Sorry it has been a while since I've written; the usual excuses apply!
Cold Comfort Farm was a present from my housemate Rosh, and also happens to be one of her favourite books. There's always a little bit of pressure when reading a book that somebody loves so much, but I'm happy to say that Stella Gibbons' novel more than lived up to the hype.
What makes this book so great? Character, character, character- although ironically, I was not a fan of the lead character in the first chapter. Then again, I think that's the whole point- you are meant to think the nineteen year old Flora Poste is careless and conceited, so that her transformation into Saviour of the Starkadders is even more dramatic.
The basic plot- Flora Poste, having recently lost both of her parents, has the startling realisation that she soon might have to get a job (shock, horror- this is what annoyed me about her!). Instead of finding employment, she decides to track down an obscure relative, and stay with them a while; out of three possibilities, the Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm seemed to be the most intriguing, with their insistence that they must pay back their dues after the wrong they commited against Flora's father. From here on in, the prim and proper Flora arrives at the farm, and decides to change the lives of the Starkadders from within, one family member at a time.
Stella Gibbons' characerisation is truly wonderful- you really get the sense of each character's past, present, and even future in the space of a paragraph. The descriptions of both people and the farm itself are detailed without being over-indulgent- just what you want for a crystal clear picture. What's even better, the author herself has 'starred' the passages that she thought she had written the best; hat a fantastic- if audacious- thing to do! I did not actually realise she has done this until I had finished the book- I'm just going to have to read it again!
So, in a nutshell? Funny, quirky, filled with wonderful characters...a true gem of a novel.
By the way, am back to reading real books again- nothing against the Kindle, I guess I just have missed the feel of turning those paper pages, and bending back the book's spine...
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