August Folly [Paperback]

Angela Mackail Thirkell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

The village of Worsted is staging Hippolytus under the aegis of the indefatigable Mrs. Palmer. Given this background, it seems inevitable that the most absurd romances should bloom, as indeed they do. Thirkell's novels provide a scrutiny of British manners in the most entertaining doses.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It is the essence of her humor that her people mean well even when they are exposed at their most insufferable. --Times Literary Supplement --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

ANGELA THIRKELL (1890 1961) granddaughter of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, was born in London. At age twenty-eight, she moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she became involved in broadcasting and was a frequent contributor to British periodicals. She began writing novels after her return to Britain in 1930 and from then on produced a new book almost every year. Her stylish prose and deft portrayal of the human comedy in the imaginary county of Barsetshire have amused readers for decades. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786702729
• ISBN-13: 978-0786702725
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,018,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Affectionate Send Up Of English Country Life In The '30's, December 1, 1999

By 

James Gorton - See all my reviews

This review is from: August Folly (Paperback)

August Folly, one of Angela Thirkell's early titles in her Barsetshire series, is an engaging and affectionately satiric look at English "County" life in the 1930's. Thirkell's strength lies in her acutely observed characters, and amusing plotting. The fictitious locale of the novel is taken from the series of novels by Anthony Trollope known as the Barsetshire novels or chronicles, starting with The Warden and Barchester Towers, two classics of English literature of the 19th century. Although Thirkell's writing and depth of characterization don't compare with Trollope's, her novels are witty and amusing in their own right, a sort of minor 20th century Jane Austen. This is the countryside of P.G. Wodehouse and of Agatha Christie from a different perspective. One of the great pleasures of reading Thirkell's novels, however, lies not just in the work at hand, but in encountering characters one met in prior novels and following their changing lives, in seeing a character with whom one became acquainted in a novel from a different perspective, and in seeing the characters of her novels face the real challenges of life in England as it went through World War II, and in the years following. To some degree, the Thirkell novels about Barsetshire life in the 20th century are addictive, and one is always on the look out for further titles in the series, which are currently being published in the U.S. by a small New England press, Moyer Bell. I highly recommend this novel, and the entire series.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of a Delightful Series, April 6, 2005

By 

Mae (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: August Folly (Paperback)

It was through this delightful book that I discovered Angela Thirkell. Since then, I have gone through several Barsetshire periods, during which I read nothing else. Thirkell's Barsetshire books are addictive both because of their delightful humor and because the reader meets the same characters again and again.

Much as I enjoy Thirkell's work, however, few of her other novels measure up to the standard set by August Folly. (The Brandons is my other favorite, and Wild Strawberries and Before Lunch come close.) I have found that August Folly is excellent for reading aloud as well, with no overly long passages to obscure the wit and light-hearted plot.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Typical Thirkell, August 14, 2006

By 

F. Oakley (Yolo County, California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: August Folly (Paperback)

A great example of her enduring stories. Loveable and a cheerful read. Got me through whooping cough!