Scenes from married life

by William Cooper

Ex library, worn dust jacket is in a protective sleeve, usual stamps, page edges tanned. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.

Genres: Fiction

249 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

H.S. Hoff (William Cooper) was an English novelist, born in Crewe. After graduating from Christ's College, Cambridge in 1933 he became a science teacher in Leicester, an experience on which he seems to have drawn for his novel, Scenes from Provincial Life. Hoff served in the Royal Air Force in World War II, and later became a civil servant, associating closely with C. P. Snow, who appears in light disguise as Robert in Scenes from Provincial Life and its sequels. After retiring he held an academic position with Syracuse University, New York, lecturing on English literature to its students in London.

Hoff wrote four novels between 1934 and 1946 under his own name but made his reputation with his first novel under the pen name William Cooper, Scenes from Provincial Life (1950), the first of five more or less autobiographical novels published over the ensuing half century.

Hoff wrote 17 novels in all as well as short stories, two plays and a biography of his friend C.P.Snow. In 1971 he published an account of the trial of the Hosein brothers.

[from Wikipedia]

Reviews

[Liz Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so reminiscent of my parents and grandparents generations . It was an interesting book to read but it did annoy me the attitudes of the time that women were only good for sex, having babies and keeping house . Joe winges on about If their wives worked , who would be there to make dinner for them when they got home from work ! It struck me that how self centred men were in the 1950 s and before that. Joe was shocked into suddenly realising that Elspeth was a person in her own right with thoughts , choices in life of her own and her own personality. I think that went for most men in that era . I certainly knew many with that mind set . I'm glad Joe actually did find long lasting love . I'm reading the last book in the trilogy now to see how life went on for the Lun family.

[Tim Nason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ – Not really married life but the end of an affair, a courtship, a wedding, a birth in the late '50s, early '60s. Also friendships, office politics and career tenterhooks. Fun, quick read providing droll insider views of British civil service life. The main character is a writer of barely-fictionalized novels that are based on his work and personal activities, so I'm guessing that "Scenes" could be read as a creative memoir.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing much happens in this book but I like the writing, Cooper's attitude to sex is refreshing and the historical detail about Home Office restrictions on publishing 'immoral' fiction is interesting.

[Renetta Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based in the 50's I found this very interesting...a glimpse into a time before I was born.