- Paperback: 300 pages
- Publisher: New York Review Books; New Ed edition (31 Oct 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 094032217X
- ISBN-13: 978-0940322172
- Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 1.5 x 20.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 809,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Herself Surprised, the first volume of Joyce Cary's remarkable First Trilogy, introduces Sara Monday, a woman at once dissolute and devout, passionate and sly. With no regrets, Sara reviews her changing fortunes, remembering the drudgery of domestic servitude, the pleasures of playing the great lady in a small provincial town, and the splendors and miseries of life as the model, muse, and mistress of the painter Gulley Jimson.
About the Author
In the words of his biographer, Alan Bishop, Joyce Cary (1888-1957) was 'a prolific, independent, wide-ranging writer with a place in three literatures (English, Irish, Nigerian) difficult to categorize because his writing integrates the traditional and experimental.' He was difficult to categorize which probably explains why his reputation is not more secure. However he was undoubtedly a major novelist of the twentieth century, and in acknowledgement of that Faber Finds is reissuing twelve of his works - Mister Johnson, Herself Surprised, To Be a Pilgrim, The Horse's Mouth, A Prisoner of Grace, Except the Lord, Not Honour More, Castle Corner, Charley is My Darling, A House of Children, The Moonlight and A Fearful Joy. The Horse's Mouth remains Joyce Cary's most famous novel but this extensive reissue programme will demonstrate to readers this is only one of many equally successful, challenging but entertaining works in his canon. Although never fashionable, Joyce Cary has always had his admirers: 'This novelist has exemplified the rule that when a writer dies, he or she may suffer a lapse in attention. You say to someone ''Joyce Cary'' and they say ''Who?''. Amazing! He was a marvellous writer, fresh, funny and popping with life.' Doris Lessing 'A splendid writer' John Updike 'Whenever I am idle I choose a Cary novel in the way that I might seek a friend's company, and it is not long before I am encouraged, inspired to write.' Paul Theroux 'To find a novelist who saw more deeply and conveyed more truly you have to go back to Dostoievsky and Tolstoy, Balzac and Goethe, Mann and Hesse . . . What makes him a life enhancer is the overwhelming sense the reader gets from him that the universe, for all its horrors and inexplicabilities, makes sense - obvious and glorious sense.' Bernard Levin
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
The judge, when he sent me to prison, said that I had behaved like a woman without any moral sense. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The judge, when he sent me to prison, said that I had behaved like a woman without any moral sense. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the first of a trilogy by Joyce Cary, telling the story of three main characters and their interactions with each other, from the point of view of each individual, and also as they are seen by each other. Each part of the trilogy is complete in itself and it is not necessary to read the others to understand what is going on.
Herself Surprised is Sara Monday's story, and tells of her first meeting with the artist Gulley Jimson, who is the subject of the final book in the trilogy, The Horse's Mouth. Sara is a hardworking and simple woman, who only wants a little security and kindness in her life. She is not averse to a little flattery and fun, and knows herself and her weaknesses very well. Her soft heart has led her into a relationship with her employer, Wilcher, and he is devoted to her. Jimson, however, is irresistable to her, in spite of his many faults, and knows how to get round Sara to get what he wants. On the other hand, Sara is not averse to a little underhand dealing to protect her own interests, too. Jimson is shown to be unpredictable and often violent towards her, but he draws and paints her many times and Sara is an important part of his life in every way. This is a beautifully written story which shows the truth of the ways of human nature in a fast-paced and often humorous way. Highly recommended.
Herself Surprised is Sara Monday's story, and tells of her first meeting with the artist Gulley Jimson, who is the subject of the final book in the trilogy, The Horse's Mouth. Sara is a hardworking and simple woman, who only wants a little security and kindness in her life. She is not averse to a little flattery and fun, and knows herself and her weaknesses very well. Her soft heart has led her into a relationship with her employer, Wilcher, and he is devoted to her. Jimson, however, is irresistable to her, in spite of his many faults, and knows how to get round Sara to get what he wants. On the other hand, Sara is not averse to a little underhand dealing to protect her own interests, too. Jimson is shown to be unpredictable and often violent towards her, but he draws and paints her many times and Sara is an important part of his life in every way. This is a beautifully written story which shows the truth of the ways of human nature in a fast-paced and often humorous way. Highly recommended.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Cary's triptych
11 Mar 2000
Format:Paperback
I have just reread Cary's three novels, Herself Surprised, To Be a Pilgrim and The Horse's Mouth. It is amzing that books written during the second world war should be so secure in their tone about a vanishing England and its history. Cary uses his three entirely diffeent voices - tricky sensuous woman, nervy religious dirty old man, obsessed manipulative artist- better than anyone else i know uses the limitations of the first person to show what we do and don't know about each other. His descriptions of places and things are delicious. Also I shd like to say what beautiful books the New York Review paperbacks are to handle and read. Most people know The Horse's Mouth, and many know Herself Surprised . I'm not sure To Be A Pilgrim isn't the best and most surprising of the three- which is saying something.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
This is truly a great book
23 Nov 2003
Format:Paperback
My take on Sara Monday is very different from what I'm reading here. I believe that she loved life and indulged herself in its pleasures. At the same time she was a nurturing soul. Read it for yourself to decide about her character. Gulley Jimson is also a great character. The descriptions in this book are wonderful. She describes the sea as being like oven glass one day and the edges of knives another. It is so good that I didn't want it to end, and now I'm going to read the other two books in the trilogy.
Highly Enjoyable
11 July 2005
Format:Paperback
I am giving this book 4 stars because it does not rank among the best books I have ever read, which would deserve a 5 star, but certainly better than a mediocre book which would merit only a 3 star. Amazon.com only gives us 5 stars, so I hand them out sparingly.
I enjoyed this old-fashioned read. I laughed at times, felt sympathy and frustration for Sara, and looked forward to where the story was taking her along with the reader. The story line reminds me of the book "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood. I am not about to run out and order the other two books in the Joyce Cary trilogy just yet; but some day when I am book dry I know they are there and I can go back to them.
I enjoyed this old-fashioned read. I laughed at times, felt sympathy and frustration for Sara, and looked forward to where the story was taking her along with the reader. The story line reminds me of the book "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood. I am not about to run out and order the other two books in the Joyce Cary trilogy just yet; but some day when I am book dry I know they are there and I can go back to them.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
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.
