spoken of. An important part is the description of how individuals of the different classes relate to one another. Both the new ways and the old are drawn. Bicycles were one of the newfangled inventions rapidly spreading in popularity. At this stage, they were only considered appropriate for men and there were rules limiting how they were to be used. Social history of this type, does it interest you?

(There is) “just enough malice to give point to their wit” is a line taken from the book. It aptly describes the conversational banter of the book’s characters. There is much humor to be found in the writing. It is of the good natured variety. At the same time, the humor is a subtle and intelligent comment on the foibles of man.

The prose captures the words, the sayings and the dialect of the country people. What is delivered is not ever the dry words of a textbook. Descriptions of landscapes make you ache to be there.

I like this book very much. Its factual content is interesting. Its witty humor puts a smile on your face. The slower pace of life as it is described is relaxing. The prose mirrors an appreciation of nature, and finally, people and relationships are drawn with honesty. A fairy tale is not delivered; what is drawn is reality. In that the book covers only three years of the author’s life, I would classify it as a book of social history rather than an autobiography.

I have been told you get a completely wrong impression of what lies in store if you watch the TV show first.

Karen Cass narrates all the audiobooks of the trilogy. Her narration is marvelous. The tempo and the pacing are perfect. She wonderfully captures how the villagers spoke. Five stars for the narration.

*************

The series:
1.Lark Rise 4 stars
2.Over to Candleford 4 tars
3.Candleford Green 4 stars

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had a proper storyline. At least in comparing two previous two.

More in the review of the whole trilogy.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful trilogy and one that I’m sure I will revisit.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final volume is much like the other two, disjointed ramblings on village life that toward the end start repeating themselves. There's the tiniest hint of a storyline but it comes to nothing. I'm beginning to think I was confusing this book with Cranford, though that's quite a stretch. I obviously hadn't read any of this before.

At one point a gypsy tells "Flora/Laura's" fortune and says "You will be loved by people you haven't seen and will never see." I wonder if this was a reference to the popularity of the author's books--and if she lived to see that. (Did she write it in after the books took off? Or was it a real "fortune" that she still didn't understand?)

I noticed that while Laura in childhood is simply "different" because she's a bookworm and quiet observer, by Vol 3 she has somehow acquired a rather snobbish attitude toward all those around her, both above and below her on the social scale. She doesn't seem to like anybody much.

We are told that she was at Candleford for "years", but the narration feels like a few months. Perhaps if there had been some progression of events it would have helped. Vol 1 mentions a royal Jubilee as witnessed by the children of Lark Rise, and here again with have Victoria's diamond Jubilee--are they meant to be the same event, ten years later? Twenty-five years have assuredly not passed. Confusing. The "trilogy" itself consists of over 500 pages, and that's a lot for no storyline at all.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third part of the famous trilogy (Lark Rise to Candleford), where the author tells her reminiscences about her years working in the Post Office at Candleford Green.

The TV series based on this work starts here, although they included anecdotes taken from the first two parts.

[Elyse Welles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely the best in the trilogy. It has the most narrative feel, and the characters, especially Laura, are developed and relatable. If you read the trilogy because you loved the show, Lark Rise to Candleford, know that they are very different. The books are source material for an original story with mostly original characters; but both are equally enjoyable when taken as their own entity. I loved this series and it went to quick!

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candleford Green follows "Laura" to the small village of Candleford Green, to her job in the post office, working under Dorcas Lane. Like the others of the trilogy, it has a lot of detail of everyday life, and the people Laura meets during her work. I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the first and second book -- maybe because it's much of the same, and because the world the first two books are nostalgic for is changing, with the introduction of the bicycle, and drawers instead of layers of petticoats...

It's still charming and worth a read. But if you're looking for something with a plot, then don't look here. I don't think it's anything like the series -- though I haven't see the series, and am now tempted to, to see what they made of it -- and the only character who goes through any kind of arc is Laura, and that only superficially.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. This book lines up with the Larkrise to Candleford tv series.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I loved all three books in the "Lark Rise to Candleford" series, this one was my favorite. Covering the period in Flora Thompson's (who calls herself "Laura" in the books) life when she was a postal worker and letter carrier in the small village of Candleford Green. Although still, like the others, more a series of vignettes and reflections on life in such a place in the 1890s than a story with a plot, the book is supremely engaging and readable. A beautiful insight into a way of life long gone, and well worth the read - these books are a gem that I hope will not fall out of the canon. Although anyone who reads the books because they are looking for a written version of the BBC series will be surprised - these books contain none of the drama or plot of the series (although seeds are contained in the books which are germinated into whole characters, episodes, and plotlines) they should stay for this very different, but also wonderful, experience.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all three of the books in this series, but enjoyed this one most of all. Flora Thompson definitely had the gift of telling a story with beauty and insight. Although these books read almost more like a documentary than a story, they are compelling and fascinating and full of understanding of the people of the English countryside in the 1880s and 90s.

In this book, Laura is working at the post office and Candleford Green, and it is from this book that most of the story lines and characters were taken when they made the BBC television show "Lark Rise To Candleford". The television show takes a lot of liberties and expands on the characters and stories in the books. But the books are still worth reading, especially if you enjoy history and 19th century England.

[Linda K · Rating 4 out of 5]

For documenting the period of the 1890's small village life in England, this book and it's sister books are fabulous. Details of daily life, including occupations, customs and habits of the village, homes and their decor, clothing fashions and the nature of the land are all here.

Laura is a young girl from Lark Rise, who goes to the nearby town of Candleford Green to become an apprentice to the Post Mistress Dorcas Lane. Her situation there affords her access to new friends and experiences.

The books in this series are used as a base for the BBC series "Lark Rise to Candleford", but only in a very loose sense. Both stand alone to be thoroughly enjoyed.

[Cecily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is finally where you get to the post office part. I really enjoyed her descriptions of day to day life in this village right before the turn of the century. Like the previous two books in the series, this book isn't about character development or plot. It feels much more like a memoir, but with really great descriptive passages of the surrounding country. It was super interesting to learn about the emerging social classes and how things changed so fast over those few years. I liked the whole trilogy immensely.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
The last volume tells about Laura Timmons' experiences working at the village post office. I find that all 3 volumes were more anecdotal than I preferred but the way of life (now vanished) is described vividly. I can't think of any other book which covers this particular section of British society in the 1880-1900 period.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had many interesting tidbits of post office life back in the day but not a lot of story. The end was rather ubrupt....like the author had a word limit and very suddenly realized she was about to hit it and had to end the book immediately.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful read. It paints a picture of an idyllic rural life at the turn of the 19th century.

[Mirel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful depictions, but no real story. It's all 'telling'. Quite a disappointment.

[Hannah Collard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really interesting as well as relaxing read.

[Elline Pelline]

A splendid ending. Thanks for visiting you, Laura!!!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trilogy of books that comprise Lark Rise to Candleford take us through a period of British history in which a world of seemingly endless continuity was in fact on the cusp of a period of more radical change than had occurred in any earlier part of history.

Flora Thompson’s three books nicely capture this transition. We begin with Lark Rise, appropriately a hamlet, the smallest urban arrangement, a small number of houses, as if to show the very constricted (but by no means unhappy) world of the 1880s.

Next comes Over to Candleford. The second book is still set in Lark Rise, but this time the Timmins family pay occasional villages to the village of Candleford. It is only a village, but much bigger and more sophisticated than Lark Rise, and the trilogy’s central character Laura Timmins (a thinly veiled self-portrait of Flora Thompson (née Timms) is introduced to a wider world than the one she has known, albeit one that still seems small to us.

Finally the trilogy ends with Candleford Green. Laura has left home to live in the village, where she works in a post office for Miss Lane a friend of her mother’s. Though more progressive than Lark Rise, Candleford Green is still quite old-fashioned at the beginning of the book, but the changes are starting to be felt.

Miss Lane is an appropriate guide for the young Laura here. She is a strong woman in control of her world, used to benevolently ordering her employees around, and happier reading Darwin than going to church. She would also have made a good blacksmith.

Laura is herself part of the new modern way of thinking, though the older Laura has one eye indulgently on her past life. Laura adopts the new fashions, and shares her parents support for the Liberals. Later she will be interested in socialism too.

Unlike Miss Lane, Laura will get married, but that lies outside the events in this book. She shows a little interest in males for the first time, but does not fall in love with any. In this she shares her mentor’s love of independence. Laura will also take on jobs that are not considered feminine such as delivering mail herself.

After all it is not only Candleford that is changing. Laura is maturing herself and becoming a young woman. She wishes to read her own books, even those considered shocking. She will eventually take a job somewhere else, rather than follow in Miss Lane’s position.

It will be a long time before women get full rights, but little things such as the proliferation of bicycles will give women more freedom to be out of the house. No wonder men originally opposed the idea of women riding bicycles.

Meanwhile Candleford is starting to change from being a village to being part of a small town. The traditional industries and activities are dying out. There will be fewer specialist workers, and no more spending almost an entire day making a jelly. Soon it will be a world of cars and urbanisation and modern warfare.

As with other books in the trilogy, Candleford Green is sometimes referred to as a novel. While Laura is a fictionalised version of Flora, and the locations are composites of areas local to Thompson’s upbringing rather than real places, I think it would make more sense to view the books as non-fiction.

Indeed viewers of the television series may find the books disappointing. There is no storyline here. It is merely a description of a way of life in late Victorian Britain. Few events happen, because very little did happen in such communities.

The pleasure for the modern reader is somewhat hard to place since nobody who was brought up in the world of Thompson’s childhood is alive today, so the books do not have nostalgic view.

They may appeal to people with conservative or reactionary values who think that this is how life should be today, but this is ironic since Thompson had more progressive opinions, and views the old-fashioned values with affectionate irony.

For me, the appeal of Candleford Green lies in the quality of Thompson’s writing, and her ability to lovingly evoke a world that may be lost forever and rightly so, but which had many good qualities too.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third of Flora Thompson’s three semi-autobiographical novellas that have been most often read in one volume as Lark Rise to Candleford . The first novella had felt like a collection of essays on life during the 1880s in the Oxfordshire hamlet that the titled hamlet Lark Rise was based on. While the author fictionalized herself as the young girl Laura, she spent much more time describing general life processes in Lark Rise than on events in Laura’s life. The second volume had a bit more storytelling and character development as Laura visits the larger town of Candleford, but still continued Thompson’s practice of focusing more on life processes in the town than in any storytelling.

This third volume follows the 14-year-old Laura as she goes to work as a postal assistant in Candleford Green, a village subordinate to the larger town of Candleford, but larger than the hamlet of Lark Rise. Thompson does describe events in Laura’s life and has some character development. There is even a chapter describing a romance for Laura. But there is less character development and plot than in your standard fiction as Thompson is still more focused on describing the general life process of life in Candleford Green than in creating any events that move a story forward.

Thompson is a much better observer and chronicler of life than a storyteller. However, Thompson was at least able to at least create characters and a setting that the makers of the Lark Rise to Candleford TV series were able to craft engaging stories out of. The TV series starts off with events in the third volume of the trilogy.

This book was not that engaging but was still informative enough that I will still rate it as 3 stars.

[Barbara Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candelford Green is the third installment of the Lark Rise to Candleford series, Flora Thompson’s semi-autobiographical account of growing up in a small English village.The books take place in the 1880s and 1890s, and Flora writes as an adult looking back at simpler times and the changes that happened since.

In the first book, Lark Rise, Flora’s alter-ego, Laura, is the oldest daughter in her family, living in the small village of Lark Rise. In the next book, Over to Candleford, Laura spends a lot of time with her relatives in Candleford Green, a slightly bigger village some eight miles away.

In this third book, Candleford Green, Laura works as an assistant in the post office. Young girls often went into service as maids or mother’s helpers at this time. Laura’s mother didn’t feel she was suited for either of those jobs. But when a friend of the Candleford relatives invites Laura to help her out in the Post Office, her family agrees to let her go.

Like the first two books, there’s no real plot. The book is mostly Laura’s observations of how the people lived, worked, celebrated, decorated their homes, etc. Along the way are little vignettes of some of the individuals who make up the village.

Overall, these were pleasant reads. I’m glad to finally be acquainted with Laura and the villagers.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final book in the Lark Rise trilogy. It picks up seconds after book two leaves off, as 14 year old Laura departs Lark Rise for a post-office job in the larger village of Candleford. We get a lot of very fun and interesting information about a late 19th century post office operates - Thompson has a great eye for detail. And we hear about various village eccentrics and Laura's comical (and awkwardly disastrous) forays into romance. Hanging over it all is a sense of dread (the narrator makes it clear that most of the village boys will not survive the events of 1914-1918) that cuts through the nostalgia. A satisfying end to a remarkable trilogy.

[LauraT · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the end I've liked the trilogy a lot: describing an England no more existing - a RURAL England I think was the best part of a country, which has forgotten itself, with progress...

Barchester Towers and Pride and Prejudice gave her a taste for the work of Trollope and Jane Austen which was to be a precious possession for life.

Mother’s out upon her bike, enjoying of the fun,
Sister and her beau have gone to take a little run.
The housemaid and the cook are both a-riding on their wheels;
And Daddy’s in the kitchen a-cooking of the meals.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to the first two books in this series, I felt like this was a bit deflating. While the descriptions are as good as ever, there almost seems to be a lack of hope, from the postmaster manipulating her to stay against her family’s wishes to a lackluster love interest gone sour. It’s interesting as a semi-historical work but sort of a depressing conclusion to the trilogy. It seemed to lack some of the spirit that the story stared with.

[Plum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad I read this trilogy of books because the social record was collected and delivered in such thorough detail. Some of it, looking in retrospect from 2020 felt horribly out moded - the behaviours and attitudes toward women eg, but some of it had a big sense of nostalgic recollection as the wildflowers and landscapes were so lovingly described

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just... a little dull? 3,5 stars

[Elisa Nolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tale. Again not much of a story. I also found it ended quite abruptly. Probably my favourite of the trilogy (had the most story of the three).

[Tas le Fay · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Overall quite charming.

[Susan Farr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not sure what happens to Laura at the end.