Welcome to Litsy!

Charming and absolutely morbid at the same time, Comyns‘ small book cheerfully details the deferred dreams, vanities and mundane comings and goings of an eclectic country family as the rural village surrounding them succumbs to the madness of a mass ergot poisoning. Based on a true account that she read in a local newspaper, the author is superb at blending, what David Auerbach in “Waggish” calls, “the pastoral and the horrific.”

Jolly black comedy, bitter and delicious, disturbing in a good way.

'tis the month of Comyns for me! A group I'm casually in on GR is reading this right now and I'm speeding through it pretty quickly. And I started the Vet's Daughter for #nyrbbookclub last night. 🙂

Weird characters doing and thinking weird, grotesque things. Nothing to latch on to or care about for this particular reader. Bailed a fifth of the way in.

Four days late, but here's a bit of what I would like to read this month. Two library books published this year, a classic reread (Sense and Sensibility), and graphic novel reread, and a classic off my shelves that was referenced in SWIMMING LESSONS.
#aprilbookshowers #AprilTBR

Just finished this quirky little gem. I can't put my finger on why, but it reminded me of I Capture the Castle. Anyone read both? Does that comparison make sense?

I had never heard of this book but in one week it showed up along with the other Dorothy books AND was mentioned in Swimming Lessons by @Claire_Fuller_writer so I am clearly supposed to read it now.

Who doesn't love a charming tale of ergotism????

It isn't the worst cover ever, but it isn't the best either.

This was definitely an odd book, but I liked it. Using it for an ugly cover.