Kitchen window view

The view from my kitchen window includes this beautiful wisteria, which flowers reliably every year, except one year a long time ago when we had a very severe frost in April just as the buds were just starting to develop. The scent is quite powerful too, as I walk underneath it, and the leaves when developed provide shade for the table and benches underneath.

I've just finished reading Celia Lyttleton's "The Scent Trail" in which the author describes her journeys to many different countries in search of the raw ingredients for her own personal scent. She travels to Grasse, in the south of France, in search of mimosa, to Florence for irises, to Turkey for roses, to Morocco for oranges and neroli, to India, Sri Lanka, to Yemen and finally Socotra in search of ambergris. She tells us a lot about te history of scent and how it was and is used in some of these places, and we also learn about how the scent is extracted from the individual flowers, how these flowers have to be picked at certain times of day for the best perfumes. I love scent and would love to have a personal one as Celia Lyttleton has done, but usually wear my favourite Yves St Laurent "Rive Gauche". Celia Lyttleton's writing is enthusiastic about perfume and lyrical about the scents and places she visits. An intriguing read for anyone who loves perfume.

Another recent read was Alexander McCall Smith's eighth title in his No 1 Ladies detective series, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive. The setting is familiar to those who have read others in the series. Although violence and death are mentioned, they are not dwelt on as in some crime novels. In fact I sometomes wonder if these are actually crime novels; they seem to be more philosphical musings on human behaviour in all its variety. Nevertheless,despite the deceptively simple writing I find them an enjoyable comfort read.

Reading Round-up

Although I haven't blogged much recently about my reading, I'm still there with a book in my hand or on my bedside table, although if I have any serious reading to be done, bed is not my ideal place for it. However it's a rare night when I don't pick up a book and read for about quarter of an hour or so before falling asleep.
Reading while in France included Nicola Beauman's "A very great profession", which is a very readable study of popular women's novels and their authors writing between the two world wars. Nicola Beauman has written the survey under several main themes, as to the subjects covered by the novels she describes so well. Persephone books, which was founded by Nicola Beauman, publishes many of these novels, some of which are familiar to me from my early years in the library profession as the authors were still popular during the late 1960's and early 70's. The books are not only a pleasure to read, but are also well produced, on thick cream paper with an elegant type-face, nicely bound with distinctive grey covers.
Julian Barnes' book Flaubert's Parrot was another read while in France, quite appropriately. I've had this on my bookshelves for ages and finally decided it was time to read it. The story is of a retired professor who becomes obsessed with finding which of the various stuffed parrots he comes across while researching Flaubert's life is the original. During the hunt, we learn a lot about Flaubert, the man and the writer, and his life, loves, relationships, habits, and writing. It is very funny in parts, both from quotes from Flaubert and the narrator. How much is actually true about Flaubert I'm not sure, not having read a biography of him. Good fun, though and worth waiting for.
I took The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, by Kate Summerscale to France with me and found it an interesting read. A complicated and true story about the murder of a young child, the youngest son of the father's second marriage. The setting is Road Hill House, which still exists, although now has another name. The family living in the house at the time of the murder, which took place in the Victorian period, were middle class, the detective eventually called from the Metropolitan police force was a working class man. Kate Summerscale gives us a lot of historiacl detail but manges to keep up the suspense and a desire to find out who dunnit. I found this a satisfying read.

Katherine Swynford

I've just finished reading Alison Weir's biography of Katherine Swynford: the story of John of Gaunt and his scandalous Duchess. A lovely absorbing read, about a medieval woman of repute. Like many people, including the author herself, I first came across Katherine Swynford in Anya Seton's novel Katherine, which I read as a teenager, and still have an ancient yellowing copy on my bookshelves, complete with bodice-ripper type cover. I haven't read it for ages, but did read and re-read it several times in the past. Alison Weir's book goes back to the original medieval sources, but despite their lack of mention of Katherine at times, nevertheless there is enough material to build a convincing picture of an woman, who despite being of relatively humble birth, managed to become one of the most important women in the history of the monarchy in Britain, and from whom other world leaders are descended. Katherine was fortunate enough to mix among people who encouraged women to be educated, interested in literature, music and also be able to manage an estate, as she had to when her husband Sir Hugh Swynford was away fighting with his overlord, John of Gaunt in France. I really enjoyed this read, as it put the flesh on to the bare bones of the story that I remember, and made Katherine come alive again.

Reading at random

I recently borrowed, read and returned to my local library forthwith Camilla Morton's A year in High Heels. I had quite enjoyed her "How to Walk in High Heels", but the more recent title was not so informative, nor so useful. There was the occasional intersting snippet, but much of it was either stuff I've knoen about forever, or else stuff I've never felt the need to know.

However another random read was R C Sherriff's "The Fortnight in September" first published in 1931 and republished by Persephone Books. This was a delightful read, The Stevens family have booked their seaside boarding house accomodation in March, and now the day before their holiday has arrived. The story tells of their organising their departure, packing, setting off on the train to Bognor, and their happiness at being away for a whole fortnight. Their pleasures are simple ones - being on the beach and having a family game of cricket, going for a walk over the dons or along the shore, meeting a new friend and going out for an evening stroll, listening to the band playing. The story is written in simple language but nevertheless complex emotions and feelings are described, for although life for the Stevens family seems at first to be straightforward, different members have differing feelings and ambitions. The eldest son, Dick works out how to work towards an ambition he has to becoming an architect; the father enjoys the feeling of absolute freedom his solitary walks on the downs give him, away from all the cares of work; the mother enjoys her evenings on her own, sewing, which she never seems to have time for at home. Although the story ends on the last day of their holiday, the life of this family lives on in the imagination, as it would have done in real life. One part I particularly enjoyed was the journey to Bognor from Clapham Junction. Having recently undertaken this very same route by train, by inadvertently taking the wrong train at Clapham Junction, I could recall the stations and views R C Sherriff describes very clearly, which certainly brought the tale to life for me. I first came across R C Sherriff through reading his play "The Long Sunset", about the Roman abandonment of Britain in the 5th century AD, which although I haven't looked at since leaving school, still seems to be in my memory as a powerful piece of writing.

Glorious day here in the Vallee du Mars in the Auvergne region of France, following a pleasant one yesterday, when we walked down the valley to the next village, St Vincent de Salers, then back again through the woods the other side; however this entailed a very preciptious up- and down footpath, which kept disappearing under last years leaves . We made it back home in time for supper. The snows on the Puy Mary and Puy de Tortue at the top of the valley are beginning to melt with more and more darker patches of ground appearing. We seem to be lucky with the weather at this time of year, as it was sunny and warm last year too. The road and pathsides are full of wild flowers; cowslips, wood anemones, violets, wild hellebores, pulmonaria are some of the ones I can recognise and name , and there are others that I can't. More and more are coming out each day as the weather warms up and the days get longer. Last week the weather was misty and a bit gloomy, with some rain on Thursday and Friday.

We have been here for over a week now and are feeling more settled in. The house is responding to being occupied, as it is getting warmer inside, after being left cold for several months during the winter. Fortunately all the hard work we did last year in the garden has paid off, as it still looks fairly tidy, only the grass is just beginning to grow a bit, and the few shrubs we left are in bloom.

Random reads

Cherry cake and Ginger Ale by Jane Brocket was a nostalgic read. Based on descrptions of food in a wide-ranging list of childrens books, the book takes a look at the occasions in which food is described. Quite an interesting idea, as I had read many of the books the author includes, and the recipes seem to reliable home comfort food.

A complete contrast was Amitav Ghosh's The Hungry Tide, a story set in India, in the Sunderbans, an area of islands and rivers at the mouth of the Ganges. I love Amitav Ghosh's writing. He describes India so clearly and sympathetically that I can almost see, hear and smell it , as well as visualise both people and places. This story is one of loss in so many different ways, but also a story of hope. Pia, Indian-born but raised in Seattle, comes to the area to research the lives of river dolphins, a subject in which she is an expert. On the journey to the islands, she meets Kanai, who is visiting his aunt on a mission. The story concerns Pia's meeting with a local fisherman who has a uncanny ability to find the dolphins Pia is so concerned about, together with Kanai's researches into his uncle's past life on the tiger-infested islands. The violent storm which occurs near the end of the story changes everybodies lives, some for a more hopeful future.
I recently read a comment by Erica Wagner in The Times, suggesteing we read more writers who write in English but are from non- English countries. I can thoroughly recommend Amitav Ghosh as one of those writers to read.

Reading under the bedspread

New bedspread is now made and on the bed it was destined for.

Recent reading has been fairly random, some book club reads, some just following my own interests.

Book group reads have included Sadie Jones 'Outcast' a story set in the 1950's., and is a tale of loss, of love and growing up in suburban Surrey in the post-war years. There are boken families, broken and damaged people and yet the possibility of happiness at the end. The main character, Lewis, is described on his release from prison and returning home. We next read of his childhood, of his father's returning from the war and settling back into normal life. Lewis loses his mother in a drowning accident, but is unable to talk about it to his father. His father re-marries and Lewis is sent away to school. The build -up of unresolved tensions of love and loss - Lewis's increasing desperation, his self-harm and drinking, his relationship with the various members of the Carmichael family, near neighbours and work colleague of his father, all are beautifully and gently but clearly described. Lewis's friendship with the younger Carmichael daughter may be the hopeful end to the story.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson, first published in 1938 and re-published by Persephone Books was a delightful and quick read for me. The story of a poor, dowdy and underpaid governess who is wrongly directed to an actress's apartment for a job. She is immediately drawn into Miss LaFosse's glamourous life, and acts as friend, chaperone, replacement mother,as well as undergoing a complete transformation during the day. All ends well, and Miss Pettigrew finds herself more happily settled that she could have hoped for.