Customer Reviews

Laughter On The Stairs (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 2)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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").

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!

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.

This is the second volume in the Merry Hall trilogy, a set of books that focuses on Beverley Nichols' home life while he resides at Merry Hall, not his work life (which is presumably covered in his multi-volume autobiography). Where the first volume focused almost exclusively on the rehabilitation of the garden portion of his newly-purchased property, Laughter on the Stairs focuses on the re-doing of the house, interspersed with stories of local goings-on.

With a deft hand Mr. Nichols describes the horrible but inevitable way in which home improvement projects tend to snowball into something much bigger and more expensive than one had intended. At the same time he takes great delight in un-doing the monstrosities that the previous owner has inflicted upon the house.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to a couple of new "characters", specifically Marius' old governess Miss Mint, a very sweet and extremely timid woman who is welcomed into the local community; Erica Wyman, a famous gypsy novelist of dubious experience who is not; and Five, who arrives as a kitten and quickly settles into the Nichols' household.

Among the amusing stories that the author recounts are one that involves the sale of Miss Mint's fake Tudor cottage with a dried-up well to the odious Ms. Wyman, and the flower show, which goes horribly awry in a most satisfying manner.

Mr. Nichols is the sort of person that you'd want as a friend - he's a gentle soul who is enraptured by beauty in every form and can scarcely bear to harm a bug, but he also has a marvelously dry sense of humor and a delicious way of describing the personalities and interactions of those around him.

As a reviewer, I despair of coming up with a sufficient list of adjectives for Mr. Nichols' writings, as I intend to search out and read them all. Although that intention itself is perhaps review enough.

English author, gardener and raconteur Beverley Nichols' second volume in his 'Merry Hall' trilogy continues the story of the renovation of his country house and garden. 'Laughter on the Stairs' concentrates on the house rather than the garden. Eccentric neighbors and friends and loyal, but quirky, household staff return. In one chapter, the author and his friends fill a dry well by hand by lugging water from a nearby stream all night in order to ensure the sale of a cottage for their shy neighbor Miss Mint of Bide-a-Wee Cottage. They fill the well to fool the buyer, an obnoxious author who pretends to be a gypsy and writes terrible, but bestselling, drivel about her adventures in a caravan. These are all true stories and I wonder how Mr. Nichols had any friends left after he wrote these memoirs in the early 1950's. The book is illustrated with lovely black and white drawings throughout. For fans of English cozies/memoirs/humor and above all - for gardeners. It would be best to read 'Merry Hall' first, which tells how Mr. Nichols found the house and began restoring the garden. Although, not as funny as P.G. Wodehouse's Blandings Castle stories, Merry Hall is almost the non-fiction equivalent of those stories starring Lord Emsworth; P.G. fans might want to look into Nichol's writings.

Long ago I read 'Down the Garden Path' and when I saw this trilogy I naturally bought them. Not quite as attractive as the Garden Path but a relaxing, refreshing time dreaming of flowers and trees and shrubs -- As my old bones don't let me do too very much in the garden, these books give me such joy. And having recently rebuilt a house, I'm quite sympathetic!

Last year I discovered the delights of reading Beverley Nichols' writing, based mostly around the commentary of life as lived by the British. And yesterday, in desperate need of having something to smile over, I picked up the second book in his Merry Hall trilogy, Laughter on the Stairs, and settled in as the news on the telly gave dire predictions of an oncoming storm.

One needs those little pleasures, after all.

Now that he has renovated a good deal of the Georgian house, Merry Hall, in the suburbs of London, you would think that author Beverley Nichols would find the spirit to sit back and relax for a while. But no, he's determined to continue his polishing of this Georgian mansion that has fallen on hard times.

Especially as to what to do about a monstrosity of a stained glass window. He hates it with a passion, his neighbors, Our Rose, and Miss Emily, adore it. Everyone exclaims over it, with delight or horror, depending on his or her taste. But as with life, a tragedy occurs and the window is broken, which sets off a curious sequence of events -- thieves enter through the mermaid's bottom.

Soon enough, a series of mixed blessings descend upon Merry Hall. Could it be that the ghosts of the property are making themselves known?

There is Miss Mint, a woman of uncertain age, with a gentle manner, who is one of Nichols' neighbors, who sets off a conspiracy involving a well and a piece of property. The arrival of a fellow writer in their small village, with very mixed results. Another arrival, that of a new cat -- 'Five' -- who sets off a feline showdown in the drawing room.

Along with the newcomers, there are some old favourites as well. Gaskin, Nichols' good right arm, and of course, Oldfield, are here. Miss Emily and Our Rose, two rivals and friends return as well. Marius and the somewhat sinister, all-knowing Bob are here too. And it simply would not be a Beverley Nichols' book without 'One' and 'Four.'

But what really caught me with this book is Nicols' delight and growing interest in his home. A goodly portion of the book is spent in describing various rooms of his house, and how he is polishing them up. Such as trying to fit out his drawing room with his motley collection of things that have managed to survive World War II, and realizing that they're somewhat run down. On acquiring a set of antique chairs, he makes a comment that resonated so strongly that I am going to quote it here:

If you possess even one beautiful object it teaches you more, by its constant proximity, than a hundred visits to museums.

When I got to this line, I had to stop and read it again. And realized that yes, that Nichols was absolutely right here. That craving -- and enjoyment -- of something perfect is buried in all of us, and in our age of mass-production and plasticky sameness, we tend to skip by the more prosaic and emphremal things in life, such as the work of an artist or craftsman of long ago, or the beauty that can be found in our own yards and nearby woods.

This philosophy runs through this volume. I was captivated by Nichols' description of birds in his garden, or trying to create a musical illustration of 'One's uniquely Siamese howl, or the wonders that Oldfield manages to coax out of the garden. It's that ability to stop and fully take in the moment that I envy him, and how he is able to bring his dreams and visions to life. A very few of us have that opportunity to do so, and Nichols is indulging it as far as his limits -- not to mention pocketbook -- will allow him to.

Originally published as a set of magazine articles, Nichols compiled this collection of vignettes into three autobiographical volumes. Laughter on the Stairs is the second one, with Sunlight on the Lawn being the third one -- and one that I will be adding very soon to my collection.

This new edition is published by Timber Press, Inc., and is a facsimile of the original 1955 edition, which also has wonderful black and white illustrations by William McLaren. There is a new introduction by Roy C. Dicks, and an index of all of the various plants that are mentioned in the text tucked away in the back.

While you can read this without having read the first volume of tales in Merry Hall, I do suggest to take in that book first, as there are some ideas and people that need to be introduced properly as so to fully enjoy them in this narrative.

Joyously recommended, with a very solid five star rating.

A great read. Part of a trilogy; I have just purchased the other two books as this book was so much fun to read. This book will interest people who have a love of old houses, English villages, and gardening.

Magical writing and so descriptive, from another era, gossipy, funny and at times thoughful. Great insight into Beverley Nichols life. Recommend this to anyone who enjoys gardening and life in general.