Member Review
Review by
Stephen D, Educator
'Darling' is a gloriously entertaining updating of Nancy Mitford's 'The Pursuit of Love' in which the narrator Frances describes her cousin Linda Radlett's amorous adventures. We first meet Linda and Frances growing up on the Alconleigh estate in Norfolk, home-educated by Linda's parents Aunt Sadie and Uncle Matthew (an ageing ex-rock star in this retelling). We follow Linda through two unsuccessful marriages, first to Tony Kroesig, the son of a wealthy UKIP donor, and then to Christian Talbot, an obscure socialist literary novelist, before she eventually appears to find happiness.
Writing about a bunch of rich eccentrics during a cost-of-living crisis is not without risks, but India Knight ensures that the Radletts are consistently lovable, unpretentious and aware of their privilege, in contrast to the Kroesigs whose desire for wealth and social advancement leaves them constantly unfulfilled. The novel thus felt like wonderful escapism - like Laurie Colwin's 'Happy All the Time', a novel about characters' whose struggles are not primarily economic. There is a real warmth to the way that India Knight writes about family and love - despite their verbal jousting, we are never in any doubt that the Radletts care deeply and fiercely about each other. One benefit of the modern setting is the candour with which the characters are able to speak about intimate matters, and many of the funniest lines of dialogue involve characters over-sharing.
Much as I enjoyed the central narrative, it was mostly the supporting characters who had me roaring with laughter. There are lots of great running gags, such as Uncle Matthew's veneration of 'A Streetcat Named Bob' as the pinnacle of Western literature and Davey's wellness fads ("Evacuation becomes an absolute dream, and I do think thorough evacuation's always the goal, don't you?"). Frances's mother, known universally as 'The Bolter', is just as much fun as in Mitford's original, and I was particularly tickled by the minor character Pooper Carmody (a wealthy friend of Tony) who is treated with the contempt he deserves.
I was partly drawn to the book by the blurb quotes from Katherine Heiny and Meg Mason, both of whose novels I adore (and both of whom I ended up reading after seeing India Knight's enthusiastic reviews in The Times). 'Darling' is very much a novel in the same vein as theirs, full of warmth, love and laughter, and an absolute delight to read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
Writing about a bunch of rich eccentrics during a cost-of-living crisis is not without risks, but India Knight ensures that the Radletts are consistently lovable, unpretentious and aware of their privilege, in contrast to the Kroesigs whose desire for wealth and social advancement leaves them constantly unfulfilled. The novel thus felt like wonderful escapism - like Laurie Colwin's 'Happy All the Time', a novel about characters' whose struggles are not primarily economic. There is a real warmth to the way that India Knight writes about family and love - despite their verbal jousting, we are never in any doubt that the Radletts care deeply and fiercely about each other. One benefit of the modern setting is the candour with which the characters are able to speak about intimate matters, and many of the funniest lines of dialogue involve characters over-sharing.
Much as I enjoyed the central narrative, it was mostly the supporting characters who had me roaring with laughter. There are lots of great running gags, such as Uncle Matthew's veneration of 'A Streetcat Named Bob' as the pinnacle of Western literature and Davey's wellness fads ("Evacuation becomes an absolute dream, and I do think thorough evacuation's always the goal, don't you?"). Frances's mother, known universally as 'The Bolter', is just as much fun as in Mitford's original, and I was particularly tickled by the minor character Pooper Carmody (a wealthy friend of Tony) who is treated with the contempt he deserves.
I was partly drawn to the book by the blurb quotes from Katherine Heiny and Meg Mason, both of whose novels I adore (and both of whom I ended up reading after seeing India Knight's enthusiastic reviews in The Times). 'Darling' is very much a novel in the same vein as theirs, full of warmth, love and laughter, and an absolute delight to read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
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