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The Diary of a Provincial Lady
 
 

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The Diary of a Provincial Lady (Paperback)

by E.M. Delafield (Author), Nicola Beauman (Introduction) "November 7th.-Plant the indoor bulbs ..." (more)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 529 pages
  • Publisher: Virago Press Ltd; New edition edition (15 Nov 1984)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0860685225
  • ISBN-13: 978-0860685227
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 48,734 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #3 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > D > Delafield, E.M.

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Product Description

Review
'I finished the book in one sitting, leaving the children unbathed, dogs unwalked, a husband unfed, and giving alternate cries of joy and recognition throughout' - Jully Cooper 'I reread, for the nth time, E. M. Delafield's dry, caustic Diary of a Provincial Lady, and howled with laughter' - India Knight 'Glorious, simply glorious' - Daily Telegraph 'She converts the small and familiar dullness of life into laughter' - The Times

THE TIMES
'She converts the small and familiar dullness of life into laughter'

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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November 7th.-Plant the indoor bulbs. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Witty and gives a lovely insight on prewar & wartime life, 30 Mar 1999
By A Customer
This is in fact three volumes collected into one. They are the amusing diaries of a middle-class Englishwoman covering the 1930s and wartime. While they are not really laugh out loud they do bring a smile, often of recognition. The simple domestic incidents are retold very much in the style that most of us use to tell of funny things that happen to us - a bit flippant and exagerated. This book is best read in small doses (it originally appeared as a series of features in a magazine). I would recommend this book most highly.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I just love this book......, 19 Feb 2004
warm, witty and although it was originally published in the thirties I can still relate to the main character much more than I can relate to Bridget Jones. Some great episodes, especially with the trips to the pawnbroker! A really good bedtime book as it can be read in small chunks, and isn't too demanding of tired brains!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it again and again - and still love it!, 14 Jul 2007
By P. Golding "book mum" (Somerset England) - See all my reviews
"Robert says nothing". But what was he thinking?

The Provincial Lady fascinates me: her way of life, her comments about the social standards predominating before the last war. It could all be rather boring but somehow the way she talks isn't. And I catch something different everytime I re-read the book or listen to the audio cassettes.

There were still shades of the the PL's world left during my childhood in the early 1950's: the baker and grocer still called; my Mum wrote and posted copious notes to companies - ordering, complaining, thanking - as well as writing regular long letters to relatives and friends (she rarely used the phone as it was too expensive); the dreaded visit to the bank manager when finances got tight; everything paid cash and careful records kept of income and expednditure which had to balance every week.
My father was very much head of the house and everything was referred to him - unlike Robert though, he said a good deal, most of it critical.

I would recommend the Provincial Lady books to my future daughter-in-law as a good read, and I hope she would find them just as fascinating. The humour and the quality of the writing must surely appeal to any generation.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable read but WHY JILLY COOPER?
I enjoyed this book immensely and have since recommended to my mum and Gran. The Cath Kidson design is beautiful and it was a pleasure to read. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Book Worm

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.
Bought this book for my Mum and she was delighted with it. She thought I'd bought it new it was in such good condition.
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. J. L. Potter

2.0 out of 5 stars Big disappointment
I have loved 'Diary of a Provincial Lady' for years, so when this edition appeared on my Amazon 'suggestions for you' page, I immediately put it on my Christmas list. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Pamela Rose

4.0 out of 5 stars The diary of a woman who couldn't wipe her own nose...
The 4 star rating is an error on my part. This book barely rates a one star. When I read this book as a teenager I think I found it mildly amusing. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Angular

5.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly funny!!!!
If you buy only one book in your life, make sure its this one. I have read five times (something I never usually do) and always find something in it that I missed previously. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2007 by GrannyFran

5.0 out of 5 stars social and feminist history in a humorous package
This diary, plus the later ones in which the author visits America and then works in a forces' canteen in wartime, is a fascinating glimpse of what life was like for a middle... Read more
Published on 18 April 2006 by Visualiser

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost as enjoyable as reading the book
Imelda Staunton is perfect as the likeable Provincial Lady, lurching from one domestic disaster to another, wishing guiltily she was a "childless widow". Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
A tale of gentle wit and humour. Miss Read meets Bridget Jones. Great fun, a perfect hot chocolate and snuggle under the duvet read!
Published on 13 Oct 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
This book is so funny, it's British humour at its best. You can really relate to her and her life. Just read the book and you'll understand.
Published on 14 Jun 2000 by whosqueen@hotmail.com

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