As a best-selling book and an Academy Award-winning movie. Mrs. Miniver's adventures have charmed millions. This edition, published on the fifti... read full description
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Apr 26, 2008
Linda
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I love popping into a person's life through a book and then popping back out. Mrs. Miniver lives a middle class life in England (Kent is where her second home is) with her husband and three children right before World War 11 breaks out. The reader gets to see and understand how Mrs. Miniver (as she is called throughout most of the book) thinks and deals with her pretty much typical life. Don't expect action, adventure, thrills or chills in this one. But do expect to be privy to how a seemingly a
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Feb 20, 2009
Heidi
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This book is a jewel, a masterpiece of language and characterization. I've never seen the movie, and I'd never heard of the book until I read a review in The Gentle Art of Domesticity. I read it slowly in order to relish every chapter. And then I gave it back to the library before writing down some of the spot-on observations. Here are just a couple I can remember (but not quote perfectly):
* One of the benefits of marriage is having someone's eye to catch at the right moment.
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* One of the benefits of marriage is having someone's eye to catch at the right moment.
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Oct 01, 2010
Amy
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I really can't believe I haven't read this book before now. What was I thinking? For me, this was a little piece of book-heaven. Every new vignette hit home for me in a different way. Chapter one, was probably my favorite. It perfectly expressed my love of fall for me. I even copied it entire into my quotes journal. In another lifetime, I could've been Mrs. Miniver. Loved it!
Dec 31, 2011
L.
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A bland story about a bland woman and her bland life despite the time being one of the most emotionally explosive of the past one hundred years. There's absolutely nothing to it. Nothing exciting, or mysterious, or tragic is going on unless you want to count a dismal dinner party. (And no, I don't want to count a dismal dinner party.)
The Minivers have three fine and healthy children. They live a somewhat affluent life; enough to afford a vacation home and weekend trips to the country More...
The Minivers have three fine and healthy children. They live a somewhat affluent life; enough to afford a vacation home and weekend trips to the country More...
Dec 23, 2011
Mandolin
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Snippets of every day life in the years preceding World War II are captured in the most charming way in this little book. A collection of short stories and essays written by the fictional Miss Miniver, the book has neither plot nor fully developed characters (except for Mrs. Miniver herself) and yet it fulfills that one basic requirement of great literature: it leaves an impression on the mind that lasts long after the final page has been turned. Mrs. Miniver's musings on life, family, love, h
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Jan 25, 2011
Lisa
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My copy of Mrs Miniver is an original wartime edition of this famous little book, which began life as a puff-piece in The Times but when war came the story grew to become the voice of stoic Britain. The cover is austerity brown paper, there are no pictures – only text – on the front and back covers, and the pages are speckled with age. It feels like the very book that my mother would surely have read.
The Minivers are from the ‘professional classes’. There’s a boy at Eton, daddy is More...
The Minivers are from the ‘professional classes’. There’s a boy at Eton, daddy is More...
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Sep 07, 2011
Ali
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I think Mrs. Miniver becomes one of those characters in fiction, that, like Sherlock Holmes, readers can't quite believe is not real, or at least never lived. Although some stories are loosely based on incidents in Jan Sturther's own life, this is a charming work of fiction that rings very true indeed. It is no wonder that upon its appearance it was so instantly popular. With honesty and gentle humour, Jan Struther examines the everyday occupations of an upper class wife and mother in an En More...
Jan 23, 2011
Ann-Marie
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Mrs. Miniver is perhaps the best-humored housewife ever. Each chapter is a vignette of a certain “more remarkable” moment in her life, which is carefully observed and which prompts reflections that are sometimes funny, sometimes profound. (Happily married and well off, she has good reason to be good humored, and with a cook, a parlor maid, and a nanny to look after the children, she has ample opportunity to reflect.) The weather and the changing seasons also provide touchstones for reflection.
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Apr 06, 2009
I LOVE the movie!!! It was one of mom's favorites. I still remember the first time I watched the movie with my mom when it was on TV (many, many years ago). I recently bought the book (at half.com) and it is currently in the ever-growing pile by my bedside. Some other movies from that era that my mom considered "must sees" included: "Ben Hur" (currently reading the book), "The Best Years of Our Lives", "El Cid", "How Green Was My Valley" (
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Feb 13, 2011
Melee
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I had no idea that this wasn't a straight novel but rather a collection of short stories that were published in a newspaper years ago. It doesn't really matter, though, because I absolutely loved it. There was a smile plastered on my face practically the whole time I was reading it. The whole thing was full of insights and thoughts I wanted to write down. Mrs. Miniver is a kindred spirit, I think.
Something about these stories reminded me of Bess Streeter Aldrich's stories. Not the pl More...
Something about these stories reminded me of Bess Streeter Aldrich's stories. Not the pl More...
Jan 23, 2011
Ruth
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I remembered seeing this film several years ago, but I couldn't even remember who the star was--I thought it was Bette Davis (It was really Greer Garson). I remembered it being an epic film, but that's all I remembered.
When I picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a shorter book than I had been reading--which was really nice! And the chapters were short. I also liked the setting--England before WWII and during it.
I have to say that I was not ex More...
When I picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a shorter book than I had been reading--which was really nice! And the chapters were short. I also liked the setting--England before WWII and during it.
I have to say that I was not ex More...
Oct 23, 2011
Mona
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When I was about three-fourths finished with this book, I went online to Goodreads to check what other books Struther had written. Surely there were more adventures featuring the instantly likeable and relatable Mrs. Miniver. Surely Struther had left a wealth of beautiful writing.
Sadly, no. This is the only Mrs. Miniver book. And though Struther did write one other book (or rather, collection of short stories, like this book), it is one of the classic, dark-green cover Virago editio More...
Sadly, no. This is the only Mrs. Miniver book. And though Struther did write one other book (or rather, collection of short stories, like this book), it is one of the classic, dark-green cover Virago editio More...
Jun 30, 2009
Afton
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I found Mrs. Miniver to be a serious treat. What a woman! I was confused by the seeming lack of plot until an online search revealed that Mrs. Miniver was a series of columns written for the Times. Over the life of the column, World War II reached Great Britain and Mrs. Miniver's daily details took on more meaning as she and her family dealt with taking first aid classes, taking in children from London and being issued gas masks. I look forward to seeing the movie.
Mar 26, 2008
Nicole
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A series of vignettes that capture a woman and her view of her family. This is a woman who weighs the intimacies of family very highly. For her a diary is one of those trivial objects made momentous by its "terrible intimacy", and the dull brown calf one she had first chosen for 3s.9d. would not do, instead she chooses to honor those intimacies in a diary in green lizard at 7s.6d.
"Mrs. Miniver was created when Peter Fleming, brother of Ian, asked Jan to brighten up the More...
"Mrs. Miniver was created when Peter Fleming, brother of Ian, asked Jan to brighten up the More...
Mar 30, 2011
Bettie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 09, 2010
Kathy
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This is such a great collection of stories; it really gets you into the daily life of a middle/upper class woman living just outside of London during the war. Struther's writing is very comfortable and delightful to read. She is extremely good at capturing a moment - the most seemingly insignificant moments, and making you feel like you are right there.
Oct 26, 2010
Mw
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I very much enjoyed the writing of this author in this book.
The movie would lead one to think that there was a defined plot and characters. But the book itself consists of very short sketches of life in 1939 rural England and London. Mrs. M. emerges as a character and the others in relationship to her, but this book is not a "story" per se.
The movie would lead one to think that there was a defined plot and characters. But the book itself consists of very short sketches of life in 1939 rural England and London. Mrs. M. emerges as a character and the others in relationship to her, but this book is not a "story" per se.
Apr 23, 2009
Graceann
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Please see my detailed review at Amazon Graceann's "Mrs. Miniver" Review"
Please click that the review was helpful to you at Amazon so that my rating continues to climb!
Nothing at all like the movie, and though I loved the movie, I'm not complaining. I got a much better idea of what makes Mrs. Miniver tick, and I think I'll appreciate the film all the more, even though nothing at all from the book happens to Greer Garson. What I got here was humor, beauti More...
Please click that the review was helpful to you at Amazon so that my rating continues to climb!
Nothing at all like the movie, and though I loved the movie, I'm not complaining. I got a much better idea of what makes Mrs. Miniver tick, and I think I'll appreciate the film all the more, even though nothing at all from the book happens to Greer Garson. What I got here was humor, beauti More...
Jun 29, 2009
Helena
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I loved this book. There's no dramatic plot, no huge point to the book, just a series of pleasant domestic vignettes that tell the story of a couple years in Mrs. Miniver's life. Takes place in the late 1930s, just before the war, in London and Kent. It reminds me a bit of Rosamunde Pilcher's Coming Home, not in subject matter, but in the feel of the story.
Nov 24, 2008
Liz
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This was a best seller in 1940; I truly envied Mrs. Miniver, life was so simple, she could enjoy the little things and move at a slow pace. She spent lots of time outdoors with her family, sure there was a war going on but she had tons of leisure time with a cook, nanny, maid, etc. and the war didn't seem very immediate in the book. I wish I was Mrs. Miniver.
Jan 26, 2009
Liss
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A series of essays told from the perspective of Mrs. Miniver. A woman I would love to meet. Particular favorites include "A pocketful of Pebbles", "Choosing a Doll", "The Eve of the Shoot", "drive to Scotland" and "The Khelim Rug." Though really there isn't a bad essay among them.
Mar 01, 2011
Emily
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I read it very quickly and I didn't really feel connected to the book like the others at book club did. I liked it, but there really wasn't a plot per se, just a lot of little stories about this idyllic life of Mrs. M. I don't know if I could live like she did.
Sep 23, 2010
Owen
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Mrs. Miniver is a deightful series of short essays written in England during the 1930s and 1940s. I stumbled upon this book after reading a quote from it in another book. A happy discovery. It's sweet and gentle and gives a real glimpse of what life was like in the prewar period. I'd highly recommend it.
Jan 01, 2010
Dianna
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This book takes you not only into Mrs. Miniver's life, but into her mind. She is such a fun character; I love getting into her thoughts. Her observations make this one of the most quotable books I have read. And somehow, the author manages to make all the little droplets of wisdom fit naturally into the book, and not sound like she's trying to be clever.
Instead of an action-based plot, this book seems to be more about the evolution of Mrs. Miniver's thoughts and life, especially as a More...
Instead of an action-based plot, this book seems to be more about the evolution of Mrs. Miniver's thoughts and life, especially as a More...
Oct 12, 2010
Ruth Ann
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Expected a novel but each chapter is a stand alone topic dealing with an upper middle-class woman's life in Britain (l937-l939). The vignettes explore Mrs. Miniver's private world through her thoughts, fears, and triumphs. A delightful look at home, family, and everyday life.
Sep 07, 2010
Sarah Kate
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This book is a collection of columns written by Jan Struther in the run-up and early days of the Second World War, using her own family as inspiration for the life of Mrs Miniver.
It's a very different world, not just because of the impending war, but because Caroline Miniver and her husband are terribly upper middle class and have a house in Kent and staff and generally live a life which is very different to my own. But they are still very sympathetic characters, and some of Struthe More...
It's a very different world, not just because of the impending war, but because Caroline Miniver and her husband are terribly upper middle class and have a house in Kent and staff and generally live a life which is very different to my own. But they are still very sympathetic characters, and some of Struthe More...
Mar 09, 2009
Emily
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I think the girls would like this one. Totally plotless, just little sketches during WWII.
Apr 01, 2011
Laura
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Jan Struther's engaging stories of an English housewife, which first appeared in 'The Times' in 1937.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nm5ww
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nm5ww
Apr 01, 2011
Carey
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Just couldn't deal with the ever-so-cheery, cloying Mrs Miniver, couldn't be bothered to find out what was going to happen next.
