The Rector's Daughter (Virago Modern Classics)

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Perhaps my ennui can be attributed to spinster novel fatigue? I have read quite a few recently, and have to say that May Sinclair’s Life and Death of Harriett Frean attempts a similar type of novel rather more (for me) successfully. The public debate about unmarried women between the world wars (covered fascinatingly in a chapter of Nicola Beauman’s A Very Great Profession, and less fascinatingly in Virginia Nicholson’s Singled Out) was loud and often angry; the 1920s novels dealing with this issue were written at a time when the issue was contentious, as well as potentially tragic. Maybe I’ve just read too many, now?

F. M. Mayor - Wikipedia

The Rector’s Daughter by the cruelly underrated FM (Flora Macdonald) Mayor is a book worthy to rank with anything that George Eliot or Jane Austen set their hand to. Published in 1924 by Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, it is one of those curious novels in which a cauldron of suppressed emotion and unrequited love boils away behind a landscape in which, for all practical purposes, hardly anything happens. Her best-known novel is The Rector's Daughter (1924). (In October 2009 this was described in the BBC's 'Open Book' programme as one of the best 'neglected classics'.)It is usually easy to give reasons why a book didn’t work for me. Indeed, they are few more satisfying activities than laying into a poorly written novel… but The Rector’s Daughter isn’t poorly written. But, Dora, don’t you think there is a Love ‘Which alters not with Time’s brief hours and days, / But bears it out even to the edge of Doom’?” Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.

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Take care, Mary dear, you stepped right into that puddle. Wait a minute. Let me wipe your coat. I am not quite sure that I understand what you were saying.” This is such a brilliant book, worthy of being a classic, really, in that it so perfectly encapsulates how limited unmarried women’s lives could be before the advent of feminism”– Rachel, Book SnobForgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth

The Rector’s Daughter by F. M. Mayor book review | The TLS

Dora is also a spinster, but less angsty. I think I would have rather enjoyed a novel from Dora’s perspective… In 1903 she became engaged to a young architect, Ernest Shepherd, who died in India of typhoid before Mayor was able to travel out to join him. She never married, and lived closely with her twin sister Alice MacDonald Mayor (1872–1961). Well, you know my thoughts and I am a bit disappointed but not altogether surprised, just as you were not surprised that I liked A View of the Harbour better than you did. Your review here says it all, I think — you like irony and wit, and you don't really like serious, often sad, explorations of people's inner feelings. That's absolutely fine — thanks goodness we don't all like the same things. Reply I have no problem with you being underwhelmed by this book Simon BUT I do take issue over Gaudy Night…….! ReplyBut I don't think I agree with your division… I love explorations of people's inner feelings, can't get enough – but when they tip from serious to earnest I am put off. But that dividing line is very subjective, of course! Reply Thank you, Marybel. I loved to hear about your discovery of this beautiful book and that your librarian recommended it. I will be writing more about it soon. It seems as though your reaction is similar to mine when I read The Days of Abandonment last year. It sounded great, but it was not just earnest–and it had some humorous moments–but actually depressing. I felt miserable myself after reading it. That being said, it was interesting enough. (Hmm. Maybe our experiences weren't quite so similar as I'd imagined. TDoA is what immediately leapt to mind, though.) Reply

The Rector’s Daughter (1924) – The Cambridge F.M. Mayor’s The Rector’s Daughter (1924) – The Cambridge

I normally hate earnestness in all forms – but I didn't find this earnest. I just found it very honest, and deeply sad. Aside from the whole issue of romance and spinsterhood etc it's also about general life disappointment in the sense of not achieving your dreams and having to deal with the consequences of that. Such was Mary’s life. As the years passed on, the invalid’s room became more and more her world. Sometimes she felt the neighbourhood, the village, even her father, becoming like shadows. In the whole she was happy. She did not question the destiny life brought her. People spoke pityingly of her, but she did not feel she required pity.” The reason why I think that the narrative of ‘The Rector’s Daughter’ is so powerful is perhaps due to the fact that the reader deeply sympathises with poor Mary’s plight. To discuss her life and plight would reveal too many aspects of the plot – so it is difficult to discuss in great detail. The novel is minutely observed; there is beautiful detail about each day and the East Anglian countryside, so that although time passes in the book very slowly, it is wonderfully described.”– Verity, Verity’s Virago Venture I am not familiar with this book (and based on your review, am not going to run right out and buy it), but wanted to tell you that I appreciate the thoughtful pondering of why you were less than impressed, and your willingness to link some other viewpoints. Reply

This is a novel about how hard it is to understand other people, and how many misunderstandings and even tragedies arise from it.”– Harriet, Harriet Devine’s Blog I'm fairly ignorant – your review is all I know of this book – but I think I, too, would like to hear more from Dora. I like her in the passage you chose. Reply