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3rd out of 101 books
—
23 voters
Miss Buncle's Book (Miss Buncle #1)
The storyline of Miss Buncle's Book (1934) is a simple one: Barbara Buncle, who is unmarried and perhaps in her late 30s, lives in a small village and writes a novel about it in order to try and supplement her meagre income.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three mil...more
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three mil...more
Paperback, 332 pages
Published
2008
by Persephone Books
(first published January 1934)
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Dec 28, 2012
Miriam
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Readers, writers, people who find themselves cast as characters in novels
Shelves:
books
I loved Miss Buncle. I loved Miss Buncle's Book*. I loved Miss Buncle's book. I loved the book within Miss Buncle's book.
*Except for the cover. In addition to being hideous, um, the main character is supposed to be 32. I understand that 32 used to be considered an "old maid" but that doesn't mean she looked 65!
Mar 23, 2013
Bettie
marked it as wish-list
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Bettie by:
Wanda
Wanda says: "No thinking required! A light, refreshing palate cleanser. I am reading this one now and am enjoying it quite a lot. Reminds me of Angela Thirkell. "
Thanks to my mom for the great Christmas present ;-)
My favorite kind of book- quirky, smart, funny. In the same vein as "Cold Comfort Farm." Originally published in 1934, it is about the inhabitants of the English village, Silverstream, immortalized as Copperfield in the book "The Disturber of the Peace," written by a long-time resident, Miss Barbara Buncle. Life imitates art as art imitates life. A clever, fun book.
A small excerpt (Miss Buncle and Mr Abbott discussing a preposterous picture show they have just left) "I've no idea how people thi...more
A small excerpt (Miss Buncle and Mr Abbott discussing a preposterous picture show they have just left) "I've no idea how people thi...more
Apr 07, 2011
Our Intrepid Heroine
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of humor, England, and authoresses
This book is extremely meta, but in the best of ways.
It's a book about a woman who writes a book about herself writing books. Catch that?
Miss Barbara Buncle, a fortysomething spinster who lives off her dividends, must come up with a financial plan once those dividends begin to run thin. A single woman in rural England, she has few notable talents aside from being patently unfashionable and slightly socially awkward. To raise money, she sees two options: raise chickens or write a book. Since she...more
It's a book about a woman who writes a book about herself writing books. Catch that?
Miss Barbara Buncle, a fortysomething spinster who lives off her dividends, must come up with a financial plan once those dividends begin to run thin. A single woman in rural England, she has few notable talents aside from being patently unfashionable and slightly socially awkward. To raise money, she sees two options: raise chickens or write a book. Since she...more
If I had a list for books that was labeled simply "charming," Miss Buncle's Book would certainly top the list. A thoroughly charming book from start to finish.
Barbara Buncle's dividends are down and finances are getting tight. Realizing that she must do something to bring in more income she briefly considers keeping hens or taking in boarders but neither seem very appealing. After a comment from her maid, Miss Buncle decides to write a book. The only problem is that she is not a writer and does...more
Barbara Buncle's dividends are down and finances are getting tight. Realizing that she must do something to bring in more income she briefly considers keeping hens or taking in boarders but neither seem very appealing. After a comment from her maid, Miss Buncle decides to write a book. The only problem is that she is not a writer and does...more
Written in the 1930’s when neighborhood gossip was the social media, Miss Buncle’s Book tells the story of the village of Silverstream after spinster Barbara Buncle writes a novel about the town and its residents. Though, she uses a pen name and different names for the village and its residents, her neighbors are able to see themselves in her work, and for the most part they don’t like what they see. This is a witty, old-fashioned story about human nature.
Reviews of this book described it as “c...more
Reviews of this book described it as “c...more
This didn’t sound at all promising, from the title or the plot. A middle-aged lady writes a book about her village. But two things drew me to it: firstly, the fact that Miss Buncle lives in the very village she has written about and could be detected any day as the author of the book that shows her neighbours in an unflattering light. Who will find out? And what will happen then?
But most of all I’m charmed by the idea that a not-very-bright middle-aged woman can transform people’s lives. In her...more
But most of all I’m charmed by the idea that a not-very-bright middle-aged woman can transform people’s lives. In her...more
This book is, simply, a joy to read.
Miss Buncle is an English spinster in reduced circumstances. In order to make some money, she writes a book that is a thinly disguised description of her own village, Silverstream. That is, "Disturber of the Peace" starts out as a straightforward village chronicle, but halfway through the story, things get out of hand as a Pan-like figure prances through the village, playing a sensual tune on his flute. All of a sudden the staid major becomes a dashing lover,...more
Miss Buncle is an English spinster in reduced circumstances. In order to make some money, she writes a book that is a thinly disguised description of her own village, Silverstream. That is, "Disturber of the Peace" starts out as a straightforward village chronicle, but halfway through the story, things get out of hand as a Pan-like figure prances through the village, playing a sensual tune on his flute. All of a sudden the staid major becomes a dashing lover,...more
Miss Buncle is an aging old maid in a boring town in the suburbia of London, 1930s. When she finds herself in need of funds, she decides to earn some money by writing a novel. Miss Buncle’s book causes waves in the careful social fabric of the small town because she has written about the people she knows, albeit with different names, of course. Those who have not been portrayed nicely certainly do not appreciate the caricatures by the anonymous “John Smith” and vow to find out who has written th...more
Have I become too much of a curmudgeon? Perhaps, but this one left me underwhelmed, largely due to finding most of the characters unlikeable (or at least uninteresting). Miss Buncle herself is incredibly dull, at one point partway through when another character speculates aloud about who the mystery writer might be, she dismisses Miss Buncle to her face as "not smart enough"; towards the end, Miss Buncle "confesses" to another villager, only to be brushed off. She states to her publisher, "I hav...more
I must be in a 1930's frame of mind. Maybe it's the economy. I recently read the latest Maisie Dobbs mystery and just watched I Capture the Castle again. Anyway, I happened upon a review of this 1934 classic, was intrigued, and then found it at the library (amazingly they hadn't purged it). The only thing I can think to compare this to is Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, though the stories have little in common except a rather plain and impoverished but perceptive protagonist. Miss Buncle's Book...more
In the village of Silverstream, poor Barbara Buncle is in distress. Her ever-increasing economies simply cannot keep pace with her dwindling dividends. Should she try keeping chickens? No, they’re rather alarming. In desperation she decides to write a book, and, knowing little else besides the goings-on of her village, she writes a thinly veiled description of her friends and neighbors. Surprisingly, Miss Buncle’s book not only gets published, it becomes a best-seller. Critics are in violent dis...more
Apr 21, 2010
Kate
added it
I was thoroughly charmed by Miss Buncle's Book.
Miss Buncle writes a novel not because she has always had a burning desire to do so but because her dividends are not coming in as reliably as they once did and she needs to make some money. She has a talent for writing but no imagination so her novel is, for the most part, a faithful record, albeit with the names of people and places changed, of the goings-on in the English village in which she lives. When it is published under a pseudonym ("John S...more
Miss Buncle writes a novel not because she has always had a burning desire to do so but because her dividends are not coming in as reliably as they once did and she needs to make some money. She has a talent for writing but no imagination so her novel is, for the most part, a faithful record, albeit with the names of people and places changed, of the goings-on in the English village in which she lives. When it is published under a pseudonym ("John S...more
In an English village in the early 1930s, Miss Buncle finds her small private income dwindling and realizes she must earn some money; after considering various options, such as keeping hens, she writes a novel. Owing to what she claims is a congenital lack of imagination, she writes about her neighbors and disguises them only thinly (e.g., Mr. Fortnum becomes Mr. Mason). Despite her purported lack of imagination, however, she makes her fictionalized neighbors do heretical things: a downtrodden w...more
I had read this as a teenager, and was happy to find it re-issued as an ebook. And happy to find that I still liked it today. Although written in 1934, it doesn't feel dated. Rather, it is set in a timeless small town. (I didn't know when I first read it in the early 1970s that it hadn't just been written.)
Barbara Buncle is a woman in her thirties who lives alone (actually with a live-in servant) and is described as "frumpy". Looking for a way to get some income, she decides to write a novel by...more
Barbara Buncle is a woman in her thirties who lives alone (actually with a live-in servant) and is described as "frumpy". Looking for a way to get some income, she decides to write a novel by...more
This is a charming light read, perfect for a bank holiday. Barbara Buncle is a naïve woman who is regarded with not very much seriousness by those around her. As she is in need of money she writes a book about the people in the village where she lives. The people – on the whole – hate it, and turn themselves inside out trying to work out who “John Smith” – the author – really is. Barbara is just about the very last person they consider – if they even consider her at all. Meanwhile Miss Buncle is...more
"Have some hot buttered toast." This Persephone book (which I found at the library - yay!) is the equivalent of hot buttered toast. Of *smart* hot buttered toast. Miss Buncle writes a book about her English village and everything changes. Her transformation is a delight to witness, as are the varied reactions of the villagers to the infamous book. I would like to follow more of Miss Buncle and am very sorry that my library's copy of the sequel (MISS BUNCLE, MARRIED) has gone missing.
The cover of "Miss Buncle's Book" with the flirtatious woman of the 1930's caught my eye immediately. (A different cover than what is depicted on goodreads.). I was surprised to learn that the novel was written in 1934 because the writing was modern and approachable. There was a sophistication about each sentence that evoked the prim social setting of Miss Buncle's village, Silverstream, without being overly dense. Pressed for money, Miss Buncle decides to write a book about the inhabitants of S...more
Why did I wait so long to read Miss Buncle's Book? I enjoyed it so much when I picked it up the other day and was reminded of how much I liked the fourteen Stevenson novels I've read in the past.
Well, I do know why I waited. I wanted to buy the Persephone edition but the cost has made me hesitate. But now there is an affordable version for the Kindle and that is where I read it. I'd rather have a paper copy of this and perhaps one day I'll spring for the Persephone book (with bookmark!) Meanwhil...more
Well, I do know why I waited. I wanted to buy the Persephone edition but the cost has made me hesitate. But now there is an affordable version for the Kindle and that is where I read it. I'd rather have a paper copy of this and perhaps one day I'll spring for the Persephone book (with bookmark!) Meanwhil...more
This book will be going on my list of great comfort reads. It has wonderful characters, a lovely setting in a small English village, and a great heroine who really grows so much through the story. Barbara Buncle begins writing out of desperation, she needs money badly. She is pleasantly surprised to find how good she is at writing, but she is even more surprised by the reaction of the book by the people who live around her. Miss Buncle's book is such an accurate description of almost everyone in...more
So excited that Sourcebooks is publishing the Miss Buncle books! Now I can buy copies for all my friends! :-) Just hope they'll publish more D.E. Stevenson books!
Although, I must say while I think the cover is fun, I do not think it represents what the sweet yet naive Miss Buncle looks like at all. "A thin, dowdy woman of forty-he would have said (erring on the unkind side in the matter of her age) and passed on to pastures new." The woman on the cover is most assuredly thin but hardly on the u...more
Although, I must say while I think the cover is fun, I do not think it represents what the sweet yet naive Miss Buncle looks like at all. "A thin, dowdy woman of forty-he would have said (erring on the unkind side in the matter of her age) and passed on to pastures new." The woman on the cover is most assuredly thin but hardly on the u...more
sounds like just my cup of tea, I wrote when I first heard about it. So the Stone Ridge library produced a 1964 copy in two days. Much read, retaped and dog-earred. Perfect ambiance. I read it, howling with irresistible laughter, hoping 'my' neighbors who write were not listening. It's a jewel. And this how it would have been for Jane Austen if she had not hidden her writing when neighbors called. The gentle folk she so delicately incised also might have behaved similarly as the Silverstreamers...more
While recovering from a stomach virus the Tuesday after Christmas, I read Miss Buncle’s Book, by D. E. Stevenson (a cousin of RLS). It’s set during the 1930s, in an English village, where Barbara Buncle, spinster, is barely eking out a living on the remains of a private income. (The global economic depression of the 1930s is never mentioned directly, but its consequences are felt throughout.) Ruling out hens or boarders, she decides to try earning an income by writing a novel, which winds up bei...more
Jan 03, 2013
Sean McGuire
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone; fans of character studies, village fic, & "Chocolat"
I have to try reeeaaally hard to not start this review flailing. But basically, I'm Kermit the Frog flailing over how awesome this book was. I had high expectations for it, and this book exceeded them.
From the very beginning we know Miss Buncle has absolutely no imagination; in fact, this is stated throughout the book--and often by Miss Buncle herself--well over ten times. In truth, I lost count past that. This knowledge so early on made for a very bland main character, so I was glad when the bo...more
From the very beginning we know Miss Buncle has absolutely no imagination; in fact, this is stated throughout the book--and often by Miss Buncle herself--well over ten times. In truth, I lost count past that. This knowledge so early on made for a very bland main character, so I was glad when the bo...more
If you're looking for an upbeat, humorous "comfort" read, MISS BUNCLE'S BOOK by D.E. Stevenson fits the bill; at least it did for me.
Stevenson manages to sweep us into the 1930s world of the village of Silverstream and its idiosyncratic inhabitants with great ease. Amazingly her protagonist Barbara Buncle mirrors many of our own qualities; Miss Buncle is good-hearted, quietly astute, always honest and sincere, able to discern others' characters, and so often under-appreciated. Tell me, what rea...more
Stevenson manages to sweep us into the 1930s world of the village of Silverstream and its idiosyncratic inhabitants with great ease. Amazingly her protagonist Barbara Buncle mirrors many of our own qualities; Miss Buncle is good-hearted, quietly astute, always honest and sincere, able to discern others' characters, and so often under-appreciated. Tell me, what rea...more
Jul 03, 2012
Tintaglia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
LauraT, Geoorgiana1972, Claire
Miss Barbara Buncle ha un problema: la sua rendita è sempre inferiore, le galline non pensa di poterle allevare, e nemmeno tutte le economie delmodno riescono a permetterle di mantenere nel decoro Tanglewood Cottage - nè sostituire margarina al burro, nè abbassarsi al tè più scadente, nè rinunciare a un cappotto o un cappello nuovo (e, sia detto, Miss Buncle ha un vero bisogno di un nuovo cappello...!)
Le salva la vita Disturber of the peace, il bestseller che tutti in Inghilterra vogliono legger...more
Le salva la vita Disturber of the peace, il bestseller che tutti in Inghilterra vogliono legger...more
Aug 28, 2012
Brittany
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-reads,
netgalley
Miss Buncle’s Book is the charming tale of an unassuming spinster in a quaint English village in the 1930s. Unfortunately, Miss Buncle’s financial accounts are not faring very well in the depressed economy, so she is forced to become a working woman. The two options she contemplates for employment are raising chickens or writing a book. She knows she wants to write a book, but she insists that she has no imagination. Her solution is to create a thinly-disguised story about her fellow villagers....more
Aug 22, 2012
Clare Cannon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adults,
young-adult
A quaint, sweet read; I didn't realise it was first published in 1934. Knowing that now, the style makes sense and it's actually all the more enjoyable.
The unassuming and quietly pragmatic Miss Buncle is short of money, so she decides to write a book (as an alternative to herding hens). She admits she hasn't a glimmer of imagination, so she writes about what she knows: the people and places of her daily life.
Her book - appraised as somehow both naive and tongue-in-cheek - is an unexpected succe...more
Jul 26, 2012
Hannah Cobb
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-historical
Miss Buncle turns to novel-writing out of financial consideration; her other option was keeping chickens, which would have been terribly messy. But the book she writes, a chronicle of the village she lives in, turns out to be more trouble than any number of chickens. When an important London publisher picks up her book, Miss Buncle is delighted. Her fellow villagers--all of whom were painstakingly recreated in the book--are not so delighted.
This old-fashioned story, set between the two world wa...more
This old-fashioned story, set between the two world wa...more
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Full name: Dorothy Emily Stevenson.
Cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
More about D.E. Stevenson...
Cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
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The new one looks too flirty and stylish for how she is described i...more
updated Apr 11, 2013 02:37pm
May 09, 2013 04:49am