Wild Strawberries: A Virago Modern Classic

This was the second of Thirkell's Barsetshire stories I've read. Normally, I'm a great fan of farce, silliness and all-around hijinks, but this one left me confused often enough to subtract a star. Moreover, unlike "The Brandons" this story was so self-contained among the family that it gave almost no local impressions. I give the header on this review to warn readers of a very, very politically incorrect incident, standing apart from the tone of the novel and lasting a page or so. Those with heightened sensibilities will toss the book across the room - pronto! Fans of Comedy Central's "Strangers With Candy" will adore it. The author does address the issue of homosexuality among the English Upper Class (don't all gasp at once!) in a rather forthright manner for 1934. However, I didn't for a minute believe that Uncle David was a bachelor because the "right woman" hadn't come along.

Of the many charming characters that people Thirkell's Barsetshire, the Leslies are the most delightful. Meet them in this book and then enjoy them again in later Thirkell novels (notably Marling Hall).Thirkell doesn't provide suspense or surprises, but is perfect light enjoyment for those who appreciate light English wit, sillier than Austen but not as silly as Wodehouse (both of whom are authors I love).

All of Thirkell's novels are funny, but the Leslie family may be the funniest of all. One of the best things about them is that they think they are funny, too. It would be difficult to imagine anyone reading this book who has any vestiges of a sense of humor who could not feel happier after reading a few pages. Yet they all have some depth. There has been sadness in their lives and they deeply care about each other, but mostly they live so in the moment that life itself doesn't intrude upon them easily. Thirkell didn't get on the best 100 of the century, but she might be entitled to the first 20 or so. Read all her books and see which 10 or 12 you would omit!

Angela Thirkell is a novelist after the fashion of Jane Austen. She use wit, charm, and style to uncover and skewer some of the foibles, follies, and eccentricities of her characters. Unlike some others, she always does so lovingly and with great regard for the human person. This story centers around a few young people and the romantic entanglements they experience throughout a summer in rural Barsetshire. The plot of the story might well have given rise to the movie "Sabrina." There are no wild twists or sudden curves; however, they are not needed because the beauty of the prose and the careful observation of each person allows this novel to open up into an entire world of exploration. Once you have read it, you will want to return to it again and again to enjoy the characters, the settings, and the sumptuous prose. While this is a superb read, it is, remarkably, not the very best of Thirkell. The reader who is just starting has some real treats ahead for them