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A "charming troupe" of Barsetshire inhabitants celebrate a spate of marriages--while one young woman bemoans her prospects--in this novel of 1950s English life (The New York Times). The locals are all talking about the upcoming wedding of the vicar of Hatch End to the much-loved Miss Merriman--in fact, the couple's friends and neighbors seem even more excited than the bride- and groom-to-be. But that's to be expected when a couple of a certain age tie the knot, because it reminds everyone show more that it's never too late for love. And though Edith Graham is increasingly gloomy about landing a husband, the romantic spirit of the event just might be contagious . . . "Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter. . . . To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county." --Kirkus Reviews "[Thirkell's] talent for easy, light characterization does not seem to be flagging." --The Times Literary Supplement show lessTags
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Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire novels often end with a wedding; in this book readers are treated to nuptials at the start. A previous novel ended with the engagement of a much-loved character, so of course we needed to make it official. Thirkell also re-introduces a few eligible young people who may or may not form bonds by the end. One of these is 18-year-old Edith Graham, the youngest of a prominent family, who is having difficulty finding her purpose and shows her immaturity at every turn. Fortunately the other young people are more likeable, including George Halliday, who is somehow able to balance managing a large farm with providing emotional support for his recently widowed mother. Everything comes out right in the end, and a show more late romantic development shows promise for the future. While Thirkell’s novels always follow a formula, I still find them enjoyable. show less
There are really two consecutive stories in this novel. I enjoyed the first very much, and would have given it 4 1/2 stars by itself. The second story just meandered (more than usual), and two hundred pages later hadn't moved at all.
Angela Thirkell will always be one of my favorite authors, I love the mild humor, the lovable characters, and the (mostly) happy endings.
Both of Edith Graham's possible suitors look elsewhere but it all turns out well for all concerned.
3½ stars.
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Author Information
47+ Works 8,489 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Double Affair
- Original publication date
- 1957
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 166
- Popularity
- 196,582
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.72)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 5
