Showing results by author "E. M. Delafield" in All Categories

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Kirsty Besterman, an experienced TV and theatre actress known for her leading role as Lady Macbeth in the National Theatre Tour, as well as a number of roles with Shakespeare's Globe and the RSC. 'January 22nd - Robert startles me...

'Lady B. stays to tea. (Mem.: Bread-and-butter too thick. Speak to Ethel.) We talk some more about bulbs, the Dutch School of Painting, our Vicar's wife, sciatica, and All Quiet on the Western Front. (Query: is it possible to cultivate the art of conversation when living in the country all the year round?)' If the question suggests a qualified answer, there is no doubt that the art of diary writing is alive and well and very, very funny in Devonshire in the 1920s. At least in the hands of E. M. Delafield.

The Provincial Lady finds herself in London, looking for voluntary work to support the war effort, which proves an unexpectedly difficult thing to achieve. Her interactions with a varied host of companions, also caught up in a strange frenzy, reflect so clearly the mood and tension of the time, yet the account is witty, apposite - and so very English, with the stiff upper lip underpinning it all.

The Provincial Lady Goes Further is the immediate sequel to Diary of a Provincial Lady - and life mirrors art. Our Provincial Lady has found herself, unexpectedly, with a literary success on her hands! She is suddenly 'somebody', both in her Devonshire environs and in London, where she establishes a bolthole - ostensibly so she could concentrate on the much-awaited sequel, but also so that she can enjoy the fruits of being a best-selling author!

No one could have been more surprised than our Provincial Lady to receive an invitation from her American agent to travel transatlantic and embark upon a programme of lectures and signings. She was particularly amazed because, having received an overture sometime before and feeling that she would rather stay in the English countryside, she requested that they meet quite a few ‘requirements’ before she would agree to go. They met every stipulation. ‘

Set in the English countryside in the 1930s, The Provincial Lady introduces us to a protagonist with a sharp eye, but even sharper wit. Through various diary entries, she records the quiet chaos of her everyday life, as well as her attempts to keep her footing in the genteel yet absurd world of upper-middle-class domesticity. Featuring a loyal (if aloof) husband, two reasonably behaving children, a cook who consistently threatens to quit and a garden that refuses to grow what it ought to, The Provincial Lady evokes a hilarious yet exhausting balancing act of budgets, egos and expectations which resonates and amuses in equal measure.

A witty classic from the author of the Diary of a Provincial Lady. This can be enjoyed both as a satirical commentary on Edwardian Society and as a delightful coming-of-age tale. We meet Monica, a young girl about to be launched into society, with the one aim of finding a suitable husband. Not just anyone, but a man who in her mother’s words should be “quite - quite”. Written with a knowing wink and a bittersweet wit, we follow the naïve Monica as she experiences high hopes and youthful yearnings to find life turning out not quite as she expected.

Set against the backdrop of late Victorian England, “Consequences” tells the story of Alexandra Clare, a girl born into an affluent Catholic family in London. Designed from birth for the refined life of a wife and mother, Alexandra struggles to conform to her familys expectations, finding herself at odds with the roles laid out for her. As she navigates the challenges of education, the marriage market, and family life, she grapples with the feeling of never quite belonging.

In this early work by the author of Diary Of A Provincial Lady, set against the backdrop of World War I in the Midlands, we encounter a unique establishment where soldiers find solace in the form of sandwiches and a semblance of comfort. Run by the formidable Miss Vivian, an upper-class woman whose controlling and manipulative nature belies her seemingly unwavering dedication, the place is revered by many. Yet, beneath the surface of admiration lies a web of emotional manipulation that only Grace Jones, a newcomer, can unravel. As Grace seeks to help Miss Vivian confront her flaws, the story ...

Laura Temple faces the predicaments of many British middle-class wives and mothers living in country villages between the World Wars. Her too-large house, inherited by her husband Alfred, requires three servants to keep it running: generally unsatisfactory servants whom she is perpetually concerned will leave her employ for greener pastures, which they inevitably do. Her modest success as a short story writer helps augment their income but still, there is never enough money. She is a devoted mother to her two sons, although she shamelessly prefers one over the other. And she is deeply unhappy.

The Essential Classics: Volume 8 brings together 5 of the greatest classics ever written, perfectly read by an esteemed cast including Emma Gregory, Lucy Scott, Mark Meadows, and Rachel Atkins. From the quiet introspection of Persuasion, where Anne Elliot faces the complexities of love and second chances, to the thrilling escapades of The Scarlet Pimpernel, this volume offers a diverse array of experiences. The Mysteries of Udolpho will immerse you in gothic suspense, while The Provincial Lady offers a humorous and sharp look at the life of a woman in the early 20th century.

In Heel of Achilles, we follow Lydia Raymond, a girl from a lower middle-class background, as she navigates the challenges of her upbringing and strives to carve out her own identity. Her journey up the social ladder reveals the sacrifices and struggles that come with ambition. This poignant tale delves into her childhood, her quest for self-discovery, and her complex relationship with her daughter, Jane. A fairytale turned on its head, this story explores the bittersweet nature of transformation and the weight of personal choices. - Summary by Stav Nisser.

Edmée Elizabeth Monica Dashwood, née de la Pasture (1890-1943), was a prolific English author who wrote under the pseudonym E. M. Delafield. She is best known for her largely autobiographical Diary of a Provincial Lady , which took the form of a journal of the life of an upper-middle-class Englishwoman living mostly in a Devon village of the 1930s.

Edmée Elizabeth Monica Dashwood, née de la Pasture (1890-1943), was a prolific English author who wrote under the pseudonym E. M. Delafield. She is best known for her largely autobiographical Diary of a Provincial Lady, which took the form of a journal of the life of an upper-middle class Englishwoman living mostly in a Devon village of the 1930s. In 'Squirrel in a Cage', she tells the story of the ending of a relationship between two lovers.

The Modern Age is one of information overload. Bombarded, surrounded, and battered by facts, figures, opinions and seemingly whatever else comes out of anyone’s head from all directions at all hours of the day and night. It’s exhausting. In the pens of such luminaries as Henry James, E M Delafield, C E Montague, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and many others we connect with old fashioned media from publishing and advertising to telegrams and radio and everything in between in ways that are surprising, enlightening but always entertaining.