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Barbara Pym

The novels of Barbara Pym (1913-1980) could not have been written by any other than a thorough Englishwoman. The stories' fabric, especially in her earlier works, is woven of English material, such as the Anglican Church and Anglo-Catholic gentlewomen, the preparation and serving of cups of tea, and English cookery; and the settings are English villages and post-war London. More importantly, Miss Pym's light, dry, ironic tone exemplifies the English gift for addressing profound issues while seeming to make humorous and inconsequential conversation.

Miss Pym's novels were published in two groups: her early period from 1950-1963 and her later works in the 1970s and 80s. The earlier novels are more amusing and have a more optimistic tone. Each is a gem, and it is astonishing that in 1963 Pym's publisher rejected the last of this group, An Unsuitable Attachment. Although she continued to write, Pym remained unpublished again until 1977. Her reputation was revived in that year when the Times Literary Supplement asked distinguished writers to name the most underrated writers of the century. Philip Larkin and Lord David Cecil both mentioned Barbara Pym. Suddenly, publishers offered both to print her new work and reprint her earlier novels. Her return to the publishing world was triumphant indeed, as the first new novel she published in 1977, Quartet in Autumn, was short-listed for England's prestigious Booker prize. In this and another later work, The Sweet Dove Died, the sad and dark tones that were subtly present in her earlier novels are more pronounced.

Miss Pym thoroughly enjoyed her own renaissance, but she had already had one bout with breast cancer in 1971, in 1979 the disease returned, and early in 1980 she died at the age of 66.

Some Tame Gazelle (1950) The gently delightful story of 50-ish spinster Belinda Bede; Harriet, her vivacious curate-loving sister; Archdeacon Henry Hoccleve, the object of her unrequited love for thirty years; and the other residents of their village, whose social intercourse at church and dinner parties and over tea reveals their funny, sad, utterly human characters. (Click here to buy the book.)

Excellent Women (1952) Thirty, unmarried, and a reliable church worker, Mildred Lathbury seems to accept the useful spinster category in which others are prone to place her. However, through her first-person narrative of her story, we perceive that she is a shrewd and clear-sighted observer of human nature, with a stronger, more original character than appears on the surface. (Click here to buy the book.)

Jane and Prudence (1953) Jane Cleveland, 41, married to a country vicar, is somewhat ineffectual in the traditional roles of a clergyman's wife but has the redeeming qualities of good humor and a lively interest in personalities. Her friend Prudence Bates is 29, single, and fond of doomed romances. Jane hopes a Byronic widower in her husband's parish can provide the glamorous Prudence with a stable relationship. (Click here to buy the book.)

Less Than Angels (1955) Two very different women, 19-year-old suburbanite Dierdre Swan, just entering the bewildering world of anthropological studies, and the more sophisticated and unconventional writer Catherine Oliphant, vie for the affections of a handsome and promising young anthropologist Tom Mallow but simultaneously enjoy a growing friendship with each other. (Click here to buy the book.)

A Glass of Blessings (1958) Wilmet Forsyth, a sophisticated young matron, finds married life with her conservative civil-servant husband insufficient to occupy her time and energy. She seeks further fulfillment from two disparate sources, her local church and an elusive bachelor acquaintance, Piers Longridge. (Click here to buy the book.)

No Fond Return of Love (1961) Dulcie Mainwaring attends an academic conference to cheer herself up after a broken engagement. There she meets young would-be sophisticate Viola Dace, as well as the source of Viola's current heartbreak, handsome scholar Aylwin Forbes. Dulcie befriends Viola and develops an insatiable interest in Aylwin. (Click here to buy the book.)

An Unsuitable Attachment (rejected 1963; published 1982) When anthropologist Rupert Stonebird moves to the parish of St. Basil's, the vicar's wife, Sophia Ainger, immediately perceives what a suitable match he would be for her younger sister, Penelope. Rupert himself sees his neighbor Ianthe Broome, a typical English gentlewoman, as a suitable mate. And Ianthe is drawn into an unsuitable attachment. (Click here to buy the book.)

Quartet in Autumn (1977) The eligiac story of four office co-workers whose retirements throw each upon his or her own resources. Short-listed for a Booker prize. (Click here to buy the book.)

The Sweet Dove Died (1978) A chilling narrative about the interplay of selfish passions among a middle-aged woman, Leonora Eyre, who considers herself elegant and sophisticated, an attractive but passive young man, James Boyce, his pompous uncle, Humphrey, and two younger rivals for James's affections, Phoebe and Ned. (Click here to buy the book.)

A Few Green Leaves (1980) In her final novel, Barbara Pym returns to some of the themes of her earlier stories, such as parish life and ubiquitous anthropologists. A quiet story of the integration of a stranger, Emma Howick, into village life and her slow-growing relationship with rector Tom Dagnall. This work has a more cheerful tone than her other late novels. (Click here to buy the book.)

To sample Barbara Pym's inimitable style, sample these Pym Passages.




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	Barbara Pym The novels of Barbara Pym (1913-1980) could not have been written by any other than a thorough Englishwoman. The stories' fabric, especially in her earlier works, is woven of English material, such as the Anglican Church and Anglo-Catholic gentlewomen, the preparation and serving of cups of tea, and English cookery; and the settings are English villages and post-war London. More importantly, Miss Pym's light, dry, ironic tone exemplifies the English gift for addressing profound issues while seeming to make humorous and inconsequential conversation. Miss Pym's novels were published in two groups: her early period from 1950-1963 and her later works in the 1970s and 80s. The earlier novels are more amusing and have a more optimistic tone. Each is a gem, and it is astonishing that in 1963 Pym's publisher rejected the last of this group, An Unsuitable Attachment. Although she continued to write, Pym remained unpublished again until 1977. Her reputation was revived in that year when the Times Literary Supplement asked distinguished writers to name the most underrated writers of the century. Philip Larkin and Lord David Cecil both mentioned Barbara Pym. Suddenly, publishers offered both to print her new work and reprint her earlier novels. Her return to the publishing world was triumphant indeed, as the first new novel she published in 1977, Quartet in Autumn, was short-listed for England's prestigious Booker prize. In this and another later work, The Sweet Dove Died, the sad and dark tones that were subtly present in her earlier novels are more pronounced. Miss Pym thoroughly enjoyed her own renaissance, but she had already had one bout with breast cancer in 1971, in 1979 the disease returned, and early in 1980 she died at the age of 66. Some Tame Gazelle (1950) The gently delightful story of 50-ish spinster Belinda Bede; Harriet, her vivacious curate-loving sister; Archdeacon Henry Hoccleve, the object of her unrequited love for thirty years; and the other residents of their village, whose social intercourse at church and dinner parties and over tea reveals their funny, sad, utterly human characters. (Click here to buy the book.) Excellent Women (1952) Thirty, unmarried, and a reliable church worker, Mildred Lathbury seems to accept the useful spinster category in which others are prone to place her. However, through her first-person narrative of her story, we perceive that she is a shrewd and clear-sighted observer of human nature, with a stronger, more original character than appears on the surface. (Click here to buy the book.) Jane and Prudence (1953) Jane Cleveland, 41, married to a country vicar, is somewhat ineffectual in the traditional roles of a clergyman's wife but has the redeeming qualities of good humor and a lively interest in personalities. Her friend Prudence Bates is 29, single, and fond of doomed romances. Jane hopes a Byronic widower in her husband's parish can provide the glamorous Prudence with a stable relationship. (Click here to buy the book.) Less Than Angels (1955) Two very different women, 19-year-old suburbanite Dierdre Swan, just entering the bewildering world of anthropological studies, and the more sophisticated and unconventional writer Catherine Oliphant, vie for the affections of a handsome and promising young anthropologist Tom Mallow but simultaneously enjoy a growing friendship with each other. (Click here to buy the book.) A Glass of Blessings (1958) Wilmet Forsyth, a sophisticated young matron, finds married life with her conservative civil-servant husband insufficient to occupy her time and energy. She seeks further fulfillment from two disparate sources, her local church and an elusive bachelor acquaintance, Piers Longridge. (Click here to buy the book.) No Fond Return of Love (1961) Dulcie Mainwaring attends an academic conference to cheer herself up after a broken engagement. There she meets young would-be sophisticate Viola Dace, as well as the source of Viola's current heartbreak, handsome scholar Aylwin Forbes. Dulcie befriends Viola and develops an insatiable interest in Aylwin. (Click here to buy the book.) An Unsuitable Attachment (rejected 1963; published 1982) When anthropologist Rupert Stonebird moves to the parish of St. Basil's, the vicar's wife, Sophia Ainger, immediately perceives what a suitable match he would be for her younger sister, Penelope. Rupert himself sees his neighbor Ianthe Broome, a typical English gentlewoman, as a suitable mate. And Ianthe is drawn into an unsuitable attachment. (Click here to buy the book.) Quartet in Autumn (1977) The eligiac story of four office co-workers whose retirements throw each upon his or her own resources. Short-listed for a Booker prize. (Click here to buy the book.) The Sweet Dove Died (1978) A chilling narrative about the interplay of selfish passions among a middle-aged woman, Leonora Eyre, who considers herself elegant and sophisticated, an attractive but passive young man, James Boyce, his pompous uncle, Humphrey, and two younger rivals for James's affections, Phoebe and Ned. (Click here to buy the book.) A Few Green Leaves (1980) In her final novel, Barbara Pym returns to some of the themes of her earlier stories, such as parish life and ubiquitous anthropologists. A quiet story of the integration of a stranger, Emma Howick, into village life and her slow-growing relationship with rector Tom Dagnall. This work has a more cheerful tone than her other late novels. (Click here to buy the book.) To sample Barbara Pym's inimitable style, sample these Pym Passages.