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Fiction. Romance. This is the fourth and last of autobiographical novel series by English author E. M. Delafield (1890-1943). It takes the form of a journal of the life of an upper-middle class Englishwoman in the 1930s. The story of a volunteer in a woman's underground canteen service in England during the World War 2 who must cope with gas masks, evacuated relatives etc.Tags
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Considering how very little happens in this book, it’s pretty amusing. E.M. Delafield’s narrator heads to London to try to help with the war effort, but is turned away again and again. She finally ends up as a volunteer at a canteen for ambulance drivers and nurses. That’s pretty much it. It shouldn’t have been funny and interesting, yet it was!
The Provincial Lady finds old friends and new in London, and she’s just as witty and incisive as ever. The description of Granny Bo-Peep — an incredibly annoying old lady with an overpowering sense of her self-worth — is worth the price of admission all by itself. The novel ends incredibly abruptly, perhaps because of the death of the son of Elizabeth Dashwood (Delafield’s real show more name) in late 1940, although others assume that it was because Dashwood got a paid job in government service. The ending — really a lack of one — led me to lower the book’s rating.
This final novel in the series is said to have been at the request of Harold Macmillan, then a Tory member of Parliament, but later prime minister. I’m glad he asked. show less
The Provincial Lady finds old friends and new in London, and she’s just as witty and incisive as ever. The description of Granny Bo-Peep — an incredibly annoying old lady with an overpowering sense of her self-worth — is worth the price of admission all by itself. The novel ends incredibly abruptly, perhaps because of the death of the son of Elizabeth Dashwood (Delafield’s real show more name) in late 1940, although others assume that it was because Dashwood got a paid job in government service. The ending — really a lack of one — led me to lower the book’s rating.
This final novel in the series is said to have been at the request of Harold Macmillan, then a Tory member of Parliament, but later prime minister. I’m glad he asked. show less
War has come to Britain, so the Provincial Lady decides to do her bit, and move to London to find a job to help with the war effort. Unfortunately, everyone else has the same idea, and rather than finding her offer eagerly embraced, she is reducing to trying every contact she has to try and get a position, only to end up volunteering at a canteen. Not to worry, for as usual her diary is written with the wit and verve we have come to expect from this series, and not only are we revisited by regular characters (the awful Lady B has not changed one bit) but also new ones.
It is interesting to read an observation of life in the early years of the war written by someone obviously there, and without her impressions softened by nostalgia. We show more learn that for every one that pulled together in the spirit of the war, there were just as many annoying and self-serving people as ever. We commiserate, laugh, and sigh with the Provincial lady as she attempts to hold her household, and own life, together in the most testing of times. show less
It is interesting to read an observation of life in the early years of the war written by someone obviously there, and without her impressions softened by nostalgia. We show more learn that for every one that pulled together in the spirit of the war, there were just as many annoying and self-serving people as ever. We commiserate, laugh, and sigh with the Provincial lady as she attempts to hold her household, and own life, together in the most testing of times. show less
I thought this book was maddening. The Provincial Lady is back, wanting to be useful to the war effort. At home in Devon, her husband and her husband's aunt watch over some Irish refugees while she goes to London to try to find something to do to help out. Her volunteer job in a canteen provides information on lots of interesting people and is fun to read about. Once the situation is set up, about 4 months into the war, the whole thing ends, just when you want to know what happens to everyone. Maddening.
Published in the first year of WWII, this is a cute, superficial look at the zeitgeist of England. It's not nearly as funny as the first few Provincial Lady novels--I'd recommend fans of those to stop at [book: The Provincial Lady in America]. When war is declared, the Lady tries to get war-work--only to realize that every other person in England is trying to Do Their Part as well. After weeks of asking Ministry officials for something to do, she finally gets volunteer work at a canteen. Everyone waits around and absolutely nothing happens. If this tale was told about any other war I'd have found it rather more amusing.
Due to confusion regarding UK and American titles, I didn’t realize this book existed until a couple months ago. It is the fifth and final part of the Provincial Lady books and a very funny one at that.
illustrations v funny
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Provincial Lady in Wartime
- Original publication date
- 1940
- Important events
- World War II, British Home Front
- First words
- September 1st, 1939. - Enquire of Robert whether he does not think that, in view of times in which we live, diary of daily events might not be of ultimate historical value to posterity. He replies that It Depends.
- Quotations
- Serena presents a problem for my consideration. It appears that Commandant of Stretcher-party has recently resigned position in order to take up service abroad and those to whom he has given series of excellent and practical ... (show all)lectures have made him presentation of fountain-pen and pencil in red morocco case. Farewell speeches have been exchanged, and red morocco case appreciatively acknowledged. Now, however, Stretcher-party Commandant has suddenly reappeared, having been medically rejected for service abroad, and Serena feels that morocco case is probably a source of embarrassment to him. Can make no constructive comments about this whatever, and simply tell her that next move - if any - rests entirely with Commandant of Stretcher-party.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Can only hope that Hitler may come to hear of this remarkable reaction to his efforts, on the part of the British.
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- 171
- Popularity
- 190,907
- Reviews
- 7
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 7
