Something Light

Something Light was exactly that—a frothy and agreeable tale of a 1950s British woman tired of scrambling to make ends meet who decides what she needs is a husband. Of course you know that after several disastrous forays she'll end up with someone who's lurking in plain sight—I don't even think that counts as a spoiler in this kind of novel—and the question, of course, is who? This wasn't my usual fare, but it was fun, and I was won over by the fact that Louisa's a dog photographer. What a perfect profession for a struggling career woman in mid-century England! I couldn't help hoping she sticks with it even after her successful nuptial campaign.

There I was profiling Sharp books as having a Tyler like quality of avoiding 'happily ever after' and here I am writing about one that makes me eat my words. It's all in the name, Something Light. It's a straightforward comedy in which the heroine sets out to become married and one way or another the closer she thinks she is, the further way she finds herself.

She's a 'good sort', an expression which seems to have fallen by the wayside. Indeed Sharp, who had a particular interest in language uses lots of words which might have been faddish at the time but dropped out of use. One in this book is 'Pammies'. They are a type of female, but it isn't clear to me if it is an expression coined by Sharp or a word of the period. I can't see any show more references to it online.

Fabulously freshly funny. show less

There I was profiling Sharp books as having a Tyler like quality of avoiding 'happily ever after' and here I am writing about one that makes me eat my words. It's all in the name, Something Light. It's a straightforward comedy in which the heroine sets out to become married and one way or another the closer she thinks she is, the further way she finds herself.

She's a 'good sort', an expression which seems to have fallen by the wayside. Indeed Sharp, who had a particular interest in language uses lots of words which might have been faddish at the time but dropped out of use. One in this book is 'Pammies'. They are a type of female, but it isn't clear to me if it is an expression coined by Sharp or a word of the period. I can't see any show more references to it online.

Fabulously freshly funny. show less

Louisa decided that she wanted to get married... and so begins a delightful frothy parable, of sorts, that ends in a rather unpredictable match. This is a 50's take on the romance tale but the tale Sharp creates really belongs in the world of D.E. Stevenson's Barbara Buncle or Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

I seem to be in the minority among the reviewers. My introduction to Sharp was her superior series that Disney adapted The Rescuers from(though Bob Newhart and Gabor did fantastic things with the voices, her villains were better). Based on the quality of this one,I'm intrigued by her novels for adults and intend to try more.

Louisa, photographer of dogs, is fond of men. She mends shirts, supplies food, listens to problems and provides sympathy. The dog photography business is in the doldrums so Louisa decides to marry, but first she has to find a husband. Put your feminist principles aside for this one. Lighter than a souffle, a happy read.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
(Print: hardback: 1/1/1960; ASIN : B005KEGHGW; Little Brown Pub. Paperback: 2/13/2018; 9781504050876; Open Road Media; 250 pages.)
Digital text: 4/12/2016; ASIN B01C54MJYS; Open Road Media; 219 pages.
(Audio: No)
(Film: No).

CHARACTERS:
Miss Louisa Mary Datchett – 30-year-old female dog photographer.
Milkman - Louisa's milkman and friend
Number Ten - neighbor friend
Hugo Pym – neighbor friend
F. (Freddy) Pennon – a person of interest
Enid Anstruther – Freddy’s old friend
Mr. Ross (Rossy) – adviser
Mr. (Teddy) & Mrs. (Molly) Meares – Kennel owners.
James (Jimmy) Brown - a person of interest
Mrs. Brent – dog owner at Boydon Court
Admiral Colley - a new friend
Mr. Andrew McAndrew – a new Scottish acquaintance show more Louisa finds annoying
Mr. Clark – a person of interest
Catherine Clark – Mr. Clark’s daughter
Toby Clark - Mr. Clark’s son
Paul Clark - Mr. Clark’s son

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
I think this is a book that came free when I activated my new Kindle Reader. I started it in November 2020 and didn’t get it finished until now (3/9/21) only because I don’t have as much time to read print as I do to listen to audiobooks. I may have to see if any of Ms. Sharp's books are available through the library.
Louisa enjoys male company and is very quick to be of aid to any fellow needing assistance, but she’s begun to feel the time has come to settle down. We get to follow her as she attempts to suss out who an appropriate match would be. I love this British author’s broad command of English—some of the vocabulary is so specific to the time and place that I couldn’t find definitions to everything.

AUTHOR:
Margery Sharp (1/25/1905-3/14/1991). According to Amazon, “Margery Sharp is renowned for her sparkling wit and insight into human nature, both of which are liberally displayed in her critically acclaimed social comedies of class and manners. Born in Yorkshire, England, Sharp wrote pieces for Punch magazine after attending college and art school. In 1930, she published her first novel, Rhododendron Pie, and in 1938, married Maj. Geoffrey Castle. Sharp wrote twenty-six novels, three of which—Britannia Mews, Cluny Brown, and The Nutmeg Tree—were made into feature films, and fourteen children’s books, including The Rescuers, which was adapted into two Disney animated films.”

GENRE:
Historical fiction

LOCATIONS:
Paddington, Gladstone Mansions, Bournemouth, Dorking, Braydon

TIME FRAME
1950’s

SUBJECTS:
Relationships, matrimony, society, dogs, photography

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter Twenty-Three
“’I don’t know if your father consulted you,’ continued Louisa bravely, ‘before I came?’
‘No, he didn’t. At least, he told us at breakfast—but I don’t think one can call that consulting,’ said Catherine, still readily.
‘It must have been rather a surprise?’
Catherine reflected.
‘Not exactly. I mean, Dad loves giving us surprises. So that though things may be surprising in themselves, they’re not exactly surprising.’
It was a rather neat piece of dialectic, but little help to Louisa. She pressed on.
‘Given that you weren’t surprised, how do you feel about the results?’
Once again Catherine reflected.
‘Well, how long are you staying?’
Louisa’s heart sank. She’d asked for the truth, now here it came!
‘That depends a good deal on what you tell me. In fact, on what you and Paul and Toby really think about me. If you could think of me as—well, as a permanency—’ hazarded Louisa.
The sentence was never finished. Catherine instantly seized its every implication. For a moment she simply stared. Then—“Louisa! D’you mean to say you’d marry Dad?’ cried Catherine.
Ravished by delight and surprise as she was—
‘Don’t say it!’ cried Louisa superstitiously.
‘But would you?’
‘If you and the boys—’
‘But , darling Louisa, there’s nothing we’d like better!’ cried Catherine. ‘We just didn’t dare hope! We’re all for it!—If you’ve any doubts, just wait while I fetch Toby and Paul!’

RATING:
5 stars. I enjoyed it for it’s light mood and the writing.

STARTED-FINISHED
11/200/2020 – 3/9/2021 show less

As funny as life, and then some!