The 1954 club starts today, hosted again by Karen at Kaggsy’s bookish ramblings and Simon at Stuckinabook. Both books I have been reading for this were kindle reads – and kept me happy over the first week of the school Easter holidays. The first of these Gypsy in the Parlour was a surprisingly expensive e-book – but as I had thought I had a copy, finding I didn’t, decided I had to read it. There were other books I could have read instead, but I am glad I shelled out a little more, as this was a great, escapist immersive read.
Set mainly in Devon (where I was while I was reading most of it) in the late nineteenth century, it is the story of the Sylvester family, particularly the women who drive it. As the novel opens, the three Sylvester women – each of them married to one of three brothers, await the arrival of the new, and so far unseen fiancé of their youngest brother-in-law Stephen.
“In the heat of a spacious August noon, in the heart of the great summer of 1870, the three famous Sylvester women waited in their parlour to receive and make welcome the fourth. Themselves matched the day. The parlour was hot as a hothouse, not a window was open, all three women were big, strongly-corseted, amply-petticoated, layered chin to toe in flannel, cambric, and silk at a guinea a yard. Their broad, handsome faces were scarlet, their temples moist. But they stood up to the heat of the parlour as they stood up to the heat of the kitchen or the heat of a harvest-field: as the sun poured in upon them so their own strong good-humour flowed out to meet it—to refract and multiply it, like the prisms of their candlesticks, the brass about their hearth. Nature had so cheerfully designed them that even wash-day left them fair-tempered: before the high festivity of a marriage their spirits rose, expanded, and bloomed to a solar pitch of stately jollification.”
The novel is narrated by the young niece of the Sylvester family who spends each summer at the Sylvester farm, which is a long way from the gracious London home of her lawyer father and society mother. However these are the happiest days of each year for her, her aunts make her so welcome, here she is surrounded by love, and happiness. When at home in London, she longs to be back at the farm. Margery Sharp’s descriptions of the farm do make it sound utterly idyllic, life here is simple, uncomplicated, and honest – the beautiful crab apple that grows outside the window of the niece’s bedroom, a symbol of all that is good and unpretentious in this world.
Charlotte in the oldest aunt – married to Tobias the oldest brother, she chose the wives for her husband’s brothers, Grace and Rachel are women in Charlotte’s own image – they are large, attractive, strong, capable women – good humoured and loving.
“My three aunts talked splendidly. I choose the word with intent. As a rule their continual loud conversation flowed in a spate of broad Devonian, varied by an occasional touch of Norfolk from Charlotte; but they had all received quite grand educations in their time, my Aunt Grace had even been to boarding-school, and when they chose they could out-niminy any lady in the shire.”
Each of the Sylvester women has raised a son, and then sent off their sons to make lives of their own in far corners of the globe. Stephen the youngest brother has long been a happy bachelor. Now out of the blue, Stephen, has gone off and found his own wife to be, and Charlotte, Grace and Rachel are happy for him, anxious to welcome the girl into their family and their home. When she arrives, it is clear that Fanny Davis is a very different woman, they are large, blonde, and impressive, she is small, dark haired and fragile, until recently she had worked in a hat shop. What is less clear at first, is how life at the Sylvester farm will change forever because of her.
Fanny Davis is made welcome by the Sylvester women, for that is all they know how to do. Arrangements for a wedding begin, and our narrator remembers how sad she was that the wedding would take place after her return to London. She looks forward to hearing all about the wedding. However, there is no wedding, for on the eve of the wedding, Fanny succumbs to a mysterious illness. She is confined to the couch in the parlour – where she finds she is able to host the occasional visitor – but can do more than that. The doctor can find no reason for the sudden malaise.
When Charlotte’s niece returns the following summer, she finds the cosy parlour has taken on the air of a sick room, Fanny never moves from it. It would seem that poor Fanny Davis has entered into a decline. The niece knows all about declines for she borrows the novelettes of the cook at home, she sees Fanny as a tragic, rather romantic figure, and Fanny is quick to take advantage. She casts the girl into the role of her ‘little friend’ and manipulates her to do her bidding. The child is only eleven or twelve at this point – and can’t see what is blatantly obvious to the reader, Fanny Davis is pulling a fast one.
Bit by bit that summer the niece begins to detect changes between the Sylvester women, who have always lived so harmoniously together. She is absolutely shocked when she hears Charlotte, Grace and Rachel arguing, in time she begins to see it has something to do with Fanny.
“I stopped talking and lay quiet. Whatever had happened, whatever was going to happen, it was no longer a matter for children.”
Returning to London again, the niece is drawn further into Fanny’s games when she is asked to pass on a letter, and leads her into a delicious little adventure. The niece can think of no malign intention, she sees only good – and so when months later she is back in the parlour with Fanny, she can have no idea that her innocent chatter will have the most remarkable result. She manages to effect a cure, and Fanny rises from the couch. When the truth is revealed – there is nothing more for Charlotte to do but to roll up her sleeves and take on London herself – and this she duly does – in her own inimitable way.
Margery Sharp is a great storyteller and I loved this novel, which is packed full of brilliant women, the men mere bystanders I’m afraid, a perfect holiday read.
Always lovely to read a novel set where you’re on holiday although I rarely manage to do it.
Yes, it was completely by accident too. I hadn’t known where it was set until I started.
Ooh another brilliant-sounding 1954 title. What a fabulous year for publishing it turns out to have been.
It really does seem to have been a particularly good year.
How lovely that you were able to read it (or at least part of it) in Devon. I love the sound of the book (and now am dying to find out how Fanny is ‘cured’) so on to the list it goes. Wonderful review.
It’s a really compelling read, full of great characters.
This sounds so good Ali, fantastic women characters by the sound of it
I love a novel with lots of really strong interesting women in it. So this really ticked that box.
Great review Ali, I’m also planning on posting on this book for the 1954Club. How lovely that you were able to read it in Devon too!
Excellent, I will look out for your thoughts on this one. Such a good read.
Lovely review – I’m really glad you picked this one. I think it’s the most psychologically interesting of the Sharp novels I’ve read.
Fanny is certainly psychologically interesting, her manipulation of others is portrayed so well.
I loved this one, not surprising as I’ve loved nearly all of Margery Sharp so far! So odd that the prices of the e-books vary so widely, it’s very annoying. A lot of those I haven’t read are very reasonably priced from Dean Street Press which is great, can’t wait to read more of her!
I still have a lot of her books still to read. Glad to hear your such a fan. The DSP ebooks are great value, probably why I have several tbr.
A splendid review as ever, Ali, and it’s great to see a novel from this era with excellent women front and centre in the story – how inspiring! You’ve also reminded me just how much I want to read Margery Sharp in the future. I’ve only read one or two her stories so far (from the Virago WW2 anthology, Wave Me Goodbye, I think), but they were more than good enough to pique my interest in her work. Where would you suggest I start with her?
She is a great storyteller, she really explores her characters in depth. I haven’t read all that many by Margery Sharp yet, though The Foolish Gentlewoman would be a good starting point. I also loved Something Light, which is aptly named, lighter and fun from around 1960.
That’s great. Thanks so much, Ali. I’ll definitely take a look at those two.
What a wonderful choice, Ali, both for 1954 and your holiday. So glad you did read this and loved it. Sharp is a really clever writer, I think, hiding quite a lot of depth under what are misleadingly light stories.
Yes, you’re right. There is more depth to Margery Sharp than you might think at first.
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That sounds lovely, and how brilliant that you read it in the place it’s set, near enough! I thought I’d read this one, but no! Well done for getting two books in, too!
It was a happy accident that this was set in the county where I was on holiday. It was such a good read, I am sure you would enjoy it.