2000-09-13 One of the funniest books you'll ever read

In Crampton Hodnet, Barbara Pym reaches the pinnacle of achievement of the English comic novel. Funnier, and with fewer 'dark corners' than her other novels, it is nevertheless full of trenchant observations and memorable characters. Pym captures to perfection the atmosphere of North Oxford in the 1930s. The abortive romance between the meek lady's companion Jessie Morrow and the self-satisfied curate Stephen Latimer is echoed in the equally unfulfilled relationship of idealistic Oxford student Barbara Bird and her married tutor, Francis Cleveland. This is a period piece, certainly, but is far more than that. If you've tried Barbara Pym in the past and found her books not to your taste, do give this one a try.