Wednesday 5 May 2010

Persephone Reading Week: My Persephone Reading Life




Last year during Persephone Reading Week I wrote a post called My Persephone Life in which I described how I became a Persephone enthusiast. I have to say that since then my enthusiasm has only been increased, as has my collection (as Darlene commented on that post - "Once you've read your first Persephone I think it's safe to say you'd better clear a shelf on your bookcase for more"), as you can see if you compare the above photo with the one in the post last year (a couple are on loan to people so it is not my complete collection) ! By the end of this Persephone Reading Week I intend to have read all of the Persephone books - I just have three non fiction titles to go, plus The hopkins manuscript which I plan to take on the bus trip to London for the bloggers meet-up at the end of the week.

It's then going to be time to reread some of my favourites. Top of my list is the first Persephone book that I ever read, Family roundabout, as it must be at least eight years since I read it. I'd like to revisit Mariana too and some of the Dorothy Whipples which I read comparatively early on.

But what has been my favourite overall? I have been pondering this over the last couple of days as I have been reading various reviews. Many of the same titles seem to be popular among bloggers, particularly the Whipples and Laskis. Other titles such as Cheerful weather, Mariana and Miss Pettigrew are also often mentioned - all of which are Persephone Classics. I wonder whether it is because they are popular that they were chosen to be classics or whether it is because the classics are more widely available (particularly in the US and UK bookshops).

I think my favourite Persephone reads have been some of the books which are less frequently mentioned. I was absolutely bowled over by The world that was ours last December, and I thought that Nicola Beaumann's A very great profession is a fabulous read that sets the books of the Persephone phenomenon into historical context. Round About A Pound a Week is a key historicla text because it was so critical in contributing to the debate about the need for social reform at the start of the twentieth century, and gives an absolutely fantastic insight into the world of the poor. A London Child of the 1870s is a book that I have loved for years, long before its Persephone incarnation, but worth mentioning for that! Of the novels, I have especially enjoyed A fortnight in September, Miss Buncle's book (which I recommended in the Bookseller back in December), and Princes in the land. Dorothy Whipple's short stories forced me to reconsider my dislike of the genre, although I have yet to read any short stories that I have enjoyed as much as those. Ultimately one of my very favourites has to be Bricks and Mortar by Helen Ashton.

16 comments:

  1. Goodness what a wonderful collection! All those grey and cream spines look super. I enjoyed hearing which lesser known Persephones you especially recommend. I am planning a trip to Persephone books either today or tomorrow and think I'll just have to pick up a few more books than originally planned...!

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  2. Ooh lucky you! I wish there were more Persephones left for me to put in my collection.

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  3. I've just voted on Simon's poll, I hadn't realised until then how many Persephone titles I had read, though not anywhere near as many as you Verity.
    I got another 3 Persephone titles for my birthday today - Someone at a Distance, Good Evening Mrs Craven, The Closed Door and Other Stories.

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  4. What a lovely collection of books, I am very jealous!

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  5. That picture of all the persephone books you own makes me a little bit jealous ;)

    It was nice reading when your love of persephone books started (I went back and read the other post as well) and I liked hearing which lesser-known persephone's you loved.

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  6. Wow, that's a lot of Persephones! I only own 20 and have only read 14 of them (soon to be 15--I'm reading A London Child of the 1970s right now). Miss Pettigrew is excellent (it was my "gateway drug" so to speak!), and my favorite of the ones I've read is Miss Buncle's Book. I've also greatly enjoyed Dorothy Whipple's books and have written a post about her here;

    http://agirlwalksintoabookstore.blogspot.com/2010/05/spotlight-on-persephone-author-dorothy.html

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  7. It's wonderful to see the photo of your collection -- how beautiful they look! Lovely as always to hear about someone's favourites. I'll definitely have to look out for some of them. I've just finished Miss Buncle's Book, which I *loved* -- I'll be posting a review soon.

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  8. I could hardly tear my eyes away from that picture to read the rest of your post!

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  9. I'm very pleased that I have amassed almost half of the Persephone collection!

    I thought that Mariana was the only Monica Dickens book that you hadn't yet read and you were saving it ... did I make that up?! I don't know what I'm saving it for but -along with Saplings, it would seem- I am saving it for something.

    My favourite is Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary, which is a little overlooked by most, I feel. I am so attached to that book and it was one of my first (fourth, I think) Persephones.

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  10. Impressive. I'd like to contribute to this reading week, but don't read more than one book at a time and I'm deep in a book at the mo.

    Can I maybe do something on Persephone from a male perspective?

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  11. I am totally gobsmacked by your Persephone collection. They are beautiful and I aspire to have as many as you.

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  12. I really enjoyed reading about your Persephone life. I was recently going through my Sociology Degree notes (my mother wanted a tidy up) from about 20 years ago - (oh gosh that sounds old) and saw that we'd been recommended to read 'Round About A Pound a Week' by our tutor. Most definately not Persesphone.I didn't get around to reading it then, but maybe as a Persephone I will.

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  13. Oh Verity, I just want to be let loose on your bookshelves for an afternoon!

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  14. There really is something about them isn't there? I think that I would like to see more "Persephone Lives" to compliment "The Other Elizabeth Taylor" though.

    Hope that you are enjoying your Persephone reading

    Hannah

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  15. A Very Great Profession is currently very high up on my Persephone priority queue. I'm becoming more and more interested in literature from that time period (partially thanks to bloggers like you!), so it would be great to get some historical context.

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  16. I so agree about Bricks and Mortar and A Very Great Profession Verity! A lovely photo of your Persephones. I find I love some titles because they're such fabulous comfort reads (Miss Bunkle, Miss Pettigrew etc) and some because they make me think (High Wages, To Bed With Grand Music etc). It's truly the best of both reading worlds!

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