Welcome to Litsy!

I loved every page of this book. Penetrating characterizations! Exquisite heartbreak and not just of the romantic type. I feel for all of the characters frankly, despite their flaws and mistakes.

I was the slowpoke, but so glad I finished! @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @elkeOriginal @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @Jess_Read_This @CarolynM @Sparklemn @sisilia @andrew61 @mklong

#persephoneclub

We‘re holding down the couch for a few minutes of quiet. Almost finished with this novel - such fine & perceptive writing!

What character development! Emily, I‘m afraid, is going to find herself with a challenge she may not be able to tackle to her satisfaction. 🫢

I feel a tad sorry for her - compulsively scheduling every minute of her day. Being oblivious to the feelings of others or the arrogance of her “ministrations.” #persephoneclub

Ohhhhhh my! Only 5 chapters in and I could post dozens of quotes. The writing is simply exquisite and de Waal‘s characters are emotionally complex.

P.S. I feel so badly for Cecelia‘s character at this point. Her ennui is palpable.
#persephoneclub

Apologies for being slow to finish this #PersephoneClub pick! A lovely if melancholy portrait of an English country house past its prime and the people connected to it who are jolted to life by a foreign visitor. The writing was beautiful, the descriptions of the house and grounds eloquent, and Waal brilliantly portrays complex characters subtly and perfectly. I hoped for a happy ending though I knew that was unrealistic…

#Persephone

Just the sort of book I've come to expect from our #PersephoneClub reads. The intertwined story of the people and the house that brings them together. Stellar writing, a wistful air, and subtle commentary on history, class, and human nature.

@LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @mklong @Tamra @Cathythoughts @Sparklemn @andrew61 @sisilia @elkeOriginal

The forward compares this book to King Lear and the afterword refers to Mansfield Park, Howards End and Brideshead Revisited and it is, indeed, both a story of a disfunctional family and a story of a vanishing way of life, represented by a decaying country house. I‘m not going to say any more until all of the #PersephoneClub have finished reading but I‘m looking forward to discussing it with you all.

Brilliant description of Nazi banners ‘like long gashes of blood crawling with spiders.‘

Whoa. Powerful and surprising visual kicked me in the gut - amazing to be surprised by something I assumed I was familiar with. Excellent writing.

#PersephoneClub

#PersephoneClub I loved this story. I got a melancholy feeling at the very start of the book, but that seemed to lift when certain characters appeared in the house. Mr. Barlow, Anita , and Tony bring feelings to the house , and fill it with life. The house holds them all. It‘s written in a beautiful slow pace , but for me it was a page turner. Nature and the gardens play their part too, and reflect the feelings and relationships that unfold.

Milton Place is the story of a house and those who love it : Mr. Barlow who is living out his last years there, his grandson Tony who will never be able to afford to keep it, and Anita, an Austrian visitor to the house whose mother was the great love of Mr. Barlow‘s life. This book took me a while to read but I ended up loving the poignancy of the post WW2 setting and what it meant for the outcome of that way of life. 👇

#PersephoneClub

#persephoneclub
Another really interesting read with again a fascinating life behind the writing as referenced in both fore and afterword. A definite cuckoo in the nest story as an Austrian widow Anita Seiler invites herself to the home of retired engineer Mr Barlow who had a unrequited love for the mother of Mrs seiler. I loved the writing which was so evocative of nature, and post war manners. Another great pick which I'm glad I read. Also 👇

Very much enjoying the writing in this novel💜, but lots of distractions are making for slow progress. 😅

I feel like these dove grey covers need livening up!

#persephoneclub

Interesting reference to 1960s computing. I‘m enjoying the book, but wondering where it‘s going.

#PersephoneClub

Started my #PersephoneClub pick and before I knew it, it was past my bedtime 🤦🏼‍♀️
So far it is very engaging - love the writing and the characters are so well drawn. I can‘t believe she only had 2 novels published posthumously. Glad #PersephoneBooks has both available for us now. Bless them for unearthing gems written by women at risk of being forgotten!

Finally arrived! Looking forward to diving in. 😁

#Persephoneclub

4⭐️ I fell in love with de Waal‘s writing in this novel that I immediately bought The Exiles Return the moment I finished this one. There‘s something about her writing; she is detailed but she does not reveal too much that the reader is often caught surprised. The revelation is told with poker face; well, at least that‘s how I felt 😅 Thank you #PersephoneClub for recommending this. What an enjoyable read!

#PersephoneClub loving the slow easy pace as we meet Mr. Barlow.

the furniture of his study was , in a manner of speaking , bone of his bone , rigid and fixed in an unalterable pattern, the landscape was breath of his breath. It was alive and full of the endless possibilities of life, just as Mr Barlow, in spite of his seventy-five years , was alive. And life means that nothing is set , nothing is finished, because beyond every end there is alwa

Repost for @LeahBergen

It‘s now October so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@elkeOriginal ‘s pick for us this month is Milton Place by Elisabeth de Waal. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

It‘s now October so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@elkeOriginal ‘s pick for us this month is Milton Place by Elisabeth de Waal. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

Loving my current read 🥰