Friday 4 September 2009

Persephone Week Redux

I never did quite finish off Persephone Reading Week properly, in the manner of others - which is to say the Persephone Books I'm keen to read next. I had hoped it would clear my backlog a bit, but instead it just made me very keen to read lots of others...

Before I do that, Rachel's recent post at Book Snob included a picture of all her Persephone titles in non-Persephone editions, as well as a picture of her Persephones. It seemed a fun idea, so here's mine:


I also have Flush by Virginia Woolf, of course, but not in Somerset. Me being me, I don't see these collections as competing, but rather complementary... i.e. I'll buy a Persephone copy and a non-Persephone copy if I come across it cheaply enough.

And my copy of The Priory by Dorothy Whipple came with an exciting surprise, once I got it home...


As for the Persephones I'm now keen to read - here's the top five.

The Village - Marghanita Laski


Little Boy Lost - Marghanita Laski


Saplings - Noel Streatfeild


Farewell Leicester Square - Betty Miller


A House in the Country - Jocelyn Playfair

Luckily I have all of these waiting on my Persephone shelf. I wonder how many I'll have read by the time we get to next year's Persephone Reading Week...

9 comments:

  1. I would have loved to have seen the look on your face when you saw Dorothy Whipple's signature in The Priory!

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  2. Oh my goodness - a signed copy?!

    So, how many Persephone titles do you own in total (in grey, classic, or complementary)?

    I recommend Little Boy Lost highly; it was the definite reading highlight of the week for me.

    I also find that it added more to my list than cleared the backlog. By next PRW I am hoping to have read a number.

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  3. I can't wait for the next Persephone Reading Week either, so am reading probably one a month. I don't have a collection yet like you all do so I'm purchasing as I go along. I've placed an order for Mariana a few days ago and will read as soon as I get it! :D

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  5. A SIGNED copy?! You lucky, lucky thing! What a wonderful surprise! I am excessively jealous of your copy of High Wages...I can't wait for the Persephone release. You've got a fabulous collection.

    As for the ones you want to read next, Saplings and A House in the Country are marvellous and highly recommended. Both very war and its effects oriented which seems to be right up your street. I haven't read the others yet either and I have both Laskis waiting for me to read on the old TBR pile...I should get around to them sooner rather than later judging from recent reviews.

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  6. Ooh, I like that post very much! What a good way to round off Persephone week.

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  7. Paperback Reader - 59, in total! 56 Persephones and another three in non-P editions.

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  8. Quite the collection, Simon! Not long to go for a complete -and ongoing- one.

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  9. How fun to find a signed copy! All those Persephone books sound very good.

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