Carolien’s Comments (group member since Aug 29, 2014)

Carolien’s comments from the Retro Reads group.

I'm so glad this group read prompted me to read this book. I was in Sloane Square last week at the Underground station, but will have to go back at some point.

I found some parallels with the pandemic amusing - panic buying emptying the shelves at the outbreak of the war/pandemic and the initial disappearance of private transport until people realise that essential workers still need to go places.

It is scary to realise that some parts of the world are currently being bombed with missiles which have much greater power to destroy than these ones and in part of Ukraine these have been falling for more than 2 years now.

And, yes, Carol, I hoped she would find a shard of glass too!

I agree with Barb, it would have been nice to know what happened to some of the people after the war.

She's very funny on the pre-Raphaelite furniture which her grandfather and contemporaries designed. She's describes it as universally uncomfortable, beautiful pieces of furniture but comfort was never considered by the designers! In the summer house in Rottingdean were some chairs her grandfather had designed for a staging of the Knights of the Round Table and they were so comfortable that she thought the real knights would have been off on an adventure rather than sit on them!

Yes, I did. The three houses in the title is her own childhood home and her grandparents' house in London as well as their house in Sussex. Her grand-father was a famous painter Edward Burne-Jones who collaborated extensively with William Morris and had connections to the Rosettis. Her grandmother was probably William Morris's lover at some point. The local church in Rottingdean in Sussex had stained glass windows made by Burne-Jones and Morris (I wonder if they survived WWII?). Her cousin was Rudyard Kipling, he told the stories of Just so Stories to Angela Thirkell and her brother in Sussex before they were printed. It's a very late-Victorian childhood that she describes. The book was written in the 1931 and in it she laments the developments in London which had eviscerated the gardens and lanes of the Kensington of her childhood. I wonder what she would make of it now.

I've just finished Three Houses by Angela Thirkell. I never quite appreciated how intricately her family was connected in the UK art scene, but as she describes her childhood, there are all these famous artists which she mentions in an aside with a child's acceptance of them being part of the furniture (in her case quite literally as the houses were full of William Morris creations).

Jackie, what helps on Amazon is to check who the seller of the secondhand book is and then to order it directly from the seller's website. It's often cheaper and if you buy multiple books from the same seller, shipping is normally lower. I try to use someone like World of Books who is a registered B-Corp. In the UK at least, they offer free shipping.

Patrick wrote: "^ Cameron looks like an interesting author and I may scout around for some of her books,"

I inherited Mossford Manse, The But and the Ben and its sequel Tattered Tartan as well as The Folk of the Glen.

For someone so prolific she seems to have disappeared mostly.

Patrick wrote: "Carolien wrote: "I'm sorting my mother-in-law's books and found a couple by Isabel Cameron published in the 1930's and 40's. I cannot find any information on the author and it looks..."

Thank you so much!

Thank you, I'll read Queen Lucia first then join for Miss Mapp. Very helpful to have a kind of summary of the series progress, Susan!

I may join for this, but can someone confirm the official reading order for me? I have Miss Mapp and Mapp and Lucia on my shelf, but may need to order Queen Lucia from the library.

#10 with book #1 The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia

It was very interesting, introducing a part of WWII I had no knowledge of and Siberia as an actual environment where the family lived for 4 years in a village. Thank you whoever nominated it!

I'm another one with Penny Plain on my TBR for years. Hopefully this will get me to read it, Jenn!

I've never read any of these and the only author I have previously read is Barbara Pym, so glad to see that some of these are on your lists and favorites!

Here goes, Carol:

1. by Eudora Welty (1945)
2. by Barbara Pym (1961)
3. by F.M. Mayor (1924)
4. by Mary Renault (1947)
5. by Frances Faviell (1954)

I'll join, so many lovely books here! Quite a few are on my TBR. I'll have to think of my selection.

Her books seem to have a few female authors - Mrs Morland, Mrs Tebbens in August Folly and now Mrs Barton and Mrs Rivers.

One of the things that caught my attention was the literary references to classics which it is assumed the reader would be familiar with and I have to look all of them up!

I'm sorting my mother-in-law's books and found a couple by Isabel Cameron published in the 1930's and 40's. I cannot find any information on the author and it looks Scottish. Has anybody read her books or know more about her?

#4

Book #4 Black Narcissus
4 stars

Quite bleak, but it suits the landscape which is a major part of the book.

Barb in Maryland wrote: "#5

Book #3--An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden.

It was wonderful! Godden had such a clear, unsentimental way with her young characters..."

This is next on my list, so glad to see you enjoyed it!

#4

Book #3 Dear Hugo
4 stars

I saw Abigail and Jackie raving about it, so decided to take a quick look and then ended up reading the whole thing. I can see the influence of DE Stevenson, but loved the setting and the characters.

#4

Book #2 Ross Poldark
4 stars

I liked this a lot and have Demelza, so will definitely continue with the series.