About the book
“The finest introduction to Barbara Pym” (The New York Times): a hilarious comedy of manners by the shrewdly observant British novelist often compared to Jane Austen
One of Barbara Pym’s richest and most amusing high comedies, Excellent Women has at its center Mildred Lathbury, a clergyman’s daughter and a mild-mannered spinster in 1950s England. She is one of those “excellent women,” the smart, supportive, repressed women who men take for granted. As Mildred gets embroiled in the lives of her new neighbors—anthropologist Helena Napier and her handsome, dashing husband, Rocky, and Julian Malory, the vicar next door—the novel presents a series of snapshots of human life as actually, and pluckily, lived in a vanishing world of manners and repressed desires.
Editions of Excellent Women
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780525101161
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780525483779
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780143104872
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780452267305
- EBook
- ISBN 9781101666258
Read an Excerpt
“The finest introduction to Barbara Pym” (The New York Times): a hilarious comedy of manners by the shrewdly observant British novelist often compared to Jane Austen
One of Barbara Pym’s richest and most amusing high comedies, Excellent Women has at its center Mildred Lathbury, a clergyman’s daughter and a mild-mannered spinster in 1950s England. She is one of those “excellent women,” the smart, supportive, repressed women who men take for granted. As Mildred gets embroiled in the lives of her new neighbors—anthropologist Helena Napier and her handsome, dashing husband, Rocky, and Julian Malory, the vicar next door—the novel presents a series of snapshots of human life as actually, and pluckily, lived in a vanishing world of manners and repressed desires.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Excellent Women about?
“The finest introduction to Barbara Pym” (The New York Times): a hilarious comedy of manners by the shrewdly observant British novelist often compared to Jane Austen
One of Barbara Pym’s richest and most amusing high comedies, Excellent Women has at its center Mildred Lathbury, a clergyman’s daughter and a mild-mannered spinster in 1950s England. She is one of those “excellent women,” the smart, supportive, repressed women who men take for granted. As Mildred gets embroiled in the lives of her new neighbors—anthropologist Helena Napier and her handsome, dashing husband, Rocky, and Julian Malory, the vicar next door—the novel presents a series of snapshots of human life as actually, and pluckily, lived in a vanishing world of manners and repressed desires.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Excellent Women?
Fiction > Humorous fiction > Satirical fiction and parodies
Where can I read a sample of Excellent Women?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780525101161
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Excellent Women?
Barbara Pym
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Excellent Women is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780525101161) and paperback(ISBN 9780525483779) and paperback(ISBN 9780143104872) and paperback(ISBN 9780452267305) and ebook(ISBN 9781101666258)
Where can I buy Excellent Women online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Excellent Women?