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clarissa_reads99's review
4.0
Very funny, very British. Eccentrics, absent minded Vicar, a church fete, romance, and much more. A delightful read.
karen_unabridged's review against another edition
4.0
A very lovely D.E. Stevenson-esque story. Had a bit of trouble keeping the cast of characters straight at first (and also, was so very tired that I kept falling asleep. No fault of the story, just my own current circumstances). But once I was into it I wanted to both savor it and rush through to find out what would happen next.
Very well drawn village inhabitants with a gentle but humorous edge. They have faults and failures but everyone works together when they must. Elizabeth Fair must have noticed and understood everyone around her to get the people this right.
Not as deep as Elizabeth Goudge, not as flippant as Stella Gibbon, and somehow kinder than Miss Read, means this adds up to a quite satisfying "middlebrow" read.
A few favorite lines:
"Mrs Custance was fond of saying that she was just an ordinary woman, and in saying it she contrived to suggest that this was much the best thing to be. She was constantly on the watch lest her nearest and dearest should do anything markedly unusual; for an ordinary woman, to be consistent, must have an ordinary family circle surrounding her." There's also a short bit about Mrs Custance believing herself to be the soul of discretion that I loved. (People who believe this about themselves so seldom are!)
"To enjoy pretending to be eccentric is, in itself, a sort of eccentricity."
"Sir James had the happy belief that the things which belonged to him were somehow better than the things which belonged to other people." (Everyone knows someone like this, right?)
Very well drawn village inhabitants with a gentle but humorous edge. They have faults and failures but everyone works together when they must. Elizabeth Fair must have noticed and understood everyone around her to get the people this right.
Not as deep as Elizabeth Goudge, not as flippant as Stella Gibbon, and somehow kinder than Miss Read, means this adds up to a quite satisfying "middlebrow" read.
A few favorite lines:
"Mrs Custance was fond of saying that she was just an ordinary woman, and in saying it she contrived to suggest that this was much the best thing to be. She was constantly on the watch lest her nearest and dearest should do anything markedly unusual; for an ordinary woman, to be consistent, must have an ordinary family circle surrounding her." There's also a short bit about Mrs Custance believing herself to be the soul of discretion that I loved. (People who believe this about themselves so seldom are!)
"To enjoy pretending to be eccentric is, in itself, a sort of eccentricity."
"Sir James had the happy belief that the things which belonged to him were somehow better than the things which belonged to other people." (Everyone knows someone like this, right?)
thenovelbook's review
4.0
It's surprising that I ended up giving this one four stars, because for a significant part of the book I had trouble keeping characters straight, or even really caring whether I could or not. I blame this on the fact that I had long intervals between reading the first part of the book. The latter half I breezed through, and the comedic moments kept me chuckling until I decided that really I do like it.
In this book, multiple characters in a village pop in and out, like each other or don't, change their minds in some cases, and generally all manage to get along in spite of eccentricities. So it's a gentle, domestic book with middle-class and slightly upper-class Brits from the mid-20th century. Just my cup of tea.
Here is a sample:
"Mr. Custance appeared at the door, holding a book in his hand and asking if Amy could find room for it in her suitcase. Mrs. Custance answered blithely that he would not need books in Cornwall; they would go for long walks and there would be other people to talk to in the evenings. Since he already had several books secreted in his own suitcase and in his coat pockets, Mr. Custance took this rebuff bravely."
I do like that! ;)
In this book, multiple characters in a village pop in and out, like each other or don't, change their minds in some cases, and generally all manage to get along in spite of eccentricities. So it's a gentle, domestic book with middle-class and slightly upper-class Brits from the mid-20th century. Just my cup of tea.
Here is a sample:
"Mr. Custance appeared at the door, holding a book in his hand and asking if Amy could find room for it in her suitcase. Mrs. Custance answered blithely that he would not need books in Cornwall; they would go for long walks and there would be other people to talk to in the evenings. Since he already had several books secreted in his own suitcase and in his coat pockets, Mr. Custance took this rebuff bravely."
I do like that! ;)
doramac's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
krobart's review
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/day-1185-landscape-in-sunlight/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/day-1185-landscape-in-sunlight/
rojaed's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lisamck's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
robinwalter's review
Nearly a third read and there were no characters I cared enough about to keep reading, and a couple I disliked enough to stop reading
celestialwillow's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Read this as it was recommended to lovers of Angela Thirkell novels. I can see where the comparison is coming from, but Elizabeth Fair isn't quite at the same level as Angela. Readable, though.
quietjenn's review
3.0
Pleasant and unassuming. Very typical of Fair, although I think most of her other books are better. There's a character in this one that I quite disliked, so that's swaying me a bit.