I really wanted to love Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson. So many other bloggers had assured me I would and, after adoring my encounters with Stevenson’s Mrs Tim, I was certainly excited to finally meet Miss Barbara Buncle for myself. But my excitement faded as I started reading. Stevenson had impressed me before with both the warmth and wit of her characters and the humourous intelligence of her writing. Very little of that was apparent here in this rambling, rather forgettable book.
The idea though is a charming one: Miss Barbara Buncle, a middle-aged spinster who is struggling to make ends meet, writes a fanciful novel featuring thinly veiled versions of her village neighbours and publishes it under a pseudonym. Her portraits of them are unerringly accurate and when her book becomes a surprise hit, the outraged citizens who unwittingly served as inspiration – especially those whose negative traits were highlighted – set out to discover who the author is. But who among them would suspect the dowdy, quiet, not particularly intelligent Miss Buncle?
It’s an excellent premise, isn’t it? It vaguely reminded me of one of my favourite films, Theodora Goes Wild, about a woman (played by the excellent Irene Dunne) who writes a racy bestseller which has her conservative small town up in arms and her attempts to keep them from discovering that she wrote it. And when have I ever turned down a book about an author or, more importantly, a book about village life? But with meandering, plodding prose and lifeless characters, it was difficult to enjoy this book, hard as I tried. It was fine, just not very good or memorable.
Mostly, I just kept wishing that some other, more skilled writer had taken up this story. Stevenson took a half-hearted attempt at skewering the villagers but the result was neither affectionate nor amusing, just rather dull. E.M. Delafield, Angela Thirkell, E.F. Benson…it was hard not to think of those excellent writers and what they have done so brilliantly when dealing with provincial life that Stevenson failed to do here. Miss Buncle’s Book is diverting enough as a form of brief, light entertainment but there was nothing special in it, no moment that ever charmed or delighted me. There was no grace to the storytelling and so many of the ideas and sentiments had me remembering other books and other authors who had phrased it much more cleverly or succinctly. Still, the story is diverting and some of the characters are quite entertaining, however two-dimensional they may be. It is a fine book to pass an afternoon with and I am sure I will be reading Miss Buncle Married sometime soon.
The Captive Reader 
I was so hoping for a different opinion, Claire. There definitely seems to be two camps where this book is concerned. Both titles are languishing on my shelves so I’ll just have to bite the bullet and dive in one day to find out which camp I’m in.
Like you, I wanted to like this book but found myself bored witless by it – I couldn’t even finish it, life’s too short.
I remember reading a rave review of this over at My Porch, so it’s a sahme you felt like the premise (which really does sound delightful) was let down by the mechanics of the book. I admit that I am intrigued by the story, but perhaps I should slake my interest with Theodora Goes Wild instead?
Sorry that you didn’t enjoy this book as much as I do. Miss Buncle’s Book is one of my favourite D E Stevenson titles, I’m not so keen on the Mrs Tim ones.
I was so caught up in the plot I never paid much attention to the writing — I must have found it particularly good or bad. It was just a light diverting read for me. Miss Buncle Married was quite enjoyable but the third book, The Two Mrs. Abbots, was more serious. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t the same as the other two.
I have Mrs. Tim of the Regiment but I still haven’t read it yet. But I will have to explore E.F. Benson and Angela Thirkell someday. At the moment I’m obsessing over Georgette Heyer.
I love the Mrs. Tim books, but Miss Buncle’s Book is my favorite D.E. Stevenson!!! It is so British and tongue in cheek. It is supposed to be one of those light reads that makes you feel good, and makes you laugh. The premise is more preposterous than serious. Everyone needs a “light, diverting read” now and then. Like Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, an endearing books that gives you a lift.
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I just bought Miss Buncle and it will be my first Stevenson book. I hope I’m in the “liking it” camp! In any case I have to read it because I want to try to read as many Persephones as I can.
[…] Stevenson, I was thrilled. I started reading D.E. Stevenson seriously last year (having only read Miss Buncle’s Book and two of the Mrs Tim books before then) and have devoured many of her novels since then, lapping […]