Cold comfort farm is a parody of the doomy, tragic, closetotheearth gothic novels of writers like mary webb and dh lawrence, and, earlier, thomas hardy. Jun 17, 2011 her first publication was a book of poems, the mountain beast 1930, and her first novel, cold comfort farm 1932, won the femina vie heureuse prize. Jul 29, 20 her first publication was a book of poems the mountain beast 1930 and her first novel cold comfort farm 1932 won the femina vie heuruse prize for 1933. Cold comfort farm by stella gibbons we are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing bookclub running for the last year and a half.
Discussion questions for cold comfort farm by stella gibbons 1. Cold comfort farm by stella gibbons paperback, 256 pages list price. Flora, a recently orphaned 19yearold socialite, moves in with her country relatives, the gloomy starkadders of cold comfort farm. A readers guide to cold comfort farm openlearn open university. This novel, for me, is primarily famous for coining the phrase there is something nasty in the woodshed. A witty portrait of rural england in the early twentieth century, the penguin classics edition of stella gibbonss cold comfort farm is introduced by lynne truss, author of eats, shoots and leaves. With eileen atkins, kate beckinsale, sheila burrell, stephen fry. Jan 28, 2012 stella gibbons cold comfort farm i was inspired to reread this novel for our book club after listening to radio 4. Possibly read the prologue after having read the book as well as before. Stella gibbons wrote lots of books but hardly any of the others have been kept in print. In england in the early 1930s, twentyyearold flora poste kate beckinsale, recently orphaned, and left with only one hundred pounds sterling a year, goes to stay with distant relatives on cold comfort farm. How does the descriptive language add to the humor and satire.
Cold comfort farm npr coverage of cold comfort farm by stella gibbons and lynne truss. Amongst her other novels are miss linsey and pa 1936, nightingale wood 1938, westwood 1946, conference at cold comfort farm 1949 and beside the pearly water 1954. Cold comfort farm is a delightful tale based on the book of the same name. Microsoft word cold comfort farm discussion questions. Cold comfort farm goodreads the guardian independent book companion a witty portrait of rural england in the early twentieth century. Cold comfort farm stella gibbons the book group have one major thing to say about this book, and that is you must read the prologue to the book. Read cold comfort farm, by stella gibbons online on bookmate in gibbonss classic tale, a resourceful young heroine finds herself in the gloomy, overwrought world of a hardy or bronte novel and pr. April 2003, retrieved 18 november 2012 a b c cold comfort farm, d. Great aunt adas who saw something nasty in the woodshed when she was a little girl worst fear is that her children and grandchildren will leave her alone on the farm. The education bestowed on flora poste by her parents had been. This study guide consists of approximately 43 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of cold comfort farm. What is the author trying to achieve with her parody of rural country life.
Appalled by the condition of the farm and by the many violent and brooding starkadders, flora determines to tidy up life at cold comfort farm. Visa, mastercard, american express paypal, diners club and discover. The novel contains delicious examples of local dialect and of parodied rural expressions. Discussion questions for cold comfort farm by stella gibbons. Each season were nerds we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. That little girl is now elderly and uses whatever she saw in the woodshed as a lever and club over everyones lives who lives with her on cold comfort farm. When sensible, sophisticated flora poste is orphaned at 19, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest sussex. Cold comfort farm was first published by longmans in 1932, and was, according to the critic lynne truss, labelled middlebrow, to gibbonss disadvantage among the. Discussion questions for cold comfort farm are listed. Winner of the 1933 femina vie heureuse prize, cold comfort.
Cold comfort farm is a comic novel by english author stella gibbons, published in 1932. Her first publication was a book of poems, the mountain beast 1930, and her first novel, cold comfort farm 1932, won the femina vie heureuse prize. I do recommend nightingale wood, reprinted in virago modern classics a couple of years ago. Cold comfort farm discussion questions cold comfort farm by stella gibbons is a comic novel. Kenneth williams read the book on the radio, and this. Possibly read the prologue after having read the book as. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own bookclub. Set in the 1940s, this story about a young orphaned girl who goes off to live with her distant relatives and bring.
Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for cold comfort farm. Cold comfort farm quotes showing of 85 one of the disadvantages of almost universal education was the fact that all kinds of persons acquired a familiarity with ones favorite writers. Cold comfort farm project gutenberg selfpublishing. Flora poste, a recently orphaned socialite, moves in with her country relatives, the gloomy starkadders of cold comfort farm, and becomes enmeshed in a web of violent emotions, despair, and scheming, until flora manages to set things right. It is so funny and the people have quite a different view of the world than the rest of society. The rainbow is a great novel thats well worth reading for its own sake, but its also the supreme example of the overportentous way of writing about the countryside that makes the parody in cold comfort farm so hilarious. Winner of the 1933 femina vie heureuse prize, cold comfort farm is a wickedly funny portrait of british rural life in the 1930s. Dec 15, 20 cold comfort farm is a parody of the doomy, tragic, closetotheearth gothic novels of writers like mary webb and dh lawrence, and, earlier, thomas hardy.
A readers guide to cold comfort farm openlearn open. At the aptly named cold comfort farm, she meets the doomed starkadders. Dont drink coffee or any other staining beverage while reading this novel. Their world is cold comfort farm the changing seasons and the animals. Mar 11, 2020 when sensible, sophisticated flora poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest sussex. Cold comfort farm holds special meaning for the director, who has admired the book since he read it as a youngster. A novelist, poet and shortstory writer, her first novel, cold comfort farm, won the femina vie heuruse prize for 1933.
Audiobooks matching keywords cold comfort farm unabridged. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Read cold comfort farm, by stella gibbons online on bookmate in gibbonss classic tale, a resourceful young heroine finds herself in the gloomy, overwrought world of. Dec 01, 2007 cold comfort farm discussion questions cold comfort farm by stella gibbons is a comic novel. How pleasant it would be to be a sensible old woman of adequate means who is not chasing about boys of 25 nor dieting nor having her lips rouged. Amongst her other novels are miss linsey and pa, nightingale wood, westwood, conference at cold comfort farm, and beside the pearly water 1954. This book is full of gratification, from a very sweet romance, to devilish relish when valancy finally stands up to her awful family and comes into. Cold comfort farm by stella gibbons read online on bookmate. Aunt ada doom claims to have seen it when she was no bigger than a titty wren.
Reviews and discussion questions for cold comfort farm are listed along with links to key places and things relevant to the story. Chapter three shifts in point of view and begins with a description of cold comfort farm, located near howling. Amongst her other novels are miss linsey and pa 1936, nightingale wood 1938, westwood 1946, conference at cold comfort farm 1959 and beside the pearly water 1954. Oct 20, 2014 cold comfort farm was first published by longmans in 1932, and was, according to the critic lynne truss, labelled middlebrow, to gibbonss disadvantage among the critics. When sensible, sophisticated flora poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest sussex. Syracuse book club message board discussion questions dec 2017 cold comfort farm. This book was our book club choice and we all loved it.
It parodies the romanticised, sometimes doomladen accounts of rural life popular at the time, by writers such as mary webb. It also provides an opportunity to revisit the milieu of his 1967 far. Join us for every month, or deal yourself in as the spirit moves you. Cold comfort farm is a 1932 parody of thomas hardy, the brontes, and d. Cold comfort farm is a 1995 british comedy film directed by john schlesinger and produced by the bbc and thames television, an adaptation of stella gibbons 1932 book of the same name, the film stars kate beckinsale, joanna lumley, ian mckellen and rufus sewell. Lawrence, and english literary culture between the wars, faye hammill, modern fiction studies 47. Cold comfort farm isbn 0140001409 bbc the big read. Lawrence, with themes of pygmalion and the meddling of emma woodhouse thrown in, and jabs at eugene oneill, avant the starkadders are a mix of fire and brimstone religiosity, untrammeled sexual urges, pathological family ties, feigned mental illness, and general. Gibsons book club discusses cold comfort farm, by stella gibbons. Our book club is free and open to the public, newcomers are encouraged. Taking its name from a line in william shakespeares play king john 15961597, the farm is located. Her first publication was a book of poems the mountain beast 1930 and her first novel cold comfort farm 1932 won the femina vie heuruse prize for 1933. Reference to cold comfort farm usually triggers the famous quote that there was something nasty in the woodshed.
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