February is #ReadIndies month, it’s one of my favourite reading events – a chance to read and celebrate the work of independent publishers. I have just started my fifth book of the month, my fourth for #ReadIndies.
I began with Someone From the Past (1958) by Margot Bennett, a Golden Age mystery from the British Library. I am always especially keen to read those from women writers, and although the British Library has published two others by Bennett this was the first I had read. It was enjoyable enough, I definitely wanted to know what had happened – but if I’m honest it didn’t completely hit the spot. The characters are all generally fairly awful – and I just didn’t believe in the central character, and narrator, who in her desperation to save someone she (stupidly) loves from being implicated in the murder of her close friend she manages to get herself into increasingly hotter water as the novel progresses. Her actions along with the awful men she numbers among her friends annoyed me – and as for the ending, I really was irritated by that.
Many of you will remember how I read lots of Muriel Spark for her centenary back in 2018. However, I didn’t get them all read. In December I reread The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which helped to remind me that I had two Spark novels left to read and was very overdue in getting around to. The Public Image and Reality and Dreams are the final novels I had left to read having finally tracked down all twenty two novels in the delightful Polygon centenary editions that came out in 2018.
Read Indies month gave me the perfect opportunity to read The Public Image (1968), which was particularly tricky to track down in this edition and I have had to content myself with an ex-library copy with a small unnecessary white sticker on the spine.
One of just a few Spark novels set in Italy, Annabel Christopher is an actress with a very carefully constructed public image. The image that she and the people around her have developed is all tied up with her marriage to Frederick, and the Image the couple have has helped Annabel become a certain type of actress playing a certain type of part, despite – as Frederick well knows – her lack of any real talent.
Yet, it’s all a mirage, the marriage is not happy, even a baby hasn’t helped to bring the couple together. Annabel is quite unconcerned with the situation, although she is frequently irritated by the constant presence of Billy O’Brien, one of Frederick’s friends, a man Annabel once, years earlier slept with. He is one of those characters Spark does so well, blind to the effect he has on others, he is horribly annoying, and only just stops short of sinister. As the novel opens the couple and the baby are moving into a new apartment in an old building in Italy. Frederick however has had enough, he simply can’t stand the hypocrisy any longer. He plans a shocking revenge, a revenge not only extraordinary and typically dark but one designed to shake that carefully managed public image to its core.
It’s a brilliant novel, typically Sparkian in its dark satire on celebrity culture, which seems as relevant now as it ever was.
Next I moved on to Army without Banners (1942) by Ann Stafford, published by Handheld Press, an autobiographical novel by one half of the writing duo who gave us the delightful Business as Usual.
Mildred is a middle aged woman who leaves her comfortable home in the country to work as an ambulance driver in London during the Blitz. Persuaded to do her bit by her cousin Daphne (usually known as Penny) Mildred is absolutely terrified of the Blitz, but she is also determined to do her bit and help the people of London in any way she can.
Mildred soon finds herself living alongside other women in Daphne’s once gracious home, sleeping on a mattress in her living room, being cooked for by Mrs Dove and working shifts in the ambulance station. She is cheerfully told by her colleagues that she has missed the worst of it by joining them in October 1940 – but what she experiences is certainly bad enough. Nightly, she witnesses the destressing destruction of London, and the injury and death that go with it.
There’s some brilliant observations here, conversations that feel quite real – the sights and sounds of London in wartime and later the boredom when all is quiet. Stafford depicts women pulling together in extraordinary times, women who would usually be found in entirely different situations, who meet adversity head on and keep ploughing on. Alongside the pathos and tragedy there is humour – and in this Stafford seems to get the balance just right. I also enjoyed the little illustrations that appear throughout – readers of Business as Usual will remember them I am sure and these drawings are every bit as good.
Having had a quick break from Read Indies to read my next Margaret Drabble novel, The Millstone in an old penguin I have had for years, I have now moved on to my fourth novel for Read Indies month Pipers and a Dancer (1924) by Stella Benson published by Michael Walmer. I haven’t read enough yet to say much about it but I am already drawn in and looking forward to getting back to it.
Thank you for the concise, lovely reviews. The Stafford title looks like one I’d really like. I still have a couple of Spark novels to read, too, plus the short stories and you’ve prompted me to take a look at them. Grier
I think anyone who likes WW2 narratives would probably enjoy the Stafford book. Spark is always great and I really enjoyed her short stories back in 2018.
Wonderful choices for ReadIndies, Ali – such a fun event, isn’t it? I’m interested in your response to the Margot Bennett, as it’s not one I’ve read yet. But I did read her “The Man Who Didn’t Fly” and it was quite unusual for a BLCC. I enjoyed it a lot, so I’ll be interested in seeing what I think of her others. As for the Spark, you really can’t go wrong with her, and the Handheld book sounds great too. Such a shame they’re going to stop publishing.
I was disappointed I didn’t fully engage with the Margot Bennett but it may just have been me. Yes sad news about Handheld, they have produced some excellent books.
I also enjoyed Army Without Banner which hit just the right note right from the start with Mildred’s cousin’s chastening letter urging her toiget involved.
Yes, it definitely strikes the right note. That determination to help and make sacrifices was evident.
Lovely post Ali, thank you. I really enjoyed reading your reviews and I should be interested to hear what you thought of The Millstone too. I read that a long time ago but was considering a reread.
I’m loving ReadIndies too. I am so grateful for the wonderful books that they bring out or back into circulation.
I absolutely loved The Millstone, such a lovely novel. I am going to try and write about it properly, perhaps next week.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed The Millstone; I shall look forward to reading your review and I shall add it to my (tottering!) tbr pile for a reread.
Excellent reviews and I’m enjoying Readindies, too, though I haven’t managed to complete many yet (I’m on my third read, though I have reviews out for two this month I read last month!). I remember loving The Millstone but I don’t think I can get to it on the fiction shelves at the moment …
I’m glad you loved The Millstone too, it does seem to be one loved by many readers.
Those Polygon editions are really lovely! I’ve only got Momento Mori in that edition though. It’s wonderful for you to have all 22!
I am very pleased with my Polygon editions, though rather wish I had bought them all in 2018, as I have ended up with one or two ex library copies which is a bit annoying, although they look nice together on the bookshelf.
I really like the sound of Army Without Borders! Like you, I thoroughly enjoyed Business as Usual, so it’s great to see another Stafford reissue from the Handheld team. (As you were saying to Karen, it’s so sad to see that Handheld will be winding up at some point. They’ve given us some terrific books over the years, but it must be so hard for small publishers to survive in the current economic climate.)
Thanks for the heads up about the Margot Bennett, too. I think I’ll give that one a miss!
I’m not sure if Handheld’s decision was entirely financial, but it is a hugely difficult market place. I am sure you would enjoy Army without Banners, but yes I would skip the Margot Bennett, it’s nothing special.
Well it’s a good thing that you didn’t read all those Spark novels, else you’d have been left without one to read just now!
Well yes, absolutely that’s very true, and still one to go.