Comments on Bookphilia.com: Daisies opening in sly lust

So, so late to the party on this post(e) of yours....

2011-01-10T18:52:46.617-05:00

So, so late to the party on this post(e) of yours. But I had to chime in and second the joys of Nightingale Wood. It took me two tries to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked.
Also, I believe Vintage is reprinting a slew of her back catalog in August.

I would most definitely read the book BEFORE you w...

2009-10-12T12:18:40.002-04:00

I would most definitely read the book BEFORE you watch the movie. The book is accessible at many different intellectual levels but the movie is just one interpretation and tends to play the whole thing for laughs. If you read the book you can spend more time thinking about all the disfunctional people you know with traits similar to those of the characters Miss Gibbons so wonderfully paints.

Amateur Reader: Alright, I will reverse my reversa...

2009-07-10T09:17:11.800-04:00

Amateur Reader: Alright, I will reverse my reversal on the film version of Cold Comfort Farm and promise to see it.

On the other hand, the movie has nothing but good ...

2009-07-08T12:12:39.721-04:00

On the other hand, the movie has nothing but good performances. Ian McKellen's hellfire preacher, Kate Beckinsale's irrepressible cheerfulness, Eileen Atkins doing everything she does. Some great line readings - "The Starkadders have always lived at Cold Comfort Farm."

And the physical set, the dank house, render a lot of description unnecessary. It's all just there.

Amateur Reader: Hmm, yes, I suppose the film would...

2009-07-08T11:16:18.459-04:00

Amateur Reader: Hmm, yes, I suppose the film would have to jettison the hilarious narrative descriptions, wouldn't it? That makes me much less inclined to see it, I admit.

The movie is a treat, but it has to jettison, and ...

2009-07-02T09:53:03.434-04:00

The movie is a treat, but it has to jettison, and has no substitute for, all of the brilliant stylistic parody, like Colleen's sample.

I've seen the movie and I really love it. The...

2009-07-01T18:27:56.018-04:00

I've seen the movie and I really love it. The book is one I considered reading but it never really made it onto my TBR pile. I will definitely see if the library has it now, though! It sounds very entertaining.

BP: I'll be interested to hear what you think....

2009-07-01T16:49:12.566-04:00

BP: I'll be interested to hear what you think. I know you like British funny, but will you like British funny with bite? :)

Christy: I would totally appreciate your quotations from CCF. I think people who don't are very silly.

Sarah: Oooh, I will check Amazon UK for this book! Thanks for telling me about it.

I love this, so am glad you did as well! In the U...

2009-07-01T02:50:25.455-04:00

I love this, so am glad you did as well!

In the UK, Virago have republished Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons, a retelling of Cinderella set in 1930's England. I found it very funny and also surprisingly moving, definitely worth getting hold of a copy.

This is one of my faaaavorites. From what I have r...

2009-06-30T22:56:26.724-04:00

This is one of my faaaavorites. From what I have read (that is, the introduction to my copy), much of what Gibbons satirizes comes from Hardy and Lawrence, but also from the novels of Mary Webb. I have not read any of Webb's books (I have no idea if they are even available), but that's apparently where she found a lot to poke fun at.

Incidentally, I quote this book a lot, but very few people get what I am saying. Such is my life.

Well fine then...I won't read the rest of your...

2009-06-30T19:24:18.794-04:00

Well fine then...I won't read the rest of your post because after your first three paragraphs this is going on my TBR list...then I will come back and read the rest:)