Cold Comfort Farm (Penguin Classics)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Penguin English Library features the best novels in the English language. Get lost in the amazing stories, browse the Penguin English Library. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
? Quite simply one of the funniest satirical novels of the last century.?
?Nancy Pearl, NPR's "Morning Edition"
? Delicious . . . "Cold Comfort Farm" has the sunniness of a P. G. Wodehouse and the comic aplomb of Evelyn Waugh's "Scoop".?
?"The Independent" (London)
?Nancy Pearl, NPR's "Morning Edition"
? Delicious . . . "Cold Comfort Farm" has the sunniness of a P. G. Wodehouse and the comic aplomb of Evelyn Waugh's "Scoop".?
?"The Independent" (London)
Product Description
When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex. At the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the doomed Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last twenty years. But Flora loves nothing better than to organize other people. Armed with common sense and a strong will, she resolves to take each of the family in hand. A hilarious and merciless parody of rural melodramas, Cold Comfort Farm (1932) is one of the best-loved comic novels of all time.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents had been expensive, athletic and prolonged; and when they died within a few weeks of one another during the annual epidemic of the influenza or Spanish Plague which occurred in her twentieth year, she was discovered to possess every art and grace save that of earning her own living. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents had been expensive, athletic and prolonged; and when they died within a few weeks of one another during the annual epidemic of the influenza or Spanish Plague which occurred in her twentieth year, she was discovered to possess every art and grace save that of earning her own living. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A story of the sweetest sort that is only occasionally serious about its subjects and managed to give me a few belly-laughs as well enjoyable smiles at its distinct and clever wit. What Flora has in oodles is common sense. When her parents die and leave her with a hundred pounds a year she decides to write to all her relatives and ask if they want to take her on as a paying guest. Nobody does, but she does receive a letter from the Sussex Starkadders whose initial return is a letter which seems to admit she is owed something and has some rights to be supported, followed by a postcard with dour verses from the bible enscribed thereon.
Flora investigates and it turns out she has an enormously difficult job on her hands to civilise her cousins, but that's nothing to the job she has to humanise Aunt Ada Doom who once saw something nasty in the woodshed.
This is a fun read, light though seldom frothy, as it should be. The Introduction by Lynne Truss picks out some splendidly typical passages, my own favourite being:
"The long screams of the hunting owls tore across the night, scarlet lines on black. In the pauses, every ten minutes, they mated. It seemed chaotic, but it was more methodically arranged than you might think."
The mixture is wonderful, a dash of romanticism, a hint of passionate chaos and a smart aphorism to bring it all together. The style is wonderful throughout, but the story itself has a bit of a dying fall. Neverthless, this is a modern classic, enjoyable, deft, agreeably eccentric and an achingly funny satire on the rural passion novel, such as those that would like to be but are not quite in the D H Lawrence class.
Nb. I do not know what the three reviewers on the first page of these Amazon reviews are talking about. This is not a bowdlerised copy it is a Penguin Classics paperback and has an ISBBN number like all Penguin paperbacks. It has an introduction by Lynne Truss. There is a Note on the Text which states that the Penguin Classics volume of Cold Comfort Farm has been set from the Allen Lane edition of 1938, and had first been published by Longman in 1932.
Flora investigates and it turns out she has an enormously difficult job on her hands to civilise her cousins, but that's nothing to the job she has to humanise Aunt Ada Doom who once saw something nasty in the woodshed.
This is a fun read, light though seldom frothy, as it should be. The Introduction by Lynne Truss picks out some splendidly typical passages, my own favourite being:
"The long screams of the hunting owls tore across the night, scarlet lines on black. In the pauses, every ten minutes, they mated. It seemed chaotic, but it was more methodically arranged than you might think."
The mixture is wonderful, a dash of romanticism, a hint of passionate chaos and a smart aphorism to bring it all together. The style is wonderful throughout, but the story itself has a bit of a dying fall. Neverthless, this is a modern classic, enjoyable, deft, agreeably eccentric and an achingly funny satire on the rural passion novel, such as those that would like to be but are not quite in the D H Lawrence class.
Nb. I do not know what the three reviewers on the first page of these Amazon reviews are talking about. This is not a bowdlerised copy it is a Penguin Classics paperback and has an ISBBN number like all Penguin paperbacks. It has an introduction by Lynne Truss. There is a Note on the Text which states that the Penguin Classics volume of Cold Comfort Farm has been set from the Allen Lane edition of 1938, and had first been published by Longman in 1932.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Many of my friends have read and raved about `Cold Comfort Farm' and I've been meaning to read it for ages. Now I finally have and it's every bit as good as everyone said it was and I wish I'd read it years ago. Orphan Flora Poste, with not enough income to live on, decides to take up a career as a `parasite' by staying with all her relatives in turn. The first relatives she invites herself to stay with are the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm, though she has a horrible feeling she knows what it will be like and warns her friend that she may need to send her wellingtons on after her.
Even though it is every bit as bad as she expected Flora rolls up her sleeves and decides to change things. The farmhouse is dominated by old Mrs Starkadder - Aunt Ada Doom - who saw something nasty in the woodshed at a tender age and has never been the same since. No one dare leave the farm because they are all in thrall to the matriarch - except Flora. Full of eccentric and endearing characters this is a marvellous piece of comic writing.
Adam Lambsbreath - the aging farmhand - who refuses to use the washing up mop which Flora buys for him because he's always used thorn twigs and the mop is too nice to use. The daughter of the house, Elfine, who disappears every day over the Downs and writes poetry and her father Amos who is a fire and brimstone lay preacher. Flora determines to change things and to find out what Ada saw in the woodshed as well as what sin was committed against her own father by the Starkadders which means they owe her a debt. Every character's name tells a story and there is much unspoken passion and anger bubbling under the surface.
Originally written to satirise such writers as Mary Webb, the book can be read and enjoyed today even if the reader has no knowledge of the genre which is parodied. The book is in a class of its own and I found myself really liking Flora from the first page for her down to earth practicality and common sense which soon brings much needed change to Cold Comfort Farm. The ending is both heart warming and memorable. This Penguin edition of the book has an amusing and interesting introduction by Lynn Truss
Even though it is every bit as bad as she expected Flora rolls up her sleeves and decides to change things. The farmhouse is dominated by old Mrs Starkadder - Aunt Ada Doom - who saw something nasty in the woodshed at a tender age and has never been the same since. No one dare leave the farm because they are all in thrall to the matriarch - except Flora. Full of eccentric and endearing characters this is a marvellous piece of comic writing.
Adam Lambsbreath - the aging farmhand - who refuses to use the washing up mop which Flora buys for him because he's always used thorn twigs and the mop is too nice to use. The daughter of the house, Elfine, who disappears every day over the Downs and writes poetry and her father Amos who is a fire and brimstone lay preacher. Flora determines to change things and to find out what Ada saw in the woodshed as well as what sin was committed against her own father by the Starkadders which means they owe her a debt. Every character's name tells a story and there is much unspoken passion and anger bubbling under the surface.
Originally written to satirise such writers as Mary Webb, the book can be read and enjoyed today even if the reader has no knowledge of the genre which is parodied. The book is in a class of its own and I found myself really liking Flora from the first page for her down to earth practicality and common sense which soon brings much needed change to Cold Comfort Farm. The ending is both heart warming and memorable. This Penguin edition of the book has an amusing and interesting introduction by Lynn Truss
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm."
That rather ominous announcement sets the tone for "Cold Comfort Tale," a slyly comic tale about a modern young woman who decides to "tidy up" a backward Sussex farm. Gibbons' deft sense of humour and entertaining characters bring alive what could have been just another coming-of-age novel.
Young Flora Poste unexpectedly finds herself orphaned, with only a tiny yearly allowance. But instead of getting a job and apartment, she decides to go live with relatives, so she can get life experience, tidy up, and make life nice and orderly. After a few vetos, Flora decides to go to Cold Comfort Farm, a "doomed house" whose inhabitants feel they owe a debt to her.
When she arrives, she finds a clan of inbred Sussex hillbillies, including her grimly religious uncle, depressed aunt, "highly sexed" cousins, a very fertile farm girl, and the crazed matriarch, Aunt Ada Doom, who "saw something nasty in the woodshed." Even worse, a pompous writer is infatuated with her. But Flora is determined to make things orderly, and so she begins changing Cold Comfort Farm...
It takes a really good writer to straddle the line between spoofery and a serious book. Stella Gibbons was one such writer, and like Anita Loos, she was happy to eye everything humorously: the idle wealthy (Mary Smiling and her bra collection), people who live in squalor and hate it, but aren't willing to change (the Farm inhabitants), and even intellectuals ("Do you believe women have souls?"). Even the livestock gets funny names like Feckless, Graceless and Arsenic.
For the most part, "Cold Comfort Farm" does seem orderly and tidy -- Flora drags it into the 20th century, sends people off to better lives, and arranges marriages, including one for her fey cousin to a young aristocrat. The only flaw is the ending: Gibbons never tells us what Flora's "rights" are, what Aunt Ada saw, or what happened with Flora's dad.
At first, Flora comes across as rather manipulative and shallow. The odd thing is, as the book progresses, we see that Flora's liking for tidiness is essentially good-hearted. Like one of Jane Austen's heroines, she does these things not just for herself, but for their sakes as well -- she wants a "happily-ever-after" for everybody, including the mad matriarch, her womanizing cousin, and fire-and-brimstone uncle.
This edition is a particularly nice one, with a whimsical cartoony cover that suits the tone of the book very well, and an interesting foreword by Lynn Truss, who knows a few things about tidiness, order, and humorous language herself.
While the ending of the book is not as tidy and orderly as I'd hoped, "Cold Comfort Farm" is still an entertainingly wry novel -- call it a comedy of improving manners.
That rather ominous announcement sets the tone for "Cold Comfort Tale," a slyly comic tale about a modern young woman who decides to "tidy up" a backward Sussex farm. Gibbons' deft sense of humour and entertaining characters bring alive what could have been just another coming-of-age novel.
Young Flora Poste unexpectedly finds herself orphaned, with only a tiny yearly allowance. But instead of getting a job and apartment, she decides to go live with relatives, so she can get life experience, tidy up, and make life nice and orderly. After a few vetos, Flora decides to go to Cold Comfort Farm, a "doomed house" whose inhabitants feel they owe a debt to her.
When she arrives, she finds a clan of inbred Sussex hillbillies, including her grimly religious uncle, depressed aunt, "highly sexed" cousins, a very fertile farm girl, and the crazed matriarch, Aunt Ada Doom, who "saw something nasty in the woodshed." Even worse, a pompous writer is infatuated with her. But Flora is determined to make things orderly, and so she begins changing Cold Comfort Farm...
It takes a really good writer to straddle the line between spoofery and a serious book. Stella Gibbons was one such writer, and like Anita Loos, she was happy to eye everything humorously: the idle wealthy (Mary Smiling and her bra collection), people who live in squalor and hate it, but aren't willing to change (the Farm inhabitants), and even intellectuals ("Do you believe women have souls?"). Even the livestock gets funny names like Feckless, Graceless and Arsenic.
For the most part, "Cold Comfort Farm" does seem orderly and tidy -- Flora drags it into the 20th century, sends people off to better lives, and arranges marriages, including one for her fey cousin to a young aristocrat. The only flaw is the ending: Gibbons never tells us what Flora's "rights" are, what Aunt Ada saw, or what happened with Flora's dad.
At first, Flora comes across as rather manipulative and shallow. The odd thing is, as the book progresses, we see that Flora's liking for tidiness is essentially good-hearted. Like one of Jane Austen's heroines, she does these things not just for herself, but for their sakes as well -- she wants a "happily-ever-after" for everybody, including the mad matriarch, her womanizing cousin, and fire-and-brimstone uncle.
This edition is a particularly nice one, with a whimsical cartoony cover that suits the tone of the book very well, and an interesting foreword by Lynn Truss, who knows a few things about tidiness, order, and humorous language herself.
While the ending of the book is not as tidy and orderly as I'd hoped, "Cold Comfort Farm" is still an entertainingly wry novel -- call it a comedy of improving manners.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Something nasty in the woodshed ...
This book really took me by surprise, i chose it in my sister-in-laws book shop and forgot about it for a while. Read more
Published 1 month ago by clarebear
Fabulous, funny and refreshing!
Flora Post is orphaned at the age of 19, and having completed her education she needs to find somewhere to live and a way of life. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Book 1981
Witty and super perky
I loved this so much more than I had expected. It's very witty, pert and arch. A plucky heroine, lots of comical characters and scheming galore. Pip pip!
Published 2 months ago by Notmuchtimetoread
hillarious and deeply readable.
Cold Comfort farm is surprisingly funny and quite delightful. It's a wonderful parody. On losing her family Ms Poste makes up her mind to live with her relatives on Cold Comfort... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Emma Thompson
Useless Kindle sample
I was curious about this book so I got a sample of the Kindle edition. To my disappointment, it is literally the first few pages of the book which mainly consists of the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Gwen
Warm you heart with Cold Comfort Farm
I've wanted to read this book for ages and I at last got round to it; and I wasn't disappointed. First published in 1932 Cold Comfort Farm is as fresh today as when it was first... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mac Cooper
Clever and funny
I can't imagine why it has taken me so long to get around to reading this book. It's brilliant! Clever, witty and well structured, it's an absolute pleasure to read. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Stargazer
A good read for all
Really enjoyed this book, loved the ending, just what I wanted. The writing in this book relies heavily on it's elaborate descriptive passages which are intended to mock the style... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. Debbie Charlton
Outrageous, witty, clever and thoroughly enchanting
I adore this novel!
Stella Gibson had a true zest for life and a lethal satirical eye. Both of these attributes were brought together to create a devastatingly funny... Read more
Stella Gibson had a true zest for life and a lethal satirical eye. Both of these attributes were brought together to create a devastatingly funny... Read more
Published 7 months ago by inkylittlefingers
A great rural romp
Cold Comfort Farm is widely proclaimed as one of the greatest comic novels of all time. Great comic novels are few and far between, but even so I wouldn't put this in the same... Read more
Published 12 months ago by John Moseley
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
