Picture of author.

Beverley Nichols (1898–1983)

Author of Merry Hall

71+ Works 2,941 Members 71 Reviews 12 Favorited

About the Author

Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) was a prolific writer on subjects ranging from religion to politics and travel, in addition to authoring six novels, five detective mysteries, four children's stories, six autobiographies, and six plays. He is perhaps best remembered today for his gardening books
Image credit: From the back cover of "Merry Hall," Portland, Ore.: Timber Press, 1998.

Series

Works by Beverley Nichols

Merry Hall (1951) 371 copies
Down the Garden Path (1932) 371 copies
Laughter On The Stairs (1953) 200 copies
Sunlight on the Lawn (1956) 189 copies
A Thatched Roof (1933) 172 copies
A Village in a Valley (1934) 131 copies
The Tree That Sat Down (1945) 123 copies
Garden Open Today (1963) 111 copies
Twenty-Five (1930) 81 copies
Garden Open Tomorrow (1968) 78 copies
The Stream That Stood Still (1948) 77 copies
Down the Kitchen Sink (1974) 65 copies
The Mountain of Magic (1950) 64 copies
Rhapsody in Green (2009) 50 copies
Crazy Pavements (1927) 34 copies
The Queen's Coronation Day (1953) 34 copies
Death to Slow Music (1956) 31 copies
A Case of Human Bondage (1966) 29 copies
The Moonflower (1955) 28 copies
Father Figure (1972) 27 copies
A Book of Old Ballads (1934) — Editor; Introduction — 26 copies
The sweet and twenties (1958) 21 copies
Murder by Request (1960) 19 copies
No Man's Street (1954) 19 copies
Unforgiving Minute (1978) 16 copies
Powers That Be (1966) 15 copies
The rich die hard (1957) 15 copies
Cry Havoc! (1933) 15 copies
Verdict on India (1944) 14 copies
Self (1923) 13 copies
Evensong (1932) 13 copies
No Place Like Home (1934) 13 copies
Women and Children Last (1931) 12 copies
Cats' A-Z (1960) 12 copies
How does your garden grow? (1935) 11 copies
The Star Spangled Manner (1928) 11 copies
Patchwork (2013) 10 copies
The Fool Hath Said (1936) 10 copies
A Pilgrim's Progress (1900) 10 copies
Prelude (2007) 9 copies
Forty Favourite Flowers (1964) 7 copies
Yours Sincerely (1948) 6 copies
Oxford-London-Hollywood (1931) 5 copies
Revue (1939) 5 copies
For adults only; (1932) 5 copies
Men Do Not Weep (1941) 4 copies
The Sun in My Eyes (1969) 3 copies
All About Cats (1975) 3 copies
Uncle Samson. (1950) 2 copies

Associated Works

Strange Tales From the Strand (1991) — Contributor — 109 copies
The Book of Cats (1976) — Contributor — 106 copies
The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories: Volume Two (2017) — Contributor — 76 copies
The Gardener's Bedside Reader (2008) — Contributor — 21 copies

Tagged

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Common Knowledge

Members

Discussions

Will I like the Beverly Nichols trilogy? in Gardening (April 2014)

Reviews

discovered in CSUS library and reread this delightful account of plants, antiques, village life etc. in England shortly after WW II
 
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ritaer | 4 other reviews | Feb 20, 2024 |
Even at nine I felt this was a bit cutesy. Talking animals interacting with the human world, knowing that catastrophe will come.
 
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nwhyte | 2 other reviews | Aug 28, 2023 |
Written in the time period shortly after WWII, Merry Hall chronicles the purchase of an 18th century red-bricked house and focuses on renovations of the adjoining gardens. By the time Merry Hall was published, Beverley Nichols had already made a name for himself as a published author. The author was a gardening fanatic and used his horticultural experiences as a backdrop for some of his non-fiction books, including this one. It must be said that Nichols spent a lot of time socializing with other wealthy elites, so he sometimes comes across as a bit of a snob. What makes this book endearing is his obvious love for gardening and the way he describes his experiences in a humorous way.

It isn't just a memoir about gardening though, as it is just as much a story about people. Nichols attempts to win over Oldsfield (the gardener who came with the 'estate') are hilarious. His verbal sparring with several neighbors is also funny, as long as one doesn't read too much into his words. This was published in the early 1950s, so sexism was more blantant. He also was a homosexual though there is nothing explicit in the book to bring your attention to that. (His longterm, live-in partner is noticeably absent from the book, at least by name.) Finally, the outdoor escapades of his cats 'One' and 'Four' are humorous and charming.

I don't think this book would appeal to everyone. If you love gardening, enjoy sarcastic humor and can get past some of the pompous attitudes, this might be the book for you. The best way I can describe it is a HGTV special about English gardens, mixed with Grumpy Old Men and Downton Abbey, with a sprinkle of The Aristocats thrown in.
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Ann_R | 15 other reviews | Aug 7, 2023 |
Re-read, 2021: Enjoyed this just as much as the first time. Oddly struck in some of the chapters by the notion that this is like Winnie the Pooh but with humans. :D I think it's because the characters are so clearly "types," shown off in eccentric, endearing turns, and also because even the tensions and upsets in this lightly fictionalized world are never going to be permanent.

Touched to the heart by the final insight into Miss Mint's characterization. Just as I was the first time through.

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Original review follows:

There was so much to like in this one...the satirical portraits of the neighbors, the loving descriptions of cats and gardens, and the great chapter on discovering art. Still very Wodehousian, and more mellow and kind than the first book of his I read.
These books feel like memoirs or biography while you're reading them, and they are evidently based on the author's real experiences, but they are lightly fictionalized from what I can tell.
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Alishadt | 4 other reviews | Feb 25, 2023 |

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Works
71
Also by
4
Members
2,941
Popularity
#8,702
Rating
3.9
Reviews
71
ISBNs
107
Languages
6
Favorited
12

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