Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Pleasure that is E. M.Delafield

Yesterday, India Grey reminded me about The Diary of A Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield.
It is a wonderfully dry and witty book about the trials and tribulations of a lady during the 1920s/30s. I read at in my final year of university and adored it. Luckily EM Delafield wrote several sequels including The Provincial Lady in London which was given to me as a graduation gift and I can dip in and out of that one. Both India and I agree that when we go to London for a Literary do, is impossible not to feel like PL.
If you have read Delafield, you can tell where Helen Fielding got some of her inspiration. If you enjoy PG Wodehouse, you should like EM Delafield. If you are a Mother with Children, it rings true. However, unfortunately, she has fallen out of fashion. She should be rediscovered.
Recently, Jilly Cooper did a marvellous article on EM Delafield in the Guardian. It is worth a read if you want to know more. Suffice it to say that Jilly Cooper is a fan of the books. Better yet, try to find a copy and read EM Delafield's words. They resound through the ages.

Still working on my revisions and they are going well. And I shall be Good and not reread PL until I have finished them and my rita books...

2 comments:

Nell Dixon said...

een a long time since I read her books. Another favourite of mine is Monica Dicken's One pair of hands and her follow up one pair of feet - excellent reads, moving and hilarious.

Unknown said...

Am now re-reading the first book, and snorted with laughter when I came across the bit where EM's lovely friend Rose invites her down to the South of France. 'I am moved to exclaim-- perhaps rather thoughtlessly-- that the most wonderful thing in the world must be to be a childless widow...'

Hilarious! We definitely need to spearhead a revival campaign!