Welcome to Litsy!

I absolutely adored this short volume of collected writings by E. B. White. It is a collection of observations, poetry and short pieces about life in New York. My personal favourite, which I absolutely know I will read again, was Goodbye to 48th Street, about the possessions that collect in a home over a lifetime and the effort to get rid of them. McNally Editions continues to delight with their publications.

A bleak portrait of Ruth‘s life as a wife and mother. Her relationship with her daughter makes it even more clear and painful as her daughter is able to make different choices. I found this really dark and heartbreaking.

It‘s the 1950s and Ruth has a dull and unsatisfying life. Her husband is in town during the weeks and with her sons at boarding school and her daughter in Oxford, she leads an empty and lonely life. On the verge of a breakdown her daughter comes home with a secret. This makes her reflect on her marriage and being a mother. My heart broke for Ruth.

This book is amazing and I‘m not sure I can fully explain why. There‘s something about the writing and its snarkyness, the bored stay-at-home mothers and the overworked fathers. And the title as amazing

#BookReport for July

I actually managed to read a couple of serious books this month, so that was a win. Daddy‘s Gone A-Hunting was my favourite.

Where to start with this review? The social issues? The moral questions? The emotional void at the heart of this family? The spectacular self absorption of the male characters? My raging fury at Tony‘s letter? There‘s a lot to think about here, but the thing I find myself wondering about most is why any woman would ever have anything to do with these men in the first place.
#PersephoneClub

It‘s “ Bye Baby Bunting,” she discovered eagerly. But how sad!
In a little while her lips moved soundlessly, forming words remote and innocent as the melody itself
…Baby Bunting
Daddy‘s gone a -hunting,
Gone to fetch a rabbit skin
To wrap his Baby Bunting in,
Bye Baby Bunting

The 1950s. Life at that time.
I thought the little music box and song so poignant. Holding the themes of the story.
Hauntingly real, beautifully written. #Persephoneclub

A deftly written portrait of post-war life, so close and suffocating to housewife Ruth. The writing is terrific and the atmosphere expertly wrought. Is it any wonder that the second wave of feminism came along? #PersephoneClub

Daddy‘s Gone A-Hunting is the story of Ruth, a middle class housewife in 1950s Britain, and how she tries to save her daughter from repeating her mistakes and her stifling, constricted life. Mortimer brilliantly depicts the social expectations of a certain class and Ruth‘s struggle to fit within them and the pressing need to break out. While it seems like settings such as these, with their rigid social roles, ⬇️
#PersephoneClub

Well, I‘m chiming in to add my love to the chorus of #PersephoneClub readers who loved this book, too.

An exquisitely wrought story of a 1950s housewife who is slowly going mad until she finds a purpose: to try to save her 18-year-old daughter from the same sort of life in which she herself is stuck.

#JohnnyBergen has been finding camper life exhausting. We‘ve been on the road for a couple of weeks. 😆

#persephoneclub
I grew tenser the further i went into this brilliant book that reflects how appalling it was that women were made criminal by choosing what to do with their bodies. There is so much to say including the hypocrisy of the dreadful Rex, the well told depiction of the cruelty and love of the mother/daughter relationship, but most of all the strength of Ruth who despite the perception of her by others prioritises her child at all cost.

#WeeklyForecast
I‘m really enjoying the tagged book and love the title.
My Policeman, a recommendation I‘m looking forward to trying out.
Jane Smiley, I‘ve enjoyed everything I‘ve read by her so far.

Happy reading week friends X
Hi Cindy 👋🏻❤️

Fantastic. I started late this morning and read straight through. Didn‘t want to put it down. I loved Mortimer‘s wry, edgy, perceptive writing. And so timely! I wasn‘t expecting that. Look forward to reading more of her work.

#PersephoneClub

‘Oh, I agree,‘ Maxine breathed. ‘I don‘t think all this freedom is good for a girl. I mean, it doesn‘t make you happy, does it? I mean, all that sort of thing is sacred, really. I‘m sure you all think I‘m very old-fashioned.‘ She met, with candour, the stares of amazement. ‘I just think about things,‘ she explained modestly, ‘it‘s funny, but I just can‘t help it. I think nearly all the time.‘

This part was just too good! 😂
#PersephoneClub

“The women have no such understanding. Like little icebergs, each keeps a bright and shining face above water; below the surface, submerged in fathoms of leisure, each keeps her own isolated personality. Some are happy, some poisoned with boredom; some drink too much and some, below the demarcation line, are slightly crazy; some love their husbands and some are dying from lack of love; a few have talent, as useless to them as a paralysed limb.”

Through exquisite prose, Penelope Mortimer portrays a bored, lonely suburban British housewife in the 1950s, living a life of quiet desperation, teetering on the edge of madness. Riveting.
#PersephoneClub @LeahBergen @CarolynM

“Saying these unmentionable things out loud never ceased to horrify her. They were her secrets , battened down so long that they had become almost unrecognisable as the truth. “

I‘m glad to find a kindred spirit who talks out loud to herself , often after her old fashioned cocktail in the evening ( or a glass of wine )
I love this truthful writing. ♥️♥️♥️ #PersephoneClub

The word I would choose to describe this book is “claustrophobic.” Ruth‘s marriage to the horrible Rex, being trapped with Miss de Beer, and the whole lifestyle of the Common. Very interesting, but I‘m glad Angela could escape and, although the writing is excellent, I‘m glad to escape as well.

Does anyone else think this Persephone endpaper gives off a Handmaid‘s Tale vibe?

#PersephoneClub

What a great read! Mortimer exposes the dark underbelly of post-war British suburbia with bite. And not a page goes by without a killer sentence!
Like @tamra, I whipped through this! I have some questions and look forward to seeing what others in the #persephoneclub make of it. @LeahBergen @CarolynM

My only regret is reading this one too quickly! I didn‘t want Ruth‘s story to end. Bring on more P. Mortimer - a daring writer!

I‘m not going to say more. I‘m anxious to read everyone‘s reviews & commentary. 🤓 #PersephoneClub

“For Rex and herself there was no longer any hope or possibility of change; there was no longer any choice to be made. They lay fully grown, capable of every crime and every greatness, paralyzed by triviality.”

Chapter 14 and I can‘t put this novel down for the suspense - I need to know what happens with Ruth. She‘s on the cusp of something……

#PersephoneClub

Such gorgeous writing in this stunning, grey book. Many pages folded already. Gotta love a margarita in winter especially when delivered to the hammock by a hot bloke I know. Have a curry in the slow cooker for dinner so that will warm me up. Then a couple of episodes of Daisy Jones and the Six later.

repost @LeahBergen

It‘s now June so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@CarolynM ‘s pick for us this month is Daddy‘s Gone A-Hunting by Penelope Mortimer. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone.
original post: https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2594089

It‘s now June so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@CarolynM ‘s pick for us this month is Daddy‘s Gone A-Hunting by Penelope Mortimer. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

@Tamra The book arrived today, in a lovely mailing envelope. Thank you so much! #persephoneclub #persephone

Also showing off my new sign (and life motto). 🤣

Any US member of #PersephoneClub interested this gently used copy of the upcoming June read? (No cost.)Not in perfect condition, but “good.” I accidentally ordered a second. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Look at this pretty! Even though it's not a Persephone edition, excited to join the #persephoneclub to read it in June. My first Penelope Mortimer.

Hello #PersephoneClub fellows, here‘s an excellent companion for the book. Enjoy!

https://spotify.link/pMd02N8i6yb

4⭐️ I‘m so happy that I got to read this novel. My first impression about Mortimer is that she‘s a bit like Elizabeth Taylor in using fragments, but she‘s definitely not as subtle as Taylor. Her writing is brilliant; several sentences and paragraphs made me stop and think, and I really appreacite her sharp observations on loneliness, loveless marriage, and dysfuntional family. Love it!

Wow! This is an excellent observation of such a person. There ARE people like this out there; I‘m glad none of them is in my close circle 😬

#PersephoneClub I‘m loving this novel; it took a while for me to get hooked but I‘m now deep in it. Good choice! 👍🏻

Relating to what‘s happening in the US ….

Lunch break 🥧☕️

😍 happy

My Persephone haul. I didn‘t go in there with a list, so this is what I came up with after browsing.