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Frost in May (Virago Modern Classics) (Paperback)

by Antonia White (Author) "NANDA was on her way to the Convent of the Five Wounds ..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Virago Press Ltd; New edition edition (3 Aug 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1844083780
  • ISBN-13: 978-1844083787
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 185,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Review

'Evelyn Waugh called [her] one of the very best novelists of the day - a title she still deserves' CAROL SHIELDS * 'Intense, troubling, semi-miraculous ... a work of art' Elizabeth Bowen *'Frost in May is the unsurpassed novel of convent school life. This story of a clash between a determined young girl and an authoritarian regime is both perceptive and painfully emotional, convincing in every detail' Hermione Lee, Observer *'A masterpiece. Beautifully written, it is a calm and factual record of the slow death of the soul' Selina Hastings


Product Description

Nanda Gray, the daughter of a Catholic convert, is nine when she is sent to the Convent of Five Wounds. Quick-witted, resilient and eager to please, she accepts this closed world where, with all the enthusiasm of the outsider, her desires and passions become only those the school permits. Her only deviation from total obedience is the passionate friendships she makes. Convent life is perfectly captured - the smell of beeswax and incense; the petty cruelties of the nuns; the eccentricities of Nanda's school friends.
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First Sentence
NANDA was on her way to the Convent of the Five Wounds. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars i went to "lippington", 9 May 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Frost in May (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)
Having been educated at the school on which Lippington is based (Antonia White went to Convent of the Sacred Heart, Roehampton which is now based at Woldingham in Surrey) I think that "Frost in May" in a brilliant evocation of convent school life as it was at the turn of the century. Many of the features of the school that White mentions (eg the "exemption" cards are still on display today (although they are obviously no longer used!) and the painting of Mary dressed in pink still hangs in the main library. However, the school has moved with the times and for this reason it was fascinating to read about what it was like ninety years ago. White's characterisation of the nuns is excellent and she prefectly captures the air of mystery that still, to an extent, surrounds them. She also conveys some of the rituals that are unique to a convent school.
The tragic ending to the novel is deeply disturbing in that it is inevitable almost from the moment that Nanda arrives in the school. I really enjoyed "Frost in May" but I think this may have been partially due to the fact that it satisifed my curiosity about what my school used to be like. I think that it could come across as slighly dull to many readers as a result of the long descriptive passages about convent school rituals. It is a very well-written account of a human tragedy but I do think that it could be considered extremely inaccessible to anyone who does not have some background knowledge of catholicism.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written with a sad ending, 6 Jul 2006
This review is from: Frost in May (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)
The claims that this book is a modern classic are fully justifiable. The book is well written and lively. The convent school is convincingly described, and the change of atmosphere when the girls are talking in the break is also well rendered. The characterisation is good throughout. However, the ending is extremely sad in an unexpected way.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A touching story, 17 April 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Frost in May (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)
This touching story of a little Catholic girl who tries to please her father is very sad in places. It is enlightening about the ways of life in a Catholic School run by nuns and how the children had to strive for their best under the harsh discipline of the nuns. Don't miss out, give it a go!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The devil makes a third
Frost In May is a violent book - not in terms of any action, but in its emotional intensity. It is a school story, of all things, published in 1933, and it describes the life of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Shaw

5.0 out of 5 stars A forgotten classic
Like Elizabeth Taylor (the author, not the actress), Antonia White is an early 20th century writer whose books should have become modern classics, but instead remain largely... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ruth

2.0 out of 5 stars This book starts well, but simply fades away.
This is a book about a protestant girl recently converted to catholic who is sent to a catholic bording school. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2001

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