Scan barcode
A review by sathyasekar
The Provincial Lady in London by E.M. Delafield
3.0
I went all out to get this book after completing the first book of this series. I was not disappointed by the book all though I can't say it was better than the first.
This phase of the Provincial Lady's life revolves more around London. Her provincial home and society is very much there but with the happy success of her first book, our endearing Lady is thrown into an elitist circle which is curious and condescending about her. She holds her own in the pages of her diary with her pen- she draws for us again delightful caricatures of the people she meets. Some of the humor casts a sort of deja vu. You realize that at a basic level, the London life and people are not so different from those in the provincial world that the Lady drew in the first book of this series. What makes this second book a fun ride again is the ability of the writer to interpret the absurdities of life and be able to convey it in a deliciously funny way.
"Literary Agent saying how much he looks forward to seeing my new manuscript. (Can only hope that he enjoys the pleasures of anticipation as much as he says, since they are, at present rate of progress, likely to be prolonged.)"- a sample f her wit. I have often been awed by the prose of writers like P.G.Wodehouse and Georgette Heyer when delivering a witty dialogue or sentence. I am awed by Ms Delafield as well when she turns in sentences as above. I was laughing out loud when I read the above line but was also filled with envy at how with apparent ease and simplicity, Ms Delafield has executed such a comic turn and left me in splits. Genius, creativity, inspiration.. whatever you may choose to call it. It just rocks.
Despite all of this however, I still have to say that the first book was superior. It is however a very subjective opinion based on my personal preference for life in the country side. The wealth of characters and day-to-day situations I saw in the first book were easily r"elatable". I see them every day at home and could connect to the author immediately. In this book however, I felt the author was in a world she was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. That perhaps defines the success of the book but I felt I had lost my connection with the Provincial Lady. I also missed immensely Mademoiselle and Lady B and those lovely small-town characters who really brought the first book to life. In addition, I wish I had seen more of the children, the Vicar's wife, Robert and the rest.
But these are not deterrents from the book. This is another lovely offering from Ms Delafield. I look forward to the next one now.. just cant get enough of the Provincial Lady.
This phase of the Provincial Lady's life revolves more around London. Her provincial home and society is very much there but with the happy success of her first book, our endearing Lady is thrown into an elitist circle which is curious and condescending about her. She holds her own in the pages of her diary with her pen- she draws for us again delightful caricatures of the people she meets. Some of the humor casts a sort of deja vu. You realize that at a basic level, the London life and people are not so different from those in the provincial world that the Lady drew in the first book of this series. What makes this second book a fun ride again is the ability of the writer to interpret the absurdities of life and be able to convey it in a deliciously funny way.
"Literary Agent saying how much he looks forward to seeing my new manuscript. (Can only hope that he enjoys the pleasures of anticipation as much as he says, since they are, at present rate of progress, likely to be prolonged.)"- a sample f her wit. I have often been awed by the prose of writers like P.G.Wodehouse and Georgette Heyer when delivering a witty dialogue or sentence. I am awed by Ms Delafield as well when she turns in sentences as above. I was laughing out loud when I read the above line but was also filled with envy at how with apparent ease and simplicity, Ms Delafield has executed such a comic turn and left me in splits. Genius, creativity, inspiration.. whatever you may choose to call it. It just rocks.
Despite all of this however, I still have to say that the first book was superior. It is however a very subjective opinion based on my personal preference for life in the country side. The wealth of characters and day-to-day situations I saw in the first book were easily r"elatable". I see them every day at home and could connect to the author immediately. In this book however, I felt the author was in a world she was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. That perhaps defines the success of the book but I felt I had lost my connection with the Provincial Lady. I also missed immensely Mademoiselle and Lady B and those lovely small-town characters who really brought the first book to life. In addition, I wish I had seen more of the children, the Vicar's wife, Robert and the rest.
But these are not deterrents from the book. This is another lovely offering from Ms Delafield. I look forward to the next one now.. just cant get enough of the Provincial Lady.