August Folly by Angela Thirkell Book Review

Synopsis

It's August in the Barsetshire village of Worsted, and Richard Tebben, just down from Oxford, is contemplating the gloomy prospect of a long summer in the parental home. But the numerous and impossibly glamorous Dean family - exquisite Rachel, her capable husband and six of their nine brilliant children - have come for the holidays, and their hostess Mrs Palmer plans to rope everyone into performing in her disastrous annual play. Surrounded by the irrepressible Deans, Richard and his sister Margaret cannot help but have their minds broadened, spirits raised and hearts smitten

My Thoughts

After three novels, I'm becoming familiar with what to expect from Angela Thirkell: lots of quirky characters, multiple romances, upper

middle class society, humour, and a snapshot of country living between the wars.

So far I find her novels an interesting portrayal of the times, but often the comedic scenes fail to entertain and I feel no connection to the characters, except to dislike most of them. I am hoping that at some point as I make my way through the series this will change.

Like Wild Strawberries, I'm ambivalent about this book, the fourth in the Barstshire series.

As mentioned earlier, there are lots of quirky characters. This time Thirkell has included a talking donkey and cat, both owned by the Tebben family. The donkey is named Modestine after a character from one of Robert Louis Stevenson's novels, but is called Neddy by everyone outside the family. And there is also an incident with a bull.

Richard Tebben is an ungrateful and selfish young man, who thinks his parents are inferior. He develops a crush on Rachel Dean and thinks up many ways to impress her. While I didn't like Richard, mainly due to how he treats his parents, I did feel a modicum of sympathy for him when he overhears a conversation about himself. What he hears embarrasses and disillusions him, and leaves him in a quandary over an offer he later receives.

Mrs. Palmer was another character I didn't take to. The villagers were good sports to take part in her annual play, which could easily have ended badly through her bullying and unkindness towards some of the performers, especially Margaret.

Aside from Richard Tebben's crush on Mrs. Dean, there are other romances: Laurence Dean's romance with Richard's sister Margaret and Helen Dean's with the much older Charles Fanshawe. There are some misunderstandings and outside interference before they are all resolved satisfactorily.

And that tedious summer holiday at home that Richard Tebben was so dreading? It didn't eventuate. In fact, everything worked out very well for him, although I'm not sure if he deserved it.

The next book is Summer Half.

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