Persephone Books discussion

Thoughts on finishing.

I finished this book in two days. I love the way Dorothy Whipple draws me into a story. I could picture all of the people in this book. I do think Jane ended up with the best man for her. Whenever I finish one of her books, I always feel an anger towards Carmen Cahill. She said that virago would only publish books above the Whipple line, snubbing them in her own particular style. What do you all think if that?

I loved High Wages too .
I think this woman , Carmen Cahill, shows her ignorance by snubbing Dorothy Whipple. .
Whipple is an engrossing and brilliant writer .
Many books that I’ve read from Virago , on the other hand have been terrible , indeed , less than subpar .
It’s bizarre .

I agree, Mary. I have found some of their recent choices to be of no interest to me whatsoever. I prefer the older Virago books as they were what I consider classics- Daphne duMaurier, Muriel Spark, Patricia Highsmith… But, IMHO, you can’t beat a Dorothy Whipple!

Exactly! The older Viragos were indeed better …

I have just finished. Antoinette, I agree about the quality of Whipple's story telling. She really draws you into her novels. I will always be grateful to Persephone Books for bringing her to our attention, and I think Carmen Callil was proved wrong not to publish her given her popularity with those of us who have read her. I find myself searching out bot grey and dark green spines in a charity shop, and while I with always pick up a grey spine I don't own, I am much more selective when it comes to the green spines. I think Callil lead the vanguard though, so I'm grateful to her for that.

You are lucky , Tania. I have never found a Persephone in a Canadian second hand book store.
Definitely Carmen Callill brought us great viragos. . I just wish she hadn’t felt it necessary to diss Whipple.
Loved this book.

Very true, I think this one got a little melodramatic towards the end, some of the scenes with Noel showed that this was one of her early books; perhaps that is why Callil felt they weren't the right fit, but Virago even published The Way of an Eagle by Ethel M. Dell, surely that's far below the 'Whipple line'?