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A Glass of Blessings: A Novel | Barbara Pym

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I loved my first Barbara Pym, but at the end of the month I‘m still not sure why. What is it we respond to in a novel when nothing much happens and the characters aren‘t especially likeable? Is it the truth of the character sketches, the writing itself, some tiny piece of our own lives we recognize…? #hashtagbrigaide #pemberlittens @BarkingMadRead

BarkingMadRead The fact that it wasn‘t Tess…. #tessptsd 11mo

IndoorDame @BarkingMadRead 🤣🤣🤣👏👏👏 11mo

AlaMich Books where nothing happens are my jam. This is one of my favorites. It won the Lost Man Booker Prize, which is a thing I‘m not sure how to explain. 😊

Troubles

(edited) 11mo

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IndoorDame @AlaMich I do often have a fondness for that type of writing. I‘ll check this one out. Thanks! 11mo

dabbe Their problems seemed minuscule compared to some of us, too. All Wilmet seemed to be worried about was not finding avenues for her boredom. And I agree with all of the other comments here, too! 🧡🖤💜 11mo

IndoorDame @dabbe 💜💜💜 11mo

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BarkingMadRead

A Glass of Blessings: A Novel | Barbara Pym

Ch 17: Willmet has tea with Piers #athisflat #andwemeetkeith 🏳️‍🌈 #howdoesshenotseeit #poorkeith check out @rwmg ‘s latest post for a glimpse at what Keith might look like! #pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade
#ps #ialmostusedapicofprofessorlupin #iwentwithkeithsroominstead #vangogh #irises

BarkingMadRead @staycurious @ravenlee @bookwormjillk @catlass007 @indoordame @librarybelle @kspenmoll @annr @cuilin @thebookhippie @ruthiella @eeclayton @crinoline_laphroaig 12mo

BarkingMadRead @bklover @peanutnine @dabbe @annececilie @rubyslippersreads @thearomaofbooks @julieclair @bthegood @graciouswarriorprincess @rwmg @deblovestoread @aimeesue 12mo

IndoorDame I was betting that‘s who Piers lived with, but I‘m not surprised she‘s oblivious. She lives in such a separate world, and in the 50s I think it really might not occur to her. 12mo

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rwmg I'm not sure what Wilmet is more taken aback by, that Keith is a man or that he is “common“. And if this is her being protective and maternal, I'd hate to get on her bad side. 12mo

AnnR I was looking at @rwmg 's post and thinking, I wouldn't want to have been part of that social circle. The snooty ones judge the 'common' ones. Just horribly pretentious. 12mo

BarkingMadRead @AnnR so pretentious! I am not a fan! 12mo

peanutnine @AnnR and the fact that she gets upset when he calls her out on it 🙄 12mo

AnnR @BarkingMadRead - I think the pretentiousness is why I'm having issues connecting with the characters and the book overall. It's hard to feel emotionally caught up in any of their circumstances or cheer anyone on. (edited) 12mo

BarkingMadRead @AnnR the fact that‘s it‘s fluffy is its saving grace right now 🤣 #tessptsd 12mo

Bookwormjillk I hope this ends with everyone but Wil in Portugal living their best lives while Wil stays at home looking at her trees realizing she‘s not the main character in everyone else‘s life. 12mo

AnnR @barkingmadread 👍😬😁 Fluffy! Perfect description. 12mo

Cuilin You know, Wilmet could have reacted a lot worse. This was a time of major social change, and yet Piers is still living a life of risk. This was a time when someone as heroic as Alan Turing could be arrested for “gross indecency”. If we look at Wilmet through our modern eyes, we can hold her in contempt, but for that time I think she‘s doing really well. 12mo

Cuilin @Bookwormjillk she may be the main character in this novel, but not in their lives!!! 12mo

BarkingMadRead @Cuilin oh for sure, secrecy was key. I feel like Piers wants her to know but also doesn‘t want to tell her 12mo

Cuilin @BarkingMadRead @AnnR you know for all the snobby and snootiness the novel‘s redeeming quality for me is the fact that it completely lacks hustle culture. I‘m loving it‘s fluffy gentleness. 12mo

TheBookHippie @Cuilin I agree for the times it‘s pretty good. And for some being common was lower than 🏳️‍🌈 which is another conversation. I also agree the no hustle. As for pretentious it‘s how it was it wouldn‘t seem unusual to us. Wait until people see how hateful our time we are living in now. 😳 12mo

TheBookHippie @IndoorDame agree. 12mo

TheBookHippie Love the fluff still getting over Tess.. oy 12mo

Cuilin @TheBookHippie 💯 (edited) 12mo

Cuilin @BarkingMadRead this is why I like Wilmet, because he knows that his secret is safe with her. Under all that upper class pretentiousness she‘s actually a decent sort. 12mo

AnneCecilie I‘m not surprised at all that Wilmet was surprised at Piers “colleague”, she has after all met Piers colleagues at the press. Keith and the colleagues at the press are probably very different. (edited) 12mo

dabbe @Cuilin Proven by the fact that she states she feels matronly/motherly over Keith. She seems worried about him--even more than Piers. 12mo

rwmg @Cuilin @BarkingMadRead Yes, Piers was taking a big risk letting Wilmet into his life that much. Both Piers and Keith could go to prison. It was only the year before “A Glass of Blessings“ that the Wolfenden Report recommended the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality and it wasn't till 1967 that it actually happened. 12mo

Bklover @Cuilin At the end of the chapter when she went to bed I actually felt sorry for her. 12mo

rubyslippersreads I have “the novels of Miss Goudge” on my shelf, so I don‘t know what that says about me. 😂 12mo

Cuilin @rwmg exactly. I‘m always surprised that it took till ‘67 for it to be decriminalized. 12mo

Cuilin @Bklover she needs a purpose of her own. Bit of a lost soul is our Wilmet. 12mo

Cuilin @rubyslippersreads lol. I thought it was really weird when she said she couldn‘t be bothered looking at their books. That‘s the first thing I do when I go into somebody‘s house. Lol 12mo

Crinoline_Laphroaig @Cuilin I always look at people's books! 12mo

rubyslippersreads @Cuilin @Crinoline_Laphroaig The worst is when they—gasp—don‘t have any books! 😳 12mo

ravenlee It seems Wilmet cares a whole lot more that Piers isn‘t hopelessly in love with her and trying to seduce her than that he has a “roommate.” She might not have a problem with him being gay but she‘s disappointed and insulted that he doesn‘t want to have an affair with her. 12mo

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