Great Granny Webster (Revised) | 
pickThis week we begin with a little AI chat before discussing a fantastic novella. In 1977, Lady Caroline Blackwood published, “Great Granny Webster,“ a biting, bleak, hilarious take down of a “great“ house. Full of fantastic characters and brilliant prose this book impressed us both immensely.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aPNVsLpSWcRe8dtlxjedP
I‘m loving this book!
It‘s weird and dark but so funny at times … like a gothic Nancy Mitford. 😆
pick4⭐️ The way Blackwood described it, Great Granny Webster was this cold, ungenerous, correct-living tyrant, who was definitely not a people person. The novella is not just about her, but also about her descendants whose lives were affected by her directly or indirectly. I somehow disagree with the monstrous description of Great Granny; to me, she was just a straight-forward, practical individual. I think she‘s greatly misunderstood 🤷🏻♀️
TGIF! 🎊 I‘m so ready for the weekend. I have these two books to keep me busy 😆
I‘m not sure that someone who “took the sea air” by having a hired chauffeured Royce driven up and down the road by the shore would pick her own flowers, but the azaleas are simply popping today.
#nyrb
pick5⭐️ novella! It is a character study of a dysfunctional formerly aristocratic family during the crumbling of an era. The chapter describing life within Dunmartin Hall, especially family meals, is tragically comic and described so vividly it‘s like watching a film. I love this style of reflective and economical writing, which conveys so much meaning in a compact form. I‘m going to search out other Blackwood works.
5 days into DLST and still needing strong tea in the morning. 😴 Loving Blackwood‘s writing!
And a few NYRB editions that I found on this trip (at the same used bookshop).
I'm sorry about the hotel wallpaper (again), @Suet624 . 😂
My #bookishconfession: I have a thing about editions and covers. This applies even to library books. If there is a new(er) edition, that's the one I want to read/buy. It's not about content, it's about appearance. If I know there is a new edition I will find the library branch that has it and borrow that one. OCD much? 🙄 #riotgrams
