From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

Excellent Women

Barbara Pym

Start date: April 1, 2022

Finish date: April 15, 2022

Discussion: Classics Corner

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What Members Thought

Oct 04, 2025 William rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2025

A lovely satire poking fun at the social etiquette of the day and at much of British post-war middle class life. It is my kind of humour- observational, off-handed, a well worded criticism, sometimes biting but so gentle, the bite is barely felt. Mildred Lathbury is a youngish spinster, a so-called excellent woman, not overly attractive, not vivacious, bright but not overpoweringly so, just average in every way. She exists at the centre of a group of people, friends, the couple downstairs, acade ...more

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Oct 10, 2020 Dree rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 500-great-books-by-women-read, audiobook, 1001-read, england-uk-ireland, 1000-books-read, 2020-reads

Published on 1952, this novel looks at Mildred Lathbury, one of the “excellent women” that post-War England so depended on. Single and often with private income, they kept the churches and other volunteer organizations and schools going—and the men in charge of these organizations depended on them. But these women are not considered marriage material—Mildred thinks it is because they are so capable. And she spends a lot of time thinking about marriage. Yet even with 3 prospects nothing moves for ...more

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