Sunday 20 December 2009

A Proper Family Christmas

I'm going to be honest with you, today's blog post is copied wholesale from an entry in December 2007. Back then I was sent a copy of A Proper Family Christmas by Jane Gordon-Cumming, and it was perfect Christmas reading. Dollops of Wodehouse and Just William, and even Jam and Jerusalem. I've just spotted that there's even an audio book version available now. Anyway, I don't often just repeat posts, but lots of people won't have spotted the review two years ago, and Jane's book is just so delightful that I want more of you to know about it. A bit late to order it for Christmas presents, perhaps, but might be good for the post-Christmas rush... Anyway - here goes:

I also have an AA Milne quotation for every occasion. Well, I can't remember exactly how this goes, but something along the lines of: "Every critic instantly assumes that, should a writer be able to make his audience laugh, he secretly wishes he were making them cry". Milne didn't always love his critics, but the point is that we shouldn't underestimate the comic writer - I think it's much more difficult to make readers laugh than it is to make them cry, and a comic novel done well is a wonderful thing.

Step forward Jane Gordon-Cumming, and A Proper Family Christmas. I was worried people didn't write books like this any more. Don't get me wrong, I love pensive, slightly depressing, high-literary fiction more than anyone - Virginia Woolf is one of my favourite authors, after all (though she is incredibly funny, I must add) - but where did novels go which gently laugh at human nature and the tangles
they get themselves in? Thankfully Jane G-C has written one such novel, and I know you'll love it.

William lives by himself in a rambling old house, such as are only found in fiction - well, I say alone, he actually lives with a rather wonderful cat called Scratch. You can't go wrong with cats in fiction - they're such amusing and characterful creatures. Anyway, William is an obstreperous old man, but one you can't help loving. Despite his best efforts, every member of his family descend on his house for Christmas - his forthright siser Margery; widow Hilary and her attractive teenage son; neurotic Lesley and Stephen with their spoilt child Tobias and put-upon nanny Frances; scatty Julia and innuendo-flinging Tony with worldy-wise daughter Posy and flirty nanny Shelley; arty Leo who seems to be perpetually ignored by all; charmer and antiquities exp
ert Oliver. Phew, think that's everyone. What a cast! Despite a lot of characters and a lot of names, like one's own family one never gets confused. They all have their place and, like them or loathe them, you can't help being quietly fond of each and every one.

This novel is definitely a character piece - throw together a lot of disparate and amusing people, and a few Wodehousian plots, and see what happens. And what happens is a witty and touching romp through the intricacies and politics of a family Christmas. If you don't recognise it all, you're lucky, but you'll love it nonetheless. A perfect Christmas present for someone who loves something to read on Boxing Day, just so long as they can't recognise themselves in its pages... and best not give it to anyone called William, Leo, Margery, Lesley, Stephen, Tony, Shelley, Tobias, Posy, Julia... at a pinch Frances, Oliver, Hilary and Daniel will take it as a compliment...

7 comments:

  1. I have actually had this book sitting on my bedside table just waiting for me to pick it up for awhile now. Your review has motivated me to start reading!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh wow, Simon, I'm so flattered! You've given me that warm glow all over again.

    Incidentally I've just brought out a collection of ghost stories set on the Oxford Canal called 'The Haunted Bridge', and I'll send you a copy when you've got time to read it.

    Thank you for being so nice about my book!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely snowman Simon! I have yet to spy this book on the shelves here so its been added to my wishlist.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh this sounds delightful. I had never heard of it until this so am very glad that you decided to re-post! I shall have to try and hunt this down!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's probably easiest to buy them from me if you're in the UK, as they're slow coming via Amazon. Contact me at jane.gordoncumming@googlemail.com. (Sorry to hijack your blog for advertising, Simon!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aw, thanks Jane - and I'm very glad you've provided a sensible way of getting the book. I'd love a copy of your stories - do you have my Marlborough Road address?

    ReplyDelete
  7. i loved A Proper Family Christmas so much I've copies as Christmas presents for the last 2 years. This year I'm giving copies of Jane's story anthology The Haunted Bridge set along the Oxford Canal.

    Heather Rosser
    heatherrosser.com

    ReplyDelete

I've now moved to www.stuckinabook.com, and all my old posts are over there too - do come and say hello :)

I probably won't see your comment here, I'm afraid, but all my archive posts can also be found at www.stuckinabook.com.