Some Tame Gazelle: A Novel

If you're new to Barbara Pym, this is a good place to start. I love this book and read it periodically... and I never fail to laugh out loud. I recently reread it and laughed even more than ever. I love all of Barbara Pym, and came to her late in life. What a shame! I could have been reading her all these years... "Good books for a bad day," she called her novels. So true.

Barbara Pym may not be everyone's cup of tea as she describes a past with very little excitement -- but that's the point. It's the characterizations we recognize. Timeless.

It was a slow read and yet I continued until I finished it. Driven by well done character studies.

I am a longtime devoted fan of Barbara Pym. I have read and reread her novels many times. I have been waiting for them to be available on Kindle so that I can take them with me when I travel. Some Tame Gazelle is so funny, but you have to appreciate Barbara's wry humor to think so. The Bede Sisters, who are the main characters in this novel, are really enjoyable women who would make great friends or neighbors. Pym's prose is so good--it is a joy to read her. She describes those everyday life situations that we can all recognize immediately, and she makes us laugh about them.

"Some tame gazelle, or some gentle dove: Something to love, oh, something to love! I would call this a little comfy, cozy book and in the proper place and time I certainly do enjoy them as I did this one. The spinster sisters Harriet and Belinda live in a small village where it does seem that everyone knows everyone. Their world revolves around their churches, church life and especially the curates, archdeacons, and bishops. Harriet is much enraptured by the local curate whomever it may be at the time while Belinda is much more good works oriented. They, each one, had/have their chance at marriage but choose to remain spinsters sharing a home with a day girl as help. They are very comfortable in their lives in the gossipy little village deciding what to have for tea and dinner each day and when to invite the curate for tea or dinner. This is a little book in which not much of anything happens. Oh there is a wedding and a church garden party, etc. But we, for the most part, end up back where we began. In the little comfy, cozy home of the spinster sisters awaiting the next bit of gossip or the new curate coming for Sunday dinner. I quite liked the characters of this little book, excepting that of the archdeacon. I found him to be pompous, enamored with himself, rather cold and hurtful, but he did have a rightful place in the story. Had it not been for this character so many of the bits would not have been in place nor fallen into place. I enjoyed this read, recommend it for one in need of a comfy, cozy, easy read. You will enjoy it with a nice cup of tea. I rated it 4 stars.

For those who like this sort of story, English village life mid-20th century, Barbara Pym may be the greatest observer of all. For those born before 1970, it can be a little poignant to realize that this pace of society ( UK or USA ) won’t return.

I've heard so many good things about Pym, including that she is her era's Jane Austen. But this is the second disappointing book of hers I've read, and it will be the last. A really good writer SHOWS how the characters feel. Pym tells us. Austen's dialogue sparkles; Pym's plods. I have all kinds of patience for comedies of manners, slow plot development, and characters doing needlework. But Belinda's inexplicable fixation on the Archdeacon for old time's sake doesn't ring true: I see no reason for her to have admired him in the first place. The characters are types. Much better characters can be found in any Austen, or in Gaskell's Cranford, whose ladies live with honor, poverty, needlework, and genuine feelings. The end of Pym's book, though much better written than the first eighty percent, doesn't make up for the drudgery of getting there.

Have loved this book for years. Have it on cassette, that's how long. Wanted the MP3 version in case tape breaks, plus convenience. But this narrator is horrible. Awful. Distracting. Terrible. Horrific. Ghastly. Abhorrent. Dreadful. Appalling. Worse yet, she narrates ALL these Barbara Pym editions. From the way she says "Chap---ter ONE", only really, its way worse than that looks writing it. It's distracting. I looked at audible reviews after I bought it, and I am not alone. What a shame such a classic has been ruined. Get a new narrator and give all of us the new version, for free. Ugh.

Love Barbara Pym and am happy to add this to my collection, with its Pym themes: sisters, Archdeacons, jealousy, clothes, food and poetry.

Bought after a search on books that readers of Pride and prejudice would like. This came up and my wife was very impressed with it.

Good delivery and reading!

Pour le lire

più leggo Barbara Pym e più mi incanta... la sua delicatezza nell'approfondire le psicologie, queste persone così sole... una Jane Austen matura, se non fosse morta giovane avrebbe probabilmente scritto cose così disincantate. Ma sempre con grande tenerezza... e del resto il disincanto porta tenerezza (qualche volta). Più del trionfo delle miss Bennett, un po' alla Anne Elliot.