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On my list of twenty-one things I’d like to accomplish before I turn twenty-one was to read a book published by Persephone Books. I selected Watson’s novel simply because this is one of only two books (and the only fictional books) published by Persephone that my public library shelves.
Watson’s novel tells the story of Miss (Guinevere) Pettigrew, an older woman and governess, sent to the wrong address by her employment agency. Upon arrival at this particular address Miss Pettigrew is introduced to the young and glamorous Delyisa LaFosse, who in turns introduces the semi-prudish Miss Pettigrew to nightclubs, alcohol, and romance all in the course of a day.
This was probably not the best Persephone for me to start with considering I was “meh” about the movie version of Watson’s novel. Even so, I had higher expectations for the book because it does appear on the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. It was really fluffy!
I know my opinion of this book is probably unfair as I am judging this book by my own (liberal) standards. It might have been shocking for those readers when the book was originally published (1938), but the novel had a hard time capturing my attention.
There were also some spacing issues with the book I got that I found incredibly distracting. The illustrations for the book were cute; I liked their simplicity. But they were often times printed on the page after the scene in which they depicted occurred.
All that said, I was really intrigued by Henrietta Twycross-Martin’s introduction to the novel. Apparently, Watson wrote six successful novels before 1941 but after being bombed out of her London home during the Battle of Britain, she stopped writing. She told Twycross-Martin in 2002 that the moment for writing had passed. She never published another novel. I’ve always wondered why authors stopped writing, which maybe why I really enjoyed Twycross-Martin’s introduction.
(Note: The endpaper (above) is a 1938 furnishing fabric by Marion Dorn; “it is an elegant and light-hearted repeat pattern on a background of pale linen”. I read the novel as issued by Persephone Classics (right) so the endpaper in my copy was grey-scaled.)
Others’ Thoughts:
Book Mentioned:
- Watson, Winifred. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. London: Persephone Books, 2008. Originally published 1938. Print. 234 pgs. ISBN: 190646202X. Source: Library.
I have been itching to read a Persephone for a while now, especially after Claire of Paperback Reader and Verity of cardigangirlverity hosted Persephone Reading Weekend at the end of February. I’ve had a hard time finding some of the titles from Persephone Books’ catalog in my library and I just cannot justify the cost of ordering one at this moment. It dawned on me earlier this month that I might be able to find a Persephone or two in the stacks of my library at school.
Lo and behold, my school has six Persephone books available! (I was only to find five of the six titles in the stacks.) While not the beautiful editions printed by Persephone, I am excited to read my very first Persephone. I just don’t know which one to start with first! Suggestions?
- An Interrupted Life (Etty Hillesum)
- The Home-Maker (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)
- Flush (Virginia Woolf)
- The Wise Virgins (Leonard Woolf)
- Journal (Katherine Mansfield)
