Fans of Norah Lofts discussion
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Joanne
(last edited Sep 01, 2012 01:38PM)
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Sep 01, 2012 01:37PM
Hi All ~ I found my way here from the Supernatutal thread where I was stunned to see a Norah Lofts book as the group read. I read MANY of her books years ago but some have always remained favorites. She has always been one of my favorite authors who unfortunately with other favorites like Daphne duMaurier and Frances Parkison Keyes seem to have gotten lost over the years. I'm pretty sure I have a beat up copy of Afternoon here somewhere but as I've been doing with my duMaurier books I'd love to be able to replace my old Lofts books with new copies
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Welcome, Joanne, glad you found your way here. I've had good luck finding Norah Lofts' books on Ebay.
Joanne, in the Supernatural Fiction Readers group, we usually only have one common read selection at a time; but this year, for the annual October group read, I thought we'd offer two choices: the Lofts book, and an alternate that we'll pick in the poll that's running in that group now.
Welcome aboard, Joanne! I doubt that Daphne DuMaurier will ever be really lost, thanks to Rebecca and the Olivier-Fontaine film. If only one of NL's books had been turned into such an unforgettable movie! Which one do others think would make the biggest hit? The House Trilogy and the Norfolk Trilogy would both make excellent BBC series, but for the big screen I'd vote for Afternoon of an Autocrat or maybe Winter Harvest.
In regard to Daphne DuMaurier, Anglophile though I am, I was a little disappointed in her American characters, especially Mrs. Van ___ in Rebecca--stereotypically pushy and tactless. On second reading, many years after the first, I thought she actually did care a bit about her companion, even though the companion (narrator) says that they were both embarrassed when they were mistaken for mother and daughter. When Mrs. V. warns the narrator, who had just become engaged to Max, not to think he's in love with her, it seemed to me from a middle-aged perspective that she was trying to save her companion from future hurt. When she adds something like "If you came back to New York with me, you'd have more independence and friends of your own," I saw it as an indication of caring about the narrator's happiness.
NL, on the other hand, actually seemed to like us Yanks! In particular, of course, who is the most likable and admirable character in Winter Harvest? And is there anything about the characterization of that character that doesn't ring true? And her little details in the characterizations of minor American characters in other books made me laugh with recognition rather than cringe at the thought that the author saw us that way. I especially liked the "little packet of Kleenex" that was tucked into Dolores's handbag to strengthen her American persona in Uneasy Paradise/Her Own Special Island.
Oh yes, if only someone had turned an NL book into a movie of the caliber of Rebecca! The Norfolk Trilogy would be my first pick, not having read Afternoon of an Autocrat yet. Winter Harvest would also be superb. Nethergate could be quite good too.Would you think the most likable and admirable character in Winter Harvest would be Mehitabel, seconded by her son Abe, who came to the defense of Lou Glenny?
Peggy, yes to both! I especially like the idea of filming Nethergate--a marvelous opportunity for a rising young actor to play the man who emerges from the fog one night to see Annabelle safely back to school and then reappears at the end to bring about a happy ending for almost everyone. Can't you just hear the music swelling up as he and Annabelle meet again? The actor who plays the father in Downton Abbey could be the original John Franklin, and wouldn't it be nice to be able to resurrect Vivien Leigh to be Rosaleen?And yes, I definitely meant Mahitabel. I had forgotten her son's name,but is he the one who finally gets through to civilization and guides the rescuers back? Forty years ago, Jane Fonda could have played Mahitabel, and Shelley Winters, of course, as Nancy. What do you think?
Yes! The House Trilogy as a BBC miniseries. Miranda Richardson would make a great Rosaleen, too.
I could see Vivien Leigh as Rosaleen; also Miranda Richardson. Mehitabel's son Abe was the one who left the group to find help. Shelley Winters would have made a good Nancy Jurer but I haven't seen enough Jane Fonda movies to give an opinion.
Now that I think about it, mini-series would be more suitable for many of NL's books. There are many more examples, but years ago, "Captains and the Kings", a Taylor Caldwell book, and "The Awakening Land", by Conrad Richter, were quite successful miniseries. We need to find out how books are selected for mini series. Can we start a petition??
Hi Joannne , lovely to have you! I am re-reading the House Trilogy as we speak. It is SO good, no matter how many times you read it. It would make the most wonderful series - I wish I was better at casting, but I'm hopeless, I can't even think who would be good as Martin Reed ......
When we have done Devil in Clevely ( Afternoon of an Autocrat) I'd love to do House again , though I guess as we have done it once , another choice would be better
Hello, I have just discovered this group this morning and was so thrilled to find other NL fans. I have all the books and re-read them frequently. I have visited the Ringland which exists (Madselin) and am off to Bury St Edmunds for the first time next week. I can't wait! I am currently reading the Town House trilogy to get me in the mood. I also hope to visit other possible sites mentioned in the book. I have just been reading all the threads and found them really interesting. thanks
Welcome, Liz. Your trip sounds wonderful--please tell us all about it when you get back! And we'd love to hear more about the Ringland when you get time.Peggy
Ooh Liz I am so envious . Have a lovely, lovely time and welcome back to Goodreads NL pages when you get home.I love Madselin, I think that would be a great one to do a group read on later, don't you?
Oh, Elizabeth, have a wonderful time! I can't wait to hear all about it.
Yes Bury and district should be interesting.There is now a plaque to Norah there so I will take a picture of that and visit the museum. A few years ago my husband and I were in Norfolk and we visited Ringland which is featured in Madselin. It is a lovely old village and there are some hills around which is unusual for this part of Britain.I was disappointed to find no trace of a castle and could not discover whether there had ever been one.The church is 13th century and very interesting. We were very fortunate in finding a local history display in the church. It went back to the Domesday book and mentions a Sir Giffard.I did take some notes at the time but have mislaid them I will try to unearth them. I also contacted the society responsible for mounting the display and told them about the NL story.They were most interested and had never heard of NL but resolved to buy the book and give me any information they discovered in the future about the area. Information related to the 11th century in ringland is sparse and sketchy.I think I will undertake more research and maybe re visit next week.thank you for welcoming me.So glad to have found this group.
Werner wrote: "Actually, Barbara, we already did a group read of Madselin, back in July of 2011. (I could remember, because it was one of the few I personally was able to take part in --great book, and it got fi..."Good Lord, did we!?
Thanks for the update Elizabeth - I wonder if the Bury St Edmunds history people know about NL's "Wayside Tavern" where she so cleverly novelises the legend of King, later St Edmund, called Cerdic in the book ?
Elizabeth,how far from Bury St. Edmunds is Ringland? Surprising that people there have never heard of NL!Barbara, in response to your post 59, I think it would be particularly hard to find the right actor to play Martin Reed, since we follow him for all his adult life. Without access to my books at the moment, I don't remember when he dies, except that Maude was in her late teens at the time, and she must have been born around 1430. Martin was born in 1381, so he ages about forty or fifty years in the book. I hope, if the series should be filmed, that a good make-up artist could age the same actor all the way through. It's rather disappointing to see the same person played by more than one actor (except for one as a child and one as an adult)--such a cop out, and unfair to the lesser-known actor, who often receives very little credit even when he or she is onscreen at least as much as the "star."
'Scuse the tangent! :)
Ringland is about 35 miles from Bury St Edmunds. I wanted to tell you all about my trip to Bury. It was fantastic to see it all and we walked all over the town visiting relevant sites. The town is very much as I imagined it with Georgian, Tudor and mediaeval buildings. The abbey ruins and gardens are fascinating and very extensive. You can even make out remains of the buttresses where Squatters Row was (The Town house). We saw the plaque to Norah lofts and where she used to live. There was a market in progress when we were there and I remembered a lot of references to this market in the books. I have put some of the photos I took on the photo page,I hope you enjoy them.
Elizabeth, thank you for sharing this with us. The photos are wonderful! You took exactly the kind of photos that those of us who love Lofts book would find fascinating.
Mary wrote: Barbara, in response to your post 59, I think it would be particularly hard to find the r..."
Yes, he's 20 when he meets Kate I think and 60 odd when he dies ....
Regarding the next NL GROUP READ, back in Sept. two of you, Barbara and Elizabeth, were rereading The House Trilogy (or Suffolk Trilogy) I think in hopes of doing a group read. I would like to add a third vote, since it's my fav. NL. Even though there is a folder with several topics from this trilogy, the comments don't seemn to be from a group read, and some of those threads are very short. I've read of many other members calling The Town House their fav. so maybe we should have a more extensive conversation about it.That said, there is not one NL book that I don't treasure. Hey, today is Voting Day in the USA! Good day for casting your NL vote!
I'd love to try a group read of the House Trilogy but wondered if the upcoming holidays would slow us down. Should we consider another book, and then try the Trilogy for 2013?
Sylvia and Peggy, we actually did a group read of The Town House back in March of 2009 (actually, it extended on into April). We started several threads for it, one for each of the major parts, each narrated by a different character. I remember the discussion, since someone (Alice, I think) asked me to moderate it. We've never done either of the other two novels in the trilogy, though.As Peggy suggested, December isn't usually a good month for group reads. Since I've read all three novels in the trilogy, though, I could join in a discussion any time. My memory of some details may be a bit rusty; but a group discussion tends to refresh memories, and I should be able to get a copy to refer to by interlibrary loan.
I looked over the group read of the Town House Trilogy, and I read almost every post. I think we could possibly start with each thread and add much discussion to each book. The Town House read discusses three parts of the book, but does not cover the beginning of the whole epic, of Martin Reed and his two families. The biggest discussion involves the Maude Reed Tale, and I remember this because I had just joined the NL forum and it was my first group read. We compared the episode in the book with the child's version to see if there were major changes in Maude's story. The first and second volumes of the trilogy only received 3 posts each.I do agree with Peggy and Werner that if we decide to enlarge upon the 2009 discussion, we should wait until after the holidays.
I love the Town House trilogy and would be happy to do a group read at any time. Perhaps in the meantime we could do a group read using one of the shorter books or even one of the short stories.
How far to Bethlehem would be a brilliant Christmas read, or have you already done that? I read it every year on the first day of the Christmas holidays! I never become tired of it.
A discussion of How Far to Bethlehem sounds like a good idea to me. We could archive the existing threads and start fresh.
Given that both trilogies are set in Suffolk and both concern a house, I think 'Old Vine' and 'Knight's Acre' are better names for them!
I would love to do " How Far to Bethlehem"...Sylvia sent me a wonderful hardback copy, and I've read it 3 times already..it's a gem, and perfect for a December read
Yayyyyyy!!! Tanya's back! We missed you so much. We've been talking about doing another read of How Far, and trying to decide whether to just add to the original threads or start another one. I think the "Mods" will be deciding soon. Meanwhile, those of us who have already read the book may want to go to the old threads and read those discussions so we won't cover the same ground! See you over there, too, Tanya. Welcome back!
Jenny wrote: "Given that both trilogies are set in Suffolk and both concern a house, I think 'Old Vine' and 'Knight's Acre' are better names for them!"Yes indeed - I hope I didn't sound 'know-all' Syb, I really didn't mean to.
And I'd like to add my' Yay Tanya is back' too
Absolutely not, Barbara! I really want to know what is correct. I did discover where I got the idea that the Town House series is the "Suffolk Trilogy". That is how they are identified on the TomFolio.com site. You may remember that some of us looked at his site and discovered quite a few mistakes. We informed him of our suggested corrections, and some were made. That is when I got serious about doing a thorough research and making our own list. (Norah Lofts Titles) I don't know where Tom Folio got his information on the title for the trilogy, but Jenny's idea really appeals to me, since those are the names of the two houses in the two trilogies.
I've sometimes seen the House trilogy referred to as the Old Vine trilogy (which I agree is a much more descriptive designation!).
I read both 'The House At Old Vine' series which is what I've always know it as and the Knight's Acre series many years ago and have always wanted to read them again.
Werner wrote: "I've sometimes seen the House trilogy referred to as the Old Vine trilogy (which I agree is a much more descriptive designation!)."Werner, I agree the 'Old Vine trilogy' is the best description.
Call for vote - group read on How Far to Bethlehem in December? All in favor say aye, All opposed say no
Or if you would prefer another title, please list your preference. :)
Peggy wrote: "Call for vote - group read on How Far to Bethlehem in December? All in favor say aye, All opposed say no
Or if you would prefer another title, please list your preference. :)"
I am very keen to do it.
I'll vote yes. It won't work into my schedule to actually re-read it then, but I'm game to join in the discussion where I can.
It's gone very quiet in here! What shall we look at next?
You're right, Jenny, that we've gotten very quiet, like one of NL's house book "Interludes"!Barbara started the last group read of "To See a Fine Lady" and then there was a death in her family and at the same time she became ill and had surgery. Peggy and I have been pausing to see whether Barbara wants to continue that discussion. Actually, I don't believe Peggy has started that book yet!
Barbara, do you want to continue that discussion, or leave it open-ended for future comments?
My next goal is to take the entire NL list and check it against our threads to sort out which books we have not discussed. In the meantime, Jenny, do you have a suggestion for us? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think we've discussed NL's last book yet - Pargeters.
In fact, "Pargeters" was the ONLY NL book I wasn't gripped by...it was a long time ago I read it, though. Has the group ever done a discussion of "Gad's Hall" and "The haunting of Gad's Hall ? " The 2 books have many interesting threads...the occult; the deceptions of romantic love; the strong matriarchal figures.Or have you done "The afternoon of an Autocrat" ?
Hi Tanya, so nice to hear from you again! I don't think we have done a formal read of the Gad's ones though there has ben extensive discussions. We did do a read of The Devil in Clevely ( Afternoon of an Autocrat) in October last year. Click on The Fans of Norah Lofts tag at the top and then all the topics will be revealed.
Oh dear! Sorry to hear of Barbara's loss and ill-health. I hadn't realised. I hope she's recovering.
Nor had I! Barbara always seems such a tower of strength that one just doesn't think of her as having troubles of her own. Barbara, I'll add you to my ever-growing prayer list!Tanya,I agree that Pargeters isn't up to NL's usual standard, but it WAS her last--published posthumously, I think. Possibly she didn't have the opportunity to revise it so much as she did her others, or possibly she just wasn't quite the writer she had been.
How about "Copsi Castle" ? Sir Magnus very much reminds me of Sir Charles Shelmadine in "The Afternoon..." in his obsession with his estate and his passion for keeping up the old ways and traditions. Bertie, too, in the book, is very like the independant Deborah in "Gad's Hall "..both also have a deranged relative.
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