This is part of an ongoing series where I write about a different author for each letter of the alphabet. You can see them all here.
I’m going through the alphabet, and had a bit of a choice for C. Well, lots of choices, of course, but there are two authors I’ve been avidly collecting for years who begin with C – Ivy Compton-Burnett and Richmal Crompton. I’ve gone for Crompton, but maybe I’ll do ICB for I as a sneaky way in.
How many books do I have by Richmal Crompton?
For the sake of this post, I haven’t included any of the William books, though I do have about ten of them. Mostly so I can make this manageable. Because, even just looking at the novels and short stories she wrote for adults, I have 41. Our Richmal was prolific.
I do have Family Roundabout in the Persephone edition too, but forgot when I took the photo, since it’s in a different part of the house.
How many of these have I read?
I’ve put them in piles of read and unread here – the pile on the right being the ones I’ve read. I think. Most of my avid Crompton reading was around 2002-2004, and I’m a bit hazy on some of them. But I think I’ve read 30 of her books.
How did I start reading Crompton?
I don’t remember when I first read the William books, though I suspect I came to them first through Martin Jarvis’s wonderful narration. I know that I played Ginger (and Colin played William) in a village show when we were 8 or 9.
But I started reading her books for adults in 2002, when I was in Hay-on-Wye and happened to see one on a shelf. I think it was Frost at Morning, though it might have been Weatherley Parade or Family Roundabout. Those were certainly the first three I read.
And fun fact, it’s how I discovered Persephone – I’d read Family Roundabout in an early edition before I knew Persephone existed, and when I saw their edition at my local library, it got me thinking what other books they’d published that I might like.
General impressions….
I was obsessed for a few years, binge reading Crompton. And this was in that sweet spot of the internet – where a world of booksellers were opened up, but before everyone knew exactly how much their books were worth and before everybody was buying books online. It would be much more expensive to get these piles of Cromptons now, though thankfully Bello and Greyladies have brought quite a few of her books back into print.
I don’t know if I read all her best books early on or if my taste is changing, but when I read more Crompton now, I do find her to be lacking a little in finesse. It’s undoubtedly true that the same sorts of characters appear time and ago, and she is far too given to ellipses for effect. They aren’t great writing. But they are still delightful places of comfort to go, and at her best, she can be deliciously funny and suddenly poignant.
Wow! What an impressive collection! Think I’ve only read four or five of her adult novels. Love Frost at Morning.
One of the delightful things about being your Mum is this Crompton journey – first leading you, then accompanying you and eventually following you as you moved from William to her adult fiction… and so much further! As I remember, you morph from a boy to a student to a man. I’m smiling (especially as I vividly remember you in that William sketch!)
How wonderful! I only have a few authors for whom I own that many books … well, I say that, I don’t think I have 41 of anyone’s!
Goodness what a lot of Crompton – I had no idea there was so much!! I think its interesting how as readers we go through phases of obsessing about particular authors – I know I have – and sometimes we go back to them with the same rapture but sometimes our feelings have changed a little. But it’s always comforting to revisit an old familiar book!
Your piles of books are most impressive, even more so that you have read all of the tallest tower! I read some William as a child and like you I love the Martin Jarvis readings. But I had not realised she wrote for adults too – comfort reading always good!
I also wanted to ask if you’d managed to find a copy of Dread Dwelling, it’s very rare. Sundial Press have been trying to bring out a new edition of her ghost stories, but there have been problems with her Estate.
Not yet – I do have The Mist and other stories from Sundial Press though.
I have a first edition copy!
I’ve lost my silent bet with myself that your “c” author would be Ivy Compton-Burnett (as you said, you can always sneak her in as an “i”). I’ve never read anything by Crompton, but any author who can inspire such devotion is really worth a try. Perhaps it’s time to pull out my copy of Family Roundabout (Persephone edition), which has been sadly gathering dust on the shelves for quite some time . . . .
I have just read Weatherley Parade and the biography of Richmal Crompton by Mary Cadogan.
Her novels are good comfort reading.
I met Mary Cadogan once, which was fun.
I loved my first few encounters with Crompton but after I certain point it felt like I was rereading the same story with only minor changes across multiple books. The only one I’ve adored was Felicity – Stands By, which was the lightest and funniest thing I’ve read by her. I still haven’t read the William books but I’m certain I’ll enjoy them!
These are such fun posts,I haven’t read anything by Crompton but I certainly think I should.
I’ve got al of her Just William books but otherwise just the Persephone. I was beginning to think you must be loaded when I saw your piles, I’m glad you explained it. I have never even seen any in a second-hand bookshop, and I’ve trawled a lot of them.
Yes, I’ve come across very few in real life, but am grateful that I snapped up lots when they weren’t going for very much!
I too recently read Nice Work by David Lodge. I loved it! I don’t remember why, possibly because I am currently rather drunk (gin.) So I can’t give a convincing reason as to why you are wrong about this fine novel but, trust me, it is excellent. I wasn’t drunk when I read it so my opinion is untainted by demon alcohol/mother’s ruin. Please reconsider your asessment, admit your error and, and … oh shit, I can’t …
:D :D :D
Hi Simon, just catching up with your posts and I hope you are well and good to see you blogging. Lobed the Just William books as a child but not read anything else by her.
Thanks Nicola :D I definitely recommend going back to her.