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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

by Winifred Watson

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627367,260 (4.18)129
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Persephone Books (2000), Paperback, 256 pages

Member:cabegley
Collections:Your libraryRating:
Tags:fiction, England, Becky's BOMC, read, bedroom
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English (35)  French (1)  All languages (36)
Showing 1-5 of 35 (next | show all)
Miss Pettigrew is middle-aged, prim and proper, and out of a job. She has experience as a governess, but the employment agency sends her to an interview to be a maid to a nightclub singer, Ms. LaFosse, who is beautiful and dramatic and attracts many handsome and dangerous men. Miss P is drawn into the excitement and feels like she is truly living for the first time in her life. Lovely, delightful book and a quick read. ( )
  CatieN | Nov 21, 2009 |
This is a fun, sweet, cute book, which reminded me of the 1930's romantic comedies. An out of work middle-aged governess, Miss Pettigrew, is plopped into high society--wealthy, show/nightclub, racy, new money types--and through a variety of mishaps fixes everyone's lives in a day. It is a twist on the Cinderella story that is pretty enjoyable.
Yet I don't understand why it is on the 1001 books to read before you die list. There is no character development as it is all about the funny plot. It was a popular book when published, and when it is read now readers get a sense of nostalgia for these witty people with their silly antics. This is the first 1001 book I read that I questioned the publisher. There are many I've disliked, but I can see their worth. If the publisher thinks it shows a mentality of readers at a certain time/place by popular choice of literature, then I guess it is understandable...but they why isn't Dean Koontz and Danielle Steel on the list? I don't think this is the purpose of the 1001 list, yet I wouldn't say it was a waste of time to read Miss Pettigrew. She provided a fun escape, and I finished it in a few hours. ( )
  strandbooks | Nov 8, 2009 |
A highly enjoyable read. Set in the inter-war years, it is a comic tale about a very strait laced governess who finds herself spending the day in the company of a glamorous night club singer with at least three men in her life. Miss Pettigrew starts out shocked by what she sees, but ends up having a thoroughly good time and sowing the seeds for a transformation in her own life.

I think the key ingredient is the contrast that exist between what Miss Pettigrew thinks, and what she says and does. Her inner monologue is restrained by the strict morals that have hitherto underpinned her life, but she is so desperate not to lose what she thinks is her last chance for a job that she ends up having to act like a very different and far more confident person. I know there was a recent movie adaptation of this book and find myself curious as to how they managed to convey the character's inner thoughts. If the film makers did not even try, then much will have been lost.

There are a couple of passing anti-Jewish references which may offend our modern sensibilities. It would be interesting to know how the author Winifred Watson felt about these passages later in life, particularly given that she died as recently as 2002. ( )
  dsc73277 | Aug 8, 2009 |
Governess out of work in London in the 40's ...Enjoyable read ( )
  eileenbarbieri | Aug 8, 2009 |
What a joy reading this book was! So funny! ( )
  foreverreading | Jun 10, 2009 |
Showing 1-5 of 35 (next | show all)
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Miss Pettigrew pushed open the door of the employment agency and went in as the clock struck a quarter past nine.
Quotations
In a dull, miserable existence her one wild extravagance was her weekly orgy at the cinema, where for over two hours she lived in an enchanted world peopled by beautiful women, handsome heroes, fascinating villains, charming employers, and there were no bullying parents, no appalling offspring to tease, torment, terrify, harry her every waking hour.
What dangerous den of vice had she discovered? She must fly before she lost her virtue. Then her common sense unhappily reminded her that no one, now, would care to deprive her of that possession.
A knock on Miss LaFosse's door heralded adventure. It was not like an ordinary house, where the knocker would be the butcher, or baker or candlestick-maker. A knock on Miss LaFosse's door would mean excitement, drama, a new crisis to be dealt with. Oh, if only for once the Lord would be good and cause some miracle to happen to keep her here, to see for one day how life could be lived, so that for all the rest of her dull, uneventful days, when things grew bad, she could look back in her mind and dwell on the time when for one perfect day, she, Miss Pettigrew, lived.
All these years and she had never had the wicked thrill of powdering her nose. Others had experienced that joy. Never she. And all because she lacked courage. All because she had never thought for herself. Powder, thundered her father the curate, the road to damnation
She was not fifty yet, but some day she would be, with no home, no friends, no husband, no children. She had lived a life of spartan chastity and honour. She would still have no home or memories. Miss LaFosse would reach fifty some day. Suppose she reached it equally without home and friends. What then? How full would her memories be?
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
French title is "Cette Sacree Vertu"
Publisher's editors
Blurbers

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

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Book description

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 190646202X, Paperback)

Now a major motion picture starring Frances McDormand (Fargo) and Amy Adams (Enchanted)! 

“Why has it taken more than half a century for this wonderful flight of humor to be rediscovered?”—Guardian

“The sweetest grown-up book in the world.”—Sunday Times

“Everyone, no matter how poor or prim or neglected, has a second chance to blossom in the world.”—Daily Mail, in reference to Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

A major film to be released in 2008, Miss Pettigrew Lives for Day is a delightful, funny, lighthearted novel. First published in 1938, it was reissued in the United Kingdom in 2000, complete with thirty-five original illustrations, and has sold over 22,000 copies.

Miss Pettigrew, an approaching-middle-age governess, was accustomed to a household of unruly English children. When her employment agency sends her to the wrong address, her life takes an unexpected turn. The alluring nightclub singer, Delysia LaFosse, becomes her new employer, and Miss Pettigrew encounters a kind of glamour that she had only met before at the movies. Over the course of a single day, both women are changed forever.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:57 -0400)

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