Book Review by George S: This is a thoroughly unpleasant book. It takes the form of the journal of Sir Nicholas Thormonde, who has been wounded in the Great War: I am sick of my life—The war has robbed it of all that a young man can find of joy.I look at my mutilated face … Continue reading
Filed under Book reviews …
The Gate Marked Private (1928) by Ethel M Dell
Book review by Sylvia Dunkley: I listened with fascination to all the tales of rape and violence in most of the books by Ethel M Dell read by the other members of the Monday Reading Group. The Gate Marked Private contains nothing like that; just two kisses, one of which is portrayed as ‘a short … Continue reading
Happy Jack (1936) by Max Brand
Book Review by George S: Happy Jack was published in book form in 1936, but it had first appeared in 1930, as a serial in Western Story Magazine, under one of Max Brand’s many pseudonyms, George Owen Baxter. Max Brand was itself a pseudonym. The author was born Frederick Faust, in 1892; other names he … Continue reading
The Heritage of the Sioux (1916) by BM Bower
Book Review by Kathryn R: Bower was a prolific writer of westerns. She wrote novels short stories and screenplays. She made a good living at it – shown by the fact that she divorced her first husband who called her his little red headed gold mine. He came home in a drunken rage so she … Continue reading
Summer Half (1937) by Angela Thirkell
Book Review by Hilary Temple ‘It seems to me highly improbable that any such school, masters, or boys could ever have existed.’ In writing this as a preliminary to Summer Half Thirkell had her tongue firmly in her cheek (a place it was quite used to occupying). Mother of three very bright sons, she had … Continue reading
Sylvester (1957) by Georgette Heyer
By Val Hewson I have been a fan of Georgette Heyer since a teacher recommended her, in an attempt to get the class in the mood for our Year 10 set book, Pride and Prejudice. She is an under-rated writer, whose work has long been scorned. Romance? Historical fiction? Comedy? Written by a woman and … Continue reading
The Toll-Gate (1955) by Georgette Heyer
Book Review by George S.: I’ve read reviews on the internet complaining that The Toll-Gate is not a proper ‘Regency Romance’ in the usual Georgette Heyer manner. It isn’t. It’s more of a comedy-thriller romp set in the past – and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hero is Jack Staple, a huge man, a Captain … Continue reading
The Woman’s Journal, December 1927
Magazine Review by Jane V: Cover portrait – The Countess of Cromer, by Philip A. de Laszlo MVO Serials Life of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, Duchess of York by Lady Cynthia Asquith This is a disorganised instalment of a much longer biography, illustrated by photos. It is rather oily in style.
The Brandons (1939) by Angela Thirkell
Book Review by Hilary Temple. Written in 1938, this represents the calm before the storm in Barsetshire (and elsewhere in the world). It is a good example of Thirkell’s masterly inactivity: very little happens and she describes it in beautiful detail and with humour. The opening scene at breakfast in the pleasant country house of … Continue reading
An Eye for a Tooth (1943) – Dornford Yates
Book review by George S: This is one of Dornford Yates’s Chandos series of thrillers. The cover of the first edition makes that very clear. It pictures a mediaeval-looking street (which does not correspond to any location in the novel) hung with signs advertising the previous thrillers in the series. It’s an odd cover – … Continue reading
