Cold Comfort Farm (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) by Stella Gibbons
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Book Reviews of Cold Comfort Farm (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin)
Book Review: Brilliantly hilarious classic - a must for Austen lovers!
Summary: 5 Stars
Newly-orphaned Flora Poste decides that the hundred pounds per annum left to her by her parents will simply not do. Disregarding her friend Mrs. Smiling's advice that she find employment, Flora seeks out her only relatives to support her. Choosing the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm in Howling, Sussex, Flora sets about making life comfortable and orderly for her bizarre cousins.Setting the action slightly in the future, Stella Gibbons creates a hilariously surreal world pulled straight from Gothic-style novels of the early 1900's where descriptions of the country were prolix, decadent, and elaborate (she precedes those sections with ***). The dark and melodramatic and stereotypical are given much the same treatment Jane Austen gave the original Gothic novels in Northanger Abbey. In general, Gibbons seems to model herself after Austen just as Flora models herself after her favorite books. Flora is reminiscent of Emma Woodhouse (of Austen's Emma), trying to make everyone's life more perfect. Except in Flora's case, it works beautifully.
Flora is a cheeky, but dignified character - everything she predicts happens exactly as she says, no matter how wildly preposterous the situation may be. As she begins to straighten out the chaos of Cold Comfort by allowing each member fulfill their dreams - of course, only in proper channels and as neatly as possible - she in effect takes over the family. The last obstacle is Aunt Ada Doom, a woman every inch as formidable as, well, Flora herself.
Each of the thoroughly memorable characters are totally unique - I dare you to find any more eccentric and still lovable - with Dickensian names, but not the baggage. This is a book that didn't make me smile or chuckle, but positively laugh with glee. It's clever, witty, sly, and extremely satisfying.
Book Review: QUIRKY AND BRILLIANT...A HILARIOUS PARODY...
Summary: 5 Stars
Published in 1932, this novel is a hysterically funny, tongue in cheek parody of the heavy handed, gloomy novels of some early twentieth century English writers who had previously been so popular. Tremendously successful when first published, "Cold Comfort Farm" caused quite a stir in its time.
The novel starts out innocuosly enough, when well educated Flora Poste finds herself orphaned at the age of twenty. Discovering that her father was not the wealthy man she believed him to be, she is resigned to the fate of having to live on a hundred pounds a year. Opting to live with relatives, rather than earn her bread, she seeks out a most unlikely set of relations, the odd Starkadder family who live in Howling, Sussex.
Therein begins what is certainly one of the funniest novels ever written. When Flora arrives in Howling, she meets her odd relatives, who live in neglected, ramshackle "Cold Comfort Farm", where they still wash the dishes with twigs, and have cows named Graceless, Pointless, Feckless, and Aimless. Headed by a seventy nine year old matriarch, Flora's aunt, Ada Doom Starkadder, who has not been right in the head since she "saw something nasty happen in the woodshed" nearly seventy years ago, they are a motley and strange crew indeed. Confronted with their dismal and gloomy existence, Flora sets about trying to put things to right.
Peppered with eccentric, memorable characters, this book will take the reader on a journey not easily forgotten. It is one that is sure to make the reader revisit this novel yet again, like an old friend who is missed too soon.
Book Review: QUIRKY, BRILLIANT, AND HILARIOUS PARODY...
Summary: 5 Stars
Published in 1932, this novel is a hysterically funny, tongue in cheek parody of the heavy handed, gloomy novels of some early twentieth century English writers who had previously been so popular. Tremendously successful when first published, "Cold Comfort Farm" caused quite a stir in its time. The novel starts out innocuosly enough, when well educated Flora Poste finds herself orphaned at the age of twenty. Discovering that her father was not the wealthy man she believed him to be, she is resigned to the fate of having to live on a hundred pounds a year. Opting to live with relatives, rather than earn her bread, she seeks out a most unlikely set of relations, the odd Starkadder family who live in Howling, Sussex.
Therein begins what is certainly one of the funniest novels ever written. When Flora arrives in Howling, she meets her odd relatives, who live in neglected, ramshackle "Cold Comfort Farm", where they still wash the dishes with twigs, and have cows named Graceless, Pointless, Feckless, and Aimless. Headed by a seventy nine year old matriarch, Flora's aunt, Ada Doom Starkadder, who has not been right in the head since she "saw something nasty happen in the woodshed" nearly seventy years ago, they are a motley and strange crew indeed. Confronted with their dismal and gloomy existence, Flora sets about trying to put things to right.
Peppered with eccentric, memorable characters, this book will take the reader on a journey not easily forgotten. It is one that is sure to make the reader revisit this novel yet again, like an old friend who is missed too soon.
Book Review: cold comfort farm
Summary: 5 Stars
It is the long story of well educated Flora Poste. Her parents died of a sudden illness when she is only 20.She decided to go to live with relatives on cold comfort farm in sussex(The Starkadders-her cousins at cold comfort farm).They are deeply unhappy and miserable all of the time. They are moody , quarrelsome, confused and nobody ever laughs them. They are strange in different ways : Aunt Ada Doom who saw something in the woodshed when she was two and people believe that she is mad, Judith alone with her sadness about Seth, Amos called by God to preach about flame of hellfire and damnation, Seth crazy with sex and mollocking with many women, Elfine who runs wild in the woods and compose the poet everyday, and other crazy characters. Even worse, Mr.Bug, a writer is falling in love with her and always follow her everywhere. Flora is determined that it is her duty to bring order in to this cold comfort farm and tidy the lives of these uncivilised relatives as she is an excessively tidy person likes a mess and she change cold comfort farm successfully
This book is the funnest and the most entertaining book I have ever read. I learned many new strange words and phrases in reading it. I have never read any book else that more perfectly than this book. It's worth reading to spend some hours with. Flora was much more successful at making things come to what she want and end with unbelievably happily. The only mistake is in the ending, the story is unclear in many points such as what Flora's rights are, what Aunt Ada saw in the woodshed and what happened with Flora's dad.
Book Review: Pure Delight!
Summary: 5 Stars
Cold Comfort Farm is a hilarious parody on the sometimes overwrought, back-to-nature styles of D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy. But dont be put off if you are not familiar with these authors. If you have ever had a giggle or two about a steamy bodice-ripper or an author who goes on and on---- and on with descriptions of the morning dew, the heaving ocean, and the joys of primitivism; Cold Comfort Farm is a perfect antidote.Orphaned, genteel, and somewhat financially embarrassed Flora Poste decides to spend a year living off some carefully selected relatives. Though her worldly, soignée London friends are appalled at her choice, Flora has her reasons. She plans to make herself indispensable to her god-forsaken, rural extended family who reside in Howling, Sussex at Cold Comfort Farm. The Howling, Sussex branch has unforgettable characters such as over-sexed Seth, fragile free-spirited Elfie who scampers over the moors in a scarlet cape, Amos who is called by God and a Ford Motor Van, and Great Aunt Ada Doom who saw something nasty in the woodshed and has been afflicted ever since.
Not only is Cold Comfort Farm funny and sly, it is curiously comforting for Flora succeeds famously in exactly what she set out to do. She never takes a misstep or loses her fastidious equanimity. I found there has been a movie made of the book in 1995, and I have it on order. If it is half as funny as the book, it will be a wild success. A wonderful read and highly recommended.