Books! Books! Come on in!

    Did I go in? Of course I did!

    That signs points to the Deanery Book Stall, The Prior's Hall, Winchester, where I had a pleasant browse earlier in the week and bought a copy of The Ladies of Lyndon by Margaret Kennedy, acting on Thomas's recommendation from a year ago.

 

    "Agatha is the most beautiful, the most desirable of debutantes, a young woman reared for one purpose only: to make a triumphant marriage. This she does, and becomes Lady Clewer, Mistress of Lyndon, a perfect country house set in rolling Oxfordshire parkland. Head of a vast household, reigning over a large and idiosyncratic family - brilliantly portrayed - her days are filled with games of croquet, afternoon tea, witty conversation: Edwardian life at its most perfect. But Agatha is haunted by the the memory of a first attachment to her cousin Gerald - and the marriage contract at Lyndon includes no clause permitting passionate love ..."

    Have you read it, or Margaret Kennedy's more famous The Constant Nymph (a copy of which I left on the shelf)? Nicola Beauman says in her introduction that it is "extraordinarily rich in theme and subtle in overtone" and "more moving and less sentimental" than the later book; "a work of fiction of a high order."

Comments

[Mary]

You're reminding me that I bought Ladies of Lyndon in a charity shop ages ago and still haven't got around to reading it. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

[Anne]

.....and did you also visit Wells bookshop round the corner from St Swithuns church? A very good book shop indeed with an exceptionally strong children's section. Waterstones take note!

[Audrey]

I haven't read either book, though The Constant Nymph been in my unread-book collection for a very long time. But T when I was looking at the listings on Turner Classic Movies for this month I saw the title and found out that the book was made into a film in the 1940s with Joan Fontaine and Charles Boyer. I recorded it the other day and I'm looking forward to watching it soon.

[LizF]

Regrettably I have copies of both and read neither as yet! Story of my life!

[Cornflower]

I have so much waiting to be read that I shouldn't be buying anything at all, but I'd had that on my wish list for a while and it was a nice clean copy, so ...Not sure when I'll get to read it, though!

[Cornflower]

Another one for next time. Thank you, Anne!

[Cornflower]

I'd like to see that. Thanks, Audrey.

[Cornflower]

Mine too!

[Alex]

Would that I could see such signs. All our local second hand book shops have closed and I am reduced to charity shops. Still, it's perfectly possible to find the occasional hidden gem there on occasion and at least I can feel I'm doing some good at the same time.

[Cornflower]

Indeed, Alex.
I was pleased to see that funds raised at the Deanery Book Stall go towards boy choristers' scholarships.