Customer Reviews

Lark Rise to Candleford: A Trilogy

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book provides an easily readable, well-written account of English rural life in the late 1800s, before this culture was forever changed by industrialization. The author was a young girl whose simple adventures are described, and she does have an eye for the details of country life that provides a charming portrait of that life. Oxford University Press was the original publisher of this trilogy, and the quality of the book justified the publisher's faith. The author observes that although people didn't have as many material goods as today, and although they worked very hard, they seemed happier than their descendents. For example, she describes the system of assistance in the community among its different classes and members when there was no welfare state.
Perhaps because I discovered this book through an article in "Victoria" magazine in the 1990s--before the BBC made a television series out of it--I did not miss the absence of a storyline or plot. This is a beautiful book when it is taken on its own terms. If you enjoy Miss Read's novels of English village life, you will probably appreciate this book's loving depiction of country life at an earlier time. I think the inspiration of Miss Read and Flora Thompson is the same.

Written in the 1940s, this semi-fictional account of hte Oxfordshire villages Lark Rise and Candleford looks back at the 1880s, a time of transition in the ENglish countryside. Work, social relationships, home life, schooling- all of these things changed in the last years of the 19th c. THompson examines these changes through the story of Laura, a girl who comes of age in the 1880s and 90s. But truly, in this work Laura's story takes a back seat to description. Thompson is clearly using this book to capture a lost world, and the book includes whole chapters describing the countryside and the traditions of its people. The writing is almost anthropological. While the description is interesting, and it is a very easy read, I found myself longing for more plot, more discussion of what happened to Laura. I also found that the book seemed to romanticize what must have been, by all accounts, grinding poverty. That said, the descriptions THompson offers are engaging and vibrant, and the book is a quick, and dare I say, relaxing, read.

I have completed the first book in the trilogy, and though I agree with another reviewer that it has the same kind of feel as the "Little House on the Prairie" and "Anne of Green Gables" series' (all of which I love), I don't think I would put this in the same age range as either. The "Little House" series was something my friends and I read starting in elementary school, and my daughters did the same. The "Anne" books were more junior high to high school, and we have enjoyed them as adults as well. Though Thompson's books have the same rural, homey feel to them, I think the lack of an ever-present storyline would make them less appealing to the average youth today who is used to instant gratification and constant entertainment (I know I am generalizing). I'm sure there are some youth that would love them, but they are much more an insightful, descriptive look at country life with stories scattered here and there and I believe they will appeal more to adults. I find them fascinating and I think the people who used these books as a basis for the PBS series have done a brilliant job of creating a consistent storyline from the threads of narrative Thompson has woven together. If you have watched the series and loved it, don't approach the books as "the script" for what you have seen. View it more as background material and enjoy a deeper look into what made the people who they are. If you have read the books and are just considering seeing the series, don't expect to see what you have read. They are both wonderful examples of their own art form. Let each stand alone and appreciate them for what they are.

ETA: I have now completed the book and have seen all four seasons of the PBS series. I love them both, but would still caution people not to expect the movies to be an exact visual portrayal of the books. I admit that I am one who has been upset at times when I have seen a movie "based on" a classic book that has taken great liberties in their portrayal and completely changed characters who are critical to the storyline. However, I had not read these books before seeing the first three seasons of the PBS series, so the show was my introduction to the stories and characters. I still thoroughly enjoyed the books and thought it was fun to see what had inspired many of the stories in the TV series.

I found this to be a wonderfully written and informative book---I could hardly put it down !! I was surprised- I expected a very dull book- -
It made the DVD much more interesting--I'm now waiting for Series 2 ..

To those of you who love the BBC series, please know that this book isn't written in novel form exactly. The first part is like a written living history of late Victorian hamlet living. But it is a facinating insight and foundation to anyone who enjoys period writing and dramas.

I purchased this book after viewing the entire TV series (which I love) of the same name. As pointed out by other reviewers, the book does not have a plot and is basically a series of essays describing everyday life in Lark Rise, Candleford and Candleford Green. To a modern reader, the characters in the book may seem to suffer from abject poverty, which was true in some cases, but in the 19th century it was the way of life. People adapted and even flourished (according to Thompson's descriptions) in the midst of that poverty. For example, Thompson pointed out that the poor residents of Lark Rise enjoyed excellent health and strong teeth, even though their diet (lard spread on pieces of bread) would horrify today's nutritional "experts" and they cleaned their teeth with salt on a cloth. Despite the hardships, the people enjoyed their rare leisure times and appreciated the simplest things in life. It was very refreshing to reflect on a time when life was not so complicated. WARNING: to those of you who (like me) belong to a race of darker complexion people, please be advised that the "n" word is in the novel and there are two minor (seemingly derogatory) references to dark-skinned people. Please don't let these references keep you from reading this excellent book. I don't believe the references were malicious but just a part of the culture of that day. I was not offended by them.

I am hooked on the BBC Lark Rise to Candleford tv series. However, had I not read the book which inspired the series, I would be at a loss.
Author Flora Thompson describes with clarity and intimacy the English countryside of the 1880s and 1890s. Change is in the air; some communities, Lark Rise for one, remain in the peaceful, penurious, agrarian past; other communities, such as the town of Candleford, are bustling centers of new enterprise mixed with the older professions (such as black smiths). These two places are connected by Thompson's story of her childhood in Lark Rise and her going out into the world to Candleford.
Each chapter of the book is a gentle, reflective and detailed remembrance. This is the perfect to read before retiring to sleep.

I became a fan of the BBC series "Lark Rise to Candleford" while visiting the UK. I have the DVDs of seasons 1 & 2 and this book is the perfect complement to the DVDs. The book goes into much more detail about life in late 1800's rural England. Absolutely fascinating.

I would have liked to have known that this book is an essay type collection rather than semi-fictionalized work. This book is a loving rememberance of a way of life that no longer exists. I watched some of the video series before reading the book and was amazed how well the work was adapted but all the major characters were greatly fleshed out in the video series.

I am definitely glad I purchased this book because it furthered my understanding of this lost way of life and of Flora Thompson's life.

My wife is hoooked on the TV series on PBS and this book is the basis for that series. She loves it.