Customer Reviews

They Knew Mr. Knight

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I've read all of Dorothy Whipple's books now and like them all. They all follow a family saga outline with lots of drama, plus I love the British flavor of them. This book is almost 500 pages long, and I didn't find a single boring page. Its the age old story of a family wanting to better themselves, with the father (of the 30s and 40s) feeling the pressure to make it so. Unfortunately, Mr Knights do come along in life, and families find themselves in a new world. But a better one? I don't want to be a spoiler for the book, but I will say again, this could possibly be the best of Whipple's books. Oh how I wish she were still alive and writing! And thanks to Persephone for reprinting so many of them.

This is a novel with a serious moral theme on the dangers of avarice, but it's the tone of the novel that I enjoy. Although the author is mostly interested in the female characters, particularly Celia. As a housewife and mother in 1930's England, some readers may her somewhat old-fashioned, but I love the way the narrator gives us an insight into the thoughts and feelings of even some of the minor characters, honestly and sympathetically showing their weaknesses and strengths.