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 wasn’t immediately sure where to go with F – Rachel Ferguson, maybe – but then I remembered my addiction to getting matching Fitzgeralds, and it had to be she.
How many books do I have by Penelope Fitzgerald?
Thirteen – nine novels, two biographies, one collection of essays and one collection of letters. Which is almost everything by her, I think – I’m missing a biography, but that’s about it. And you can tell by this pile that I’m pretty keen on getting matching editions. I need to replace my The Gate of Angels at some point. These Flamingo paperbacks aren’t particularly rare, but I like their design and have snapped them up when I’ve stumbled across them. Confusingly, half of them are labelled Flamingo and half are Harper Perennial, so who knows what’s going on there.
How many of these have I read?
Six: Human Voices, The Bookshop, At Freddie’s, The Blue Flower, Offshore, and Charlotte Mew. I did dip into A House of Air, the essays, at one point, but I don’t think I got super far.
How did I start reading Fitzgerald?
My first was Human Voices, about working in BBC radio, and I can’t remember how or why I picked it up. I do remember that I didn’t much like it – something in the prose didn’t quite connect. But then somebody gave me The Bookshop and I gave her another go, because it was so short. Something clicked that time, and her spare, ironic writing delights me. She writes a little like she hasn’t ever read another writer, and I mean that as a compliment. And more power to her for publishing her first novel when she was over 60!
General impressions…
I am still a bit hit and miss with Fitzgerald. I didn’t particularly get on with Offshore, which felt like a lot of moments not tying together – but At Freddie’s is a hoot, and she is a wonderful biographer. I only dimly knew who Charlotte Mew as before I read Fitzgerald’s biography, but it is totally captivating. I think I might go The Knox Brothers next.
Oh, and my well-documented distaste for historical fiction could be an obstacle to some of these – but I really enjoyed The Blue Flower, set in 18th-century Germany and about the philosopher Novalis, of whom I had never heard. Perhaps because she maintains her eccentric style, rather than bowing to any contemporary restrictions. I’ve heard people call The Blue Flower her masterpiece – my favourite is probably The Bookshop. Expect the unexpected with Fitzgerald, and enjoy the journey.
That is really one impressive pile of Fitzgeralds! I totally understand why you’d want to get matching editions, as I sometimes do that myself.
My relationship with Fitzgerald is much more hit or miss than yours, as I haven’t read nearly as much of her work. I actually didn’t like The Blue Flower but thought my reasons had more to do with my own limitations than anything else, so it went on my “try it again later” list. I found Offshore pleasant but inconsequential and was honestly surprised that it won the Booker. I thought The Bookshop was great (if a little depressing) and always meant to dip more into her essays & reviews. Fitzgerald is an interesting writer and I’ve always meant to give her a little more of my attention but you know how THAT goes . . .
Yeah, Offshore is my least favourite so far, so a bit baffled about how it won the Booker. And yes, THe Bookshop is defo a cautionary tale!
I have read almost all of her novels during lockdown. The Beginning of Spring and The Gate of Angels are my favourite but her way of turning a sentence by changing it’s tone is so brilliant, startling and often funny that I could read anything by her and enjoy it. However, I agree with janakay about The Blue Flower as I felt I should be/needed to be familiar with Novalis to enjoy and understand it.
Oh interesting! And great description of her writing, Vicky.
I loved Offshore and The Bookshop but have not been keen on the historical ones. Nice pile!
Heartily recommend At freddie’s!
Silly me, I thought it would be F. Scott! Penelope seems more your speed. I’ve read three of the same novels you’ve read, and I would agree that I find her hit and miss. Her plots are so subtle it feels like they’re over before I know it. However, I love the biography Hermione Lee wrote of her.
It was only after I published it that I remembered there is an arguably more famous Fitzgerald! I’ve only read one of his, though, and wasn’t a big fan.
I think I have the Lee biog, but I do find she writes SUCH enormous biogs that I need to build up stamina before I approach them.
That’s quite a collection Simon! I have only tried one Fitzgerald and failed miserably itself – which may be more about me than the book (as it was set in Russia and I had high expectations) – but I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s hit and miss with her! :D
Is that The Beginning of Spring? I haven’t read it, but I would have bet good money it would have been your perfect book!
Lovely stack. It’s nice to have matching editions.
Penelope Fitzgerald is pretty much all hits for me… ;-) I think you’d really like the Knox brothers, given the period of books you like. Though it is a little shocking how she erases her aunt Winifred Peck from the biography of her father and uncles.
Oo thanks for the recommend. And I always forget about the Peck link. What a family!
I’ve only read The Bookshop, but I’ve got Offshore on the TBR (because it won the Booker?)
This post reminded me how much I used to enjoy browsing in second-hand bookshops, and stumbling on authors like Fitzgerald. They’ve almost all gone now, or moved online, so we have to actively seek out authors we want, and that’s just not the same as the serendipity of browsing.
Yes, I do wonder if Offshore won the Booker as an apology for The Blue Flower not winning!
And gosh, I miss secondhand bookshopping.
You may be surprised to hear that I have actually read (indeed own copies of) two of these, The Blue Flower and The Gate of Angels, and I enjoyed both of them very much.
I am pleasantly surprised! Glad to hear good things of The Gate of Angels.
I read The Book Shop recently, and enjoyed it. I knew I wanted to read more, but didn’t know when that would happen. Well, while packing up to move house, what did I find we had a copy of? The Blue Flower! Well, as soon as I unpack, it will go on my nightstand for next books to read.
It’s The Means of Escape you’re missing, Simon, excellent short stories, but get the latest edition as it has added stories .
It isn’t that Penelope hadn’t read any thing else: she’d read everything else. She was a great original.
Many thanks to you and your blog for a clutch of brilliant recommendations.
I highly recommend the Knox Brothers. Fascinating stuff. I also enjoyed reading about Fitzgerald’s life in reading her biography. All of her hardships made the literary achievements even more remarkable. I heard several commentators on the Backlisted podcast discuss being taught by “Mrs. Fitzgerald” when they were in school and they both remembered her very fondly. I have many of her fiction works and must get started on them. Thanks for the inspiration.
So glad to hear you are – mostly – enjoying PF (I have enjoyed your blog for years but never commented before!). She has grown on me too. I first read Offshore years ago and didn’t like it – but when I re-read it more recently I loved it, odd though it undoubtedly is. My favourite is The Beginning of Spring, but I also love Gate of Angels and At Freddie’s (though it’s very sad). The Knox Brothers is a terrific read too. I think you have to read PF slowly, and I read fast, so that’s hard. But every word counts, and if you go so fast you sometimes miss the sly humour or the startling expression. Also her child characters are brilliant, I think; she really “gets” how children think. There’s a great biography by Hermione Lee, too.
Yes, you definitely have to slow down for Fitzgerald, don’t you? And glad to hear such good things about Knox Brothers!
Thanks for commenting – I always love a long-time reader commenting for the first time :D