The Diary of a Young Lady of Fashion in the Year 1764-1765

by Magdalen King-Hall, Cleone Knox (nom de plume), Frank Delaney (Introduction)

Book by Cleone (Magdalen KING-HALL) KNOX

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, 18th Century

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Magdalen King-Hall (22 July 1904 – 1 January 1971) was an English novelist, journalist and children's fiction writer.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up in a job lot of books at an auction over ten years ago. It’s a rather slim folio book from 1982. Initially I thought it was an eighteenth century diary, but it isn’t. It was published in 1924 under the pseudonym Cleone Knox. The actual author was Magdalen King-Hall. She was nineteen at the time. The diary describes the adventures of an Irish girl being taken on a Grand Tour, mainly to escape the amorous attentions of a local beau.
The diaries caused a sensation and managed to fool a number of experts for a while. A High Court Judge, Lord Darling, called his review “A Girl Pepys”. There were other journalists who did work out that it was fiction. Magdalen King-Hall was the daughter of an admiral, who wrote this because she was bored. She only had her own reading and her local library to help (a good advert for local libraries).
It was widely read at the time. Some spotted that the language was too modern and rather frank for the time. The truth did come out, but it has sometimes been forgotten. The BBC managed in the 1980s and 1994 to broadcast readings from the diary and a dramatized version on the assumption they were from the eighteenth century.
The diary itself is fairly frivolous with lots of fashion and flirtation and a bit of religion. It’s an interesting 1920s period piece and reminded me a little of the Bruno Hat hoax.

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

"I wrote the book in a few weeks as a joke," said Magdalen King-Hall, author of "The Diary of a Young Lady of Fashion in the Year 1764-1765," published in 1926. "If I had realized that so many distinguished persons would take it seriously, I would have spent more time and pains on it."

Miss King-Hall's imaginary diarist, Cleone Knox, supposedly had traveled around 18th-century Europe, meeting and recording her impressions of Voltaire and King Louis XV of France, among others. Critics declared the diary authentic partly because it contained obsolete expressions and spelling and lots of capital letters.

"Her diary must take its place beside that of Mr. Pepys," one critic wrote. Another opined, "No modern girl will ever write a diary like this. Cleone Knox breathes the very spirit of the witty, robust, patriotic, wicked, hard-drinking, hard-swearing 18th century." The diary went through several printings on both sides of the Atlantic.

Six months after its publication, 19-year-old Miss King-Hall admitted that she had written the diary because she was bored. And she did have a lively imagination. About her visit with Voltaire, she wrote, "The great man received us in a chintz dressing gown. ... Sometimes affable, more often peevish. To tell the truth, he reminded me of nothing so much as a chattering old magpie. We listened, silent, with the Respect which is due to Genius, however Wearisome it may be."

source http://online.wsj.com/article/deja_vu...

Review of it (with a brief excerpt)
http://talkingbookshop.wordpress.com/...

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This morning had a vastly unpleasant interview with my Father. Last night, Mr Ancaster, who is the indiscreetest young man alive, was seized suddenly while riding home along the shore with the desire to say good night to me. He climbed the wall, the postern gate being locked at that late hour, and had the Boldness to attempt to climb the ivy below my window; while but half way up, the Poor Impudent young man fell. (If he hadn't Lord knows what would have happened for I am terribly catched by the Handsome Wretch.) As ill luck would have it Papa and Ned, who were conversing in the library, looked out at that moment and saw him lying Prostrate on the ground!

"...My father it seems thinks me guilty of Indiscretion and Immodesty, though why I don't know, for I was sound asleep the whole time and never heard so much as an Oath (and I dare swear there were plenty flying around!). ...Poor Mr A from all accounts is a Scoundrel, a Libertine and a Blackguard, and I have been forbidden ever to see, speak or indeed think of him again. Well, we shall see."

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re-reading this. I first came across this book in my high school library. I was one of very, very few who went in there to read for pleasure. The second day of school and my second morning in the library the clerk behind the desk turned to the other clerk and said "I think we have another one." I hoped it meant she could tell I loved books. This was one of the many books I found and enjoyed that year. Unlike the rest of the books I never saw or heard of this book again, until I found Goodreads and I decided to search for long lost books. Goodreads helped me find the title so that I could find it again at my local library. I remember this as a really delightful read, I am surprised more people haven't read it or heard of it.

[Bri Fidelity · Rating 3 out of 5]

March 13th

Am in a great state on Account of this Elopement. I change colour every time Coz. C. speaks to me, and I dare swear Coz. Noll who is as skilled in affairs de coeur as any man in Ireland suspects something. To tell the truth, I am not over sure if Mr A.'s intentions are Honourable or not. That he is madly enamoured I do not doubt, but whether my coach ride to-morrow is to lead to the Altar or merely to a bed in an Inn is a matter I am not so easy about. 'Twould be Highly Indelicate for me to show my doubts to Mr A., and I could scarcely say as I stepped into the Chaise, 'By the by, Sir, I hope you are not trying to ruin me,' yet the more I recollect the fact that amidst all his passionate love Making the magical word 'marriage,' so dear to the heart of every young unwedded female, did not once occur! Now I come to consider it, he has more the air of a Lover than a possible Husband. Indeed the Ancasters are commonly supposed to have added to the population of Down more than any other family in the county. A pretty fool indeed I should look if I lost my reputation at 19 for the first handsome man that made eyes at me!


March 14th

Am decided to leave with my Lover this evening. Cannot abide the dulness of this house a moment longer.

[Heep · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Delightful and Frivolous diversion written with humor and entertainments sure to please all but the most jaded readers. The 18th Century descriptions of London, Paris, Lausanne and Venice are priceless and display decidedly modern sentiments.
If only it were true. Evidently a hoax written by Ms. King-Hall at age 19, one can only marvel at the audacity and skill of this exploit. The author improbably creates a protagonist that matches her spunk.

[Imi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book so entertaining and funny whether it meant to be or not. The whole book being written in diary entries kept it at a good pace and very digestible.

All my friends have been hearing about it from start to finish. Would probably read again at some point.

Keep in mind the original publishing date of the book, there are dated views and language.

[Leslie Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really funny - I thought an actual teenager wrote it.

[T Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining, lively, very wealthy young Irish lady romps around late eighteenth century Europe.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so strange. I had to look up a bunch of stuff and the plot is so ... non-plotty. I mean, it ends right when it's getting good! But since it's framed as a diary and was apparently published as a real one at first, that makes sense.

I couldn't help but think of the Georgia Nicolson series while I was reading it. It's not nearly as funny, but it's the same teenage drama, set a few centuries earlier. I do wish it'd been better structured as fiction because I think there could be something really great here, but since it's so non-structured, it's not as entertaining as it could be.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this with a certain amount of apprehension, would I enjoy such a book, would it be full of flippantly and boring details about women's clothes? while there is some of the latter, this was a refreshing, enjoyable and fun read.

Full of amusing insights and captures the spirit of the times, at least for the well off, covering several countries and a lady who doesn't behave as her father thinks she should, encountering plenty of adventures along the way. More people should pick this up.

[Sherry Schwabacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun historical pastiche, originally published as the real thing. I just wish my French was better because "Cleone" wrote many jokes and asides in that language which, as all educated Anglo-Irish women of her class, she was fluent in. Unfortunately, this Kindle edition is a scanned replica of the original. That means each page is an image file and you can't copy individual sentences to search.

[Amicus (David Barnett) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book Folio Society edition) has been resting in my bookcase since 1983 when I bought it. I am very pleased that I have finally got around to reading this delightful story.

[Victoria Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming

Lovely and highly engaging diary of a young woman of wealth and high spirits. Much good humor too and insights into 18th century life in Ireland and on ‘the continent’

[orl3gh · Rating 2 out of 5]

an easy, entertaining, but incredibly superficial read