What do you think?
Rate this book
Plainer Still
Following the success of Let Me Make Myself Plain, Catherine Cookson offers a further selection of thoughts, recollections, and observations on life, together with more of the poems she prefers to describe as "prose on short lines." She reveals some of the qualities that allow her to continue the battle of life—a life that has, for the last 50 years, given readers pleasure through the medium of her novels, each inspired by the harsh nature of her early years.
- GenresNonfiction
264 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1995
4 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Cookson
463 books690 followersCatherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, who Catherine believed was her older sister. Catherine began work in service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married Tom Cookson, a local grammar-school master.
Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for the best regional novel of 1968 - her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many best-selling novels established her as one of the most popular contemporary woman novelist. She received an OBE in 1985, was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993, and was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997.
For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne.
Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for the best regional novel of 1968 - her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many best-selling novels established her as one of the most popular contemporary woman novelist. She received an OBE in 1985, was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993, and was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997.
For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 21, 2022
This is an interesting addition to the vast body of work produced by a prolific writer, but very different to her usual story-telling novelistic form. Comprised of a series of poems, essays, recollections, and snapshots of her life, the book gives an insight into the driving force behind her literary output. This was a woman who wrote because she had to work, and she had to work to try and bury the demons that chased her through her life.
Illegitimate, born into poverty, through these writings we see the revealed to us a woman determined to rise above it all, but at the same, a woman with a voice. Her story-telling is magnificent, and the little pieces of memoir in the book are captivating. Her talents as a poet, however, were not quite to the same standard as her prose. With only a couple of exceptions, her poetry is largely naive, filled with a yearning to express some sort of sentiment and emotion, and yet failing to get there. In many ways, her poetry reminds us that it is when she writes 'plainer' that we get a greater feel for who she is and what she is trying to say.
I did point to one or two exceptions in the poetic work included in the anthology. The Pit Village was extraordinary, in part because of its simplicity. Most of the rest of the poetry is largely forgettable.
It is in the prose that her gift for story-telling shines through. And she gives you, on the page, not only pieces of her history, but a large measure of her heart. We understand the shame she endured on account of the stigma of being illegitimate, the misery and agonies of her health struggles, and the joy she took from her relationship with her husband. There is much to love in this book, and much to walk away with. It gives you an insight into her life, and a taste of life in the North East as it was.
Illegitimate, born into poverty, through these writings we see the revealed to us a woman determined to rise above it all, but at the same, a woman with a voice. Her story-telling is magnificent, and the little pieces of memoir in the book are captivating. Her talents as a poet, however, were not quite to the same standard as her prose. With only a couple of exceptions, her poetry is largely naive, filled with a yearning to express some sort of sentiment and emotion, and yet failing to get there. In many ways, her poetry reminds us that it is when she writes 'plainer' that we get a greater feel for who she is and what she is trying to say.
I did point to one or two exceptions in the poetic work included in the anthology. The Pit Village was extraordinary, in part because of its simplicity. Most of the rest of the poetry is largely forgettable.
It is in the prose that her gift for story-telling shines through. And she gives you, on the page, not only pieces of her history, but a large measure of her heart. We understand the shame she endured on account of the stigma of being illegitimate, the misery and agonies of her health struggles, and the joy she took from her relationship with her husband. There is much to love in this book, and much to walk away with. It gives you an insight into her life, and a taste of life in the North East as it was.
February 5, 2024
Another collection of Cookson's thoughts, observations, and speculations when older of life's experiences and musings were told in a matter-of-fact way. Among the many subjects discussed are her profound affection for her husband and their compatability, money, books, dogs, and death.
Notable to me:
--Truth and that people generally do not want to know it even about common sense things. Instead, we resort to white lies to avoid conflicts and be likable. Most notably evident in politicians but also everyday relationships with family and friends. Some reviewers don't like this memoir and call Cookson unlikeable. Wonder if that's partly because of the author's apparent truthfulness in telling her story and opinions.
--Parents repeatedly make the mistake of denigrating their offspring to be humorously entertaining, maybe even to display affection. This seems pretty common, but she says it's a stupid mistake since it can have a big impact on their kids and even become adult phobias. The situation given was her mother-in-law's comments about her husband having been an ugly baby with a weird mouth. Irrelevant when grown, but those recurring remarks forever bothered him, even causing bad dreams the rest of his life. Unrealized, unfortunate, and unnecessary.
--Paradoxical how people can like others but still throw around personal insults about them as cynical humor, not expecting it to be taken seriously or be held against them.
--A few experiences with the perceived paranormal. Interesting since she tells about them in a rational way.
--Management of her "second hand" wardrobe, which nevertheless caused jealousy and distrust among female cohorts. Clothes were important to her, likely from past deprivation, class consciousness, and discrimination.
Cookson talks about things other writers typically don't but that most can associate with. Like with the first anthology, I skipped over the poetry portions, which is half the book.
Notable to me:
--Truth and that people generally do not want to know it even about common sense things. Instead, we resort to white lies to avoid conflicts and be likable. Most notably evident in politicians but also everyday relationships with family and friends. Some reviewers don't like this memoir and call Cookson unlikeable. Wonder if that's partly because of the author's apparent truthfulness in telling her story and opinions.
--Parents repeatedly make the mistake of denigrating their offspring to be humorously entertaining, maybe even to display affection. This seems pretty common, but she says it's a stupid mistake since it can have a big impact on their kids and even become adult phobias. The situation given was her mother-in-law's comments about her husband having been an ugly baby with a weird mouth. Irrelevant when grown, but those recurring remarks forever bothered him, even causing bad dreams the rest of his life. Unrealized, unfortunate, and unnecessary.
--Paradoxical how people can like others but still throw around personal insults about them as cynical humor, not expecting it to be taken seriously or be held against them.
--A few experiences with the perceived paranormal. Interesting since she tells about them in a rational way.
--Management of her "second hand" wardrobe, which nevertheless caused jealousy and distrust among female cohorts. Clothes were important to her, likely from past deprivation, class consciousness, and discrimination.
Cookson talks about things other writers typically don't but that most can associate with. Like with the first anthology, I skipped over the poetry portions, which is half the book.
July 10, 2009
A biography of a writer I have never read. Studying biography over the past couple of years has opened me to reading about a lot of people and lives that I would not normally have concerned myself with. This particular life fits more closely with what I consider my mother’s life to be. I would like to read some of her books now, and then re-read this one. (but have now watched some dvds and enjoyed them - still need to read the books)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews