Lisa & Co

A collection of fourteen Jilly Cooper short stories. They are so much fun, written and published in the 60's and 70's they might sound a bit dated as far as romances go - the women don't usually have careers except the occassional secretary or assistant - but these are written with such charm and sparkling dialogue that they are enormously enjoyable.The 'Red Angora Dress' is one of my very favourites - about a girl whose boyfriend Andrew is going off her but takes her to a party where she makes the mistake of wearing a red angora dress. A Pressing Engagement takes a refreshingly fun look at a false engagement Cooper writes in her introduction that 'Square Peg' is one of her favourites, and it does rate as one of the funniest - its about a slightly ditsy secretary who can never quite get things right.Lots of fun.

This book is good bedtime or beach reading. It's a collection of feel-good short stories about the beginnings of romances. Cooper's language is humorous and ironic, the characters quite charming. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the fact that there were too many secretaries falling in love with successful men. In the modern world it would be nice if the women could be successful as well. Don't expect deep emotional insights or earth-moving intellectual revelations but in the entertainment genre it's very enjoyable. Reminds me of O.Henry or L.M. Montgomery short stories.