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The Sweet Dove Died
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
10 posts | 10 read | 5 to read
Between the amorous antique dealer Humphrey and his good-looking nephew James glides the magnificent Leonora, delicate as porcelain, cool as ice. Can she keep James in her thrall? Or will he be taken from her by a lover, like Phoebe . . . or Ned, the wicked American? 'A highly distinctive and - ultimately - charitable novel' Financial Times 'Faultless' Guardian 'Her Characters are all meticulously impaled on the delicate pins of a wit that is as scrupulous as it is deadly' Observer 'A coldly funny book' Sunday Telegraph 'Highly distinctive . . . the critics who have recently insisted on Miss Pym's too long neglected gifts have not been wrong' Financial Times
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AnneCecilie
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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Pickpick

I just love the way Pym describes characters and her writing.

At a book sale Leonora Eyre meets Humphrey and James Boyce, uncle and nephew. They get entangled in each others lives, while we also meets other people close to them.

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AnneCecilie
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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The first part of this sentence reminds me of the first sentence in Pride and Prejudice

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Jas16
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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Not your typical Pym- his one is darker and more cutting but still marked by her keen eye and wit. I honestly didn‘t like it at first, the main character is vain and manipulative and the love triangle she gets involved in wasn‘t especially interesting at first. Then the triangle becomes a square and as the players switch around and the winners become losers, it all became both comedic and tragic. Unexpected but still so good. #24in2024

LeslieO I ❤️Pym but I don‘t think I‘ve read this one. 2mo
48 likes1 comment
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CarolynM
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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#BookReport

Lots of comfort reading in June. It‘s hard to pick a favourite. The Sweet Dove Died or The Masqueraders, I think.

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CarolynM
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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Pickpick

Barbara Pym joins the permissive society😳 No anthropologists, Anglicans or excellent women in this one, and the entanglements between the characters are as much sexual as romantic. Pym‘s wit is as entertaining as ever, but I have to take issue with her on one point. “Books as presents were somehow lacking in excitement and romance.” What rot!

Tamra Totally agree! 5mo
Ruthiella I‘ve not read this title yet. I do want to be a Pym completist. 🤞 5mo
rwmg The first time I read it, I was James's age and thought it would be marvellous to have a friend like Leonora. Last time I read it I was a bit older than Leonora and had to admire Pym's skill in evoking sympathy for Leonora despite how self-centred and unlikeable she is. (edited) 5mo
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LeahBergen Sexual?? My goodness! 😆 I haven‘t made it this far forward in my chronological read of her works. 5mo
CarolynM @Tamra 🙌 5mo
CarolynM @Ruthiella Me too😊 5mo
CarolynM @rwmg Leonora is a great character, I can see the attraction and I agree she is sympathetic in spite of her less than generous behaviour. 5mo
CarolynM @LeahBergen I was surprised. This is definitely one for you to look forward to. 5mo
Cathythoughts Cosy picture 🥰 5mo
Leftcoastzen 😻 5mo
Rissreads What Poppycock indeed! 🤣 4mo
71 likes11 comments
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CarolynM
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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How could I resist adding this bag to my #bookhaul?

Hooked_on_books That bag is perfection! 🤩 5mo
Kristy_K Love this bag! 5mo
Reggie That‘s how I feel walking past library displays. Those orphaned books call to me. 5mo
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LeahBergen What a great little shopping spree! 5mo
willaful Awwww! 5mo
Centique That is adorable! 5mo
Freespirit Lots of reading pleasure ahead!! 5mo
erzascarletbookgasm Nice haul, love the bag! 5mo
Amiable Love that bag! The Scandinavia book looks really interesting. Can‘t wait to hear what you think of it. 5mo
Tamra Love it! 5mo
Rissreads 🤣 Classic! ♥️ 4mo
75 likes11 comments
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quietjenn
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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Flying back (and leaving family behind) is always a little bittersweet. Fortunately, I picked up this Pym at a used bookstore last week and she did serve as a bit of a balm.

vivastory Safe travels! 2y
batsy Love that books can provide that little bit of solace 💕 2y
LeahBergen ❤️❤️ 2y
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quietjenn @vivastory thanks! All went well and it was much smoother than my flight out 😀 2y
quietjenn @batsy it really is a lovely thing 💜 2y
jlhammar Great find! I don't have this Pym yet. 2y
jlhammar Turns out I do actually have that Pym title in another edition. Just haven‘t read it yet! 2y
55 likes1 stack add7 comments
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shawnmooney
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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jfount
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
Pickpick

This is such a different book by Pym, although at the same time you can see the same elements in different proportions. It‘s almost told from the perspective of the “villain” with the main character the kind of fussy, egotistical, demanding dame who would be an antagonist in a different novel. Not what I expected and definitely of a different era, but I still enjoyed it.

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jfount
The Sweet Dove Died | Barbara Pym
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I‘m 50 pages into this and it has (1) gay characters (2) racist comments (3) casual sex (4) not a curate in sight. Barbara is that you?! (The good news is that the racist comments do appear to be meant to show you that a character is “bad”!)