Wednesday 27 June 2012

Prudence

When I was a young teenager I read my way through my aunt's collection of Jilly Cooper books and when I started work and began earning my own money I bought a set of my own.  My favourite is Imogen, but I lent this out a few years ago and never got it back. I have recently begun looking out for another copy (but it has to be one with Jilly Cooper herself on the cover) as although I have read these books many, many times I haven't read them for a long while and I thought it was time I read them again.





I decided to start with Prudence. This story was originally published in 1978. My copy was published in 1986 and cost me £1.95! It's about a girl who lives in London and has a barrister boyfriend, one weekend he takes her home to meet his family in the Lake District and that's where the story takes off.
Reading it again it made me laugh because when any music is played it's on a record player, when Prudence refers to when she met her boyfriend it was
 'at a party- a ghastly What-do-you-do-for-a-living?, Oh- I-bash-a-typewriter sort of party'. 
A typewriter?!
And at the said party
 'all talked about President Carter, Mrs Thatcher and Laura Ashley'.  
Something that made me cringe was when one character was suspected of being gay he was referred to as 'a pouf'.
I know these books are still in print, I wonder if they have been updated in any way.


There are also some descriptions and conversations which I really like. My favourites are...


The last yellow leaves covered the parked cars and crunched like frosted cornflakes beneath my feet.


Clutching my happiness to me like a hot water bottle.


Deep puddles reflected a sky as blue as the Angel Islington in Monopoly.


On being told her boyfriend's flat was on floor 13 he asked Prudence if she was superstitious to which she replied 'No, just super.' 


The next one to be read and reviews will be Emily.

11 comments:

  1. Phew....
    At last a book that is not Shades of Grey!
    Never really read Jilly Cooper, but she sounds like a good retro read!

    Lx

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  2. I think I've only read one Jilly Cooper book. I like seeing her interviewed & the cute gap in her teeth !
    Enjoy re-reading ( I doubt they've been updated )

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  3. I've never read any Jilly Cooper but I've seen her lately on a couple of blogs and they sound interesting.

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  4. Oh, I loooovvveeedddd these books as a teenager - Octavia was my favourite. Don't know what happened to my original copies, but I found Octavia and Emily in a charity shop last year, and re-read Octavia straight away - such a trip down memory lane. Emily is still in my bookcase, but now you've reminded me, perhaps I'll read it next - seem to remember it being set partly in Scotland - lots of castles and hunt balls and men in kilts? x

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  5. Ive never read Jilly Cooper. Your review made me laugh! xxxx

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  6. I've never read Jilly Cooper. It sounds like the books are a trip down Memory Lane.

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  7. i loved these books!.....might get one for holiday....little trip down memory lane

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  8. I read all those too and loved them! They were and are so much of their time, and I can remember thinking what exciting, glamorous and romantic lives the heroines all led!
    Now i will have to try and hunt them down too!
    Have a great weekend!

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  9. Oh wow ~ yes Imogen ~ my absolute favourite too! A really ripping Cinderella yarn! I worked at Laura Ashley back then, straight out of college, doing window displays! More Salad days? Thanks for reminding me, and thanks for baby Faraway wishes... shhh, he is coming to see me later in the year...squeak, have a happy weekend Lisa,

    Love Sarah -x-x-x-

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  10. Hello just popped over to say hello! I love Jilly Cooper, my favourite of hers is Riders, but the other ones that you mentionned are quite dated now and definitely not PC, but are enjoyable reads.I say, who cares, as long as you enjoy them!

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  11. I love old book covers like this!

    I've only read one or two Jilly Cooper books, maybe I need to start looking at for more!

    Victoria xxx

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