Customer Reviews

The Demon in the House

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tony Morland, the 12 year old demon of Angela Thirkell's novel, is the most enchanting of evil spirits. He will exasperate you and even annoy you but he surely will make you laugh out loud. His exhausted mother, Laura, copes with a series of near-fatal disasters all of which leave Tony triumphant and Laura defeated. His imaginary world, his bicycling accidents,his silent but loyal sidekick, Donk, all drive the adults around him to distraction. Thirkell has caught the world of a mischievous braggart and revealed him, in the end, as an endearing child. One of her best!

This book follows characters introduced in High Rising. Both focus on Mrs. Laura Morland, author extraordinaire, and her family, friends and neighbors between the wars. Where High Rising focused more on Mrs. Morland and her doings, Demon in the House focuses on Tony Morland, her youngest son, who is devilishly annoying. Although the book is social humor in the best Angela Thirkell style, you may find yourself frequently vexed with Tony, thinking "Will he ever shut up?!" Nonetheless, an amusing book.

If you are a first time visitor of Barsetshire, I would recommend Pomfret Towers, High Rising, Wild Strawberries, or even other, later Thirkell publications, like Growing Up or Private Enterprise.

An aside - These Moyer Bell editions are better than the Caroll & Graf editions, with their terrible, light typeface. But be prepared to encounter some spelling and typographical errors.

"The Demon in the House" is one of Angela Thirkell's first novels. It chronicles Tony Morland and his mother during his holidays. It is one of the funniest and most charming books by Thirkell. While one of the other reviewers has noted that Thirkell is not adept at characterizing children, I thought her descriptions of Tony and the other children were spot-on: the need for kids to one-up each other, the constant war of boys v. masters, etc. The end of the book is particularly poignant as Tony transitions from a boy in lower school to upper school. Thirkell's writing is wonderful and evokes the slow and close-knit atmosphere of an English village beautifully.

"A Demon in the House", is a lesser Barsetshire novel. Complicated, involved plots are not Thirkell trademarks, but "Demon" has even less plot than most, being centered around three holiday visits by the irrepressible Tony Moreland to his loving, exasperated mother. Tony is a funny character but, I think, plays better as a supporting character, as he was in "High Rising" than as the focus of the book. In "Demon" I especially enjoyed Tony's friend Donk, though, a wonderful supporting character also in both of these novels. If you are a new reader to Thirkell, don't start with this one. There are a number of books in the series that are much more fun and all around better books, which is not to say this isn't a good read; it isn't up to the quality of some of the others. The first one I read was "The Brandons", and I think it's still my favorite, but if you look at the other reviews given here, you will find a number of good recommendations. Save this one for later on if you grow to like the author as many of us do.

While all Thirkell's Barsetshire novels are delightful, this one isn't as charming as the rest. The exploits of the exasperating Tony Morland grow rather tedious.

I don't think portraying children is one of Thirkell's strengths. Frank Gresham (in Miss Bunting) joins Tony Morland (in High Rising as well as this book) in being entirely unlike any child I have ever known. With a few exceptions (notably Agnes Graham, from Wild Strawberries and later books), most of the parents in Thirkell's books value escaping from their children far more than being with them (though they are portrayed as fond parents.) Perhaps the author herself avoided spending time with children?

For Thirkell at her best, try August Folly or Before Lunch. For a delightful portrayal of English children circa WWII, try Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet Chronicles (The Light Years, Marking Time, etc.) Howard is not as true to the time period as Thirkell, but the young children in the stories (Lydia and Neville) are thoroughly enjoyable.

Rather good portrayal of English Country Life in the 30's. V. v. light- perfect vacation book.

Re: BOOK DRIVES Inc. From this company, I ordered an elusive copy of "Demon in the House," by Angela Thirkell. The price seemed eminently fair and the book arrived in EXCELLENT condition, exactly as described by the company. It was packaged in bubble wrap, which was an important touch.
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I'd order from them again without hesitation. I'm extremely satisfied with their service.

A. Richardson
8.09.09