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| Falling leaves... A cover - and some pages! |
Now
charity and second-hand sellers often speak about 'pre-loved' goods,
and when I see a book in pristine condition I always doubt it's been
read, let alone loved – but this book has obviously been read, and
read, and read. It's so well thumbed, worn, and brown with age that
it's barely a book any longer, but you can tell it's been much loved,
and I'm proud to be its last reader. The downside to all this is that
I loved 'High Rising' so much I will have to buy another copy which
isn't falling to pieces.
It's
set in the imaginary county of Barsetshire (as created by Anthony
Trollope), and the main protagonist is widowed Laura Morland,
popular author of what she describes as 'good bad books'. Left in
dire financial straits when her husband dies, she makes a living the
only way she knows – by writing. Her mysteries all take place the
wholesale and retail dress business, although her own sense of
fashion is less than perfect, revolving as it does around 'hurried
bargains in the sales', and her hastily pinned-up hair is always
falling down.
Her
success gives her financial security and she can afford 'a small flat
in London, and a reasonable little house in the country, and a
middle-class car'. The only thing that makes Laura occasionally
admire herself a little is that she has a secretary, a part-time
secretary, but a secretary nevertheless. Success as a writer also
gives her independence, and she has no intention of becoming
romantically involved with anyone. She enjoys her lifestyle, and
appreciates her good fortune. “She was quite contented, and never
took herself seriously, though she took a lot of trouble over her
books,” writes Thirkell.
Much
of the humour in the book comes from her relationship with Tony, the
youngest of her four sons, and the only one who is still at school
(the others have left home). She loves him dearly, but at the same
time is irritated by his exuberance, his constant chatter, his
untidiness, his inability to stay clean and tidy – and his obsession
with trains!
Laura's
circle of friends includes her secretary Anne Todd, who has spent
years caring for her difficult mother who suffers from a heart
condition and what is probably dementia. Then there is Dr Ford, whose admiration for Anne knows no
bounds. But Anne harbours a secret passion for George Knox, who
writes serious historical books and is being kept away from his
friends by his ultra-efficient new secretary, mad Miss Grey, aka the
Incubus, who has set her sights on marrying the boss...
Meanwhile
Laura is convinced that her publisher Adrian and George's shy
daughter Sibyl are made for each other, but by bringing them together
she paves the way for scary Miss Grey to move in on George. Finally,
it's left to Anne to dream up a scheme to repel the invader, with
help from Laura's friend Amy who, as the wife of Tony's headmaster,
has had experience of dealing with a mad secretary.
The
novel was published in 1933, and Thirkell's portrayal of village
life, with its minute social distinctions, is very funny and
beautifully nuanced, and I love her writing, and the literary
allusions. But it's the characters who stay in your mind, because
they are so keenly observed. It's a light-hearted, beautifully
written thoroughly enjoyable read, and I heaved a sigh of
satisfaction when I finished, and started trawling the net looking
for more of her work.
