The Diary of a Provincial Lady

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The Heel of Achilles (1920) - the story of a lower middle-class girl marrying into the gentry, whose daughter Jane rebels against her. A fictional diary from the 1920s, almost entirely taking place in the Devonshire countryside, is lively, amusing and most enjoyable. It might have been boring, but most certainly isn't and although life is very different today, some of the problems encountered chime with our own. It was a nice quiet read. Sometimes I just need that. Sometimes I don’t want to read a novel in which I am warned ahead of time that one or more godawful things will happen. Nothing godawful happened in this novel…well there were a couple of minor things that I questioned the political correctness of, but I can overlook them… 😉 The Provincial Lady Goes Further (1932) - continuation, beginning with astonishment at receiving a large royalty cheque (from Provincial Lady). Dedicated to Cass Canfield. [5]

If you’re interested in my thoughts on other books from 1930, you can find the relevant posts via the following links: The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E M Delafield With Illustrations by Arthur Watts First published 1930 The Provincial Lady spends a great deal of time fending off the bank manager’s letters informing her of her overdraft; this surprised me, but this was an age where a certain standard of living was expected of a certain class of people, whether they could afford it or not. The family’s house appears to stand in the only grounds capable of hosting open-air church events, and has a home farm where they send for extra eggs or cream when a visitor comes to stay. The household budget is tight, although they employ a cook, a housemaid and a gardener as well as the younger child’s governess (the older one, a boy, is at boarding school). The Provincial Lady often feels the urge to buy a new dress or hat (and does so), which is a rather endearing way of dealing with the bank manager. The book details the ordinary frustrations of such a life in a highly entertaining way – there’s not a hint of resentment or complaint, just a succession of her witty and hilarious descriptions of day-to-day events. Life for the aspirational Provincial Lady can be challenging, even at the best of times. Irrespective of the family’s middle-class status, there never seems to be quite enough money at hand to pay the never-ending stream of household bills, often leading to a reliance on credit and the goodwill of traders. Moreover, our protagonist frequently has to resort to bluffing her way through conversations with various acquaintances in an effort to save face, never having read quite the right books, seen the latest plays, or attended the de rigueur exhibitions of the day. A Reversion to Type (1923) - a bad hat from a country family marries Rose, a girl he meets on a voyage to Ceylon. After he dies of drink, she makes her life in his family house, finally managing to escape her guilt over her degenerate son.

Kindle buy (great deal when these are hard to find.) Just finished first volume. Absolutely addicted. Can't put a finger on why I'm loving this so much because it seems to be a whole lot of nothing. Nevertheless, I'm just enchanted with it. I think I would have liked to have known this author in person. I'm REALLY looking forward to knowing her better... As Others Hear Us: A Miscellany (1937) - a collection of humorous sketches which appeared in Punch and Time & Tide. Written in 1930, this is a delightful romp through the joys and tribulations of a being an upper crust housewife in the country.

Rachel Ferguson complained that she wrote too much and her work was uneven whilst considering The Way Things Are a " completely perfect novel" and suggesting (in 1939) that "her humour and super-sensitive observation should make of her one of the best and most significant writers we possess, a comforting and timeless writer whose comments will delight a hundred years hence." [2] Books [ edit ] My overall impression of this provincial lady is of someone I would have liked to have met and been friends with although, she was writing in the 1930s and was probably above my class and income. She is very relatable, because of all the cringe worthy, embarrassing things that seem to happen to her all the time. England. The setting mainly a village in Devon full of self important characters - the Vicar's wife for one and we have our very self effacing lady. Who would like to retort cleverly and smartly and never does and gets taken advantage of left, right and centre. She has her own flat in London from which she write books, for goodness' sake, and her best friend is a lady-doctor. She's of her time, but in a good way, and one of the most rounded and real characters you'll ever come across. Faster! Faster! (1936) - Claudia Winstoe, a dynamo of energy, runs London Universal Services and her home with equal tyranny. Pushing herself too hard, she dies in a collision, and the family and business get on fine without her.To See Ourselves (1930) - Caroline, married to a rather dull Freddie, yearns for love and romance, but is sadly thwarted by domesticity. This play was a great success, broadcast repeatedly and was included in Gollancz's Famous Plays of 1931

The Suburban Young Man (1928) - Peter has fallen in love with the well-born Antoinette, but his Scottish wife Hope remains in admirable control of the situation. Dedicated "To All Those Nice People who have so often asked me to Write a Story about Nice People".

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My take on this is that writing the Diary definitely wasn't a waste of time for the author (as it is still read almost a hundred years later), but it has been rather on a waste of time side for me. Make distressing discovery that there is no way of obtaining breakfast until train halts at Avignon. Break this information later to American young gentleman, who falls into deep distress and says that he does not know the French for grapefruit. Neither do I, but am able to inform him decisively that he will not require it. Keeping up-to-date with the latest fashions, particularly in millinery, represents another major headache for the Provincial Lady. Like many British women through the ages, our protagonist will head off to the shops in search of something new when her spirits are low. However, finding the right hat to flatter the face isn’t quite as easy as it may sound, especially if one’s hair is as wild and unruly as the Provincial Lady’s proves to be… This is good to read if you're interested in the origins of blog as a genre. The author essentially thinly disguises her life as fiction in an attempt to earn some money by way of entering literary competitions, something that was one of very few ways of earning money available to a woman of her social position. The strength of the book lies in the humour (but it's pretty watered down and barely caustic, unless you're really unacquainted with the variety) and the way the writer presents herself as relatable - a mother who's not all that motherly; a lady of the house who cannot run it efficiently; a person who never has enough cash and has to repeatedly pawn her heirloom ring and resort to selling used items of clothing; a woman who yearns for some time away from her family, and is told she looks ten years younger on separation. July 27th.—End of holiday quite definitely in sight, and everyone very kindly says, Why not stay on? I refer, in return, to Robert and the children—and add, though not aloud, the servants, the laundry, the Women's Institute, repainting the outside of bath, and the state of my overdraft.

Miss S. admits she is looking forward to a Nice Cup of Tea and perhaps a Lay-Down, when she gets home. Reflect, not for the first time, that there are advantages in being a spinster. Should be sorry to say exactly how long it is since I last had a Lay-Down myself, without being disturbed at least fourteen times in the course of it.November 7th. Plant the indoor bulbs. Just as I am in the middle of them, Lady Boxe calls. I say, untruthfully, how nice to see her, and beg her to sit down while I just finish the bulbs. Lady B makes determined attempt to sit down in armchair where I have already placed two bulb-bowls and the bag of charcoal, is headed off just in time, and takes the sofa. Query: Is it possible to reconcile hostile attitude invariably exhibited by all children towards process of teeth-cleaning with phenomenal rapidity with which they demolish tube after tube of toothpaste?