A quick visit to a nearby charity bookshop this morning produced this 'old green Virago' edition of E. M. Delafield's 1932 novel Thank Heaven Fasting
The title is from As You Like It: "Thank Heaven, fasting, for a good man's love", and the book is, I read, proof of the author's good ear and exceptional eye, here set to record the progress of a young woman whose "failure or success in life depended entirely upon whether or not she succeeded in getting a husband." In it Delafield revisits a theme of her 1919 book Consequences
Full of the author's acute perception and wry humour, this is spoken of as "perhaps her greatest, and most certainly her harshest, novel" (see this article). Has anyone read it?
On the subject of finding these old Viragos, my searches locally don't always yield anything much, but occasionally they do, and I've bought some good things in excellent condition - I can't bear scruffy, tatty books! By the way, the cover image on this one comes from the May 1920 cover of Vogue.
I do hope her success doesn't depend on her finding a husband! I note with surprise that the Vogue "Cover Archive" only has one issue from 1920 available and it isn't this one. Fifteen minutes of searching on the web has so far failed to locate it either. Can you tell us who the artist is?
Posted by: Dark Puss | 24 January 2009 at 02:08 PM
The Virago credit gives the artist as "Little", DP.
Posted by: Cornflower | 24 January 2009 at 02:14 PM
I normally only worry if the
contents
of the book are "scruffy, tatty"! Otherwise, a lot of Oxfam 99 pence bargains would be missed.
Posted by: Lindsay | 24 January 2009 at 02:23 PM
Ah, but it's the whole experience - aesthetic and intellectual - that I want, Lindsay!
Posted by: Cornflower | 24 January 2009 at 02:28 PM
Interesting! I HAVE now found your cover, but the artist is given as "Elspeth A. Little" which I cannot easily turn into "DP". You can see it here http://www.derbycityprints.com/Journals_and_Publications_Little_Vogue_Dresses_Hats_image-10887.htm , and also that it is June 1920 and not May. Do you think there was a slip up at Virago in checking the credits?
Posted by: Dark Puss | 24 January 2009 at 02:33 PM
Yes I have this edition on my shelves and have read it. It is a cruel book in many ways with the same theme as Consequences, ie that if you do not have a husband you are a failure. One of her best
Posted by: Elaine | 24 January 2009 at 06:27 PM
I bought this in the same edition at an op shop myself, but still haven't read it yet. One of these days!
Posted by: Sarah | 25 January 2009 at 01:17 PM
Though not a passionately "Delafield of the Provincial Ladies" fan (I have three of them and have read the first, started second ...), this book sounds very much better and the cover is marvellous!
Posted by: Rebecca Chapman | 25 January 2009 at 04:28 PM
Very good novel, though nothing like the PL books. The same edition I have, a very nice it is too.
Posted by: Simon T | 26 January 2009 at 10:15 PM
I have a gorgeous first edition of this one complete with very boring original d/j, the Virago looks much more enticing!
Posted by: dovegreyreader | 28 January 2009 at 07:44 PM