Excellent Women - Barbara Pym

First Published in 1952

My Edition: Blackstone Audiobook narrated by Jayne Entwistle


      Before I begin the bulk of this review for Barbara Pym's Excellent Women, I'd like to address what might be considered to some the principal consideration for selecting an audiobook, which is to say the narrator. Let's face it. Regardless of how amazing the writing is, if the reading sucks we aren't going to enjoy it. Having found an audiobook version of this novel on the Libby app, I couldn't decide if I would prefer to listen it or read my physical copy. The decision was made rather quickly after I realized the audiobook was narrated by Jayne Entwistle. If you're unfamiliar with Entwistle, she is the voice of the charmingly genius Flavia de Luce series from Alan Bradley. By far, she is top on my list of favorite voice actors. If you haven't heard anything she's read, please be sure and look for her on Audible or Libby.

     Mildred Lathbury is an "excellent woman", one who others see as a spinster with spare time to fill with charity work for others and generally being a safe shoulder to unburden their troubles on, while largely being overlooked and dismissed the remaining hours of the day. She longs to be in love and be loved, but those experiences seemed to have passed her by. Her life is going along quite mundanely until one day the new neighbors, Rocky and Helena Napier, move into her building and she begins to realize that she might not be as content with her life as she would lead others (and herself) to believe.

     Excellent Women is an understatedly clever look at society and it's rules and manners, particularly those regarding unmarried women, who if you've ever been one you will know that everyone around you will have an opinion of what they think is in your best interest. The novel is set in 1950s London, but maintains a quaint village feel through a small cast of characters and a relatively close area of action. Sprinkled throughout the story are little bits of what daily life was like in post-war England which is probably one of my favorite aspects of this novel. It's witty, and brilliant, and will quite possibly go down as my favorite novel of the year.

Comments