29 June 2008

excellent women

I just finished reading Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, and it was indeed excellent.

I'd received Jane and Prudence for Christmas last year and absolutely loved it, so I was very pleased to discover Virago had reissued another Barbara Pym as part of their anniversary series.

Alexander McCall Smith sums her work up beautifully in his introduction:

'One does not laugh out loud while reading Barbara Pym; that would be too much. One smiles. One smiles and puts down the book to enjoy the smile. Then one picks it up again and a few minutes later an unexpected observation on human foibles makes one smile again.'

Mrs M had suggested coordinating my book covers with my flowers, but in this instance I'd rather coordinate my book cover with a blouse (both by Orla Kiely)!

6 comments:

  1. gorgeous print! but a book cover that might necessitate the wearing of sunglasses whilst reading!

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  2. How I wish I could get away with wearing that blouse - I love the colour!

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  3. Lovely vibrant print....and I do love a good book with a beautiful cover.
    D x

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  4. oh I am so envious!!!

    both of book and top...

    Absolutely perfect.

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  5. I am an Orla Kiely fan. I am the proud owner of one of her bags purchased from liberty in London

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  6. MissM tells me that it is vital not to be too matchy-matchy. Which is probably just as well because I'm thinking blouse plus book has the potential to give visual overload.

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