They aren't bad, but if they hadn't been written by the author of Cold Comfort Farm, it's unlikely anyone would seek them out. Otherwise, most stories in the collection are fine, if fairly inconsequential. One in particular stinks: The Murder Mark contains the flimsiest denouement to a story about killing I've encountered for a long while, as well as one that is foreshadowed with all the subtlety of these drunk elephants. Looking on the Aunt Ada Doom bright side, some of the stories are awful. They're certainly worth reading if you're interested in rounding out Gibbons' character – although their value as standalone works is questionable. Another called To Love and to Cherish, meanwhile, is a sad account of how settling for marriage can also mean the death of ambition and a dearth of adventure. A story called Sisters is a bitter, angry indictment of those who judge women for loving outside of marriage.

There are also some pointed attacks on contemporary mores that show there's more to Gibbons than making fun of Mary Webb.

Looking on the bright side, the stories do provide a good snapshot of England immediately before the war (the book was first published in 1940). I started with the short story collection Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm – of course I did! If that was the only other thing I'd read by Gibbons I'd probably be reporting that it's quite right that Gibbons is remembered best because of the Starkadders. But reading about her uneasy relationship with this book – and her fondness for her others – piqued my curiosity, and so I thought I'd look at a few more things she's written. Heard of Westwood? I can't say I had either until this month.Ĭold Comfort Farm overshadows most other novels from the 20th century too, so it doesn't seem entirely unfair that it should have had a similar effect on the rest of Gibbons' oeuvre. Late in life she described it as 'some unignorable old uncle, to whom you have to be grateful because he makes you a handsome allowance, but is often an embarrassment and a bore.' She also lamented the fact that it had so eclipsed the 20-odd other novels, not to mention various collections of short stories and poetry, that she also published.

Her dazzling first novel made her name, but it also became a millstone.

Stella Gibbons might not thank us for focusing so completely on this novel, her most famous work. I'm glad it came out of the hat – and I'm grateful to the readers who nominated it.īut something has been nagging at me as I've come to know more about the book and its author. Less seriously, but probably more importantly, it's also been highly entertaining and extremely funny: just the book to see us through the darkest month. It's provided - forgive me - fertile ground for discussion about the art of parody, transcending parody and race and class in the 1930s. Cold Comfort Farm has been an excellent choice for this month's Reading Group.

Novel by stella gibbons