And I’ve reached the end of my 20 Books of Summer project!
I bought this book in August 2020 when it was published, to complete my set of Thirkells up to the end of the Second World War.
And in general I’ve very much enjoyed doing my 20 books of summer. During the June-August period I’ve actually read 43 books, but I have got 20 books off my TBR, which is always the plan with this project. This year, I went a bit different and, instead of just picking the 20 oldest books on my TBR, selected two months of diverse reading then one of Viragoes and the like. This worked well, although I did give myself a lot of non-fiction to read in the first two months and ended up swapping out two of those books for Virago novels Don’t fear – I will get those read and reviewed soon! Click on the link to find links to all my reviews for 20 Books of Summer and thank you to Cathy at 746 Books for hosting as always!
How have you got on if you’re doing 10/15/20 Books of Summer/Winter?
Angela Thirkell – “Peace Breaks Out”
(20 August 2020)
It did not pay, the Admiral said, to ask people politely if you wanted anything done. The Adamses gave their orders and took it for granted that they would be obeyed; just as he, the Admiral, had done in his flagship. Why had the leadership passed from the Admiral and his like? (p. 179)
Even more than the last one, this book is full of tired people and bad cakes, powdered milk and restrictions and rumours. The old guard is being threatened even more by newcomers, never more than when the post-war election happens and two familiar characters are pitted against one another.
We start off with the book centring around Mr Scatcherd the artist with a capital A and his neighbours, the Hallidays, George and Sylvia being the young people of the house, both on leave from their wartime jobs. Soon, with much pleasure, we re-acquaint ourselves with Anne Fielding, who we met in the last book, and her introduction to Sylvia and then the glamorous (or bitchy, ageing and balding playboy) David Leslie and the charming Leslie family, Miss Bunting’s favourite pupil but souring a little as he ages. Martin Leslie and his sister are enjoying farming and many of the young women in the book are aiming for non-traditional careers, which is nice to see. Will Anne have her head turned or will her solid friendship with Robin Dale sustain her?
Even though a Very Bad Word appears in the book (though used positively, hm …) the value again lies in the portrayal of a tired and battered populace almost regretfully accepting the changes of peacetime, trying to keep certain family rituals going, finding cars and petrol to get to visit their friends, doing OK if they live in the country and grow vegetables. Certain almost feudal systems are still going, and there’s still a distinction between Barchester and The County, but incursions are coming, women are wearing trousers and, in a rather wonderful long passage, we see that housewives are very worn down indeed.
A good end to the series for me, although Thirkell kept writing books in the series, and I’m glad it finished off my 20 Books of Summer 2021.
This was Book 20 in my 20 Books of Summer project and Book 7 in AV/AA.
swosei12blog
Aug 30, 2021 @ 09:15:48
Congrats on hitting your reading goal for the summer!!!!
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 09:47:17
Thank you!
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joulesbarham
Aug 30, 2021 @ 10:25:31
Well done on hitting your target! I’m glad it was an Angela Thirkell to finish with, and one of her wartime (just) novels, which are definately her best, although the later books do explore what happens with some of the characters that emerge at this stage. I am so pleased that VMC produced these editions – they are a lot easier to read than some of the older editions even if I won’t be parter from my copies!
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 20:24:35
Yes, I think Virago only got up to this one and it does seem a good one to end on, with most ends tied up neatly at least, too.
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mallikabooks15
Aug 30, 2021 @ 10:59:03
Congratulations on the 20 books! I do keep meaning to pick up more Thirkell–I really enjoyed August Folly which was the one I last read.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 20:25:08
They are entertaining in their slightly dated way, and it’s fun to read them in order if you can as there are so many recurring characters.
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mallikabooks15
Aug 31, 2021 @ 02:57:17
So far I’ve just picked up ones I’ve found without really considering the order but as you say with recurring characters, it would make sense to read them as they were written
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Aug 30, 2021 @ 11:35:14
Will done – hurrah!! I didn’t formally join in, but I have read 32 books over the summer so feel very happy about that. Glad you completed this and finished your Thirkell reads too!
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 20:25:31
Ooh, nice total, well done!
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Cathy746books
Aug 30, 2021 @ 12:42:50
Thanks for taking part again Liz and congrats! X
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 20:25:47
Thank you – I do love doing this every summer!
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Helen
Aug 30, 2021 @ 12:52:36
Well done! I have read more than 20 books over the summer, but only 12 that were actually on my list, so I see that as both a success and a failure!
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 20:26:23
Ha, yes, good work! People do find it difficult to stick to their pile, and i hampered myself with my “only off the TBR” rule, and almost didn’t do it!
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heavenali
Aug 30, 2021 @ 18:10:05
Well done on completing 20 books of summer. I can sense that weariness of people living through a long war, from your description. I have no idea how many books I read over the summer period. I did quite well in June and July but August has been a much slower month.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 30, 2021 @ 20:27:10
Quite similar to how we’re feeling at the end of all these pandemic months, though at least our cakes are relatively unaffected! You have done well but had other preoccupations this month, after all!
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Davida Chazan
Aug 31, 2021 @ 08:15:37
Brava! My review of my 20th book of summer will appear on my blog this coming Monday! (I signed up for 10, only including the ARCs and the rest were print books I didn’t take into account.)
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Liz Dexter
Aug 31, 2021 @ 08:38:56
Well done!
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wadholloway
Aug 31, 2021 @ 08:21:33
August Folly is the only (Barchester) Thirkell I have read, or will read, unless I stumble on another in a charity shop. Which would be nice. A change from my Georgette Heyer comfort reads.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 31, 2021 @ 08:39:21
Heyer is better, though. I will reread my Heyers, not sure I will my Thirkells!
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Black Knight
Aug 31, 2021 @ 16:17:43
Congrats on your 20 books!
“Peace breaks out” sounds like a very interesting book: the post-war periods are always difficult!
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Liz Dexter
Aug 31, 2021 @ 16:22:52
Thank you – yes, it was interesting, peace in Europe comes half-way through so you get both sides. I do find it fascinating reading about the just-post-war period, too, when rationing and life in general actually got harder for quite a while.
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Wendy
Aug 31, 2021 @ 23:42:26
Congrats on hitting your goal of 20 books and finishing the series! Sometimes I tire of a series before I finish it! Kind of like marathon training, lol
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Liz Dexter
Sep 01, 2021 @ 08:16:04
Thank you! And yes, in this series I’ve dropped to the half after noting the second half is a bit more rocky than the first!
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WordsAndPeace
Sep 04, 2021 @ 18:53:46
Congratulations on your reading challenge!
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Liz Dexter
Sep 05, 2021 @ 17:16:45
Thank you!
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BookerTalk
Sep 06, 2021 @ 08:19:15
Finishing 20booksofsummer is quite an achievement – doing it with so few substitutions is worthy of even greater applause. You had some heavy reading at the start – glad it ended on a lighter note with the Thirkell
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Liz Dexter
Sep 06, 2021 @ 08:39:46
Thank you! I don’t think I’ve ever done it with no substitutions at all (and I haven’t always done it, either!). And yes, it was weighted heavier at the start and got lighter, although the Thirkells aren’t short …
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BookerTalk
Sep 08, 2021 @ 20:35:13
Really, that surprises me about the Thirkells but then I’ve read only one and that was quite a quick read
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Liz Dexter
Sep 09, 2021 @ 09:10:40
The earlier ones seemed shorter/quicker, but then I’d read two Dean Street Press books which were really quite small earlier in the month, which is probably what saved me!
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