Mitford-Nathan

Books read: 2

Title: The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate

Author: Nancy Mitford

Status: This is two novellas in one book. Where to even begin? Both of these stories revolve around the same characters, mostly members of the landed gentry in England in the period between the wars and into WWII. The Pursuit of Love is my favorite of the two, and was often quoted in my house as a child (mostly ‘the thin end of the wedge’ and ‘foreigners are fiends’). Pursuit is semi-autobiographical and both are under the heading of satirical. Love in a Cold Climate is a sadder book in a way, not just in plot but in getting to see some of the behind the scenes stuff from Pursuit. I found myself annoyed that the narrator’s husband seemed to be a bit more of a prat than we are initially shown in Pursuit.

Result: If these were separate books, I’d keep the first and pass on the second…but as they’re not, keeping the whole thing.

---

Title: The Night Before Christmas

Author: Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Douglas Gorsline

Status: I’m a bit out of season with this one, but what can you do? This is the same Random House edition that we had growing up. My father would often read it to us on the Christmas Eve. The illustrations are richly detailed and seem appropriately old-timey. What else can I say? It’s a classic.

Result: I have most of the poem memorized, but keeping this for sentimental reasons.

---

Title: Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field

Author: Melissa Nathan

Status: Austen retellings and I have a bit of a complicated history. …it usually ends with me throwing the book at the wall. There are three exceptions to this rule, and this book is one of them. (For those playing along at home, the others are Old Friends and New Fancies by Sybil Brinton, first published in 1913 and Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid.) This is the story of columnist Jasmin Field who is cast to play Elizabeth Bennet in a charity production of Pride & Prejudice. As rehearsals begin the events of the play are mirrored in Jasmin’s real life. The reason I don’t want to throw the book at the wall is that it is a very clever modern update. As Jasmin and her Darcy start to fall for each other, they’re pretty aware of the irony. The women are all given a bit of an update - Jasmin’s mom is a feminist, her sisters are slightly less silly and ‘Lady Catherine deBurgh’ only appears briefly to compliment Jasmin (having once been a great actor).

Result: I have read this book a dozen times, I think it’s time for it to move on to a new home.