Do You like book Diary Of A Provincial Lady (1999)?
It takes a truly talented mind to take the day to day life of a country house wife and convert it into a journal of light satire and human observation. It is a little wonder why The Diary..was a bestseller when it was published in 1933 and why the reprints are still so popular.To be honest, when I got through the first fifty pages or so, I wasn’t entirely impressed – it did seem like a 30s chick lit. Breezy, funny and a little bitchy. Its only when I started paying attention to the little notes to self in every other “diary entry” that I realized the depth of the book.Here is one of my favorite parts“..financial situation being what it is, and moreover rapidly approaching when great aunt’s diamond ring must either be redeemed or relinquished forever, there is nothing for it but to approach the Bank on subject of overdraft.Am never much exhilarated at this prospect, and do not in the least find that it becomes less unpleasant with repetition, but rather the contrary. Experience customary difficulty in getting to the point, and Bank Manager and I discuss weather, political situation, and probably Starters for the Grand National with passionate suavity for some time. Inevitable pause occurs, and we look at one another immense expanse of pink blotting paper. Irrelevant impulse rises in me to ask if he has other supply, for use, in writing table drawer, or if fresh pad is brought in whenever a client calls. (Strange divagations of the human brain under the stress of extreme nervousness presents itself here as interesting topic for speculation….”Don’t we all let our minds wander during conversations to ask such questions to self? And how can you not laugh out loud when you read something like this??!!As the novel in the form of someone’s personal journal, the writing style is highly informal and in some cases quite ungrammatical. Sometimes that can be a tad annoying, but keep reminding yourself that you are reading someone’s thoughts and they are not going to be structured. ( And to write a book this way is quite remarkable, in itself!)The book truly is delightful and full of interesting characters. There is Lady B, the ostentatious, snobby and condescending neighbor, the talkative but sincere Vicar’s wife, glamorous Rose and the theatrical Madamoiselle. Yes, most of the interesting characters are female, as they clearly reflect the sphere of interaction of an English country lady.Then there is our protagonist – the provincial lady herself. Though she is clearly an intelligent person, she is often fraught with spasms of inferiority as she compares her lives to people richer than her. She is devoted to her children and household, but often, aspires for the single and glamorous life of her friend Rose. She is far from perfect, but what makes her truly interesting, is that she handles all the drama in her life with wit and a pinch of salt.My mother has been a housewife all along, and though it wasn’t in the British countryside, her problems are pretty much the same. Dealing with domestic help, financial issues and trying to run the house in the budget, unexpected guests and working for community clubs. If I told my mother to read this book , she would say – this is my life! Maybe I should contemplate writing – “Diary of an Indian Housewife” – but am sure even if I had all the material I wouldn’t have half the wit.Although not in the same league of Elizabeth Gaskell whose satire on country life makes for brilliant prose, Delafield’s narrative is contemporary and close to the heart. I would not say this is for everyone, but if you read early 20th century British fiction you would enjoy this.Trivia: Delafield was the pen name for E.M Dashwood who herself was a prolific contributor to the Time and Tide publication mentioned several times in this book
—Vipula
This review is just of the first Provincial Lady book, though the Virago edition does contain the sequels too. I started with high hopes, as I usually like diary-style books, but quickly found the lady's life rather boring, as her major problems are things like Cook preparing a cold dinner instead of a hot one. There are many witty lines and some amusing incidents, but the book as a whole is rather repetitive and a lot of the humour just doesn't work for me. For instance, comments by the governess, Mademoiselle, seem to be relayed on nearly every page, but there is nothing funny or even interesting about them except the fact that they are in French.On the plus side, I did enjoy the Lady's discussion of many books she's read, and I often found I enjoyed this novel more if I picked it up and read just a few paragraphs at a time. The book originally appeared as a magazine column (as betrayed by the endless plugs for other features in the journal 'Time and Tide') and I suspect it would have worked much better for me in that format.
—Judy
Having treated myself to the new Persephone edition of Diary of a Provincial Lady I decided to re-read it right away. One of the things that sold me on the new edition (already owning an old Virago copy of the complete Provincial lady) was the lovely endpaper – which will remain one of my favourites.Our eponymous Provincial Lady – is an upper middle class wife and mother – who records in her journal the daily vicissitudes of life. Married to the often taciturn Robert, mother to Robin and Vicky, the provincial lady has large house and is served by a cook, house-parlour maid, and French governess. She is a nice lady; she tries to keep everyone happy although frequently assailed by hilariously irreverent thoughts – which she shares with her journal. Socially speaking she is frequently embarrassed, not having read the right books, seen the right plays or got around to seeing the exhibition that everyone else seems to have. Hopeless at tennis, tennis parties are awkward, and the PL finds her children not always quite as well behaved as the other children. The provincial lady – whose name we never learn, lives in Devon, battles with her indoor bulbs and is driven to quiet distraction by the dreadful Lady Boxe – who not only knows exactly what to do with bulbs but holidays in the South of France at the height of the season. “Find myself indulging in rather melodramatic fantasy of Bentley crashing into enormous motor-bus and being splintered to atoms. Permit chauffeur to escape unharmed, but fate of Lady B. left uncertain, owing to ineradicable impression of earliest childhood to the effect that It is Wicked to wish for the Death of Another. Do not consider, however, that severe injuries, with possible disfigurement, come under this law – but entire topic unprofitable, and had better be dismissed.”provincial ladyIn the company of the delightful provincial lady, whose wit is really quite infectious, we meet a number of memorable local characters from the village including ‘our vicar’s wife’, Barbara Blenkinsop and her mother, about whom the whole village is talking when Barbara becomes engaged. With aspirations of authorship, our dear P L casts her wry observant eye over her friends and neighbours – including her old school friend Cissy Crabbe – who lives in a bedsit with a gas ring in Norwich, her best friend dear Rose, and a school friend of Robin’s, who the P L is forced to admit is more attractive than her own children. Despite her social position, her servants and her furs, the PL is often in rather strained financial circumstances, which forces her to visit the pawnbroker with her great aunt’s diamond ring. Constantly worrying over the state of her wardrobe and her general appearance she is driven to try modest improvements with mixed results. “Later. – Worst fears realised, as to hair. Dear Mary, always so observant, gazes at it in nerve-shattering silence but says nothing, till I am driven to make half-hearted explanation. Her only comment is that she cannot imagine why anybody should deliberately make themselves look ten years older than they need. Feel that, if she wishes to discourage further experiments on my part, this observation could scarcely be improved upon.”Included in this new Persephone edition are some lovely original 1930’s illustrations by Arthur Watts, which I think are a brilliant addition to what is already a beautiful product. I suspect that this Persephone book (number 105) is likely to be one of those books that is often bought as a gift, a lovely thing to receive for anyone I would think.
—Ali
