The Headmistress [Hardcover]

Angela Thirkell (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Alfred a Knopf Inc (1953)
• ASIN: B001L80UUA
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The funniest of Ms. Thirkell's many funny books., July 13, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Headmistress (Paperback)

THE HEADMISTRESS...When Miss Sparling, a headmistress from a recently evacuated girl's school, moves into the village, she encounters all the problems of village life in wartime Britain. The upper crust Beltons, themselves newly dislocated from the family stately home, must accomodate not only Miss Sparling but the serious problems of the 1940s. Although perhaps the funniest of Thirkell's many funny books, World War II dominates this novel, giving it a greater depth perhaps, than some of Ms Thirkell's other delightful books.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I coundn't put it down!, December 6, 1999

By 

Amanda (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Headmistress (Paperback)

Angela Thirkell's books are about famalies living in England during World War 2.She uses fictional characters, set in a fictional country named Barsetshire, to give a realistic account of the conditions people were living under in England during the war. The Headmistress tells about refugees, rationing and shortages, the banner use of uncover bright lights after dark and work parties to make clothing and other necessities for the soldiers and refugees. The main characters are mainly wealthy and/or titled citizens. Although all class are represented through the book. The Headmistress focuses on an old family who, while trying to retain their land and upper class status, have become relaively common financially. This state is referred to as "reduced circumstances." They have rented their estate to a girls' school and moved to the village. This book is like a mild soap opera with a happy ending. It is filled with philosophy and almost entirely composed of conversation about etiquette. It is very British, so if you like that kind of stuff, you will be in heaven.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a thumping good read, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Headmistress (Paperback)

I say, Ms Thirkell is sound on logarithms(page 185