'Our mother rather lost interest in us after the thirst got hold of her and, although our grandfather was vaguely fond of us, he certainly wasn't interested.'
This is the story of Blanche and Vicky. Following the death of their grandfather- in whose enormous Warwickshire house they live - their motherrelinquishes drink (to which she had taken in a big way) for the joys of frantichousework. Naturally the girls long to escape.
Blanche trains as a model at a dubious institution in London, and Vicky fleesto Holland and a purgatorial life as an au pair to a lot of dogs. But this is onlythe beginning and other adventures await them, including the poverty and cabbagesmells of one-room living, the charcoaled fingers of art school,drunkenness and cheap restaurants of Soho bohemia, and varying degrees ofexcitement with several husbands and lovers.
First published in 1967, A Touch of Mistletoe shows Barbara Comyns' originalvoice at its best, mixing a characteristic simplicity with a quiet butcunning wit.
'Everyone should read Barbara Comyns... There is no one to beat her when it comes to the uncanny.' - Rachel Cooke, Guardian
'Comyns's heroines, and her novels, are plaintive, strange, and robust all at once.' - TLS
'Our mother rather lost interest in us after the thirst got hold of her and, although our grandfather was vaguely fond of us, he certainly wasn't interested.'
This is the story of Blanche and Vicky. Following the death of their grandfather- in whose enormous Warwickshire house they live - their motherrelinquishes drink (to which she had taken in a big way) for the joys of frantichousework. Naturally the girls long to escape.
Blanche trains as a model at a dubious institution in London, and Vicky fleesto Holland and a purgatorial life as an au pair to a lot of dogs. But this is onlythe beginning and other adventures await them, including the poverty and cabbagesmells of one-room living, the charcoaled fingers of art school,drunkenness and cheap restaurants of Soho bohemia, and varying degrees ofexcitement with several husbands and lovers.
First published in 1967, A Touch of Mistletoe shows Barbara Comyns' originalvoice at its best, mixing a characteristic simplicity with a quiet butcunning wit.
'Everyone should read Barbara Comyns... There is no one to beat her when it comes to the uncanny.' - Rachel Cooke, Guardian
'Comyns's heroines, and her novels, are plaintive, strange, and robust all at once.' - TLS
Pages - 352
Binding - Paperback
Publisher - Daunt Books
Publication Date - 2021-10-19
ISBN - 9781911547860
Weight - 500 grams