A House and Its Head

It took me about 40 pages to get into this but I finished it very much impressed by the irony, humor and superb writing. Compton Burnett is described as Cubist, experimental and innovative, all of which is true. She manages to tell an entire story with defined characters simply through dialogue. She's an acquired taste and I am ready to read more of her tales of the mannered upper-class Edwardians as well as Spurling's biography.

It took me about 40 pages to get into this but I finished it very much impressed by the irony, humor and superb writing. Compton Burnett is described as Cubist, experimental and innovative, all of which is true. She manages to tell an entire story with defined characters simply through dialogue. She's an acquired taste and I am ready to read more of her tales of the mannered upper-class Edwardians as well as Spurling's biography.

This 1930 novel just wasn't to my taste, despite its 'brilliant' reputation. Imagine HBO's Succession but set in the English manor home of the Edgeworth Family in the 1880s. There are quite a few surprising and shocking plot developments, but the modern, innovative writing style (much is revealed and obscured through dialogue) sometimes makes the thoughts (and hidden meanings/intentions) of the characters difficult to follow. This novel has a strong satiric streak, revealing the pious hypocrisy of the supporting characters (the Edgeworths' neighbours), who always seem to have their spoons in the soup of the Edgeworth Family. This novel also has a lot to say about the extremes to which women are pushed to survive in a patriarchal world.

Lots of very mannered, self-consciously clever dialogue - almost like reading a Wildean play script. Superb descriptions of people's tone of voice, mannerisms, emotions, motivation, inner fears, hidden agendas etc. Not something one can skim. Although lots of dialogue, it is not always immediately obvious who is saying what. Most characters are cold and detached, with not much plot happening and nothing resolved at the end.

The repercussions of death and betrayal in a family of almost adult offspring. A surprisingly scandalous tale, though the characters are typically blasé about events.

This 1930s book explores the troubled family life of the Edgeworths, headed by Duncan, a controlling and rude father. There are two grown girls, Nance and Sybil, who live at home and an orphaned cousin who will inherit the family property through an entailment. But then the mother dies, and Duncan remarries. The mother's death seems to set off a spiral downward of behavior in the family and drama ensues. It's pretty dark and no one comes out particularly well.

This book consists almost entirely of dialogue, a choice I found fatiguing. Though the characters certainly do reveal themselves through their conversations, I found myself wanting some descriptive passages. Overall, this book didn't really work for me.

Original publication date: show more 1935
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 287 pages
Rating: 2.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: nyrb
Why I read this: group read on litsy show less

I can't believe someone gave this book one star. WTF? Anyways, this is totally a 5 star book. I guess Ivy Compton Burnett isn't for everyone. I've recommended her books to friends who have ended up not being able to get through more than a few pages because of the dialog. Well, for me the dialog is the best part of her books. I guess the hard part about reading an ICB book is that you have to pay very close attention to everything that is said or else you'll miss the tragic, horrible thing that is lurking just beneath the dry Edwardian drawing room conversation. She is one of my most favorite writers, ever. And forever. I can't imagine life without Ivy Compton-Burnett books. Seriously.

I had a lot of trouble working out the tone of this book. At the end of the day I think it's more satirical than I thought when I started reading it. In any case, it's pretty funny. Not sure if I'll be picking up anymore of her books; word on the grapevine is they're mostly the same.