Perfectly Correct

by Philippa Gregory

A wickedly witty tale of modern manners, happily suggesting that PC is not the only way to be. Dr Louise Case has the right career, the right country cottage and a commitment-free relationship with a fellow academic. According to contemporary codes, it's all very correct — except that Louise begins to suspect that it's far from perfect. Then along comes Rose, eighty if she's a day, who effortlessly disrupts everything. Soon both campus and cottage are in chaos, while the old lady commences to set her own house — a decrepit old van — in order. And this includes an unthinkably traditional role for Louise!

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, Romance, Chick Lit, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

DR PHILIPPA GREGORY studied history at the University of Sussex and was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Neilsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE for services to literature and to her charity Gardens for the Gambia. and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.

Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial

Reviews

[Anne Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread after many years and still as funny as ever, this is a satirical look at 1990s political correctness and feminism. Louise Case is a University lecturer, trying to write an essay on D H Lawrence and his attitude to women in his books. It is a sad fact that she doesn't read for enjoyment, only whether it has negative or positive attitudes towards women. She is in a three-way relationship with her best friend's husband and thinks it is all very modern. Then into her life comes Rose, a traveller, who camps in her orchard, and Andrew, a down-to-earth farmer, both of whom turn the life she has known upside down. Philippa Gregory's early novels will mostly be out-of-print now which is a pity. I preferred this to her more scholarly Tudor works.

[Mohammed omran · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب خفيف جميل يحكي الخيال بطريق بسيطه فى اول الصفحات تجد نفسك تشعر بالملل وبعد توالي الصفحات تجد نفسك تستمتع بالكتاب غير موجود الترجمه بالعربيه ولكن يحتوي علي كلمات انجليزيه للمره الاولي اسمع عنها يجب ان تحتفظ بالقاموس اكسفورد بجانبك

من التاريخ للخيال المنطقي شيء ممتاز
العالم يحتوي ثقافات مختلفه من الجميل ترجمه كتاب مثل بيرفكت كوركت

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this contemporary novel, Gregory cleverly juxtaposes events of the early women's suffrage movement with modern day feminism. Themes such as culture, politics, literature and the meanings the characters attribute these schools of thought to the way they live their lives are explored. The characters are young, educated and idealistic yet very human. The overly long depiction of the threesome relationship and the too neat and quick conversion of Louisa, the main character, is somewhat problematic. This novel will appeal to a very particular audience. I found Perfectly Correct to be an engaging story and I enjoyed reading it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reread this book as part of my long culling process, and quite enjoyed it initially. Then the story bogged down in the sex lives of the main characters and I skimmed the gory details.
The end was satisfactory if dated (it was written in 1997), and I grudgingly admired the conclusion. I have read some of the author's later historical fiction which I prefer.
This will go into the recycling with no regrets.
I must say Rose was my favourite character, and by far the wisest.

[Danni The Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a really long time and I picked it up because she wrote another book called "The little house" which is one of my favourites of all time, so I thought I would give this a go.
It was just ok. I found it a bit of a weird story from what I can remember. A woman decides to live in someone's garden in her caravan and refuses to leave and they have some kind of weird friendship.
It was a good read, I would recommend.

[Lorraine Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this would be an easy read I could put down and go on holiday. It was much better than expected. Louise was having an affair with Toby, her friend's husband. She inherited a cottage and moves to the country. Rose, a traveller lands in her Orchard claiming she's dying. She knew Sylvia Pankhurst and Toby thinks he can progress his career with her help. Rose knows Louise is destined for farmer Andrew.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this book before passing to a friend.
I enjoyed it as much on this second read. It is a thought-provoking look at how so-called feminism can actually work against women and be used for the benefit of men and the patriarchy. It is also funny, and suggests an alternative, care-free way of living.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book number ten in the Philippa Gregory challenge and another modern day setting with this one again about literature types and I guess a comedy of manners style, some interesting moments, but rather forgettable, another book closer to her Tudor series which arguable most people know her from.

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 1996, this seems a little dated. Women's issues are still with us but we seem to have even more issues to be concerned about.

Certainly a far cry from Gregory's later historical novels.

[Secret List of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pollock gave me this book

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical love story but a good read nevertheless.

[Kerry Hillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly witty! Perfectly Correct is a deliciously irreverent, self-parodying dig at feminism. And Rose, eighty if she's a day, is my favourite feminist of all time. Dr Louise Case is a lecturer on feminism, in a commitment free relationship with Toby, another academic, who's married to Miriam, Louise's best friend who runs a home for battered women. Confused? You will be, but not for long.
In praise of female friendship & (eventually) cocking a snook at the idea of the 'new man' it's a clever, witty, smart book; very well written too in passages of wonderfully descriptive prose.
I've read it before & I'll probably read it again at some point.
Highly recommended.

[Val Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I most associate this author with historical works so this book really surprised me. It is nothing like the very popular historic novels by Gregory. I borrowed the book from the library and started reading it thinking that it was another rather indulgent story about university lecturers and their lives, dropping in rather pretentious 'in jokes'. However I am glad I persevered with it as it is a nice story. I enjoyed the ending of the book.

It is quite a witty tale of modern manners, happily suggesting that PC is not the only way to be.

Dr Louise Case has a good career, a fine country cottage and a commitment-free relationship with a fellow academic. According to today's mores, it all seems perfectly correct. Louise begins to suspect that it's far from perfect. Then along comes her neighbour, Rose, eighty if she's a day. She effortlessly disrupts everything. Soon both Louise'e life is in chaos, while the old lady commences to set her own house which is a decrepit old van in order. This includes an unthinkably traditional role for Louise.

This book is an easy read and will not test your intellect. although parts of it might test your patience. It was not a great favourite of mine.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of her contemporary novels, which are completely different to her better known historical fiction. This one is about a politically correct lecturer at a Southern English university who lives in a country cottage inherited from her aunt, and has maintained an affair with her best friend's husband for years. An old gypsy woman turns up in her van, camps in her paddock and starts causing chaos, and she starts noticing that the farmer next door is quite attractive. I liked the gentle satire and ridicule of the university feminists, didn't like the Rose character at all - she's mischievous and malicious although does help out the people she approves of. The ending was nice and the relevant characters get what's coming to them but it wasn't anything amazing.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this when I was a teenager and loved it, it made me want to become an English lit lecturer and marry a farmer. I haven't read it for years (and I never took up lecturing or marrying farmers) but it popped up when I was looking for a little comfort reading. Okay, so it can be a bit too cosy and twee at times, however, it still made me smile and I think it's aged well considering it was written in the mid 90s. No comment about its feminist credentials, it's chick lit, so I'll take it as that.

[Aunty Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very surprised by this book as it is nothing like the very popular historic novels by this author.
I started reading it thinking that it was another rather indulgent story about university lecturers and their carryings on, dropping in rather pretentious 'in jokes', however I'm glad I persevered with it as it is a nice story. I enjoyed the book in the end.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book at random without reading the back cover (I was feeling adventurous!) but I definitely shouldn't have... I've never been much of a chick lit fan which probably explains why I didn't enjoy this read and I suppose people who do enjoy this type of litterature would find this a pretty good read.

[Lobna Amer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smart, satirical, amusing and with a surprising amount of accuracy about the emotions behind lust and desire. I definitely do not approve of the course the story took, Louise's story at least, since, in my opinion she deserves way less than what she ended up with. Regardless, the book was fast-paced and fun. Would recommend it to those who have always fought to be politically correct.

[Jirinka (sony08) · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10 - so far the weakest of all Phillipa's books I have read. After loving The Little House I thought this would be really good too but I thought it lacked imagination and the story was all too predictable. Still it was an easy read hence the three stars.

[Shurooq]

Girly

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

not like her other books at all, but pretty steamy

[Shannon]

not a bad book just not what I expected.

[Philippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as The Little House, but a good enjoyable read nonetheless! I did find myself gasping at the antics of that cad Toby a few times ;)

[Beth (bibliobeth)]

An ok book nothing amazing like her historical fiction, enjoyed the ending. Bit weird in places and wouldn't ordinarily read this kind of book exceptfir the fact it was philippa!

[Chrissi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an okay book really. Nothing particularly special, but easy to read.

[Fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another I just couldn't get into !

[Norah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really good read, well written I thought, taking a sideways look at the Womens' Liberation Movement and its philosophy.

[Jan Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chaotic, wicked and witty! I'm so glad that everything turns our alright in the end!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you take this book for what it is, a politically incorrect satire about feminism, it is actually quite amusing.