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Cold Comfort Farm

Penguin Classics

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Cold Comfort Farm

Written by: Stella Gibbons, Lynne Truss - introduction
Narrated by: Pearl Mackie
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Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Pearl Mackie, best known for her role in Dr Who.

When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex. At the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the doomed Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last twenty years. But Flora loves nothing better than to organize other people. Armed with common sense and a strong will, she resolves to take each of the family in hand. A hilarious and merciless parody of rural melodramas, Cold Comfort Farm (1932) is one of the best-loved comic novels of all time.

 Classics Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Comedy Witty Funny Comfort Farm
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Stella Gibbons is a genius, and Cold Comfort Farm is a thoroughly enjoyable no-stress read. Pearl Mackie gets the voices and pace just right and brings the comedy to life. This is a safe buy and a good book to fall asleep to or to listen to for a second time. All the better if you've recently re-read D. H. Lawrence, E. Bronte, E. Waugh or even J. Herriot.

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I have to say I had higher expectations from this book. I read it for Book Club, but I honestly can't find many positive features to comment on. The main character is implausible and self centered. None of the other characters seem to be well defined or memorable in any way, and there is no struggle. The book has no historical context, very little social tension that gets resolved without delay, and the small family drama is neither deep, nor really intriguing. In other words: It will be very easy to forget I've ever read it.

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