Customer Reviews

Maid in Waiting

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349 pages, dark green boards, published 1931, Wm. Heinemann Ltd., London, Windmill Press. Gold text on spine and front cover, 7 1/2" high, 5" wide, fairly small font.
A very entertaining look at British society of the 1920s, with both romance and danger.

JOHN GALSWORTHY WRITES LIKE SHAKESPEAR BUT WITH A TIME GAP THAT MAKES HIM UNDERSTANDABLE AND READABLE. HIS LOVE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND HIS UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN NATURE ARE WHAT MAKES HIM THE 19TH, 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES OUTSTANDING AUTHOR. WHILE HE WRITES ABOUT ENGLAND IT COULD BE AMERICA BECAUSE HIS STORIES ARE OF HUMAN NATURE AT IT'S HONEST BEST AND WORST. I RECOMMEND THE "FORSYTE SAGA" FOR WHICH HE WON THE NOBLE PRIZE. HE IS PROBABLY THE FINEST WRITER IN THE LAST 200 YEARS.

Dinny falls in love with a poet who might not be quite heterosexual. Dinny offers herself to him to, sort of, seal the deal and he responds, "Not now."

Of course the Charwells are upset because the poet, who had abandoned Christianity even more than them, converted to the Muslim religion with a gun at his head. They feel, with this action, the poet betrayed the entire British Foreign Service. Sir Mont's cousin is so upset that he has a knock down drag out with the poet. The cousin is 53 years old and supposedly had intentions towards Dinny. The poet is 38. Galsworthy considers both to be `young men'. I believe the cousin is jealous of the poet because the poet had come up with a great cover for his closet life. It reads like two queens bashing it out. We saw this in a Waymon Brothers skit on "In Living Color" so we know queens can be vicious.

Aunt Em has started embroidering. She, rapidly, is becoming the most interesting character in the series.

In the final chapter the General informs Dinny that the family is broke. Being ever so perfect she pops the dad with her money she obtained from hocking her jewelry and horse racing bets.