Hurrah! On 29 December, I finished A Century of Books – with 1970’s A Tale of Two Families by Dodie Smith. I was a bit ahead of schedule as December started, and got very casual about the whole thing – reading a fair few books that didn’t cross off requisite years. And then I realised that the deadline wasn’t very far away… but thankfully I’ve finished with a little time to spare. You can see all 100 books here, and I’m sure I’ll do a retrospective at some point soon – and watch this space, because I’ll probably try A Century of Books again in 2020 or 2021.
Anyway, the Dodie Smith was a fun book to finish on, and I’ll write about it quickly. It was written twenty years after her most famous novel, I Capture the Castle, and I can’t decide whether or not I think it shares hallmarks of the same writer. The two families in question are a sister pair who married a brother pair – June married Robert and May married George. (Yes, the sisters are called May and June.) George is a bit of a philanderer, and May’s novel solution is to move them both to a large house in the countryside – because apparently this will make it less likely that he will cheat.
June doesn’t think all that much of the house – too large, too cold, too old-fashioned – but is somehow prevailed upon to move with her husband into the small cottage adjoining it. She tries to bury the fact that she has been rather beguiled with George ever since her sister married him.
Throw in a whole cast of other relatives – the women’s mother Fran and the men’s father Baggy; a bunch of children who are unadvisedly dating despite being cousins; Fran’s sister Mildred – and you have the tapestry for this complex group of people. To be honest, the youngest generation weren’t particularly interesting and I think the novel would probably have been better without them – but I enjoyed all of the interactions between the husbands/wives and brothers and sisters. And Fran and Baggy were both treated very poignantly, contemplating the trials and novelties of old age; it comes as no surprise to the reader that they are approximately the same age that Smith was when this was published (74). Their perspectives certainly felt the most real and emotionally resonant.
The plot is basically a series of set pieces, and seeing how this family deals with their new predicament. There’s also a bunch about househunting, which we know is my favourite thing to read about – and perhaps the most memorable meal I’ve ever read in a novel. It stems from the idea that there is never enough asparagus or strawberries when they are served as a course – and the whole meal will consist of them.
Does it have the same magic as I Capture the Castle? No, of course not, but it was still a very enjoyable read – and even has a dalmatian. Smith knew what the people wanted. It was definitely a fun way to finish A Century of Books!
I Capture the Castle is one of my favourite books. This sounds a fun read so long as I don’t go in with astronomical expectations from ICTC!
Hurrah! Well done Simon! Glad your Century finished on a high note, even if it’s not up to the standard of Castle!
Not heard of this one at all. I do have a couple of Dodie Smith in my absurdly huge tbr, but I can’t see them, so no idea what they are. I ‘m certain this isn’t one of them unfortunately, as I really like the sound of it. A big group of people/family clustered together in one house are always entertaining.
Finished!! Well done! I’m still struggling on having started in 2014. I think maybe when I’ve got through some of the current TBR I need to start searching books out.
I hadn’t heard of this book before, your review makes it sound rather good. I am sticking to “rather fabulous” in books I read, so will give this one a miss.
This story reminds me of my husband’s family. His mother was one of 17 children. She and a sister grew up and married two brothers (from a family of 10 children). Then when one brother died the sister married a third brother. All the cousins look like siblings. The activity in their family is phenomenal. This book could be their story. I enjoyed the post.
What!! Why does this exist and I don’t know about it? I thought I had read all of Dodie Smith’s books, and I’ve never even heard of this one! My library doesn’t have it! Argh. I really want to read it. I got a kick out of The Town in Bloom and The New Moon with the Old, even though they of course are no I Capture the Castle.
I was so surprised when I found it in a charity shop!
I JUST FOUND IT IN A CHARITY SHOP. Actually a library book sale, but I am still extremely excited about it. You just JUST told me about it! I just JUST learned of its existence! And lo, like magic, it appears!
Yay!! How nice :D Hope you enjoy it!