In this, the second volume of the Merry Hall trilogy, Nichols is less concerned with his garden and more with his house, but the story does include the memorable characters Our Rose, the ditzy floral designer, and the cantankerous gardener Oldfield.
Laughter on the Stairs (Merry Hall Trilogy)
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Editorial Reviews
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"Be prepared. Beverley Nichols' garden books are part PG Wodehouse and part James Barrie — full of hilarious Jeeves-like characters and events, with moments of Peter Pan magic."
—Bob Cowden, Pacific Horticulture, Spring 2000 (Pacific Horticulture )
"You'll find laughter on the stairs and everywhere else Nichols takes you as he renovates his old home and garden."
—Southern Living, Spring 1999 (Southern Living )
"[Nichols] the very model of gardening insouciance, ... wrote at least once about everything and ... is nearly the Bertie Wooster of gardening, and I say nearly only because some would consider it an insult to be called the Bertie Wooster of anything."
—Verlyn Klinkenborg, New York Times Book Review, December 1, 1998 (New York Times Book Review )
—Bob Cowden, Pacific Horticulture, Spring 2000 (Pacific Horticulture )
"You'll find laughter on the stairs and everywhere else Nichols takes you as he renovates his old home and garden."
—Southern Living, Spring 1999 (Southern Living )
"[Nichols] the very model of gardening insouciance, ... wrote at least once about everything and ... is nearly the Bertie Wooster of gardening, and I say nearly only because some would consider it an insult to be called the Bertie Wooster of anything."
—Verlyn Klinkenborg, New York Times Book Review, December 1, 1998 (New York Times Book Review )
Book Description
The second volume in the trilogy that began with Merry Hall (1951) continues Nichol's hilarious account of his tribulations in refurbishing a gracious Georgian house & garden.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
UPROARIOUS FUN!,
By A Customer
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This review is from: Laughter On The Stairs (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 2) (Hardcover)
A delightful read! Mr. Nichols (in a very "proper" British fashion) describes his hilarious adventures in home decorating and remodeling. His run-ins with his snobby neighbors can not be missed! If you love gardens, cats, home decorating, or if you just love to laugh; GET THIS BOOK! In fact, get all three books in this trilogy (ie: "Merry Hall", "Sunlight on the Lawn", and "Laughter on the Stairs").
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A collectors edition, a high quality reprint.,
By HEADSET@gte.NET (Coos Bay, OR 97420) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Laughter On The Stairs (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 2) (Hardcover)
Like a visit with an old friend, Mr. Nichols welcomes you into his home with open arms as he takes you on a tour of Merry Hall. Once again, in his own tongue-in-cheek style he describes the horrors of renovation and restoration. Friends, busybody neighbors, helpmates, and Beverley's beloved Cats 'One' and 'Four" accompany you on this delightful visit. Leaves one panting for more!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Life in the big house....,
This review is from: Laughter On The Stairs (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 2) (Hardcover)
In LAUGHTER ON THE STAIRS, Nichols continues his tale of the restoration of Merry Hall and it's grounds. Just after WWII, Nichols purchased a derelict Georgian House and it's tattered grounds, and with the help of his 'man' Gaskins, and the able Oldfield, who had worked the grounds for most of his life, he began a restoration project.MERRY HALL was written about six years into the project, and focused on the grounds. LAUGHTER ON THE STAIRS takes place a few years, when later Nichols has turned his attention to the interior of the old Georgian House. The former owner, a Mr. Stebbing had very Victorian tastes, which Nichols dislikes, and has tried to erase. At last, he plans to address the staircase, where a stained-glass window that was "unquestionably..most alarming" overhang the landing. Nichols nosey-parker neighbor Rose doesn't want to see the house altered. She remembers the days when Mr. Stebbing was the owner, and she does not approve of the new owner's changes. She was particularly outraged by the savage destruction of the old boxwood hedge. Now, Nichols proposes to destroy the lovely stainglass window Mr. Stebbing had installed over the staircase. Of course Merry Hall is Nichol's house and he can do what he likes, but he is concerned about the neighbors reactions to his plans. The story takes an interesting twist when burglers break in one night and in a strange way help him solve the dilemma. This is a light and amusing book, and one I found very intertaining reading before bedtime.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
SPERO MELIORA proclaimed the stained-glass window on the stairs, in Gothic lettering against a background of raspberry Pink, and I still had enough fourth-form Latin to remember that these words meant `I hope for better things'. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
blue chandelier, gold cigarette cases Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Emily, Miss Mint, Our Rose, Merry Hall, Erica Wyman, Queen Anne, Assembly Rooms, Miss Wyman, Rose Fenton, Bond Street, Hampton Court, Patrick Nasmyth, The Box, The Czechoslovakian, Wych Cross New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
SPERO MELIORA proclaimed the stained-glass window on the stairs, in Gothic lettering against a background of raspberry Pink, and I still had enough fourth-form Latin to remember that these words meant `I hope for better things'. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
blue chandelier, gold cigarette cases Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Emily, Miss Mint, Our Rose, Merry Hall, Erica Wyman, Queen Anne, Assembly Rooms, Miss Wyman, Rose Fenton, Bond Street, Hampton Court, Patrick Nasmyth, The Box, The Czechoslovakian, Wych Cross New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
4
books
cite this book:
- Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
- Merry Hall (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 1) by Beverley Nichols in Front Matter, and page 16
- Sunlight On The Lawn (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 3) by Beverley Nichols in Front Matter
- Down the Garden Path (Privies S.) by Linda Hall in Front Matter
- Henry James: The Early Novels (Twayne's United States Authors Series, Tusas 440) by Robert Emmet Long on page 51
See all 6 books this book cites
- Sunlight On The Lawn (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 3) by Beverley Nichols in Back Matter
- Beverley Nichols' Cats' X. Y. Z. by Beverley Nichols in Front Matter
- Beverley Nichols : A Life by Bryan Connon in Back Matter
- Beverley Nichols' Cats' A. B. C. by Beverley Nichols in Front Matter
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