February was a whole day longer this year, which was perfect for finishing off my final book of the month and for the #ReadIndies reading challenge. I haven’t been blogging much the last few weeks but I did manage to read nine books in February, eight of them for #ReadIndies, which is a challenge I particularly enjoy.
I posted some mini reviews of my first three February reads earlier this month as well as a review of my latest Margaret Drabble, but that was all. I am hoping to write more fully about one or two of my other February reads, but as usual I can’t be relied upon to do that.
I started the month reading Someone from the Past (1958) by Margot Bennett, published by the British Library. Unfortunately, it didn’t completely hit the spot. The characters are all generally awful – and I just didn’t believe in the central character, and narrator, who in her desperation to save someone from being implicated in the murder continually implicates herself.
I was on firmer ground with Muriel Spark The Public Image (1968) published by Polygon, this edition bought second hand helped to complete my set of Spark centenary editions. I am trying to ignore the awful white sticker on the spine, which can’t be removed without tearing the cover, but it does slightly upset me. It is a wonderfully Sparkian satire on celebrity culture, as relevant now as it ever was.
Published by Handheld Press, Army without Banners (1942) by Ann Stafford, is an autobiographical novel about a middle aged woman driving ambulances through the Blitz. There is tragedy and pathos but also humour and Ann Stafford who was one half of the writing duo who gave us Business as Usual, balances these differing moods perfectly. There are also some lovely illustrations.
The Millstone (1965) by Margaret Drabble was easily my book of the month. I found it ended far too quickly, every word was just superb. I also found it surprisingly moving in places. It is a beautifully tender novel of feminism and motherhood, set and written in the 60s, it does feel very rooted in the period.
Pipers and a Dancer (1924) by Stella Benson published by Michael Walmer is a slightly unusual but very entertaining novel about Ispsie, a young woman who travels to China to join her fiance, a British customs official. On the ship she meets an American, who will be taking over her fiance’s post. Her fiance, Jacob is a terribly dull, pompous young man, who has a certain view of Ipsie, which is totally at odds with how Ipsie sees herself. While staying with Jacob’s awful sister, news is received that Jacob has been kidnapped by brigands. A strangely witty novel, with what would probably have been an unconventional ending for the time. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Stella Benson novel.
My slowest read of the month was The Sanity Inspectors (1955) by Friedrich Deich translated from the German by Robert Kee, published by Boiler House Press. I enjoyed the novel, but it is a slow read, quite wordy and full of complex ideas. It is a fascinating historical piece I suppose but there is little in the way of plot. It tells the slightly disjointed but often compelling story of Dr Robert Vossmenge’s career in Psychiatry. As the 1930s progress Vossmenge finds his work increasingly influenced with the Nazi regime, during WW2 he tries to keep a low profile while serving as a Luftwaffe doctor. It is friendship with a Lutheran pastor however that makes him question what constitutes insanity in a world truly gone mad.
One of the Persephone books Liz bought me for Christmas was Sofia Petrovna by Lydia Chukovskaya (1965) translated from the Russian by Aline Werth. Sofia is an ordinary woman, a doctor’s widow, with one son who is leaving school around the time the novel starts. She starts work as a typist in an office, a job she loves, but when not working, she focuses everything on her son. These are difficult times in Russia, and as Sofia’s son finishes his studies and embarks on a career, the newspapers begin to be filled with stories of arrests, Sofia is shocked to learn of all these people who are conspiring against the Soviet regime. It is though only the start of what becomes known as Stalin’s Great Purge, and poor Sofia, a good honest soviet woman, believes everything she is told. When her son is arrested however she is thrown into a nightmare world of Soviet bureaucracy as she tries to find out what has happened to him.
Brian (2023) by Jeremy Cooper published by Fitzcarraldo was a novel I appreciated more than I enjoyed. I really like the character of Brian and the writing is certainly good, however I think I might have been the wrong audience. Brian is a man who has struggled all his life to fit in, a man without friends, who has lunch at the same place every day. He joins the British Film Institute in London, which brings film back into his life. Every evening he visits the cinema on London’s South Bank, joining a group of like minded individuals, who eventually become familiar, and in time one of them, Jack, becomes a friend. Unfortunately, an awful lot of the film stuff left me a bit cold. I enjoy films, but not to this degree and not such obscure stuff that is talked about here. There were a handful of films discussed that I knew, and had seen, but I think readers with a BFI subscription, who enjoy obscure and classic cinema might get more out of this than I did. The ending is very poignant however and beautifully done. I was disappointed not to have liked it more.
The British Library will be publishing Forest Silver (1941) by E M Ward at the end of March, and I was delighted to get a proof copy for review. Set in Grasmere in the Lake District in the early years of the war. The descriptions of the Lake district through the changing seasons are lovely, and as someone who has spent happy days in Grasmere I could see a lot of it in my mind’s eye. Richard Blunt has come to Grasmere after being invalided out of the air force, and breaking off his engagement. He becomes involved with the Bainrigg family, the young daughter Corys is almost seventeen when they first meet, living with her mother and grandmother, her father away in London, she has been left the estate to manage by her grandfather’s will. Her love of the land is almost obsessional, but she has a lot of growing up to do, so much still to be negotiated. Richard is drawn to her in a way I wasn’t entirely happy with but he helps her negotiate her way through various difficult situations. Corys is a wonderfully drawn, complex character – and the setting is of course wonderful.
Well I have started this new month reading another Margaret Drabble novel, Jerusalem, the Golden which I am enjoying so far. As for the rest of the month I don’t have any particular plans. I am aware of Read Ireland month but I’m not sure if I have anything suitable or not but I will have a good look. Apart from that I shall go with my mood which is very fickle at the moment.
What books did February bring you?
Business As Usual sounds like it might resonate with something I read this month—Not So Quiet by Helen Zenna Smith, a Virago Modern Classic about women ambulance drivers in France in WWI (instead of the Blitz). Incredibly evocative and very disturbing in its recounting of the attitudes of those on the home front, who seem more excited by the possibility of reflected glory than concerned by the likelihood of their sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, etc. dying on the front lines. It sounds like Stafford’s novel is at least a little bit less dark.
Well Business as Usual was rather different to Army without Banners, which was the novel I read in February. Business as Usual is excellent, but about a department store not ambulance drivers. I would recommend both however.
Oh sorry, I got the title wrong–I meant Army Without Banners. (Business As Usual is the same pair of authors, though, right?)
Yes Business as Usual was written by Ann Stafford and Jane Oliver. Army without Banners was written by Ann Stafford alone.
Ah! That explains my confusion.
A great reading month with eclectic reads.
I’d love to visit the Lake District, so I’m a little drawn to Forest Silver.
I didn’t manage to participate properly to Read Indies but I’ll post something as I did read books from indie publishers.
Thanks for reminding me of Read Ireland, I’ll check my TBR.
The Lakes are a wonderful place to visit, I hope you can visit one day.
Lovely to read about your February reading Ali; I’m glad you had a good month of books. I’m very much looking forward to reading The Millstone – it’s finally now come in for me to collect at the library. I’ll be interested to learn your thoughts on Jerusalem the Golden too in due course.
Looking back over February, I’ve enjoyed a lovely pile of books. I started the month with a couple I had been inspired to read by Jacquiwine: The Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Cespedes and Iza’s Ballad by Magda Szabo, both of which I enjoyed very much; the way the family dynamics and interior lives of the characters were very well done I thought. In a bid to join ReadIndies, I also read Fitzcarraldo’s ‘Ash Before Oak’ by Jeremy Cooper (I can see what you mean about Brian and the film stuff. Like you I did find the ending very moving), and Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au about a mother and daughter on holiday in Japan. Again, I really appreciated the reflections on their relationship, and their different outlooks based on how they had been shaped by growing up in different cultures. I think you would like it if you haven’t read it.
After that I read two Persephones from my tbr: The Homemaker and Vain Shadow. I save my Persephones up because I know they will be treats to read and these two were no exception. Vain Shadow led me to Vita Sackville West’s All Passion Spent, which I also thought was very good.
On the non fiction front I read Deborah Levy’s Living Autobiography trilogy; two and three I particularly appreciated and identified with. Lastly, a novella that will stay with me, was A Sunday in Ville D’Avray – very thought provoking, dreamlike and evocative – set in a Paris suburb in late summer – Jacqui has am excellent blog with other links if you have not read this and are interested.
I’ll stop because this is long – please let me know if it’s too rambly and I will be briefer in future!
Wishing you Happy March reading and thank you for posting. I’m envious of you having a copy of the new BLWW Forest Silver - but I have ordered a copy of Mountain Waters by E M Ward which was available at the library so am looking forward to that!
Don’t worry about your long comments. I love hearing about what you have been reading and what you thought. Many of the books you mention I have read, including Cold Enough for Snow, which is beautiful. That Szabo and both those Persephone are also books I very much enjoyed. Congratulations on finding that E M Ward book.
Looks like a great month of reading, Ali – some lovely indie presses there! I’m looking forward to Forest Silver a lot myself!
Thanks I hope you enjoy Forest Silver. February was a good time to read all those indie publishers.
I loved Army Without Banners. Very different from Business as Usual, for obvious reasons, but equally good. Happy March reading!
Yes, those two are very different. Good for different reasons as you say. It was interesting to think how those experiences must have been close to the author’s own.
I have a copy of Brian which I’m looking forward to – I am a member of the BFI so I’m hoping the film references resonate! I really enjoyed #ReadIndies in February and my plans for March are Reading Ireland and Dewithon – I’ll look forward to seeing what you choose for March.
Yes, Brian might resonate more with you. There were things I liked about it. I hope you do enjoy it.
I know what you mean about the relationship in Forest Silver and I’m glad the book progressed as it did. What a good month, nine solid reads and eight indies, I managed four and a half but had some good ones among the indies and non-
Yes, I was pleased how Forest Silver progressed, I was worried initially.
You read such a variety of books and at least you get yours reviewed.
I’m sorry Brian didn’t hit the spot for you, Ali, but I probably underestimated the level of film knowledge (and interest) readers might need to get the most out of it! Apologies if I led you astray with my review of that one…
The Muriel Spark and the Drabble are on my shelves, and I’m looking forward to them even more based on your comments here. Army Without Banners sounds brilliant, too. I still need to post about some of my February books, but Brigid Brophy’s Hackenfeller’s Ape was a highlight for sure!
Oh no I don’t feel you put me on the wrong track with Brian. I wondered when I bought it whether I would be interested in the film element, so I probably took a gamble on it, really.
Hackenfeller’s Ape sounds fascinating.
You’ve had a great reading month and the Drabble project is proving to be a real highlight. I can’t recall if I’ve read Jerusalem the Golden, but I think maybe not? It’s one of the skinny little ones, I think.
Yes, I am enjoying my Margery Drabble reading a lot. I recently finished Jerusalem the golden, it was also good.
Looks like you had quite the reading month. I haven’t heard of any of these books but some of them certainly sound interesting. I will have to check some of these out.
I hope you find exploring these titles inspires to to try some.
Glad you had a good reading month. I’ve been wondering about Brian too considering my (non existent) film knowledge or that I hardly ever even watch one.
I think I was the wrong reader for Brian but it is a good book.
I might try the Grasmere one: I love Grasmere.