I think I might one day enjoy More Women than Men by Ivy Compton-Burnett but not today. I have made it about a third of the way through the book and for every passage that delights me, there are four or five incongruous passages that make my head spin. It takes a certain suspension of disbelief in order to stomach her dialogue, which is amusing but utterly foreign to the way people actually speak, like this bit between two of the teachers at the girls’ school where the book is set:
‘You are settling in?’ she said. ‘Why not sit down and let me unpack for you?’
‘I see no reason against it,’ said Helen. ‘At least none that need weigh with me, if it does not with you.’
‘This is your first post?’
‘Yes; or perhaps I should be prepared to be unpacked for by my seniors. It is a custom here? A way of putting new-comers at their ease?’
‘Well, I have done it before.’
‘If it is not invariably done, it does not put me at my ease.’
‘Is this the latest fashion, and this the one before?’ said Miss Rosetti, handling some dresses with open interest.
‘It does not put me at my ease to be told that my second gown is out of date. Have you never been taught about poverty not being a thing to be ashamed of?’
‘I have always been ashamed of it. I would save anyone in my power from it. I have done so in the one case I could. I can alter the dress so that it bears no hint of it. I am a better dressmaker than I have any reason to be. You need not be afraid of my old maid’s history.’
‘But why should you trouble about other people’s clothes? And I have not convinced myself that poverty is shameful.’
‘The clothes are not other people’s. They are yours. And things like poverty and old age and death are shameful. We cannot help them; but that is the humiliation. To accept conditions that would not be your choice must be a disgrace.’
Her style is certainly unique and quite fascinating but I do not have the patience for it right now. She is an acquired taste, I can see that, and one I hope to acquire soon but not quite yet. Just as the all the characters had been introduced and the story was beginning to progress, I found myself staring longingly at all the other books I have sitting on my dresser waiting to be read, all of which seem so much more appealing at this minute. Clearly, this is a sign that I must move on: Mollie Panter-Downes’ London War Notes, 1939-1945 awaits.
The Captive Reader 
I did fear that you might not have an immediate, joyful response to darling Ivy! And yet I read this passage and warmth spreads through me, because I love her writing so much! Well, one day 🙂
I think my problem with ICB is that I love passages like this one as passages. When they are strung together into a book it becomes a little overwhelming. I will be better prepared next time!
Oh dear. I did like the one ICB I’ve read, but this leaves me cold. Thank you for solving the High Rising v More Women Than Men battle for the 1933 slot in my Century of Books though!
Even if I had loved this, Jane, it would never have come close to eclipsing my love for Thirkell. High Rising it must be!
Is it important to read the Thirkell books in order, or will it be satisfying to dabble randomly? They are somewhat difficult to come by and it is also somewhat difficult to figure out the order of publication.
Nope, it’s not important! I wouldn’t recommend reading the post-war books before the earlier ones though; Thirkell revisits familiar characters in those and it can be a bit confusing if you don’t know everyone. The pre-war and wartime ones though can be read in any order without too much difficulty.
You can find a list of Thirkell’s books by publication date on the Angela Thirkell Society website. I found it very useful when I was just discovering Thirkell and trying to figure out how to approach the series.
Thank you so much! This is going to be very helpful – I wanted to order a cople from amazon. Excellent resource.
Ahhh. Put the book down if it’s no fun to read (unless you’re in school?) Reading is supposed to make you happy – not long for another book! US librarian Nancy Pearl suggests the rule of “read 50 pages” (or your age if more than that), and if the story/writing is not clicking, put it down. It seems to work for me. I would feel guilty about not liking a book (thinking about the time/effort from author), but then realized life was short, my reading time shorter so why suffer?… 🙂
liz in texas
I usually abandon books happily and without any fuss (and well before reaching the 50 page mark) if I realise I will not like them, but here there was enough to like that it became a difficult choice. That is when I struggle!
P.S. Just on book #3 of Thirkell – my new favo(u)rite!
Wonderful! (And thank you for the ‘u’) 😉
I’ve never tried ICB, but I wouldn’t have lasted any longer than you did with that excerpt. I’m off to check that list on the Angela Thirkell site…I just got Wild Strawberries (my first) and want to see where it falls in the war years…
It falls well before the war years. Published in 1934, Wild Strawberries is only the second book in Thirkell’s Barsetshire series and is, I think, a perfect place to start. It was my introduction to her and look how well that turned out!
I’m with you on I C-B. I have tried, and failed. I feel especially that I ought to appreciate her because she was the favourite writer of Elizabeth Taylor, who is one of my favourite writers. Unfortunately this chain of appreciation does not seem to work. Taylor also loved Henry James, who I cannot get to grips with either. Can anyone honestly say they enjoyed The Bostonians??
I find that ‘chain of appreciation’ quite discouraging: I don’t like Henry James and, to an even greater extent, I don’t like Elizabeth Taylor!
Oh dear! It looks like they’re all doomed!
I tried ICB a couple of years ago (urged by Simon) and could not get on with her at all. I’ve just ordered another one (A Family and a Fortune) to see if I was mistaken, but your post, and this quotation, make me think it is not terribly likely that I was.
I wonder if I might enjoy one of her other books more? I shall have to try again one day and see.
I’ve never got on with ICB either, just find her impossibly heavy going.
She is heavy, that is for certain. But there is a sense of humour there that I like, so I shall not give up on her yet!
*loud cheers!*
I hate to say this, but I also have struggled with her–I had to set aside Manservant and Maidservant, though it’s been a while so I don’t recall specifically what it was–other than her writing style didn’t click with me at the time. I feel like she is someone I would normally like and should like, so like you I will give her another try (maybe Simon could give some good recommendation for someone uncertain about her work) sometime. I think timing and finding just the right book is everything! Now Mollie Panter-Downes I adore! I would love to read her War Notes, too!
Timing is everything, you are so right. I think part of my problem was that half my mind was eager to get on to the books I had waiting (like London War Notes and Framley Parsonage and The Light Years) and I couldn’t give this book all of my attention. And it definitely needs all of my attention.
I’d like to try one of these books!
Good luck, Mystica! I hope you enjoy whichever one you choose.