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Merry Hall (Merry Hall Trilogy #1)

by Beverley Nichols, Derrick Sayer (Illustrator), Ann Lovejoy (Foreword by)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 244 ratings · 55 reviews

First in a trilogy, Merry Hall is the account of the restoration of a house and garden in post-war England. Though Mr. Nichols's horticultural undertaking is serious, his writing is high-spirited, riotously funny, and, at times, deliciously malicious.

Hardcover, 342 pages

Published March 30th 1998 by Timber Press (first published 1958)

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Feb 05, 2010 Lizzy added it

This review was written by Cavett French and posted by Lizzy Mottern.

Beverley Nichols (1893-1983) wrote widely on a variety of subjects, but for the gardener and Anglophile nothing can beat his books on gardening. Merry Hall, the first of a trilogy describing the purchase, renovation, and landscaping of a run-down Georgian manor house, is full of British humor and eccentric characters from Nichols himself to the longtime gardener who has definite opinions to the neighbors not shy with advice--so...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Esther rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nature, memoir-biography, gardening

Very hard to rate Beverly Nichols. I give it 2.5*, and yet...for writing about the love of plants and gardening, he really deserves a lot more credit. He's a bit of a crank, a misogynist, impetuous, opinionated, gets inordinately upset over the noises from the farm next to him, and yet writes with such passion and tenderness about flowers and garden design. His description of "Oldfield" the gardener is so appreciative of the wisdom of the 70 year old plantsman as to be almost approaching awe. Th...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nature

I was expecting to like this, and I'm glad to say I did. Beverley Nichols has that kind of British, slightly acidic, and moderately hysterical voice that captures both a time and a place for me: I can see him wandering his estate, cursing his neighbors but being oh-so-polite to their faces, and impulsively opting to build a water garden rather than pay bills. I love his rhapsodizing about flowers and plants. He really captures how one can feel about his passion - it's all-consuming and peace-mak...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Carlie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ah Beverly Nichols! There is no sweeter tonic for the green thumb under cold weather oppression. A volume of Nichols, a warm cup of tea and a stack of seed catalogs will keep away any chill and keep the mental gloom from encroaching while you wait for the drifts to melt and leave you the nice black soil again. Merry Hall is the first book in his series about his very British gardening adventures as he fixes up and generally spiffifies the manor he bought outside London. So dreamy! I have to say...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Babies, as all bachelors will agree, should not be allowed at large unless they are heavily draped, and fitted with various appliances for absorbing sound and moisture. If young married persons persist in their selfish pursuit of populating the planet, they should be compelled to bear the consequences. They should be shut behind high walls, clutching the terrible bundles which they have brought into the world, and when they emerge into society, if they insist on bringing these bundles with them,...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography, biography, gardening, authors-mn

Merry Hall is a marvelous reminiscence of how the author purchased and restored a British country mansion and garden just after World War II. The tone is chatty and informal, and the writing is often hilarious, particularly when Nichols is cattily pointing up the failings of the characters who move in and out of his narrative (like Our Rose, a pretentious, artsy maker of flower arrangements). At the same time, his descriptions of his garden and his plants are lovely and poetic, and I quickly bec...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this one. Humerous nonfiction book about gardening and flowers, two of my favorite things. I just love the way this author writes....filled with many great characters, funny anecdotes. Beverley Nichols is a journalist in England in the late 1930's, and he (over)purchases a large house on a few acres and proceeds to make it beautiful as only he can. Crazy things like setting a dreaded varigated holly hedge on fire after a glass or two of celebratory champagne, which causes the paint on the...more

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Jan 13, 2009 Matthew Gatheringwater rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: how-to-live

My previous entry on my "how to live" bookshelf (Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World)was written by a Buddhist ascetic who, having witnessed the horrors of war, political upheaval, and natural disaster, retreated to a ten by ten-foot cabin in the mountains. It may seem inconsistent, then, that the author of my next entry is a bon vivant rhapsodizing about his country estate. But why should there be a single answer to the question of how to live? Shouldn't the answer depend at least partially upon on...more My previous entry on my "how to live" bookshelf (Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World)was written by a Buddhist ascetic who, having witnessed the horrors of war, political upheaval, and natural disaster, retreated to a ten by ten-foot cabin in the mountains. It may seem inconsistent, then, that the author of my next entry is a bon vivant rhapsodizing about his country estate. But why should there be a single answer to the question of how to live? Shouldn't the answer depend at least partially upon one's circumstances? Perhaps the ten-foot hut is an appropriate answer for a man of disappointed fortune, while the country estate is appropriate for a man with a private income. In any case, they both offered helpful insights to me as I try to make sense out of my own existence.

After reading both books, I'm not really sure they are as inconsistent as they first appeared, anyway. Once one strips away some of the Nichols' florid affectations, it is easy to see that both authors are keenly interested in beauty and its effects. Both revere nature and have mixed feelings about the consequences of civilization. And, if I have understood what I’ve read, I'd guess they would both see the question of how to live as a matter of proportion. When faced with human misery on a scale not only beyond their ability to remedy but nearly beyond their ability to comprehend, both authors responded by cultivating small, personal interests. Where they would differ, I think, is that while the Buddhist ascetic might have seen these interests has a temporary respite from inevitable suffering, Nichols sees them as a lasting source of happiness and pleasure. Well, I suppose he could afford to.

Certainly, his views of household economy were extravagant: “If you have only just enough money to buy a bed, a chair, a table and a soup-plate,” he advises, “You should buy none of these squalid objects; you should immediately pay the first installment on a Steinway grand. Why? Because the aforesaid squalidities are essentials, and essentials have a peculiar way, somehow or other, of providing for themselves.” Dorothy Parker said it more concisely (“Take care the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves.”) and I suspect they are both cribbing from some Greek philosopher, but I think they are right…to a point. If one is not in actual danger of starving or homelessness then, yes, by all means make pleasure a priority. You will have happier memories--and you will be better remembered--for having done a reckless thing in pursuit of excellence, but what consolation can be derived from a bed that eventually sagged, a chair that now badly needs to be upholstered, or a table with a wobbly leg? Pianos are not immune from decay, but broken-down splendor is still splendid and even the memory of a repossessed Steinway grand is better than no piano ever. If we can live at all, then we should try to live for that which makes life worth living. That’s what I think he is saying and I agree, although I also think if one hasn’t any soup, hankering after soup-plates isn’t going to improve matters.

Nichol’s views on this, and nearly everything else, may seem flippant, but he takes a serious pleasure in triviality. He advocates spending one’s passions on inconsequential matters, such as interior decorating or the question of the feasibility of the feline latchkey, but he advocates doing so with the same attention and care that conventional moralists might reserve for more noble pursuits. Consider, for example, how Nichols spent literally years trying to recreate, in life, a bouquet of flowers depicted in a painting—years which spanned World War II. He glosses over the war as an interruption to his silly game and yet what a comfort the game proved to be while he was ill, lying on a stretcher in India, while working as a war correspondent, where he finally found the last flower bulb to complete his living painting. That is the nice thing about small, personal, and eccentric pleasures: they can be cultivated nearly anywhere, right in the face of unspeakable enormities.

Cultivating triviality isn’t the only perversity Nichols advocates. In gardening, at least, he says more gratitude and pleasure comes from cultivating runts and ‘hard cases’ rather than prize specimens. In life, he cultivates his enemies. I enjoyed each appearance of “Miss Emily” and “Our Rose” in Merry Hall because, although they plagued and pained him, Nichols obviously enjoyed writing about them. In his philosophy, gentle rivalries, even mild irritation softened by familiarity and good-will, heighten pleasure. “I like it,” he writes, “This mimic battle by the fireside. It is one of the ‘encores’ that give to life a pattern and a sense of continuity.”

Although I am shelving this book in the category of advice about how to live, I don’t always think it offers good advice. Sometimes, Nichols seems overly fussy and fastidious, laying down the law on a minor matter of style or taste and using infractions of his highly personal code to condemn entire characters. When he does this, he seems to me to have lost a helpful sense of proportion. I do it, too, and I’m trying to understand why. The best I figure is that just because we have reached the limits of our range of moral effectiveness it doesn’t necessarily follow that we have used up all our energy for moral reform. Stymied by what we cannot even fool ourselves into thinking we can effect, we double back and begin to fill-in the bits of our daily lives with moral niceness—equating preferences with moral standards—so that issues of taste, etiquette, and style become substitutes for moral action. This is the negative side of Nichols’ philosophy of small personal pleasures.

On the other hand, sometimes a matter of taste or style really can betray disagreeable underlying values. This was apparent in Nichol's comic account of how he came to possess an avocado tree in his greenhouse: “One day I went to a dinner in London of quite exceptional dreariness; it was something to do with Planning for the Welfare State; and from the moment the hors d’oeuvres were put before us it was apparent that whatever else the Planners might be able to do they could not plan a dinner.” Nichols was saved from the tedium when served an avocado and he distracted himself through the rest of the boring dinner by determining the best way to secret the pit away undiscovered.

Once again, Nichols is well-served by his sense of proportion. The quality of a dinner is a gauge to the quality of government planning. Personal discomfort is a precursor to a national crisis. There is part of me that says if Nichols could perceive the problem he has a responsibility to do something about it. (In Marcia’s vocabulary: “Amount!” as a verb.) The part of me that enjoyed this book would like to point out that whatever Nichols did or did not do, it could hardly have had much impact upon the post-war economy of Britain. Besides, he did plant a tree and wrote a book, giving pleasure to himself and untold numbers of others. That is not the same thing as doing nothing.

This edition of the book contains charming illustrations by William McLaren.
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Jan 21, 2013 Ginny rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a great book to read in the dead of winter! Can't wait to get my hands on the latest seed catalogs and keep dreaming about flower gardens. Merry Hall was written in 1951 but it is delightful. I feel like I'm right along side digging in the dirt. The part about getting rid of the hedge by setting it on fire was truly hilarious. I'm glad I didn't think of that when I was chopping at the barberry bushes (a regular event, you can't kill 'em.) The final chapters were about a water garden and scu...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Marian Roche rated it 5 of 5 stars

I do so love a good Beverley Nichols book and this was the best yet. He was funny, catty, clever and just plain fun as he revived a long languishing garden with the help of Oldfield and Gaskin. MIss Emily, "Our Rose" and Marius added just the spice needed to make me laugh out loud. I wish I could see pictures of the completed garden. I just put Laughter on the Stairs and Sunlight on the Lawn on my to read list, but will wait for time when I need some good "book candy".

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Aug 10, 2010 Rebecca Huston rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: keepers, non-fiction, cats

Beverley Nichols' memoir about buying and restoring a Georgian period estate. A delightful, funny read, full of gardening, cats, what not to do to a holly hedge, and a wild assortment of neighbors. A must read for those who dream of having a home in the country.

For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_M...

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May 02, 2012 Maureen E rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-and-autobiography, non-fiction

A memoir of Nichols’ house and garden. It’s written in a kind of arch, self-aware tone that I found amusing but which could just as easily have made me put the book down in annoyance. Still, if you’re in the right frame of mind, this is an enjoyable record of the tribulations of the inhabitants of Merry Hall.

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Dec 10, 2009 Americanogig rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-reading

About: the renovation and salvation of Merry Hall in rural England, this is one of the best books ever written. I found myself re-reading this a day after I finished it. The wit of Mr. Nichols is amazing and enthralling, I was laughing out loud while reading in a coffee shop, not caring if people looked at me queerly. I read it aloud to my mother while waiting for a doctor's appt. and the woman at the desk wanted to know what the engaging read was. Largely seen as a fiction for gardeners, I, who...more

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Mar 13, 2012 NancyL Luckey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love gardening books by people who can both garden and write. Although it appears Mr Nichols does not like women - you can't blame him once you realize what kind of women come into his life. He's a typical old English bachelor gardener but with a great deal of wit.

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Mar 26, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is such a fresh gardening lovers book that everyone should read. Originally published in 1951 and republished in 1998, this is a funny "novel" on the English gentleman's desire to grow plants and his gardener's refusal to plant "boolbs" or other nonsense.

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Jun 25, 2009 Helen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gardening, beverley-nichols

Gardening Essays.

Quote: (Opening sentence of first chapter) Some fall in love with women; some fall in love with art; some fall in love with death.

I fall in love with gardens, which is much the same as falling in love with all three at once.

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Mar 13, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

If I were to have a dinner party with guests from the past, Nichols would be at my table. No dreary political or religious leaders for me! We'd discuss gardening, cats, and interior decor. He is a love of a writer.

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May 08, 2011 Jon Scarborough rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy reading these Beverly Nichols books. This is the second reading of this first of a Trilogy. I don't see this as a book for readers less than 40, because it is typical of books written in the 50's. Personally, I would like to try and find some of the winter varietals he mentions. I have previously read the third, but never the second in the Trilogy. Looking forward to Book 2.

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Apr 05, 2009 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love the flowers and garden bits but do dislike the catty/nasty neighbor quips. Learned a little and some good ideas (recreate flower pictures and stand in front of picture - he had to travel to find the old flowers)

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Sep 28, 2008 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

My favorite librarian (now retired) recommended this to me many years ago, and now I've read many of Beverly Nichols books. You have to allow for the period--he wrote in post war England, and some of the attitudes are not very "PC". He is so funny, and so opinionated (and just a titch malicious when discussing the bossy neighbor's flower arrangements) that his purchase of an old house and his restoration of the house and its garden is much more intriguing than one would have thought possible. Hi...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Amy is currently reading it

This is the most delightful book I've read in...I don't know how long. Upon page eighty-five I came across one of my favorite lines, thus far...."Well, I love geraniums, and anybody who does not love geraniums must obviously be a depraved and loathsome person."

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Feb 23, 2009 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gardening

Apparently one of a series of books by the owner of a large home/small estate in England. Humorous, as well as informative and somewhat inspirational. Interesting account of post-war Britain and how he deals with challenges such as the shortage of labour.

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Jun 08, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm no Anglophile, and I'm not 100% sure where I stand on reading abuot other people's gardens, but I loved this one. Straightforward, arch, and surprisingly sweet, an awesome garden book even for the non-winter months (which is when I think it's more traditional to read them, but so what). And it's a beautiful reprint, with an almost letterpress look and absolutely sumptuous paper stock.

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Dec 08, 2008 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a gem, and it's the first in a trilogy! If you like gardens and English humor, this is your book! Although written in the 1950s, there is nothing out-dated about the writing.

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Apr 13, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, don-t-judge-me

Hm. Well. Let me be the 90th person to say that parts of this book have become so politically incorrect, it's downright jarring! But then, Nichols is so wry, so playful, so unabashedly pretentious, you can't really take anything he says too personally. At least, I couldn't. I was utterly charmed.

In the book's introduction, he's quoted as saying that writing his garden books was "like arranging a bunch of mixed flowers, here a story, here a winding paragraph, here a purple passage, and suddenly t...more

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Nov 19, 2008 Gaye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Gaye by: Ellen O'Connor

This is a delight book - British humor - written by a man who transformed his estate garden. I will be reading others by Beverley Nichols very soon.!!

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Feb 02, 2009 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone looking for Anglophile porn

Shelves: gardening, comedy, nf-essay-memoir

Sometimes it's tiresome to decide. Should one put the hydrangeas in the music room, the library, or in the conservatory? Oh bother.

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Mar 08, 2012 Shannon marked it as to-read

Shelves: the-war-years, bio-memoir, domestic

WHY: First in a trilogy, "Merry Hall" is the account of the restoration of a house and garden in post-war England.

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Aug 24, 2010 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

The hilarious author's account of the garden on his Georgian estate. Anyone who loves gardening should read this one.

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Jan 02, 2012 Jenni Burgess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another of my favorites! A gardener's romance novel... part prose, part 'how to', entirely addictive!

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Quotes from Merry Hall

“Long experience has taught me that people who do not like geraniums have something morally unsound about them. Sooner or later you will find them out; you will discover that they drink, or steal books, or speak sharply to cats. Never trust a man or a woman who is not passionately devoted to geraniums.” — 1 person liked it

“The Oldfields of the future are beyond hearing; they are shut up in the factories and the workshops, leading a rackety and mechanical existence, to the damage of their bodies and the peril of their souls, for the sake of an extra pound or so a week, which they promptly spend on mental or physical narcotics.” — 1 person liked it

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Merry Hall (Merry Hall Trilogy #1)

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