The Pursuit of Love (Radlett & Montdore, #1) in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Jun 17, 2007 Rebecca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: faves

Hilarious nostalgia. For fans of I Capture the Castle. Inspired by the most notorious British family of the 20th century, the Mitfords. (My Aunt was friends with them.) Comparisons with Austen are unjust. Tis a catalogue of eccentricity not malice.

*adores*

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Dec 28, 2020 Grace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: france, 1930s, 1940s-wwii, fast-yet-weighty, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, favorites, england

I really enjoyed this book. There was something about the plot that didn't seem quite original - the plot and the narrative structure, I guess - but it more than saved itself with its language, its wit, its hilarity. For example: "But the Kroesig family was illuminated for Linda by the great glow of perfection which shone around Tony..." (p. 83), and "...she waited for that other sound, a sound more intimately connected with the urban love affair than any except the telephone bell, that of a sto I really enjoyed this book. There was something about the plot that didn't seem quite original - the plot and the narrative structure, I guess - but it more than saved itself with its language, its wit, its hilarity. For example: "But the Kroesig family was illuminated for Linda by the great glow of perfection which shone around Tony..." (p. 83), and "...she waited for that other sound, a sound more intimately connected with the urban love affair than any except the telephone bell, that of a stopping taxicab." (p.182) This type of creative and observational language, tinged with humor, made the whole book for me, kept it within the bounds that it wanted to be in, bounds which I don't come across much in reading.

The characters were great - strong, original, human, and most of all I was impressed that a character like Davey could be written in a sympathetic, likable way. He seems like he should be tedious, but he's wonderful, if that makes any sense. It was a surprisingly good account of extended family relations, even though this doesn't actually have much of anything to do with the book, except as a sort of setting for much of the plot: Linda's pursuit of love, against the backdrop of her family.

I found it also very interesting to read this a few months after Sunlight On a Broken Column, as there were some very similar premises between the two. The narrator is an only child, taken in by an aunt, and raised partially or largely in a family compound with a cousin or cousins. Sunlight is more about the narrator and her life, and Pursuit is more about the cousin in question, and the former isn't as humorous as the latter, but they would make a fascinating side-by-side study.

It's safe to say I am very much looking forward to reading more Nancy Mitford.

“The Sunday silence was broken by two swans winging slowly upstream, and then by the chugging of a little barge, while she waited for that other sound, a sound more intimately connected with the urban love affair than any except the telephone bell, that of a stopping taxicab.” ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: british-literature

I really enjoy Nancy Mitford and her view on life. It is delightful to imagine growing up as a Radlett, having secret meetings in the cupboard, surrounded by the family warmth, hiding from Uncle Matthew and overall having very decided opinions about many things. While this book can be laugh out loud funny, there is also a sad undertone to it that is punctuated by the abrupt ending. However, as an Anglophile, it is an enjoyable read and fellow Anglophiles will also enjoy it.

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Apr 16, 2008 jenn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010, 1001

Hilarious. I like the Bolter's boyfriend Juan, pronounced by the British country upper crust as Juan, "Gewan," and best of all, "Hoo-arn."

One issue that doesn't detract from my rating, but should be mentioned: the punctuation in the Kindle edition is a-frakkin-trocious. ...more

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