My (well, technically everyone’s but I have less faith that the world-at-large has been marking the days off their calendars as I have) long-anticipated Thirkell-filled Spring has arrived! Yesterday, Virago released their three new Angela Thirkell titles: Summer Half, August Folly, and The Brandons. The Brandons is as charming as Lavinia Brandon herself, August Folly delights with the foolish summer activities of a wide cast of characters, and Summer Half…well, Summer Half might just be my favourite Thirkell novel of all. Happy reading, everyone!
A Thirkell-Filled Spring
May 2, 2014 by Claire (The Captive Reader)
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Thank you very much for letting me know Angela Thirkell is being reprinted. Some years ago I bought in a charity shop ‘Wild Strawberries’ and ‘The Headmistress’. The paperbacks were falling apart there were another two books there which I left (to my regret) as I had for some reason always equated Angela Thirkell with Ivy Compton Burnett (whose books I have ploughed through but not enjoyed). When I went back of course they had gone. I was able to get some but not all of her books through the library but you need your own copies to check back on the various recurring people and their relationships!
I don’t need these new editions, but oh I do want them! And Summer Half is marvelous, isn’t it? I think Lydia is my favorite character in all the series. And this one has just the right proportion of Tony Morland!
What gorgeous covers! Don’t you love when old favorites are republished in beautiful new copies? I might have to look for these books.
Wild Strawberries is on my list of re-reads this year. But you have just reminded me that Summer Half was a favorite, too. Love those book covers! I wish a publisher would do that for Margery Sharp. I am going through my duplicates of Thirkell, (a book collector never stops with just one edition!) and will have some oldies but freebies to pass on to a Barsetshire enthusiast.
I have a handful of thirkells from used book stores but I have shamefully not read any of them yet. I couldn’t help ordering these anyway because they are so pretty.
They sound exactly like the type of novel I love, but I’ve hesitated readig because I’m worried to start with a random, mid-series book. Do you recommend reading in order?
Those covers are lovely! The books do not appear to be available on amazon, but I see that I can get them from the book depository. Is Virago reprinting her whole backlist?
Very good news! I love the beautiful covers and am looking forward to reading more Thirkell after loving High Rising.
I’ve been wanting to read Thirkell for years. I randomly picked Love Among the Ruins from my library after seeing her books recommended in the Bas Bleu catalogue, and I loved it. But I’d like to read the Barsetshire series in order and my library only has a few of the later ones. One of these days I’ll just have to start doing it via interlibrary loan, even though that’s such a long and slow process!
I have other copies of the Angelas, but I still want these so much. And they’re not sold here. Life is SO unfair. 🙂
After my criticism of his Pomfret Towers cover I must congratulate Mike Wiggins on the latest three editions. Angela Thirkell Society members have been trying for years to achieve republishing of her books, and it’s really exciting to see them so beautifully produced.