Themed Read June 2022: Books by Virago authors that Virago didn't publish

Betreff des ursprünglichen Themas: Themed Read May 2022: Books by Virago authors that Virago didn't publish

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Themed Read June 2022: Books by Virago authors that Virago didn't publish

1BeyondEdenRock
Bearbeitet: Mai 30, 2022, 11:09 am

Welcome to our JUNE 2022 Themed Read.

This thread is going up a little early to give everyone who wants to join in the chance to have their books lined up and ready to read.

Our theme this month is READ A BOOK BY VIRAGO AUTHOR THAT VIRAGO DIDN’T PUBLISH.

There are far, far too many books to list.

Some of them are to be found in second-hand bookshops and in libraries.

Many works from the early twentieth century and further back are in the public domain.

Certain writers were still writing when Virago published books from their backlists - I am thinking of Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood.

Many works have been reissued by other publishers, so what follows is a survey of some of what is out there.

PERSEPHONE BOOKS

The Home-Maker and The Deepening Stream by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes, Minnie’s Room: The Peacetime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes and London War Notes by Mollie Panter-Downes

Consequences by E M Delafield

Farewell Leicester Square by Betty Miller

A Woman’s Place: 1910–75 by Ruth Adam

The Montana Stories and Journal by Katherine Mansfield

Alas, Poor Lady by Rachel Ferguson

Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting by Penelope Mortimer

The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow by Mrs Oliphant

Harriet by Elizabeth Jenkins

National Provincial by Lettice Cooper

Expiation by Elizabeth von Arnim

English Climate: Wartime Stories by Sylvia Townsend Warner

DEAN STREET PRESS

A Footman for The Peacock, Evenfield and A Harp In Lowndes Square by Rachel Ferguson
The Swiss Summer, A Pink Front Door, The Weather At Tregulla, The Snow-Woman and The Woods In Winter by Stella Gibbons

Rhododendron Pie, Fanfare For Tin Trumpets,Four Gardens, Harlequin House, The Stone Of Chastity and The Foolish Gentlewoman by Margery Sharp

HANDHELD PRESS

Personal Pleasures, What Not. A Prophetic Comedy, Non-Combatants and Others and Potterism: A Tragi-Farcical Tract by Rose Macaulay

Kingdoms of Elfin and Of Cats and Elfins by Sylvia Towsend Warner

VALANCOURT BOOKS

Ideala by Sarah Grand

Though Art The Man and Dead Love Has Chains by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Diana Tempest by Mary Cholmondeley

VINTAGE CLASSICS

A Long Time Ago, Red Sky at Morning, The Wild Swan, Night in Cold Harbour and The Forgotten Smile by Margaret Kennedy

Cold Comfort Farm, Conference at Cold Comfort Farm, Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm, The Bachelor, The Charmers, Enbury Heath, White and Grey Sand, Ticky, Starlight, The Matchmaker, Westwood, The Rich House, My American, Basset, The Charmers, The Yellow Houses and Pure Juliet by Stella Gibbons

BRITISH LIBRARY WOMEN WRITERS

Keeping Up Appearances by Rose Macaulay

Tension by E M Delafield

My Husband Simon by Mollie Panter-Downes

Father by Elizabeth Von Arnim

The Tree of Heaven by May Sinclair

FABER FINDS

The Feast, Lucy Carmichael, The Midas Touch and The Oracles by Margaret Kennedy

Stranger with a Bag, Winter in the Air and Scenes of Childhood by Sylvia Townsend Warner

TURNPIKE BOOKS

The Small Widow and The Maiden Dinosaur by Janet Mc Neill

House of Dolls and Mr Fox by Barbara Comyns

DAUNT BOOKS

Pleasures & Landscapes and The Trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover by Sybil Bedford

Sunday Lunch with the Brownings by Penelope Mortimer

A Broken Mirror by Mercè Rodoreda

Tomorrow by Elisabeth Russell Taylor

VICTORIAN SECRETS

Twilight Stories and Not Wisely but Too Well by Rhoda Broughton

Henry Dunbar by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Workers in the Dawn, Thyrza and Demos by George Gissing

Helbeck of Bannisdale and Robert Elsmere by Mrs Humphrey Ward

BLOOMSBURY READER

The Dangerous Islands, The Dark Moment, Emergency in the Pyrenees, Enchanter's Nightshade, The Episode At Toledo, Four-Part Setting, Frontier Passage, The Ginger Griffin, Julia in Ireland, The Lighthearted Quest, The Malady in Madeira, Moments of Knowing, The Numbered Account, Permission to Resign, A Place to Stand, The Portuguese Escape, Singing Waters and The Tightening String by Ann Bridge

Faster! Faster!, Late and Soon and No One Now Will Know by E M Delafield

NYRB CLASSICS

The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns

Down Below by Leonora Carrington

The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy by Olivia Manning

Maidservant and Manservant by Ivy Compton-Burnett

I am sure that there are more, but every list has to end somewhere and this one is long enough.

I have not included authors like Noel Streatfeild and Monica Dickens who Virago picked up on after their books were reissued by other publishers, or Beryl Bainbridge, whose books were reissued by various Little Brown imprints - including Virago - a few years ago; but there is no reason why they shouldn’t be read this month.

Any book not published by Virago by an author who has is eligible this month.

2kaggsy
Mai 27, 2022, 8:28 am

Some great suggestions Jane - there are lots on there I can choose from!!!!

3NinieB
Mai 27, 2022, 9:10 am

What a great list--thanks for compiling!

4LyzzyBee
Mai 29, 2022, 1:18 pm

I have The Bachelor by Stella Gibbons, in a Vintage edition, coming up on my TBR so that will fit in well! I have two Helen Ashtons, too, but she's a Persephone author, but glad I can take part with that one at least.

5brenzi
Mai 29, 2022, 8:38 pm

I started Margaret Kennedy's The Feast this morning without realizing it was on the list so I know I'll still be reading it on Tuesday. I'll probably also read one other, either Margery Sharp's Four Gardens or Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm which has been on my shelf for eons. Thanks so much for providing this list once again.

6Sakerfalcon
Mai 30, 2022, 8:22 am

>1 BeyondEdenRock: This list is so helpful, thank you! I have some Rose Macaulay titles from Handheld Press and British Library Women Writers, so will read at least one of those. I know I have some of the Persephones too, and The Swiss summer and others by Stella Gibbons. This will be another great month!

7kayclifton
Jun. 2, 2022, 3:08 pm

I have just begun reading The Bachelors by Muriel Spark.

8kayclifton
Jun. 5, 2022, 1:57 pm

I was disappointed by The Bachelors so I have begun reading a book by D E Stevenson one of my favorite authors. The title is Rosabelle Shaw and I obtained it from a public library which has an extensive collection of her works.

9brenzi
Jun. 5, 2022, 7:03 pm

I read The Feast by Margaret Kennedy which I've had since last summer when it was all the rage after being reissued by Fabre but I'm always late to the party. It was absolutely wonderful in every way possible. I just loved it.

10kaggsy
Jun. 6, 2022, 5:25 am

>9 brenzi: Totally agree. Such a brilliant book!

I've started The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer - very good so far!

11BeyondEdenRock
Jun. 7, 2022, 5:57 am

>9 brenzi: I love that book! I understand why Virago chose the Margaret Kennedy books that they did but really wish that they published more of her work.

12Sakerfalcon
Jun. 7, 2022, 8:28 am

>9 brenzi: The feast is an amazing read! So glad you enjoyed it!

>11 BeyondEdenRock: Me too! And Pamela Frankau's too.

I've read Dangerous ages by Rose Macaulay, which looks at four generations of women in the same family, all roughly 20 years apart in age. It's very perceptive - despite being very much of its era (1920s) there is a lot that still rings true.

I also read The prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which I can't see in a Virago edition so I think it counts. I saw the film years ago and remember the premise but it was good to read the original novella.

I think my next book this month will be The rich house by Stella Gibbons.

13lippincote
Bearbeitet: Jun. 7, 2022, 9:23 am

I really liked The Pumpkin Eater and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, both of which I read as a teen in the 60s. I must find The Feast!

I am 80 pages into Expiation by Elizabeth Von Arnim.

14kayclifton
Jun. 7, 2022, 4:59 pm

>9 brenzi: I also loved The Feast and in addition The Forgotten Smile.

15the_red_shoes
Jun. 7, 2022, 7:00 pm

>1 BeyondEdenRock: This is a great idea! I haven't heard of a lot of these.

16bleuroses
Bearbeitet: Jun. 8, 2022, 1:35 pm

A list of riches! Thank you once again, dear Jane! Just finished up my current reading and now to choose a new book - always a happy day.
I'm joining the Margaret Kennedy party and reading The Feast. I love that Cathy Rentzenbrink championed the new gorgeous Faber edition.

17BeyondEdenRock
Bearbeitet: Jun. 14, 2022, 8:38 am

My first book for this month’s theme 'Gypsy, Gypsy' by Rumer Godden, which is out of print. It tells the story of a young woman who returns, with her recently widowed aunt, from Paris to the chateau where she grew up . They don’t get the reception they expected. The younger woman understands and hopes to win affection in time, but the older woman is bitter and takes action. There are consequences that she didn’t foresee. The writing was lovely – though it felt more like something Daphne Du Maurier or Mary Stewart would have written – and the early chapters were engaging. Sadly later in the book characters and relationships were sacrificed to a rather muddled and unlikely plot.

18Sakerfalcon
Jun. 14, 2022, 11:05 am

I just finished The rich house by Stella Gibbons which I very much enjoyed. It's set in a seaside town and follows the entwined lives and loves of a group of young people who are trying to discover what they want from life. There are a few very sudden engagements/marriages but that's typical of books in this period (late 1930s/early 40s) and I liked that Gibbons gives us a peek at their lives in the future.

19kayclifton
Jun. 14, 2022, 2:18 pm

I just finished another book by Margery Sharp (my favorite author), In Pious Memory. It was very enjoyable. Her books have the most interesting story lines and characters. I always feel that for the most part she likes her characters and that's not always the case with many novelists. Her plot twists are also fascinating and most end happily which is also refreshing.

20Heaven-Ali
Jun. 14, 2022, 5:17 pm

I am reading His Master's Voice by Ivy Litvinov. Not got far yet, but it is amazingly atmospheric, with an incredible sense of place.
Sorry I failed to join in the last two months.

21kaggsy
Jun. 15, 2022, 9:49 am

>20 Heaven-Ali: Love that book - so glad you're enjoying it Ali!

I have just read The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer which I loved, though it was really quite sad at the end. Glad I finally go to her after all these years!!

22LyzzyBee
Jun. 16, 2022, 4:47 am

I've started The Bachelor by Stella Gibbons, I remain unconvinced, esp as it features someone from an invented country and Gibbons seems to heartily dislike many of her characters so far - however, I looked up Ali's review and she enjoyed it, so I'm pressing on ...

23lippincote
Jun. 19, 2022, 9:22 am

I read Expiation by Elizabeth Von Arnim this month, while sitting out on my deck tanning my legs. Perfect for that situation: light weight nonsense of no consequence.

24BeyondEdenRock
Jun. 21, 2022, 11:03 am

After reading All the Books of my Life by Sheila-Kaye Smith I wanted to read one of her novels this month. I read Green Apple Harvest, the story of the four adult children and widow of an authoritarian farmer after his death. It was very well written, with a strong sense of place and I could easily believe that the author was writing of people and places that she knew.

25kac522
Bearbeitet: Jun. 24, 2022, 11:07 am

I finished The Feast by Margaret Kennedy and loved it.

But I have some very spoiler-y questions for those who have read it:

Spoiler Question 1:I read the Intro after finishing the book. The "Seven Deadly Sins" connection was brilliant, but I had no idea about it until I read the Intro. Is there a hint in the text to this idea? Did you figure this out yourself just by reading the novel?

Spoiler Question 2:Why is Mrs Siddal "saved" at the last moment? She didn't seem a particularly good person, although not totally evil, either. But she was irritating in some ways. Did she redeem herself somehow?

Thanks for any insights!

ETA: Cross-posted in the "Which Virago Are You Reading?" Thread.

26LyzzyBee
Jun. 24, 2022, 2:05 pm

Oh I forgot to confirm I finished Stella Gibbons' The Bachelor and was a bit ambivalent about one aspect but generally enjoyed it, and glad I was able to join in this month! https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2022/06/22/book-review-stella-gibbons-the-ba...

28Sakerfalcon
Jun. 27, 2022, 7:45 am

I'm now reading Tension by E. M. Delafield. It has some wonderfully awful children in it!

29LyzzyBee
Jun. 27, 2022, 4:17 pm

Oh that is a good one!

30Heaven-Ali
Jun. 30, 2022, 12:43 pm

I reviewed His Master's Voice yesterday - which I am now worried doesn't count - oh but at least I tried.

https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2022/06/29/his-masters-voice-ivy-litvinov-1930/

31Sakerfalcon
Bearbeitet: Jun. 30, 2022, 1:10 pm

>30 Heaven-Ali: I have this one, I think it's a Virago but not a VMC which is enough to count for the challenge in my opinion!

32kayclifton
Jun. 30, 2022, 1:21 pm

i have just borrowed Hungry Hill by Daphne Du Maurier from a public library. It was published by Doubleday, Doran and Company, New York in 1943 and it's in good condition although that may indicate that it hasn't been borrowed very often over the years.

33Heaven-Ali
Jun. 30, 2022, 1:41 pm

>31 Sakerfalcon: Phew - that's ok, when I heard it had been a Virago I was worried. :)

34BeyondEdenRock
Jul. 1, 2022, 5:48 am

>30 Heaven-Ali: If you felt it counted when you picked it up it counts. I knew the author to be a Virago author but I didn't know the book before you mentioned it.

35Sakerfalcon
Jul. 2, 2022, 5:16 am

I finished Tension which was very good and certainly lives up to its title. It's a brilliant portrayal of hypocrisy, gossip, and the damage they can cause. Lady Rossiter professes to be shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you! - by people whispering about the rumours she herself started about the new female supervisor at the college her husband helped found. She's deliciously awful, as are the neighbours bumptious children who frequently burst in at awkward times. I'm very glad the BL have reprinted this one.

36lippincote
Jul. 3, 2022, 8:47 am

That sounds great Claire. Too bad I am not buying books at the moment.

37LyzzyBee
Jul. 3, 2022, 4:18 pm

It's excellent, isn't it!