Reading the 20th Century discussion

Having just read At Mrs Lippincote's, I'm blown away and can't resist setting up a thread to discuss Elizabeth Taylor - nothing to do with the actress!



Which books by this author have you read, and which would you recommend? I think so far I've only read At Mrs Lippincote's, her first, which I loved, and Angel, which I don't remember very well.

Here's her Goodreads bio (slightly updated):

Elizabeth Taylor (née Coles) was a popular English novelist and short story writer. Elizabeth Coles was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1912. She was educated at The Abbey School, Reading, and worked as a governess, as a tutor and as a librarian.

In 1936, she married John William Kendall Taylor , a businessman. She lived in Penn, Buckinghamshire, for almost all her married life.

Her first novel, At Mrs. Lippincote's, was published in 1945 and was followed by eleven more. Her short stories were published in various magazines and collected in four volumes. She also wrote a children's book.

Taylor's work is mainly concerned with the nuances of "everyday" life and situations, which she writes about with dexterity. Her shrewd but affectionate portrayals of middle class and upper middle class English life won her an audience of discriminating readers, as well as loyal friends in the world of letters.

She was a friend of the novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett and of the novelist and critic Robert Liddell.

Elizabeth Taylor died at age 63 of cancer.

Anne Tyler once compared Taylor to Jane Austen, Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Bowen -- "soul sisters all," in Tyler's words . In recent years new interest has been kindled by movie makers in her work. French director Francois Ozon, made "The Real Life of Angel Deverell" . American director Dan Ireland's screen adaptation of Taylor's "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" came out in the US in 2006 and has made close to $1 million. A British distributor picked it up at Cannes, and the movie was released in England in 2009.

A member in another group had posted books by Taylor. I had noticed, but not enough to delve further. Then she invited me to join a year of reading Elizabeth Taylor. No time like the present, I thought. So I've read the first 3 of her novels and will start A Wreath of Roses within the next two weeks.

At Mrs Lippincote's
Palladian
A View of the Harbour - this is my favorite of the three.

I'm glad you opened the thread, Judy, but more especially that you liked At Mrs. Lippincote's.

I haven't read anything by her. I was also invited to the Elizabeth Taylor group, but just didn't feel I could fit in any more groups/authors. However, you have whetted my appetite to try her, Judy.

I have discovered that The Soul Of Kindness and Angel lurk on my kindle. I must have picked them up when on offer.

The link to Bowen interests me, as you know I am a huge fan of Bowen's novels.

I would say there are similarities between Taylor and Bowen from what I've read by both so far - they both pick up on the minutiae of family relationships. However I enjoyed this Elizabeth Taylor book more than I've enjoyed Bowen so far.

I've only read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont which I liked very much. The movie was great too.

I've recently bought a copy of Mrs Palfrey and am looking forward to reading it. :)

I hope you enjoy it Judy.

I read "Mrs Palfrey" last year and really enjoyed it : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...?.
I had read it and some of her others many years ago, but don't remember them well enough to have reviewed them.

I have read a few. I loved Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and At Mrs Lippincote's. I also recently enjoyed a collection of short stories by her, A Dedicated Man, And Other Stories. She is one of the better short story writers, in my opinion.
I'll also be starting A Wreath of Roses soon.

Elizabeth Taylor gets a namecheck in the most recent Backlisted Podcast....


https://www.backlisted.fm/episodes/80...

Joining Andy and John in this episode is Carmen Callil, the legendary publisher and writer, who is best know for founding the Virago Press in 1972. Once described by the Guardian as ‘part-Lebanese, part-Irish and wholly Australian’, Carmen settled in London in 1964 advertising herself in The Times as ‘Australian, B.A. wants job in book publishing’. After changing a generation’s taste through her publishing at Virago, and in particular the Virago Modern Classics, which continues to bring back into print hundreds of neglected women writers, Carmen went on to run Chatto & Windus and became a global Editor-at-Large for Random House. In 2006 she published Bad Faith: A History of Family & Fatherland, which Hilary Spurling called ‘a work of phenomenally thorough, generous and humane scholarship’. Appointed DBE in 2017, she was also awarded the Benson Medal in the same year, awarded to mark ‘meritorious works in poetry, fiction, history and belles-lettres’. The book under discussion is one of her favourite novels, The Tortoise & the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins, first published by Gollancz in 1954 and triumphantly reissued by Virago Modern Classics in 1983.

Elizabeth Taylor's...


The Soul of Kindness

...is the book discussed by the latest Backlisted and most inspirational and enticing it is too

Here Andy and John are joined by two returning guests: Carmen Callil and Rachel Cooke. Carmen is the legendary publisher and writer, who is best known for founding the Virago Press in 1972. After changing a generation’s taste through her publishing at Virago, and in particular the Virago Modern Classics, which continues to bring back into print hundreds of neglected women writers, Carmen went on to run Chatto & Windus and became a global Editor-at-Large for Random House. In 2006 she published Bad Faith: A History of Family & Fatherland, which Hilary Spurling called ‘a work of phenomenally thorough, generous and humane scholarship’. Appointed DBE in 2017, she was also awarded the Benson medal in the same year, awarded to mark ‘meritorious works in poetry, fiction, history and belles-lettres’. She last joined us in 2018 to discuss Elizabeth Jenkins’ The Tortoise and the Hare.

Rachel is one of the UK’s most celebrated journalists, trained at the Sunday Times, and a regular contributor now at the Observer and the New Statesman, where she is TV critic. In the 2006 British Press Awards, she was named Interviewer of the Year and her latest book is Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary Women of the Fifties, published by Virago in 2013. Rachel joined us on the eleventh Backlisted to discuss All the Devils Are Here by David Seabrook. Her advocacy (on Backlisted and elsewhere) helped get the book back into print through Granta, where it is now one of their bestselling backlist titles.

The book that Rachel and Carmen are discussing is The Soul of Kindness, the ninth novel by Elizabeth Taylor, first published by Chatto & Windus in 1964, and reissued by Carmen in 1974 and published as a Virago Modern Classics in 1983.

This episode also includes Andy finding his way into Richard King’s musical odyssey, The Lark Ascending: The Music of the British Landscape, (Faber) and John enjoys diving into the past with Kathleen Jamie’s exquisite Surfacing (Sort Of Books).

Books mentioned:

Elizabeth Taylor - The Soul of Kindness; Angel; A Game of Hide and Seek; In A Summer Season; Complete Short Stories
Richard King - The Lark Ascending
Kathleen Jamie - Surfacing
Rachel Cooke - Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary Women of the Fifties
Carmen Callil - Bad Faith: A History of Family & Fatherland
Barry Lopez - Arctic Dreams
David Seabrook - All the Devils Are Here
Nicola Beauman - The Other Elizabeth Taylor
Jane Gardam - Old Filth
Shena McKay - The Orchard on Fire
Tessa Hadley - Late in the Day

https://www.backlisted.fm/episodes/10...

I haven't read any Taylor yet but she sounds like someone I'd like - any recommendations for a good first read?

I have read three - would definitely recommend Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont and A Wreath of Roses, and I also enjoyed her first novel At Mrs Lippincotes (I was a rather inactive member of the group Elizabeth mentioned above here that was reading all of her novels in sequence one a month, but after the first one I decided I had too many other reading commitments).

That looks good! Not a one of Elizabeth Taylor's books are available at audible.uk :0(

Thanks Hugh - At Mrs Lippincote's and A Wreath of Roses both sound enticing.

I'm not sure I like Virago's new Laura Ashley-esque covers:



- if it weren't for the recommendations here I'd have shied away from the implied bland prettiness. From what I've heard, that doesn't sound like Taylor at all.

I’m currently reading this. I have to finish it before I listen to the podcast.

The podcast, with the wonderful Carmen Callil and Rachel Cooke, is very interesting and inspirational


I'm certainly convinced that I need to give Elizabeth Taylor a try

She has definitely been on my reading radar for a while now. Possible buddy read at some point?

Yes, let's do it


The Soul of Kindness sounds good

Not much plot but still plenty to enjoy - if the Podcast is to be believed, and they're usual very reliable

Blurb....
"Here I am!" Flora called to Richard as she went downstairs. For a second, Meg felt disloyalty. It occurred to her of a sudden that Flora was always saying that, and that it was in the tone of one giving a lovely present. She was bestowing herself.'

The soul of kindness is what Flora believes herself to be. Tall, blonde and beautiful, she appears to have everything under control -- her home, her baby, her husband Richard, her friend Meg, Kit, Meg's brother, who has always adored Flora, and Patrick the novelist and domestic pet. Only the bohemian painter Liz refuses to become a worshipper at the shrine.

Flora entrances them all, dangling visions of happiness and success before their spellbound eyes. All are bewitched by this golden tyrant, all conspire to protect her from what she really is. All, that is, except the clear-eyed Liz: it is left to her to show them that Flora's kindness is the sweetest poison of them all.

OK, I'm in. Let me know when.

Me too :)

Hurrah. Thanks Susan. Thanks Roman Clodia.


I know it's a long way off, but how about April 2020?

We have some fairly chunky buddy reads between now and then so it seems like the next obvious window.

I've had trouble getting my hands on copies of Elizabeth Taylor books here in the US. I've also tried searching through UK companies, and I get zero results (unless they have something that includes the actress.) I asked at my local secondhand shop, and they'd never heard of her. I'll have to try harder.

Edit - clearly it's been a while since I looked. Now loads are available b/c of the new editions.

I’m up for a buddy read too.

Excellent - I've read 6 or 7 of Taylor's books, but The Soul of Kindness wasn't one of them, so I'm in too!

There's definite bite to her books, the dark side of human nature, so I agree with RC that the new flowery covers are misleading - they're not really a good reflection of Taylor's style.

That one does sound quite tempting.

I like the sound of the 'bite' Pamela mentions.

Btw, Taylor seems to get mentioned with Ivy Compton-Burnett, an author who seems to have dropped out of fashion but who sounds interesting - anyone read her?

I haven't read Ivy Compton-Burnett, RC.

Nigeyb, I am fine with whenever you choose. We do have some big books coming up, I agree.

No, I have never read Ivy Compton-Burnett

Wonderful news.


I'll schedule in The Soul of Kindness for April 2019

Another read to look forward to

Blurb....

"Here I am!" Flora called to Richard as she went downstairs. For a second, Meg felt disloyalty. It occurred to her of a sudden that Flora was always saying that, and that it was in the tone of one giving a lovely present. She was bestowing herself.'

The soul of kindness is what Flora believes herself to be. Tall, blonde and beautiful, she appears to have everything under control -- her home, her baby, her husband Richard, her friend Meg, Kit, Meg's brother, who has always adored Flora, and Patrick the novelist and domestic pet. Only the bohemian painter Liz refuses to become a worshipper at the shrine.

Flora entrances them all, dangling visions of happiness and success before their spellbound eyes. All are bewitched by this golden tyrant, all conspire to protect her from what she really is. All, that is, except the clear-eyed Liz: it is left to her to show them that Flora's kindness is the sweetest poison of them all.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Taylor seems to get mentioned with Ivy Compton-Burnett, an author who seems to have dropped out of fashion but who sounds interesting - anyone read her?"

I'm a no too RC

I've seen her name crop up in histories and biographies but have never gone on to investigate

Do you think we should dive in?

Plenty to choose from....

Dolores (1911)
Pastors and Masters (1925)
Brothers and Sisters (1929)
Men and Wives (1931)
More Women Than Men (1933)
A House and Its Head (1935)
Daughters and Sons (1937)
A Family and a Fortune (1939)
Parents and Children (1941)
Elders and Betters (1944)
Manservant and Maidservant (1947)*
Two Worlds and Their Ways (1949)
Darkness and Day (1951)
The Present and the Past (1953)
Mother and Son (1955)
A Father and His Fate (1957)
A Heritage and Its History (1959)
The Mighty and Their Fall (1961)
A God and His Gifts (1963)
The Last and the First (posthumous, 1971)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Com...

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/ivy/i...

A House and Its Head has recently been republished by New York Review Books but there are also Kindle and second hand copies of her books on Amazon and elsewhere.

I'll investigate a bit and we can see what we think.

Roman Clodia wrote: "I haven't read any Taylor yet but she sounds like someone I'd like - any recommendations for a good first read?"

I have read all of her novels, my favourites were Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, At Mrs Lippincote's, Angel, and In a Summer Season.
I have also read Darkness and Day, which I think I read on Kindle Unlimited. I struggled with it as it's told entirely in dialogue. She is a bit of a Marmite author as she's rather experimental. I would be interested in reading Elizabeth and Ivy, a book of letters between her and Elizabeth Taylor, but ya know...

Roman Clodia wrote: "A House and Its Head has recently been republished by New York Review Books but there are also Kindle and second hand copies of her books on Amazon and elsewhere.

I'll investigate a..."


We now have a dedicated thread for Ivy Compton-Burnett....

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

It will make it easier to separate out any Ivy Compton-Burnett chat

Susan wrote: "OK, I'm in. Let me know when."


Pamela wrote: "Excellent - I've read 6 or 7 of Taylor's books, but The Soul of Kindness wasn't one of them, so I'm in too!"

Clare wrote: "I’m up for a buddy read too."

Hugh wrote: "That one does sound quite tempting."

Here's our thread for the forthcoming April 2020 buddy read of The Soul of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor

The Soul of Kindness was the ninth novel by Elizabeth Taylor, first published by Chatto & Windus in 1964, and later reissued as a Virago Modern Classics in 1983.

See you in mid-April

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I’m in too! :)

Susan, Clare, Pamela, Judy, maybe Hugh and me


#dreamteam

Anyone else?

I've just read my first Taylor (Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont) and enjoyed its waspishness - so I'm in for The Soul of Kindness too.

My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3004027648

Great review RC. I'm hoping I enjoy my first foray into ET's oeuvre too. Got a feeling it might not be my particular cup of Earl Grey though. I hope I'm proved wrong.

I wasn't sure this would be the right book for me as I tend not to like books about ageing (makes me worry about my mum!) but the 99p Kindle offer was too good to resist - and I was very happy to be proved wrong. The blurbs make her stories seem different from each other which sounds promising. I really hope you click with her too. I'm definitely planning to read more.

Great review. I might join in on The Soul of Kindness, but I read it earlier this year, so it depends on how busy I am at the time.
I agree that those covers are very misleading, they are rather Chick-litish.

I've just started Elizabeth Taylor's...


The Soul of Kindness



I'm excited to be reading my first book by Elizabeth Taylor

Tania wrote: "Great review. I might join in on The Soul of Kindness, but I read it earlier this year, so it depends on how busy I am at the time."

I hope you do have the time to join us in a couple of weeks Tania

I think I will as I did work in a Restaurant, I'm pretty sure I own a copy. I'll look forward to this one.

Hurrah

Nigeyb wrote: "I've just started Elizabeth Taylor's...


The Soul of Kindness"


And now I've finally finished it - in time for our forthcoming discussion

It's a pitch perfect disection of the boredom and loneliness which is a feature of so many lives.

The characters are perfectly realised, and The Soul of Kindness is a melancholic masterpiece.

I'm now really looking forward to discovering what the rest of you make of this novel.

Here’s my review

5/5

Good to hear you enjoyed this so much Nigeyb - I'm just starting Bowen's Friends and Relations then it's Taylor next for me.

As mentioned on the currently reading discussion, I saw...


Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (1971)

by

Elizabeth Taylor

...in my local library and it called my name in a throaty, somewhat aged, whisper

You won't need me to tell you that it's our August 2021 read for the 20th Century Women challenge

I'm getting ahead of the game

It is still superb. I'm about 60% through it and loving every page. Elizabeth Taylor is fab. Her perceptiveness is right up there with Anita Brookner and Patrick Hamilton. A really immersive read and an utterly convincing evocation of old age. Yet surprising too

It's only the second book by her I have read. The first was the amazing The Soul of Kindness which I mention a couple of posts above this one.

Here's a question for the ET cognoscenti...

Are all her books up to this exceptionally high standard?

If not, what are the other must-read books?

She is one of my favourite authors and I do think all of her books are superb. I think her characterisation i s fantastic, she creates some deeply flawed characters, but still makes you care for them. This is generally regarded as her best, along with Angel, (a particularly unpleasant character, and a brilliant book). Mt other two favourites are In a Summer Season and At Mrs Lippincote's.

Next month I'm planning on re-reading A View of the Harbour which I picked up recently in Oxfam, it's been too long since I've read her.