Böcker av Margery Sharp

Sentimental, affectionate, uncritical, Mrs. Bracken so easily attached herself to persons, places, and even objects that after no more than two days in an hotel she had a favourite waiter, a favourite ornament, a favourite view. She had adored her husband, and was very fond of her French pepper-mill.World War II has ended and widowed Isabel Brocken, kind-hearted and generous if perhaps just a bit foolish, is back in her old family home on the outskirts of London, accompanied by her friend Jacky, just out of the ATS, and her newly-demobilized nephew Humphrey. They're soon joined by Isabel's surly brother-in-law Simon, who has decidedly mixed feelings about her but whose own home is under repair for bomb damage. Into this uneasy mix comes Tilly Cuff, a poor relation to whom Isabel has been inspired-by a rare church venture and a particularly inspiring sermon-to make amends for having, many years before, sabotaged her one chance at romance.When Tilly proves manipulative and even 'malevolent', the happiness of Isabel's household is threatened. And where the story goes from there is pure unexpected delight. In The Foolish Gentlewoman, Margery Sharp provides us a thoughtful, funny, and terrifically entertaining slice of British life in the immediate aftermath of war.'Miss Margery Sharp has a sure-fire way of telling a story and a genius for writing dialogue - crisp, in the comic vein, yet able to carry the shadow of deeper feeling.' Elizabeth Bowen

She announced herself, rather self-consciously, as Mrs. Henry Smith, and he replied that Mrs. Cornwallis was expecting her. To Caroline, following him through a wide shabby hall, the whole episode was beginning to feel like a nightmare. She was intensely conscious of herself-of her dress, her voice, the way she placed her feet. She felt like a cook-general going to be interviewed."e;Mrs. Henry Smith,"e; said the butler contemptuously.In Four Gardens, the most emotional and nostalgic of Margery Sharp's brilliant novels, we meet the lovable Caroline Smith (nee Chase) and glimpse the stages of her life through the gardens in which she digs. There's the lavish abandoned one in which she has no right to dig; the tiny one in which she has no time to dig; the extravagant one, complete with stubborn gardener, in which she's not allowed to dig; and one final garden, hers and hers alone, in which she finds quiet, wise contentment. As we follow Caroline through the vicissitudes of life, we meet her adoring husband Henry, her shockingly modern children Leon and Lily, and friends and neighbours from the self-righteous Ellen Taylor to the posh but hilariously down-to-earth Lady Tregarthan.First published in 1935 and out of print for more than half a century, Four Gardens has long been a favorite of Margery Sharp fans and is one of six early Sharp novels now available from Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press.'The Jane Austen touch, springing from a detached, quiet power of observation, a delicious, satirical way of relishing affectation, and a respect for sensible, genuine people.' New York Times

"e;It's in my mind to put an end to this heathen wickedness that's stalking abroad through Gillenham. It's in my mind to terrify that evil man from his morrow's sinful doings."e;"e;We'll be going to Old Manor, then?"e;"e;Not yet,"e; said Mrs. Pye grimly. "e;We go first to the village. To rouse the women . . ."e;Professor Pounce arrives in the idyllic village of Gillenham, along with his sister-in-law, his nephew Nicholas, and Carmen, his voluptuous assistant, in single-minded pursuit of the Stone of Chastity, a stepping stone in the local stream reputed to trip up impure women. His interest is cold-bloodedly scientific, but his researches, including putting the village women to the test and documenting the results, are taken rather more personally by some, including the Vicar's wife, who enlists the Boy Scouts to help suppress his efforts, and stern Mrs. Pye, possessed with the soul of an inquisitor. Ultimately, it's young Nicholas who must try to assuage the villagers' outrage, all the while coping with the repercussions of his own amorous impulses.The Stone of Chastity, first published in 1940 and inexplicably out of print for decades, is perhaps the deftest (and daftest) of Margery Sharp's many dazzling, witty social comedies.'Miss Margery Sharp's witticisms lift the otherwise flat and unprofitable life of the village of Gillenham to the level of a bubbling champagne-glass full of laughter' New York Times

It was indeed very difficult for the Laventie children not to be a little priggish.Ann Laventie, the youngest of three children in a long line of anti-social Sussex gentry, doesn't quite fit the mould of her intellectual, elegant, ultra-modern siblings Dick, an artist, and Elizabeth, a high-brow writer. Their father is scholarly and just wealthy enough to focus all his attention on reading and other highbrow pursuits. Ann, on the other hand, worries about being plump, is what might be called a 'people person,' and appreciates the simpler pleasures. As the young Laventies spend more and more of their time in the glitter of London, their differences grow more pronounced, and when Ann returns home with an unsuitably ordinary fiance, this dazzling, witty battle of the brows reaches its exhilarating climax.Rhododendron Pie, one of Margery Sharp's rarest and most sought-after novels, was her debut, reportedly written in one month while Sharp worked as a typist and shared a flat in Paddington with two other girls. But it already shows all the charm, humour, and sophistication that characterizes Sharp's beloved later work. First published in 1930, it has, inexplicably, never been reprinted. Until now. This new edition features an introduction by twentieth-century women's historian Elizabeth Crawford.'A first novel of quite unusual charm, pointedly and gracefully written, and whimsically human' Yorkshire Post

Lisbeth Campion was engaged, as usual, in resisting advances.Arthur Alfred Partridge, a middle-aged widower with a drab job and a frustrated sense of adventure, gets more than he bargained for when he encounters the irresistible Lisbeth Campion, whose troubles go well beyond her plethora of suitors. She's particularly concerned about her wastrel brother Ronny, fresh from six months in prison for peddling cocaine (he thought it was baking powder, really he did!), with whom her stern, upright Army fiance, expected back from India soon, has forbidden her further contact.In a gloriously implausible but deliciously entertaining sequence of events, Mr Partridge gets swept up in Lisbeth's unusual efforts to get Ronny safely squared. In the meantime, these three eccentric souls set up makeshift housekeeping in London and work at odd jobs (some very odd indeed) to make ends meet. Harlequin House, first published in 1939 and out of print for more than 60 years, has all the glitter and wit readers expect from the incomparable Margery Sharp. This new edition features an introduction by twentieth-century women's historian Elizabeth Crawford.

He also made himself a weekly allowance of five shillings for cigarettes, stationery, amusements, shoe-repairs, razor-blades, laundry, toothpaste, hospitality and 'bus fares; and having thus cut his coat to his cloth, wore it in great content.The only thing he had not allowed for (and this in an author must surely be considered strange) was Love.Upon the death of his distant, unaffectionate father, Alistair French, a young store clerk, takes his small inheritance and escapes from the humdrum to a flat in London in order to Write. He and his friend Henry take cheap lodgings in a Paddington boarding-house whose denizens include the spirited, starstruck Winnie Parker, her full-throated mother, who shares Winnie's passion for films if not her admiration for Garbo ("e;'Olds 'erself like a sack of potatoes"e;), and (generally) an army of Winnie's admirers.But Alistair, faced with the many distractions of Bloomsbury and Bohemia, has considerable trouble getting any writing done. And then there's the biggest distraction of all-a lovely young actress named Cressida who is, to Alistair's chagrin, determined to marry only a man who can further her career. First published in 1932 and out of print for more than 80 years, Fanfare for Tin Trumpets is one of Margery Sharp's most irresistibly cheerful confections. This new edition features an introduction by twentieth-century women's historian Elizabeth Crawford.'We can only hope that this charming piece of impertinence will be widely read for its fine sympathy with youth in all its shapes' Angela Thirkell

In 1950s London, a career girl decides it's high time she snared herself a husband Professional dog photographer Louisa Datchett is indiscriminately fond of men. And they take shocking advantage of her good nature when they need their problems listened to, socks washed, prescriptions filled, or employment found. But by the age of thirty, Louisa is tired of constantly being dispatched to the scene of some masculine disaster. It's all well and good to be an independent womanand certainly better than a ';timid Victorian wife'but the time has come for her to marry, and marry well. With the admirable discipline and dedication she's always displayed in any endeavor involving men, Louisa sets out on her own romantic quest.

In 1930s France, a free-spirited mother undertakes to derail her very proper daughter's engagement Julia Packett has barely laid eyes on her daughter, Susan, since leaving her with her well-heeled in-laws following the loss of her husband in World War I. Now thirty-seven, Julia's lack of prospects hasn't dimmed her spirit or her appetite for life. But when Susan asks her to come to France for the summer to persuade her grandmother to allow her to marry, she sets sail with the noblest intentions of acting the paragon of motherhood. At her mother-in-law's vacation villa in Haute Savoie, however, Julia sees that her priggish but lovely daughter is completely mismatched with a man much more suited to herself: a charming, clever playboy. The arrival of Susan's legal guardian, the distinguished Sir William Waring, further complicates the situation. Soon Julia's efforts to pass herself off as a lady and secure her daughter's happiness spin out of control, leading to romantic entanglements and madcap adventures that will challenge preconceived notions about the ultimate compatibility of any two people who fall in love.

A Jazz Age socialite impulsively adopts an orphaned boy in this humorous, heartwarming tale In 1929 London, twenty-eight-year-old Lesley Frewen lives a privileged, cultured life. But one thing is missing: love. When her aunt's female companion suddenly dies, leaving behind a young son, Lesley decides on a whim to adopt four-year-old Patrickthough she doesn't have any particular affection for children. As soon as Patrick moves in with her, Lesley gets to work using her connections to enroll him in the finest boys' school. But she quickly discovers London is no place to raise a child, and they relocate to the tiny village of High Westover. The hamlet boasts a post office, a church, and a vicarage. There's an apple orchard and children for Patrick to play with. However, the country comes with its own set of daunting challenges: Lesley can't imagine how she'll entertain her friends there! But ultimately life with Patrick will change her, bringing out her capacity to love and showing her the difference between pleasure and happiness.

An unconventional parlor maid upends the lives of an aristocratic family in prewar England Cluny Brown refuses to know her place in society. Last week, she took herself to tea at the Ritz. Then she spent almost an entire day in bed eating oranges. So, to teach her discipline, her uncle, a plumber who has raised the orphaned girl since she was a baby, sends her into service as a parlor maid at one of England's stately manor houses. At Friars Carmel in Devonshire, Cluny meets her employers: Sir Henry, the quintessential country squire, and Lady Carmel, who oversees the management of her home with unruffled calm. Their son, Andrew, newly returned from abroad with a Polish emigre writer friend, is certain the country is once again on the brink of war. Then there's Andrew's beautiful fiancee and the priggish town pharmacist. While everyone around her struggles to keep pace with a rapidly changing world, Cluny continues to be Cluny, transforming those around her with her infectious zest for life. ';An entertaining story of England just before the war . . . Top drawer reading.' Kirkus Reviews

* An elegant, witty and poignant tale of love lost -- and love regained* Light, tender and ridiculous