The Queen of England died in the north-too-distant past, and I came across Barbara Pym in one of the articles I read about her life and, I suppose, English society in general. This book is said to be an updated Austen type comedy of manners. Given the setting (post WWII England) that is a bit of a stretch, but I do understand the comparison.

The book centers on a slice of the life of Mildred Lathbury, one of the title's 'excellent women' who are single and often overlooked for the important role they play in society. Mildred lives in a flat with neighbors Julian and Winifred Malory, and we are quickly introduced to the Napiers, new neighbors who become entwined in Mildred's life. We have access to Mildred's musings, so come to know her well.

The book is supposed to be a comedy of manners, but I did not find much amusing about it. I suppose that is because I live in such a different time, when single women often live rich and fulfilling lives. But back then, in post WWII England, things were quite different. I'm supposing that the male population was greatly reduced post WWII, and these sorts of stories about single women rang true. I felt that Mildred lived a happy enough life, but not particularly proactive about seeking her own happiness. Given the times, this doesn't seem unusual. But, for me, it's sad. ( )

I was glad that this picked up in atmosphere towards the end. Mildred Lathbury seemed so sad, not really happy with her circumstances. She seemed to perk up as time went by. There were some delightful moments. But this is not one with everything tied up in a bow at the end. ( )

10 October, 2017
The truth was, I thought, looking once more at the letter on my desk which could not now be finished tonight, that I was exhausted with bearing other people’s burdens, or burthens as the nobler language of our great hymn-writers put it. Then, too, I had become selfish and set in my ways and would surely be a difficult person to live with. [pp. 232]
I'm not sure how to phrase it, but the more I think about this book and Mildred Lathbury, the more I think I love them.

This is a comedy of manners about Mildred, a clergyman's daughter. It is the 1950s, and she is in her 30s and has resigned herself to being a spinster and spending her days working and having tea with her friends, who include a bachelor clergyman and his sister. Her routine is thrown into disarray when a married couple move into the other flat in her building.

The titular "excellent women" are those women who men rely on, but rarely acknowledge, such as wives of academics who write the indexes for their husbands' books, or sisters of clergymen who cook all their meals. Mildred increasingly finds herself being shunted into this role of excellent woman, always making tea for people in times of crisis.

Mostly I found this book to be dull. There isn't much plot to speak of, just a lot of gossipy details of people's relationships. Any feminist bent the book might have is completely ruined by the ending. I consider myself to have a pretty dry wit, but I really didn't find anything very funny. ( )

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym is an amusing slice of life story that directs our attention to that group of unmarried women that are considered smart, supportive, and slightly repressed. They are entitled ‘excellent women’ by the men who both rely and ignore them, these are the type of women who populate the committees, who volunteer for charities and, in fact, have much to do with the actual running of both church and community affairs. First published in 1952 this light satiric story about loneliness being bravely borne centres on Mildred Lathbury, a 35-ish spinster who, through her friendship with the vicar and his sister, involves herself in church affairs, as well as becoming engaged with her new neighbours and their friends.

While Mildred is virtuous and intelligent she is alone and quite content to be so, happily involving herself in churchgoing and part-time charity work. However as the story progresses, a number of potential suitors are presented, and the more Mildred tries to remove herself, the more tangled in the affairs of others she becomes. What does become apparent is that Mildred is an excellent social observer and her dry, witty comments bring a sense of playfulness to the book. In the long run Excellent Women could be considered a romantic comedy about a stereotype that perhaps might be happiest if she stays single.

I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the postwar setting of London in the early 1950s. This was the first Barbara Pym novel that I have read, but I am looking forward to reading more in the future. ( )