Palladian (Elizabeth Taylor)

Virago are continuing with their reissues of the Elizabeth Taylor VMCs, and the next one is Palladian. I like this cover rather more than some of their other new ET editions. It's out today, 5th August.

Sometime soon, I must do an Elizabeth Taylor catch up, to compensate for having read them all before I started this blog!

Dangerous calm (Elizabeth Taylor)

I was a little disappointed by Dangerous calm, the selected stories of Elizabeth Taylor. Not because of the quality of the stories, which, like her other short story volumes are excellent, but mainly because most of the stories had already been published in VMC editions of her other short stories. Whilst it did include 2 previously unpublished stories, I felt disappointed as I was looking forward to a completely new (to me) collection of her work.

It's been published once by Virago in a modern green cover; I picked up the earlier (non VMC) hardback edition which features this cover:



(I think the lack of a beautiful original green cover edition with pretty flowers on the front was another reason behind my disappointment if I'm honest)

Wreath of Roses (Taylor)

Another VMC re-issue, out today - Wreath of Roses by Elizabeth Taylor. This features an introduction by the masterful Helen Dunmore. Although I have to say that I'm underwhelmed by the covers that Virago have reissued Elizabeth Taylor in, I am very happy that she has been brought back into print as I hope that it will enable her to find a whole cohort more of readers (see the previous edition's cover below - far more appealing!). Thanks to Virago for sending me a copy.


I've still not blogged about Elizabeth Taylor, as I read most of her books before this blog - if anyone fancies doing a guest review, then let me know!

The wedding group (Taylor)

I haven't written too much about Elizabeth Taylor on this blog, mainly because I had worked my way through her oeuvre at the start of my interest in VMCs, which was six months before I began this blog. But also partly because I was hoping to blog about her all in one go when I had collected all of her books in the original green editions - I think the Elizabeth Taylor green VMCs are among the best as they often feature gorgeous illustrations of flowers. I've got about 2/3s of them, and although I could easily buy the rest from Amazon, I'm preferring to look out for them in bookshops - it spreads the monetary burden and adds to the thrill of the chase.

But Virago have been bringing out new editions of her books over the last couple of years - striking and colourful paperbacks, even if they don't quite rival the charm and elegance of their predecessors, and as Sophie from Virago kindly sends me the new VMC releases, I recieved the latest new one a couple of weeks ago - The wedding group. As I'm finding rereading books comforting at this dark and dismal time of year, it didn't go straight on the bookshelf but found its way into my handbag to be read.

It's a somewhat mournful read - the main character Cressidy rebels against the Catholic community of her upbringing, runs away to London and falls in love with the journalist David. It's not a happy-ever-after story, and Cressidy as the "heroine" isn't exactly always likeable - she starts off as seemingly well meaning, adventurous and sweet, but quickly becomes irritating and annoying. Nicola Beaumann, whose biography of Taylor is well-worth reading, says this is Taylor's weakest novel - I see her point but still found it well worth rereading.

Onto the covers - I own both the original green version and the newest Virago edition, but it has been published with another cover too!

The blush (Taylor) 236

More equally beautiful flowers on the cover of this collection of Elizabeth Taylor's short stories, the third one that I have read (just one more to go - A dedicated man), and a book that I would happily own in both of the green editions (I have the original green cover). And the book itself is absolutely wonderful, and probably my favourite of all of the Elizabeth Taylor short story collections - having enjoyed it so much makes up for the fact that I rattled through her novels because I enjoyed them so much and don't have any more that are new to me.

I often struggle with short stories - they need to engage my attention fast enough because otherwise they are over before they have begun. And what I find is that the very best short stories have a twist at the end - this was the case with the volume of short stories that helped me to relinquish my belief that I hated short stories, The closed door and other stories, by Dorothy Whipple - and this was the case in many of the stories in this volume. And this was recognised by another one of my blogging friends, Hayley from Desperate Reader, who described herself as being "bowled over" by it when she wrote about it (I have to admit that it was Hayley's post which led to me buying it from Amazon even though I was trying to cut down on internet purchases).

My favourite story was the title story, The blush, which had an excellent twist at the end, as long as one had been reading fairly carefully. But I also enjoyed the story Summer School, about two sisters who spent their summer holidays in very different ways, neither of whom hugely satisfied by their experiences and differently prepared to admit it. There was also a poignant story about a couple on their wedding night, staying in a hotel. She goes off and gets herself ready; he is nervous and goes and gets drunk in the bar. The twist at the end is really uncomfortable; I am sure my wedding night will not be like that!

My collection of green Elizabeth Taylor novels is growing delightfully, and I'm looking forward to doing a post to show them when I have a full set (ok, that may be some time since I have been exercising restrain in my book purchasing of late) - as I don't think I'll blog about them individually having read them over 2 years ago now.

The devastating boys (Taylor)

I had been very keen to read The devastating boys since reading about it on someone's blog last year; it may have been Darlene's but the only review I can find is one on Rachel's blog which I didn't even comment on at the time! Anyway, I finally laid my hands on a 1p copy on Amazon, and was lucky enough to recieve a pristine original green edition of the book (it's always a bit hit and miss I find with Amazon marketplace, you can never be sure quite which edition you're getting and what sort of condition it will be in when it turns up). It has proved the perfect read for my teabreaks this week - I've finally come off the medication which was preventing me from reading, but I still felt a little daunted by the Viragos I have waiting for me, the majority of which are either large, or have very small print, or are large and have small print - whilst short stories they are, they are long enough to be really absorbing.

The title story was perhaps my favourite; a couple respond to an advertisement to take children from London for a holiday, his attention was attracted by the fact that coloured children might be sent (obviously more of an issue in the 1960s!). She anticipated having two little girls, who might be surrogates for her grown up daughters who have yet to fill the gap with grandchildren. But two boys are sent. The boys are confused by their surroundings and the couple are confused by their boys, the fact that they are not easily entertained, their tantrums and destructiveness. She counts down the days until their departure right from the start. In a fairy tale or book this would have an obvious happy ending; in a short story, there isn't such a need. We witness a tiny, imperceptible change in the boys towards the end of the stay, and although she is still keen to see them go, she is surprised to feel sad when she puts them on the train.

Onto the covers! I think the pictures used for the green Elizabeth Taylor covers are among some of the best of the original green Viragos (And I'm sorry Virago, but the latest Elizabeth Taylor covers are just not a patch on them). I love the beautiful flowers on my copy (although I would quibble that they're really not much in line with the title), and the flowers on the later modern green edition are equally beautiful and reminded me of the cover to my copy of Hester Lilly. Now this is definitely something that I'd like to own both editions of, purely for the covers.

Hester Lilly (Taylor) 350

A kind present from Julia, I had hugely been anticipating these stories by Elizabeth Taylor, having greatly enjoyed her novels (which I still need to blog about as they pre-date my Venture). And they were hugely enjoyed, particularly as they arrived at a time when I was struggling to focus on reading - I could just about manage a short story. It's been published in both an original green cover and a modern green cover; I love both of the cover designs. Julia sent me the later edition, but this is a book I would happily own in both editions for the beautiful pictures! And I'm still on the look out for the other ET short story volumes if anyone spots theM!

I'm still trying to get back into reading, but I am struggling to complete anything particularly weighty, or honestly, most things other than cookery books or children's literature. So I'm planning to slow down my VVV somewhat and just post once or twice a week, thus taking off some of the pressure to keep ploughing through literature which I know I would enjoy if I had my usual concentration levels. Please do keep checking in!

Elizabeth Taylor Acquisitions

I've done rather well with Elizabeth Taylor over the last couple of weeks. Shortly before Easter, Sophie from Virago sent me the latest VMC, The soul of kindness (number 552) Virago are slowly reissuing the Elizabeth Taylor novels which I think is fantastic as they definitely deserve to reach a new audience. However, I am a big fan of the original green editions of the VMCs and am slowly acquiring a set of them - I spotted these two pristine books, Angel and Mrs Palfrey at the Claremount, two of her best works in my opionion, in Oxfam last week. I now have 5 of them; it will be a slow process to collect them as I am resisting buying them from Amazon, and just looking out for them in charity shops. Finally, I did treat myself with some birthday money to the 30th Anniversary hardback of A game of hide and seek. Lovely!

I have already read all of Taylor's books, so I am not quite sure about how I will blog about them, but I am looking forward to having a look at all of the different covers used.

(I have acquired some other VMCs since I last did an Acquisitions post, which you can read about on my other blog here...)

Pillion riders (Taylor) 520

Another Elizabeth Taylor...or rather Elisabeth Russell Taylor. I didn't know that this Virago author existed, although I'm familiar with THE Elizabeth Taylor (which for me is the writer and not the actress), so I was most amused to discover that there was another one.

Pillion riders is the story of Opal, married off at the start of the book by her father to one of his elderly business colleagues, since he despairs of ever getting her married since she is unable to have children. Helmut her new husband provides her with a luxurious life in London and she acts as his companion on weekends and evenings, but immediately one feels that Opal is missing something. Helmut takes her to Paris on a business trip, and immediately Opal falls in love with Jean-Claude, a young French composer. She leaves Helmut and embarks on a bohemian life with Jean-Claude. Unfortunately life is not all "happily ever after"; Jean-Claude likes men as well as women, and is not very successful with his compositions. Eventually Opal decides to leave him and returns to England.

The title Pillion Riders refers to a scene very early on, when Helmut and Opal have been out for dinner with his friends and Jean-Claude in Paris. Rather than returning to the hotel with Helmut, Opal opts to have a tour of Paris on the back of Jean-Claude's motorbike, and she ends up returning to his apartment and his bed.

I reasonably enjoyed this novel, and was intrigued to see what would happen and whether or not Jean-Claude and Opal's relationship would work out, but I'm afraid the original Elizabeth Taylor is still for me THE Elizabeth Taylor. I suppose the purpose of this story is that often in novels one can run away and follow dreams, but actually dreams do not always work out.

Although Elisabeth Russell Taylor has written a number of novels, only this one and one other, Mother Country, which also awaits me, have been published as VMCs. As they are comparatively recent re-publications, i will be interested to see whether Virago bring out any more. So, only the one cover - see above.