I liked the writing in this book very much. I originally picked up Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons because it is on my BBC list. I am very glad it was. The characters of Gibbons novel are particular and quirky. I had a little trouble getting to know the family at first, but after I had everyone placed things went really well. I occasionally had to re-read a line or two here and there since the acent some of the characters has was written in a bit difficult language for me.
Women are all alike– aye fussin’ over their fal-lals and bedazin’ a man’s eyes…
I really enjoyed Flora and I loved how the Starkadders addressed her as “Robert Poste’s Child” all the time. I’m totally going to do that to my nephew next time I see him. I loved reading a Penguin Classic. There is something about these little back books that is so enjoyable! Stella Gibbons first novel was this in 1932 and I have to say she did a stellar job on her very first book! Simply amazing for a first effort. The introduction talks about how this plagued her for the rest of her life. She hardly ever talked about the book and when she did, she never mentioned it by name. Only saying that thing or something similar.
Spoilers below:
This woman Flora goes to live with her extended family on a farm out in the country and totally up turns their life. The little old grandmother is nits and hasn’t left her room upstairs in 20 years. On the rare occasion she does come down she performs the counting to see if anyone has died. No one is allowed to leave the farm or she goes into hysterics. The crazy old lady keeps saying she “saw something nasty in the woodshed”. This little saying is never explained in the book which I found infuriating! Flora bulldozes her way through the problem of the grandmother. One by one the kids leave to live their own lives. There are plenty other surprises in store for reads of the book as well. I got the feeling this book could have easily of had a sequel, but it seems that Gibbons felt a little strange about her first book and its immediate and overwhelming success.
There’s a sequel: Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm. Impossible to find but NYC’s main library has it. You can’t check it out but you can borrow it long enough to photocopy.
Well, what do you know! Thanks Roman! It’s been added to my to read list!