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Over the Gate (Fairacre #5)
by
Miss Read
Throughout her years as schoolmistress, Miss Read has gathered excellent accounts of the rich and varied history of her beloved country village, often through neighborly conversation over the gate. Fairacre has garnered its share of odd incidents, entertaining episodes, and village folklore, from an unusual recipe for weight loss found in an old notebook -- and used with a...more
ebook, 240 pages
Published
May 2nd 2007
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
(first published 1964)
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This book, the fifth in the Fairacre series is a story pulled together by the school year and a group of anecdotes that several of the characters tell to Miss Read as they reminisce and teach her more about the area she calls home.
Miss Read, the village school mistress has been doing the same thing now for several years and while she still enjoys her job and the children, she wonders if it is time to move on and get out of her rut. The thought of another teacher taking her place is what makes he...more
Miss Read, the village school mistress has been doing the same thing now for several years and while she still enjoys her job and the children, she wonders if it is time to move on and get out of her rut. The thought of another teacher taking her place is what makes he...more
Much more fanciful than most of Miss Read's books, but no less charming. We follow Miss Read (the character in the book, this being a Fairacre novel) through village life as usual, but this time she hears a great many strange tales from Fairacre residents, including the story of a lady who discovered a potion that made her float through the air, a ghost, a witch, and "the Old Man of the Sea", an apparently fairy-type person who lives in a castle under the sea. Two of these are revealed as being...more
Miss Read crafts a good story. Although the book looks at a particularly gentle and bucolic environment, the stories are filled with emotion, growth and humor. The stories don't always end happily and some of them had me thinking about possible futures for the characters and situations involved. The eye for detail is quite wonderful here, and the stories are shaped and polished.
This book relies more on the casting back and relating historical tales from long-dead village residents rather than than following chronologically the earlier books. It's still a warm, delightful book but it's not, to my eyes, as engaging as the earlier ones. But I liked it a lot, even so.
Like all Miss Read books, this one was also what I call, "gentle." Incidents of life in the small towns are usually humorous (or not), but pleasantly written. Our school headmistress seems to attract amusing incidents to write about; no deep thinking is required to read these books. They are an escape into enjoyment.
view 2 comments
May 31, 2012
Connie N.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
feel-good,
old-fashioned
Another cute book from the Fairacre series. Admittedly, they are all similar, but I like the comfort and warmth of each. Miss Read is strong and sensible, and her small town life is friendly and warm. The stories included in this book of the series are entertaining and fun.
I am not a fan of anthologies. Over the Gate was a collection of short stories/tales woven into an overall story about life in Fairacre. She used each person she met during the overall story to tell their tale. I think I am going to let Miss Read rest a while.
Eighth in a series of novels of a school teacherin Fairacre, England.
As usual very satisfying. Each chapter is a short story of another character either of the village present or past. Very well told and defined.
This book is a great vocabulary builder.
As always, Miss Read makes for compelling reading...although the stories here are actually told to her by friends and neighbors.
Every Anglophile should have at least one or two of Miss Read's books at hand at all times for those times when a fresh dose of English charm and comfort is needed. She has such an endearing way of giving us characters full of personality and setting up the location of village life to a tee. The stories are both funny and profoundly poignant in their portrayal of everyday situations.
I loved this book. The story is based on the life of an older un-married school teacher. She tells stories about the neighbors in her little town and interesting people she has come across. I got lost in it and didn't want the book to end. 'Mrs. Next Door' ... my favorite part. I think we have all had a Mrs Next Door of one sort or another :)
An engaging read. Each chapter is a short stand-alone story about different people from a small town in England. My favorite chapter was called Miss Next-Door.
Another lovely story to gently while away a pleasant few hours. I love Miss Read!
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Dora Jessie Saint MBE née Shafe (born 17 April 1913), best known by the pen name Miss Read, was an English novelist, by profession a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym was derived from her mother's maiden name. She began writing for several journals after World War II and worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC.
She wrote a series of novels from 1955 to 1996. Her work centred on two fictional English villa...more
More about Miss Read...
She wrote a series of novels from 1955 to 1996. Her work centred on two fictional English villa...more
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