According To Queeney
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In According to Queeney, a bold, often ribald and moving invention, Beryl Bainbridge takes the extravagant figure of Samuel Johnson, 18th-century scholar and wit, and brings his last 20 years to rumbustious life through the blunt and mocking observations of his mistress's firstborn daughter Queeney.
Hurtling her readers into small and great events in the company of Garrick and Goldsmith, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Fanny Burney and Boswell, the years spin by. Johnson's wearisomely quarrelling household in Johnson's Court draws him increasingly to the sublime excesses of Streatham Court, presided over by his adored Mrs Thrale (whose wifely duties include poultices to testicles). This odd ménage is gossiped about and gawked at as child births and deaths, comeuppances and flirtations, swallowed buttons and skirmishes on staircases reveal as well as obscure unpalatable shifts of affection to the ageing Johnson and the composed but outraged Queeney.
Bainbridge's handling of the troubled, demanding and contrite Johnson and of Queeney, first as child observer and then as reluctant adult correspondent, are especially vivid, quirky and captivating. And this creation of sheer delight is underlayed by a delicate attention to the vulnerabilities of the human heart. --Ruth Petrie --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'A stellar literary event. written with panache & an enviable economy.the biggest risk of her literary life' Margaret Atwood *'This is a small, wise book of small prose miracles. It is a larger miracle in this way: it makes us feel we see Johnson & his friends in unexpected & unfamiliar ways which are nevertheless convincing and authentic. I did not think anyone could do this, & still have no idea how Bainbridge pulled it off' Andrew Marr, Daily Telegraph
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Bainbridge has researched her subject well - I came away feeling that I had learned something about the characters of a number of famous names - James Boswell, Joshua Reynolds, Fanny Burney, etc. However, the tale itself felt disjointed at times with the technique of switching between centuries (Each chapter is interspersed with a letter from the older Queeney, looking back on her family acquaintance). Johnson himself seemed an improbably unattractive character in temperament for a much courted lady to be chasing. In fact, most of the characters have very few endearing features.
It was a pleasing enough book, but not as enjoyable as I thought it could have been.
25 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is Beryl Bainbridge at the peak of her powers and it is a travesty that she has missed out on the Booker again. It is a dark tale of the complex relationship between Samuel Johnson and his friend and benefactor Mrs Thrale and is executed masterfully.
16 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is novel number 16 for Ms. Beryl Bainbridge. In addition to these she has written an additional 4 works. Of the first 15 novels, 5 have been nominated for the prestigious Booker Award, however it has never been granted to her work. If there is another writer who has had one third of their work nominated but not rewarded, I have not come across one. Many other awards have found their way to this tremendous storyteller; I hope the Booker Folks catch up.
"According To Queeney", demonstrates once again the ease with which Ms. Beryl Bainbridge can reach, both back into history and to some of the great players of their times, and not only grasp, but create wonderful new tales. The century of choice this time is the 18th, and she chooses the formidable Samuel Johnson as her focus. This person alone would be plenty for most writers, however she has added actor David Garrick, poet Oliver Goldsmith, novelist Fanny Burney, and artist Joshua Reynolds. Each of these people could fill their own book, and more than one has. The brilliance of this work is that the author manages to bring them all together, give them all they're due, and does so in a fairly brief 216 pages. She does not merely name drop or make a passing reference. She manages to make all of the various players memorable; however brief their words allotted may appear to be. The truth is they read with much greater length.
A young counterpoint to Johnson is the Queeney of the title. An extremely precocious child, she is a favorite of Johnson's as well as a talented young mind he seeks to cultivate. This same Queeney becomes a correspondent for a researcher investigating her memories of her young years, as they relate to her and her mother, the latter of the two who Johnson becomes emotionally attached to. The mother eventually becomes available for marriage, and the events surrounding this opportunity bring the threads of the story together, and then to a close.
This is one of the best books that Ms. Bainbridge has written. I hope the people who nominate and then award The Booker Prize, once again nominate this work, which then will cause them to make a decision that differs from those in the past. If they do not, when her next work is released, she will then be the 6 times nominated author for the award.
"According To Queeney", demonstrates once again the ease with which Ms. Beryl Bainbridge can reach, both back into history and to some of the great players of their times, and not only grasp, but create wonderful new tales. The century of choice this time is the 18th, and she chooses the formidable Samuel Johnson as her focus. This person alone would be plenty for most writers, however she has added actor David Garrick, poet Oliver Goldsmith, novelist Fanny Burney, and artist Joshua Reynolds. Each of these people could fill their own book, and more than one has. The brilliance of this work is that the author manages to bring them all together, give them all they're due, and does so in a fairly brief 216 pages. She does not merely name drop or make a passing reference. She manages to make all of the various players memorable; however brief their words allotted may appear to be. The truth is they read with much greater length.
A young counterpoint to Johnson is the Queeney of the title. An extremely precocious child, she is a favorite of Johnson's as well as a talented young mind he seeks to cultivate. This same Queeney becomes a correspondent for a researcher investigating her memories of her young years, as they relate to her and her mother, the latter of the two who Johnson becomes emotionally attached to. The mother eventually becomes available for marriage, and the events surrounding this opportunity bring the threads of the story together, and then to a close.
This is one of the best books that Ms. Bainbridge has written. I hope the people who nominate and then award The Booker Prize, once again nominate this work, which then will cause them to make a decision that differs from those in the past. If they do not, when her next work is released, she will then be the 6 times nominated author for the award.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
According to Queenie
I bought this book after seeing Beryl Bainbridge reading excerpts on the TV. Very enjoyable, details of the life of Samuel Johnson.
Published 21 months ago by Mrs. J. C. Elliott
Poignant and profound
If you're looking for a review that does real justice do this book, far more than can I, read 'BOOKER COMMITTEE' by 'Taking a Rest'. Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2009 by Readalot
Some interesting passages but ultimately disappointing
From the description on the back cover and extracts of reviews inside, I had high hopes of this book as a work of fiction based on real people and events from the late 18th... Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2006 by A. BUTTERWORTH
Simply excellent
Berl Bainbridge's lastest novel manages to completely involve you in the lives of her complex characters and give a vivid picture of Georgian times whilst also supplying a very... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2002
Baffling but enjoyable
This was an enjoyable, well-written but ultimately baffling book. It seems like it might have been an experiment to see whether it's possible to write about Johnson in a... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2002 by R Hamblyn
Why the rave reviews?
I read a lot of historical ficiton, and I was looking forwards to this one. It had a ton of excellent reviews and many people seemed to have greatly enjoyed reading it. Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2002
View from the margin
I searched in vain for a plot or a person that I could care even slightly about. I read three-quarters of this book (and love historical fiction!) but I admit absolute defeat. Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2001
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