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After the publication in 1932 of Angela Thirkell's first Barsetshire novel, her fans eagerly awaited a new book in the series, and they were rewarded annually for the next 27 years. Drawing upon the entire body of Barsetshire novels (set in Trollope's imaginary county whose seat, Barchester, is a cathedral town), Laura Collins shows Angela Thirkell's larger purposes in chronicling the daily lives of the rural English.
English Country Life demonstrates Thirkell's conviction that loyalty to family, county, and country is the essential bond that strengthens middle-class culture; her close acquaintance with the English countryside, her high regard for the wit and wisdom of its people, and her firm conviction that the strong family unit is the backbone of the nation, are recurrently illustrated in the Barsetshire series. Collins traces the development of representative county families and their responses to the forces of political and economic decline. The book conveys Thirkell's mastery of detail in recreating life on the county's estates and farms, and in towns and villages, reflecting the cultural changes forced upon all social classes by the two World Wars and their aftermath.
Collins shows how Thirkell's own life is reflected in her county chronicles. Perhaps most significantly, Collins believes Thirkell's own experiences as a daughter and as a mother to three sons is reflected throughout the novels, revealing largely in hindsight the touching ironies as well as the comedy of these relations. In the course of these narratives, her sharp sense of human nature is seen at its best when she introduces readers to the many babies, toddlers, and adolescents who grow up in Barsetshire. Making extensive use of the series, Collins demonstrates convincingly that Thirkell presents an authentic record of upper middle-class English country life. For public libraries and research collections where Angela Thirkell's novels are read, enjoyed, and studied.
List of contents
A Personal Preface
The World of Angela Thirkell, an Introduction
The Countryside and BarchesterEast Barsetshire: The Towns and Villages
West Barsetshire: The Towns and Villages
Barsetshire FamiliesThe Elder Pomfrets
The Younger Pomfrets
The Leslies
The Marlings, The Beltons, Other Families
Babies, Nurses, Little BoysBabies and Nurses
Toddlers
Nursemaids
Little Boys: Tony Morland and His Mother
Frank Gresham
Other Boys
Mothers and Sons
Decline and Change
Bibliography
Index
About the author
LAURA COLLINS is a retired senior instructor, English Department of Palm Beach Community College South.
