Elinor Lipman is the latest new (to me) writer to gallop into my reading arena and very grateful am I that she has.I've stopped by at her excellent website and all I needed to read was that one of her books is currently being made into a film starring Colin Firth.Say no more.
The world in My Latest Grievance revolves around the precocious but strangely likeable Frederica Hatch the only child of Dewing Girls College houseparents and professors David and earth-mother wife Aviva.
This is 1960's Massachussets.
With her "psychologically astute" parents Fredrica has had one of those open and honest, listen-to-the-child upbringings on the campus surrounded by college life and eating every meal with a 1000 other people.On her birthday she is allowed to decide which charity will receive a cheque in lieu of a birthday present.
Definitely the ultimate in cringe-worthy parents.
Things are certainly going to spark off when David's first wife, the very glamorous Laura Lee arrives as a resident house-mother.
The humour is witty, wry and quick fire, the dialogue brilliant and with it Elinor Lipman manages to expose every which way that Frederica's life has been abnormal, yet given her by far the most sensible head on the shoulders of anyone on the Dewing College campus.
This is one of those books to gladden the heart,a completely enjoyable read and I will be searching out as much Elinor Lipman as I can find, these fill a gap for well-written nicely paced humour that hardly seems to feature at all on my shelves.
Any more suggestions? Don't say Terry Pratchett.
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