My final comments on Cold Comfort Farm

First off, thanks for the link to that website on water voles. I didn't really have a clue what they were and had figured they must be some kind of water rat thing--the pictures certainly helped to clarify that for me :)

I was thinking about how you've mentioned Freud a few times and what sort of influence Gibbon's book might be reacting to and I thought of Mr. Mybug and all his hilarious sexual comments whenever Flora would be forced to go on a walk with him. Everything reminded him of sex. Their conversations were so funny. I definitely think she was poking fun at Freud here and the notion that everything is sexual.

I also found this quote from Gibbons about why she decided to write Cold Comfort Farm:

In 1966 Gibbons wrote an article for Punch (20 April) about how she came to write her famous novel. She recalls that, when she was working for the Evening Standard, one of Mary Webb's novels was being serialised in the paper. Gibbons disliked Webb's representation of rural life, since it diverged so far from her own pastoral idea of the English countryside, which was her “chief source of refreshment and comfort”. She continues:

The large agonised faces in Mary Webb's book annoyed me [...] [since] I did not believe people were any more despairing in Herefordshire than in Camden Town. Her characters also reminded me of certain people with whom I had grown up, who were, so to speak, permanently in the woodshed with door shut and preferring it that way. Parodies of both sets of characters began to prowl [...] in my mind [...] while Sheila Kaye-Smith\'s rather too-meaningful Sussex suggested their background.

I thought the bolded line was especially interesting because of what Aunt Ada Doom is always saying about seeing something nasty in the woodshed. We never do find out what she saw (I'm sure Mr. Mybug would say she saw something sexual). Yet, Gibbon's reference here seems to suggest that Ada Doom was only harping on that woodshed idea while she was intent on remaining set in her ways and keeping her family set too. I believe the phrase might be "closed minded." The curious side of me does continue to keep wondering what she saw (if anything).

I thought your final thoughts were really interesting--especially the idea of colonialism. Do you think Gibbons avoids looking at any downside to Flora's "meddling." Is there a sense of loss for what once was? Only Judith seems to suffer from Flora's actions while the other characters do seem happier. What do you think?

So, what should we read next?

Now, I just need to get a copy of the movie . . .

So, I finished Cold Comfort Farm almost a week ago, but I wanted to take some time to think about it and I wanted to give you plenty of time to get into the book before I shared my thoughts. First off, I should say that I really enjoyed the book and I'm thinking that it should be considered in the same category as Pride and Prejudice--the type of book I should re-read every few years. Now I'm wishing that I had bought my own copy, and maybe I will (I've still got a few gift cards to bookstores with money left on them).

I was looking at a copy in The King's English yesterday and unlike the copy I got from my library, it has an introduction by Lynne Truss. In the few moments I was there, I skimmed the first few pages, but I didn't read the entire introduction. At any rate, she was able to focus my thoughts for me. She acknowledged that Flora is like the Superego trying to exert control over the Id (And I want to amend my earlier statement about Amos not relishing his passions. Clearly the man just has a different set of passions, but like the rest, he lets his zest for preaching guide his life). She also explained that she avoided the book for years because she knew it was a parody of a genre that she wasn't familiar with (she named a specific author, but the name slips my mind now) and she felt like she needed to know the genre at the focus of the parody to fully appreciate the parody. And that's how I felt at the beginning of the book too. That's why I felt like I was missing all sorts of jokes. But Truss went on to point out that the book could just as easily be a parody of other books such as those by Thomas Hardy, or as you pointed out, Wuthering Heights. When you made that connection for me, it was like the lights went on. I love Thomas Hardy, but the first time I read Wuthering Heights, I thought there was entirely too much mooning about on the moor.

Truss also pointed out what should have been obvious to me, and that's the possibility for symbols in the book, which is why I want to revisit it and re-read it again. At any rate, I'm not ready to put forth any theories about water-voles, but I found this website helpful. In 30 seconds, I couldn't find anything about sukebind besides links to sites about Cold Comfort Farm, but I’d like to know what that is too.

Anyway, in an effort to bring my own insight to the book, I want to suggest that it could also be read in terms of colonialism. Flora cheerfully and doggedly organizes and rearranges everyone's lives for them and for the most part, everyone seems to be happier with her changes as if they had been waiting their whole lives for someone to come in and show them what they really wanted in life. Isn't that essentially the spirit of Victorian English Colonialism? The British bring their type of civilization to the natives of the world and in the end, everyone is much happier.

But because so much of the book is tongue and cheek, it's easy to believe that Gibbons is also poking fun at those ideas. Really, Flora is somewhat ridiculous, but she interferes and meddles in such a dedicated and happy manner that it's easy to see her as the only normal one among her family. In the same way, the British government could also be described as ridiculous even as they refused to acknowledge one tragedy of colonialism, i.e., erasing another group’s culture by "civilizing" them. Perhaps I'm stretching this idea a bit too far, but that's what I love about this book. While it parades around as "a book that was meant to be . . . funny" and nothing more, it certainly has several layers to dig through and explore (8). Certainly, I will need to get my own copy and revisit this book again, very soon.

Claud

Claud is a minor character but he really struck me as one of the few characters in this novel with some depth. I find this especially interesting because he is only in the novel for a short time (the ball scene). I guess he struck me because of all the stories I hear about returning soldiers. Also, my sister's good friend committed suicide not too long ago and Claud's experience with death seemed to ring true in a book that is littered with poking fun at everything. Here are the two quotes that caught my attention and gave me more insight into him.

"Claud, who had served in the Anglo-Nicaraguan wars of '46, was at ease in the comfortable silence in which they sat, and allowed the irony and grief of his natural expression to emerge beneath the mask of cheerful idiocy with which he usually covered his sallow, charming face. He had seen his friends die in anguish in the wars. For him, the whole of the rest of his life was an amusing game which no man of taste and intelligence could permit himself to take seriously"(161-2).

Later, Claud comments that Flora is having a great time and she replies that she is and so is he. Her response is followed with his internal thoughts, "It was true; he did. But never without a pang of exquisite pain in his heart, and a conviction that he was a traitor"(164).

This last quote in particular is what struck me because it completely captures what I imagine survivor's guilt must feel like. A definite serious note hidden in the funny. What do you think? Did he strike you at all?

"My dear Tony,"

p. 108
Well, I finally just went to the library and checked out a copy and I was a little bummed because I wanted to have my own copy so that I could underline and make notes in the margins so that my posts would have a little more substance and not so much "I liked this because" or "This part was funny" but since I don't have my own copy and I can't make notes in the margins or underline that is probably what you're going to get :)

I should also let you know that I have not seen the movie and know next to nothing about this book other than I saw it listed on a friend's blog and I think I remember her saying that she liked it.

Having said that . . .

What did you think of the Foreword? I thought it was hilarious and definitely written tongue in cheek. The best was when she kept writing, "the vulgar and meaningless bustle of newspaper offices" as an excuse for why her writing could never compare to his. I wanted to know more about this Anthony Pookworthy and discovered that he is fictitious. Then as I read more of her book I had to laugh because it does seem that she is poking fun at all those writers whose books are "records of intense spiritual struggles, staged in the wild setting of mere, berg or fen . . ." Flora doesn't quite seem to fit with all these characters that really seem to have come out of Wuthering Heights (by the way I loved that part where she is talking to Mybug(?) in the cafe about his new book--so funny.) The characters seem one-dimensional, like stock characters that are necessary to a gothic novel. Sexually charged male: check, Crazy old man: check. Dark brooding woman of the house: check,-- and I think that makes them hilarious. Even the setting is fitting. Oh, I also must mention that I thought it was funny when Flora told Meriam about birth control. Ha ha.

Everything is just so exaggerated. The names of the animals and the description of the setting and the characters. I hope I'm not meant to take any of it seriously because I'm not. I'm just laughing and looking forward to seeing the movie.

Tidiness and All That

p. 84

So have you had a chance to find a copy of Cold Comfort Farm? Because I'm usually the one lagging in the reading, I rushed out and got a copy as soon as you mentioned it. At first, it felt so refreshing to read something with such rich language after all the time I've spent immersing myself in the world of young adult fiction. But then after the first few pages, I have to admit it was pretty slow going at first, which was disappointing. I loved the movie, although now I sort of wonder why. But don't tell my husband. It would be like admitting that I've been wrong all these years.

Once I made it to page seventy the story started to pick up for me. As I read it, I feel like I felt the first time I read Pride and Prejudice, as if I'm missing most of the jokes. And I'm not sure what to think of Flora. I like her independent spirit, but at times she also seems a bit overbearing. How would that be to show up at such a strange house with the plan to live there? I know I would be afraid to make myself at home (I’d be afraid period) and constantly feel like I'm a guest. Despite her strong desire to tidy things, Flora doesn't even seem to be afraid of the dirt shrouding everything at Cold Comfort.

I'm particularly interested in Flora's desire to tidy things up at Cold Comfort. Based on some details I know about the story from watching the movie and the fact that this book was first printed in 1932, I suspect that Gibbons was probably influenced by Freud. Or do I have my dates wrong? At any rate, Flora’s desire to organize and regulate reminds me of simplified definitions of the ego. And everyone at Cold Comfort seems to relish following their passions, except for Amos. Perhaps he's the other side of the ego coin, but I’m not sure. Anyway, just some thoughts that come to mind. I'm curious to know what you think.

Next Book

So, I've given up on fixing my blogging problems. For now, I'll just have to use the library's internet. But that also means that I might be a bit slow to post or respond--just so you know I'm not ignoring you.

I've been trying to think about what we should read next. I have some ideas, but I thought it might also be a good time to take a step back and evaluate. What do you think of the books we have read so far? Where do you want to go next?

As for me, I like the books we've read so far. Without you, I never would have read them. But, I'm also not so good at finding recent books. I'm just not aware enough, so my thoughts are turning towards classic books that I've had on my list to read for awhile but haven't gotten around to. I'd like to keep reading books that I might not read on my own. And so far, you've been really good at suggesting books.

I found a list of 101 great books. And here are some of my suggestions. Tell me what you think. (I'm sure you've read many of them before.)

Moll Flanders
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Tess of the d'Ubervilles
House of Mirth
The Awakening
Things Fall Apart
Howards End
Nicholas Nickelby

I'd love to hear any suggestions that you might have.

Where Is the Beauty?

I finished the book yesterday. Did you have any final thoughts? BTW: I'm writing this in the library because of my computer problems with blogger.

My initial reaction at the end of the book was disgust. I was proud of Kiki for leaving Howard, because her actions imply acknowledgment of Howard's true character, and I liked the fact that she showed up at his lecture at the close of the book, but everyone else in the book seemed to be so awful. I wasn't really surprised to discover that Monty Kipps was having an affair. He was such a caricature of conservatism that I really wouldn’t expect anything less of him, but it was still heart breaking.

I guess my big question is whether Howard changed at all. He became more attuned to those around him, but did he become any less self-serving and selfish? And why did Smith portray his fling with Veronica in such a way that Howard seemed powerless to resist her? Did she want us to feel sympathetic towards him? And yet, I didn’t get the idea that Howard really was powerless.

But enough of Howard, it’s the women who make this book most interesting. I love the fact that Kiki and Carlene can different backgrounds and different political views and still be drawn together as friends. And what is up with Victoria? In some ways she’s the completely liberated woman, completely free to express her sexuality. Yet, she’s hardly free. Is it too obvious that her sexuality stems from a poor relationship with her father? I guess there’s no evidence that she had a poor relationship with him except the fact that Howard is a sort of father figure and she seems to have rejected her father’s personal philosophy. My simple explanation is that she’s her mother to the extreme. Just as Carlene lived only for her family, Victoria lives only for attracting men. She defines herself by their attraction to her. She tells Howard that all he really knows is her body, but did she ever give him anything else to know her by? Everything she does is physical and when he is overwhelmed by her advances and emails, she gets angry at him for objectifying her. Am I wrong to say that she is partly to blame?

After thinking about the book last night, I didn’t think I had anything to say about beauty. After all, it’s the one subject that doesn’t seem to be talked about, unlike race, class, and gender. On the one hand, I’m not sure it says anything definitive about beauty. On the other hand, after expressing my frustrations with Victoria, it occurred to me that perhaps the only really beautiful woman in the book is the Haitian woman in Carlene’s painting. Her nudity allows her to express her sexuality, but she’s not oversexed and she doesn’t bear the physical flaws that Zora, Kiki, and Carlene have. Personally, I think Carlene and Kiki are beautiful simply because they care about more than themselves, which seems to be an unusual trait for the characters in this book.

New Book?

So, what are we going to read next? Thoughts? I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile but the holidays were busy busy. How was your Christmas? Anyway, I really don't have any book ideas, so if you have one you'd like to read then let's do it.