I was very lucky to be sent e-book copies of Dean Street Press‘s SIX Elizabeth Fair offerings via their Furrowed Middlebrow imprint in February, at the same time as receiving the lovely copy of E. Nesbit’s “The Lark” (click link for pic and review). I couldn’t wait to dive in as they looked just my thing, gentle comedies of manners set in small communities, described somewhere as having a dash of lemon to add tartness to the experience. Based on this one, I can’t wait to read the others! Look at them all, lined up on my Kindle and ready to read (they have pretty covers, too, and you can see those here).
I’m not sure why I started with this one, although I thought it was the one Ali was reading (it, of course, wasn’t) but the seaside town setting did appeal to me, and rightly so …
Elizabeth Fair – “Seaview House”
(e-book, 21 February 2017)
Lucy lives with her widowed mother, Rose,and her aunt, Edith (beautiful and wispy and practical and resilient, respectively) in a seaside hotel they run, Edith and Rose having come firmly down in the world from being Canon Newby’s feted daughters. They now live in cramped quarters, crammed in with all the “good” furniture and pictures, including one of their late father that sneers down at visitors, for fear of their heirlooms being destroyed by their guests. Lucy’s oldest and best friends are Nevil, an ineffectual school master with ideas of socialism, who it’s always somehow been her unspoken fate to marry, and the deliciously awful Philippa, who is obviously “fast” and wears tight jeans and has pretensions to an acting career.
Into this staid and settled life comes Edward, the recently rediscovered godson of the delightfully peevish and waspish Mr Heritage – the best portrait in the book by far, and you just ITCH to see him get his comeuppance – apparently Fair has a good line in these bachelor gossips which is something to look forward to). Edward is here to oversee the building of some holiday let cottages which are just the start of the regeneration of this sleepy and backward seaside hamlet and which have predictably divided the community (again, apparently Fair likes an architect and enjoys describing houses, so more to love there, too).
So, we have a disruptor of community and relationships who has a reason to keep returning, a house (his godfather’s) to stay in and a more attractive household (Seaview House) to visit and even play waiter in, something Nevil’s too lofty to do, how will this skew things in the village and the hotel?
On the basis of this read, Elizabeth Fair occupies the intersection between Dorothy Whipple (though her books are shorter) and Barbara Pym: although the book is not laugh-out-loud funny, there are some great set-pieces and there is close observation of family relationships, a slightly hopeless and old-fashioned central character, terrible servants, widows, clergymen and gossipy neighbours. Marvellous stuff!
Thank you to Dean Street Press for this book, sent in return for an honest review. I’ve got some book confessions but they will have to wait for another post …
hopewellslibraryoflife
Mar 24, 2017 @ 22:32:47
I’m pretty sure I’d like this one. Thanks!
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Liz Dexter
Mar 26, 2017 @ 09:03:46
I think you would – it’s lovely and I can’t wait to read the rest of them.
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Mar 25, 2017 @ 08:05:50
Lovely review LIz – I have a couple of Furrowed Middlebrow titles lurking which I must get to. Trouble is they’re digital and I tend to forget about them….. 😕
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Liz Dexter
Mar 26, 2017 @ 09:04:29
I have been making an effort with my kindle because of all those NetGalley books, but I do find it convenient to read on anyway. Do have a look at what you’ve got – did you get some of their crime ones?
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Mar 26, 2017 @ 10:53:43
No, I don’t think so – I’m trying to keep away from NetGalley…. 🙂
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Liz Dexter
Mar 27, 2017 @ 06:13:04
Sorry, I meant what Furrowed MIddlebrow ones did you get? I was hoping one of the E Fairs was from 1951 but they start in 1952!
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Mar 27, 2017 @ 09:12:46
I have Evenfield and A House on the Rhine! 🙂
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heavenali
Mar 25, 2017 @ 21:56:50
Well I enjoyed A WInter Away very much – so loving the whole seaside thing as you know I do, Seaview House may well be my next Elizabeth Fair read. Dean Street press are doing a great job bringing out these lovely books.
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Liz Dexter
Mar 26, 2017 @ 09:05:00
I think I’m going to read that one next so I can read your review! They are doing a great job, aren’t they.
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Cathy746books
Mar 27, 2017 @ 20:41:05
This sounds like a lovely read Liz.
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Liz Dexter
Mar 27, 2017 @ 20:42:49
It really was. I hope all her others are as gentle but lemon-tinged and readable – I suspect they will be!
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Book review – Elizabeth Fair – “A Winter Away” @DeanStPress #amreading | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
Apr 02, 2017 @ 17:50:48
New books and other excitements | heavenali
Apr 08, 2017 @ 12:21:00
Tina
Apr 12, 2017 @ 11:35:33
Fair is worth reading but her first 2 are the best and then they go down hill a bit.Less funny etc.
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Liz Dexter
Apr 12, 2017 @ 12:03:18
She’s a nice cosy and easy read, I think, and we all need that sometimes.
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Book review – Elizabeth Fair – “Landscape in Sunlight” (Furrowed Middlebrow) @DeanStPress #amreading | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
Jun 11, 2017 @ 20:33:04
Susan Kavanagh
Jul 15, 2018 @ 18:45:03
I really enjoyed this book and think that you gave it a perfect review. Great description without too much detail. I am looking forward to reading the other Elizabeth Fair novels. Kudos to Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press.
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Liz Dexter
Jul 16, 2018 @ 08:02:58
Thank you, that’s a lovely thing to say. I am looking forward to reading the remaining three I have.
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