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I loved Cold Comfort Farm , Gibbons' debut novel (the film is also wonderful, if you haven't seen it), so I was excited to hear about this book - I never thought to look into it but Gibbons wrote quite a few novels in her day; this is her ninth. And, written and set prior to the outbreak of WWII, it Leggi tutto

(this review refers to the audiobook version.) oh what fun! like jane austen with icky people. this book tends toward a dim view of the human race, which is quite fine with me. there's the father-in-law, who wants only to get his paws on other people's money. his low-wattage wife, who must have never Leggi tutto

A very funny, very smart novel about upper-middle-class life in late 1930's England. Two families, separated by a woodland where The Hermit, the town drunk and squatter lives, come together in unlikely ways when Viola, the Withers' widowed daughter-in-law, arrives and chaos starts brewing. Lots of w Leggi tutto

Nightingale Wood is a really delightful Cinderella type tale from the author who of course is better known for having brought us Cold Comfort Farm. However I think that the novel is a little deceptive, it is not as light as it may appear, and there is a complexity and poignancy to it that is especia Leggi tutto

I read this book when on a Stella Gibbons kick, after reading Cold Comfort Farm. She's a really interesting figure to me, Gibbons, because she wrote SO much, but is pretty much only known for Cold Comfort Farm, which is, of course, delightful. But she was a prolific writer, and just jumped all over

If this hadn't been written by Stella Gibbons, I think I'd have rated it more highly. But the power of the Brand is such that I judge NW by CCF - and it just doesn't measure up. There are some delightfully cutting remarks, and some pleasant enough scene-setting. But. Part of the problem is that none Leggi tutto

I really enjoyed this book. If (like me) you've been a long time fan of Cold Comfort Farm, then you'll love this one as well. If you've never read Stella Gibbons before then the best description I can come up with is that it's like Jane Austen but about 120 years later, with a very dry/wicked sense of Leggi tutto

From BBC Radio 4 Extra: On either side of Nightingale Wood through one idyllic year in the late 1930s, hearts beat and minds scheme, as the dowdy Wither family tries to compete with the glittering Springs. Bookish Tina Wither is in love with Saxon, her father's handsome and aloof chauffeur. Her shop Leggi tutto

4 Stars Lovely and fun!

Such a wonderful introduction for me into the work of Stella Gibbons. I loved the storytelling in this book. Apart from the Cinderella like romance developing in the centre of the story there were many side plots and interesting emotional connections. Gibbons has a talent for describing a scene in t Leggi tutto