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Nothing to Report
“I have told Rose that there will be a chauffeur for dinner,” she ended, frowning slightly at the cannibalistic sound of her sentence.
Unmarried and nicknamed “Button” by her friends, Mary Morrison is a (very mildly) distressed gentlewoman. She no longer lives in her family home, but remains at the very centre of village life, surrounded by friends including carefree, irresponsible Catha, Lady Rollo, just back from India and setting up lavish housekeeping nearby with her husband and children—socialist Tony, perfect Crispin, and Elizabeth who’s preparing to be presented at Court. Then there’s Marcelle, Mary’s widowed sister-in-law, and her challenging daughter Rosemary, who may soon be planting themselves with her to escape London bombs, Miss Rosanna Masquerier, a historical novelist who might just be a wry self-portrait of the author, and an array of other Sirs and Ladies who rely on Mary’s sympathy and practicality. And perhaps there’s just a hint of romance as well . . .
Known for her bestselling historical fiction, in Nothing to Report Carola Oman delightfully evokes E.M. Delafield’s Provincial Lady in her portrayal of an English village cheerfully, hilariously, and sometimes bumpily progressing from obliviousness to the war’s approach to pulling together for king and country. Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow have also reprinted Oman’s Somewhere in England, a sequel to Nothing to Report.
Unmarried and nicknamed “Button” by her friends, Mary Morrison is a (very mildly) distressed gentlewoman. She no longer lives in her family home, but remains at the very centre of village life, surrounded by friends including carefree, irresponsible Catha, Lady Rollo, just back from India and setting up lavish housekeeping nearby with her husband and children—socialist Tony, perfect Crispin, and Elizabeth who’s preparing to be presented at Court. Then there’s Marcelle, Mary’s widowed sister-in-law, and her challenging daughter Rosemary, who may soon be planting themselves with her to escape London bombs, Miss Rosanna Masquerier, a historical novelist who might just be a wry self-portrait of the author, and an array of other Sirs and Ladies who rely on Mary’s sympathy and practicality. And perhaps there’s just a hint of romance as well . . .
Known for her bestselling historical fiction, in Nothing to Report Carola Oman delightfully evokes E.M. Delafield’s Provincial Lady in her portrayal of an English village cheerfully, hilariously, and sometimes bumpily progressing from obliviousness to the war’s approach to pulling together for king and country. Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow have also reprinted Oman’s Somewhere in England, a sequel to Nothing to Report.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1940
76 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Carola Oman
42 books11 followersDaughter of Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman.
As a child Oman wrote several plays that were performed by friends. Another early interest was photography. She was sent in 1906 to Miss Batty's, later Wychwood School in Oxford.She would have liked to have gone to boarding school, but her parents would not agree, and she continued at Miss Batty's until the spring of 1914.
The family moved in 1908 into Frewin Hall, now part of Brasenose College, Oxford.
Carola Oman worked as a VAD in England and then in France in 1918-19: soon after her 1919 discharge she met Gerald Foy Ray Lenanton (1896–1952) a soldier returning from France who would join his family business as a timber broker: married to Lenanton 26 April 1922, Oman became Lady Lenanton when her husband was knighted in 1946 for his World War II service as director of home timber production. The couple - who would remain childless - would from 1928 reside at Bride Hall, a Jacobean mansion in Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire. In 1965, Oman produced Ayot Rectory – A Family Memoir, about the Sneade family, who had lived in the village from 1780 to 1858.
The novelist Georgette Heyer was a lifelong friend, who even took the time to compile a 16-page index for Oman's Britain against Napoleon, published in 1942 by Faber and Faber. Another writer friend in Oxford was Joanna Cannan, who dedicated her 1931 novel High Table to Oman.
She died at Ayot St Lawrence on 11 June 1978.There is a memorial to her and her husband in the village church.
From Wikipedia.
As a child Oman wrote several plays that were performed by friends. Another early interest was photography. She was sent in 1906 to Miss Batty's, later Wychwood School in Oxford.She would have liked to have gone to boarding school, but her parents would not agree, and she continued at Miss Batty's until the spring of 1914.
The family moved in 1908 into Frewin Hall, now part of Brasenose College, Oxford.
Carola Oman worked as a VAD in England and then in France in 1918-19: soon after her 1919 discharge she met Gerald Foy Ray Lenanton (1896–1952) a soldier returning from France who would join his family business as a timber broker: married to Lenanton 26 April 1922, Oman became Lady Lenanton when her husband was knighted in 1946 for his World War II service as director of home timber production. The couple - who would remain childless - would from 1928 reside at Bride Hall, a Jacobean mansion in Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire. In 1965, Oman produced Ayot Rectory – A Family Memoir, about the Sneade family, who had lived in the village from 1780 to 1858.
The novelist Georgette Heyer was a lifelong friend, who even took the time to compile a 16-page index for Oman's Britain against Napoleon, published in 1942 by Faber and Faber. Another writer friend in Oxford was Joanna Cannan, who dedicated her 1931 novel High Table to Oman.
She died at Ayot St Lawrence on 11 June 1978.There is a memorial to her and her husband in the village church.
From Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 11, 2019
I was introduced to this author and book, Carola Oman's Nothing to Report from browsing over at Amazon and finding many new releases of older novels. I really appreciate publishers bringing these older works to be available on Kindle. Thanks to Dean Street Press for all their re-releases. I had no idea what to expect from this author but the year it was originally published, 1941 and the story starting in 1939. I love older books because we have a view of the past via the author's eyes. Below I added some author information at the back of the book. In the foreword section, an introduction of the author by her niece's husband is interesting. Though she was married, the couple did not have any children which I think helped Carola bring out Mary the main old maid character giving her a truthiness and more depth.
"Carola Mary Anima Oman was born in 1897 in Oxford, the second of three children of Sir Charles and Mary Oman. "
"On 26 April 1922, Carola Oman married Gerald Lenanton, and subsequently devoted most of her writing in the 1920s and 1930s to a series of historical novels, influenced in part by her close friend Georgette Heyer. "
"After two strokes, Carola Oman died at Bride Hall, Ayot St Laurence, on 11 June 1978. "
I had known that gas masks were worn during the second world war but I did not think they had special settings where they had masks tested with gas in a room or special car. I also found Carola brought out the feelings of the populace through her many characters which had a feeling of reality, living before and during the war, she writes, so you would imagine she has it right. Some are planning trips to Germany and where some think that is not prudent, others are eager to go. The German Zeplins flying over Mary's country town brought shivers down my spine from Carola's description and my knowing what is to come. In 1941, the war is on and America is not yet officially taken part, so the pull togetherness of many characters is very heartfelt and thinking of all the English and other countries had to deal with at this time.
I loved the main character Mary and her goodness in helping others which made me root for her and her friends. Can one live a happy life and not be married? Of course that is a big yes, but I think having others to help makes that life full and very rewarding, and knowing that life is not always happy which makes the happy times more precious.
The story in short- Mary's friend Catha comes back home after being away with her husband in India and their friendship continues which is beneficial to both. Lots of minor characters which adds extra charm and humor to this story. History is happening and people are living their lives.
When I was reading this, I kept being reminded of Angela Thirkell's novels which being humor and characters which seem quite believable.
I am reading Carola sequel to this, "Somewhere in England." Looking forward to see what comes next.
There are a handful of errors in my edition but other than that great navigation.
💖
"Carola Mary Anima Oman was born in 1897 in Oxford, the second of three children of Sir Charles and Mary Oman. "
"On 26 April 1922, Carola Oman married Gerald Lenanton, and subsequently devoted most of her writing in the 1920s and 1930s to a series of historical novels, influenced in part by her close friend Georgette Heyer. "
"After two strokes, Carola Oman died at Bride Hall, Ayot St Laurence, on 11 June 1978. "
I had known that gas masks were worn during the second world war but I did not think they had special settings where they had masks tested with gas in a room or special car. I also found Carola brought out the feelings of the populace through her many characters which had a feeling of reality, living before and during the war, she writes, so you would imagine she has it right. Some are planning trips to Germany and where some think that is not prudent, others are eager to go. The German Zeplins flying over Mary's country town brought shivers down my spine from Carola's description and my knowing what is to come. In 1941, the war is on and America is not yet officially taken part, so the pull togetherness of many characters is very heartfelt and thinking of all the English and other countries had to deal with at this time.
I loved the main character Mary and her goodness in helping others which made me root for her and her friends. Can one live a happy life and not be married? Of course that is a big yes, but I think having others to help makes that life full and very rewarding, and knowing that life is not always happy which makes the happy times more precious.
The story in short- Mary's friend Catha comes back home after being away with her husband in India and their friendship continues which is beneficial to both. Lots of minor characters which adds extra charm and humor to this story. History is happening and people are living their lives.
When I was reading this, I kept being reminded of Angela Thirkell's novels which being humor and characters which seem quite believable.
I am reading Carola sequel to this, "Somewhere in England." Looking forward to see what comes next.
There are a handful of errors in my edition but other than that great navigation.
💖
June 20, 2022
Set in the village of Westbury-on-the-Green in 1939, as war is looming on the horizon. Mary is living in the shadow of her former home, (which was sold to a girls school), in The Willows, two cottages which have been knocked into one. She is at the heart of village life, and the novel is full of her friends and family, all coming to her for her advice or help. She seems to have so many friends, I struggled at times to keep track of them all. Primarily, there is Lady Catha Rollo, her best friend who has recently returned from India and decided to settle in the village with her family, including Elizabeth, who is coming out.
Told with gentle humour, I think this is a charming book that will appeal to fans of Miss Read and Elizabeth Fair, the latter having previously had her books published by Furrowed Middlebrow as well.
Told with gentle humour, I think this is a charming book that will appeal to fans of Miss Read and Elizabeth Fair, the latter having previously had her books published by Furrowed Middlebrow as well.
July 12, 2020
A strange novel - rather more a flowing description of village life at a critical point in time rather than a novel with a definite plot or conclusion. There is a huge carousel of characters ranging from the Dowager Lady Merle to the village girls who work as maids and cleaners. An improbable number of titled gentry inhabit the local district but it is Mary Morrison with her spirit of noblesse oblige who is the lynch pin of the local war effort by organising gas mask testing, running the local first aid post, etc. Her family were once the local squires and though she has been forced to sell the former family home and live in a much smaller cottage, she retains her sense of civic duty towards her fellow villagers and countrymen.
This book is entirely driven by the characters and their relationships, their financial status, and their connection to the village. Catha Rollo, returning with her husband from a life in the Colonial Service in India, is an old school friend of Mary's and settles locally but really doesn't seem to fit in. She is charming but carelessly manipulative, trading on Mary's friendship for support in so many ways, paying her dues only in mercenary terms by way of invitations to Ascot or to grand parties. The Dowager Lady Merle describes her as "a pleasant but futile woman", a devastatingly acute description which Mary is forced to acknowledge as true, though it had taken her twenty-five years to see it for herself.
The extensive cast of characters is both a strength and a weakness - not every character can be fully developed (though Oman paints some excellent cameos to evoke a whole backstory in a few sentences) and it can be hugely confusing to get them all apart and remember which characters are related, whether they dislike each other, who they marry, which property they own etc. But essentially this is like real life where many people are a small thread interwoven in the overall tapestry of village life and it adds to the verisimilitude of the whole work.
The description of life in the country under the growing fear of the coming war is sensitive and beautifully evoked.
This book is entirely driven by the characters and their relationships, their financial status, and their connection to the village. Catha Rollo, returning with her husband from a life in the Colonial Service in India, is an old school friend of Mary's and settles locally but really doesn't seem to fit in. She is charming but carelessly manipulative, trading on Mary's friendship for support in so many ways, paying her dues only in mercenary terms by way of invitations to Ascot or to grand parties. The Dowager Lady Merle describes her as "a pleasant but futile woman", a devastatingly acute description which Mary is forced to acknowledge as true, though it had taken her twenty-five years to see it for herself.
The extensive cast of characters is both a strength and a weakness - not every character can be fully developed (though Oman paints some excellent cameos to evoke a whole backstory in a few sentences) and it can be hugely confusing to get them all apart and remember which characters are related, whether they dislike each other, who they marry, which property they own etc. But essentially this is like real life where many people are a small thread interwoven in the overall tapestry of village life and it adds to the verisimilitude of the whole work.
The description of life in the country under the growing fear of the coming war is sensitive and beautifully evoked.
May 5, 2020
A quiet, enjoyable look at English village life in the lead-up to, and early months of, World War II. The book was published in 1940, so the end of the war was, of course, unknown, which adds gravity to the story. We see the unfolding events through the eyes of Mary Morrison, a kind, level-headed, early-middle-aged gentlewoman who, like many at the time, has come down a bit in the world (she sold her local estate and is living in two cottages), but who is actively engaged with the local community. The catalyst of the story is that Mary's wealthy best friend Catha, Lady Rollo, moves to town after a stint in India with her diplomat husband.
I say it's a catalyst, but that's perhaps too strong a word. As the title hints, the story is made up of small events in the everyday lives of the characters--so, despite my early expectations, although Catha and her family are integral to events, they aren't always its primary focus. The book is charming, gently humorous, and interesting, with one flaw: I had a terrible time keeping all the characters straight. There are a LOT of them, and, as another reviewer notes, they often are called by different names (their titles, or nicknames), and so I was often confused. Mary also entertains a steady stream of house guests, so there are a lot of people milling about the place. On the other hand, it does effectively convey a sense of the busy parade of country life.
"Nothing to Report" is a perceptive look at a way of life at the advent of great social change, written as the change was happening. This is another lovely reissue from Dean Street Press; and I will certainly move on to the sequel, "Somewhere in England"--quickly, before I forget who everyone is!
I say it's a catalyst, but that's perhaps too strong a word. As the title hints, the story is made up of small events in the everyday lives of the characters--so, despite my early expectations, although Catha and her family are integral to events, they aren't always its primary focus. The book is charming, gently humorous, and interesting, with one flaw: I had a terrible time keeping all the characters straight. There are a LOT of them, and, as another reviewer notes, they often are called by different names (their titles, or nicknames), and so I was often confused. Mary also entertains a steady stream of house guests, so there are a lot of people milling about the place. On the other hand, it does effectively convey a sense of the busy parade of country life.
"Nothing to Report" is a perceptive look at a way of life at the advent of great social change, written as the change was happening. This is another lovely reissue from Dean Street Press; and I will certainly move on to the sequel, "Somewhere in England"--quickly, before I forget who everyone is!
May 17, 2020
A woman prepares for war. Except that there is far more going on than war preparation going on in this book originally published in 1940, now republished by Furrowed Middlebrow at Dean Street Press. This is the story of Mary Morrison, an older single woman who lives in a converted school on the edge of her family’s old large house and estate. Willows, her cottage, is an important part of the book, as the focus of many of Mary’s thoughts. She lives a busy life, dealing with her godchildren and younger relatives, providing a buffer zone between them and their distracted parents. She deals with friends and various relatives, old friends whose lives have moved on or stagnated.
As war approaches Mary is brushing up her nursing experience and her running of various organisations for young women. There are set pieces, such as tennis parties, Ascot and other events, and the clothes are carefully described as well as the minor crisis which affects the main participants. There are some fascinating characters including Catha, Lady Rollo, and her bright daughter Elizabeth, socialist Tony and Rosemary, actress. Mary plans everything carefully, writes things down on her “engagement block”, works out her clothes and her travel arrangements. She is good in a crisis, finding a suitable gown for her imperious friend, dealing with surprise guests and coping with illness. Mary is generally one of life’s copers, popular for who she knows and her ability to get things done. People know that she knows people who can influence things, especially with the onset of war. Although she is described carefully, this novel is not written in her voice which reflects the style of writing at the time.
The book opens with Mary helping her friend Catha to search for a house after her return from India with her husband and two of her children. Catha’s oldest child is Tony, who comes to find Mary as he claims that his parents do not understand him. Tony is a presence in Mary’s home for some time, and brings some of his interesting friends with him. Mary also worries about Elizabeth, Catha’s fragile debutante daughter, wise beyond her years in some ways, full of “the courage of youth”. Mary is also secretly concerned about her old friend, Kit Hungerford, who has also lived a quiet life for many years. Will Mary be willing and able to keep being the helpful friend and guardian to all and sundry when war is formally declared?
This is a fascinating and enjoyable book which features a likable character doing her best while some fairly outrageous characters create relative mayhem around her. I really enjoyed all the small details of her life, including putting complicated letters in the “difficult” part of her desk. She frets about certain things, wants to concentrate on the racing at the social event which is Ascot, wonders whether she makes the right decisions. She is concerned with servants that have been known to her family for years, even going out of her way to arrange for work and other social engagements for them. This is an absolutely fascinating portrait of a woman on the eve of war, written from a contemporary viewpoint without the benefit of knowing what will happen when war begins. The blackout which will be a concern for all households is mentioned as Catha has not hung blackout but is depending on shutters in her huge house. Young women are still being presented despite the oncoming conflict. Small details, tiny pieces give the full story of a very strange time, from the perspective of a quiet but remarkable woman, and I would love to read the sequel, also published by Dean Street Press.
As war approaches Mary is brushing up her nursing experience and her running of various organisations for young women. There are set pieces, such as tennis parties, Ascot and other events, and the clothes are carefully described as well as the minor crisis which affects the main participants. There are some fascinating characters including Catha, Lady Rollo, and her bright daughter Elizabeth, socialist Tony and Rosemary, actress. Mary plans everything carefully, writes things down on her “engagement block”, works out her clothes and her travel arrangements. She is good in a crisis, finding a suitable gown for her imperious friend, dealing with surprise guests and coping with illness. Mary is generally one of life’s copers, popular for who she knows and her ability to get things done. People know that she knows people who can influence things, especially with the onset of war. Although she is described carefully, this novel is not written in her voice which reflects the style of writing at the time.
The book opens with Mary helping her friend Catha to search for a house after her return from India with her husband and two of her children. Catha’s oldest child is Tony, who comes to find Mary as he claims that his parents do not understand him. Tony is a presence in Mary’s home for some time, and brings some of his interesting friends with him. Mary also worries about Elizabeth, Catha’s fragile debutante daughter, wise beyond her years in some ways, full of “the courage of youth”. Mary is also secretly concerned about her old friend, Kit Hungerford, who has also lived a quiet life for many years. Will Mary be willing and able to keep being the helpful friend and guardian to all and sundry when war is formally declared?
This is a fascinating and enjoyable book which features a likable character doing her best while some fairly outrageous characters create relative mayhem around her. I really enjoyed all the small details of her life, including putting complicated letters in the “difficult” part of her desk. She frets about certain things, wants to concentrate on the racing at the social event which is Ascot, wonders whether she makes the right decisions. She is concerned with servants that have been known to her family for years, even going out of her way to arrange for work and other social engagements for them. This is an absolutely fascinating portrait of a woman on the eve of war, written from a contemporary viewpoint without the benefit of knowing what will happen when war begins. The blackout which will be a concern for all households is mentioned as Catha has not hung blackout but is depending on shutters in her huge house. Young women are still being presented despite the oncoming conflict. Small details, tiny pieces give the full story of a very strange time, from the perspective of a quiet but remarkable woman, and I would love to read the sequel, also published by Dean Street Press.
June 20, 2022
Another GR's reviewer (Carol ~ She’s so Novel) mentioned this author as being a friend of Georgette Heyer, so I went hunting to see if Carola Oman could become a 'not Georgette Heyer' but with enough similarities to count as a newly discovered favourite of mine.
The writing style has a pseudo blend of Georgette Heyer, D.E. Stevenson , and Miss. Read. Though unlike those authors, Carola Oman has nearly every chapter ending abruptly and then the hanging portion of the previous chapter is covered casually somewhere in the next chapter. That aspect took me a while to adjust to it, I nearly didn’t keep reading.
The format is a diaried account during the onset of WWII of the unmarried, forty-ish, Mary Morrison: think of the Mrs. Tim styled diary by D.E Stevenson. Similar to many of Heyer's main characters, our heroine is not a wilting rose or stunningly beautiful – like her “pleasant but futile” married friend Catha Rollo - nor is she a Mary-Sue. Our Mary is witty, capable, and an integral, respected, part of the busy English village she lives in - a very Miss Read sort of village; and, the romance/s happening seem to seep subtly through the main structure of the story (rather Heyer-ish).
I am so pleased I stuck with this book as the ending was satisfying enough, and hanging enough, that I want to read its sequel, Somewhere in England
I hope someone, in one of my book groups, that can review books more succinctly than I can reads this book ….
The writing style has a pseudo blend of Georgette Heyer, D.E. Stevenson , and Miss. Read. Though unlike those authors, Carola Oman has nearly every chapter ending abruptly and then the hanging portion of the previous chapter is covered casually somewhere in the next chapter. That aspect took me a while to adjust to it, I nearly didn’t keep reading.
The format is a diaried account during the onset of WWII of the unmarried, forty-ish, Mary Morrison: think of the Mrs. Tim styled diary by D.E Stevenson. Similar to many of Heyer's main characters, our heroine is not a wilting rose or stunningly beautiful – like her “pleasant but futile” married friend Catha Rollo - nor is she a Mary-Sue. Our Mary is witty, capable, and an integral, respected, part of the busy English village she lives in - a very Miss Read sort of village; and, the romance/s happening seem to seep subtly through the main structure of the story (rather Heyer-ish).
I am so pleased I stuck with this book as the ending was satisfying enough, and hanging enough, that I want to read its sequel, Somewhere in England
I hope someone, in one of my book groups, that can review books more succinctly than I can reads this book ….
July 8, 2024
This is the first Furrowed Middlebrow book that left me feeling let down, and there's one clear reason for that - no through line at all. Reading this I was reminded of the Provincial Lady series, or Mrs. Tim books, or Miss Read, or the Barsetshire series by Thirkell, (or Trollope himself), except they all have some kind of over-arching plot, and this book had nothing. Even the Provincial Lady stories, which are thinnest on plot lines, have one or two ideas running through each book. This is strictly a series of vignettes from the MCs life about her neighbors and relatives, but the story doesn't go anywhere until very near the end.
And the ending brings up another problem for me - the MC is too detached from the events, too unemotional for me to really care what happens to her. This book has a huge cast of characters, and I cared about a few of them, until I realized they might never appear again. So there was no one for me to root for here. In the end I felt like I'd read a random assortment of articles from the social column of a small town newspaper - interesting enough as bits of folks lives, but not satisfying as a novel for me.
NB - In a similar vein but much more satisfying I can recommend any of the books I mentioned above, or the Furrowed Middlebrow books Spam Tomorrow or Company in the Evening. And all the Mrs. Tim books have been rereleased by Middlebrow, too!
And the ending brings up another problem for me - the MC is too detached from the events, too unemotional for me to really care what happens to her. This book has a huge cast of characters, and I cared about a few of them, until I realized they might never appear again. So there was no one for me to root for here. In the end I felt like I'd read a random assortment of articles from the social column of a small town newspaper - interesting enough as bits of folks lives, but not satisfying as a novel for me.
NB - In a similar vein but much more satisfying I can recommend any of the books I mentioned above, or the Furrowed Middlebrow books Spam Tomorrow or Company in the Evening. And all the Mrs. Tim books have been rereleased by Middlebrow, too!
December 31, 2020
The protagonist of Nothing to Report , Mary Morrison, reminded me a little of a Barbara Pym heroine. She is middle aged and unmarried and therefore quite put upon by her friends and relations in their expectation that she will support them in whatever fashion they deem necessary. Other than that, there really isn’t any plot to speak of. Mary ends up being useful for her friends, the Rollo family, who move to her countryside neighborhood after many years in India. She assists her widowed sister and law and niece. She tries to help her unhappily married London friend. She goes to Ascot. She goes to Wimbledon. She goes to a coming out ball. She trains local women to become nurses in preparation for the looming war, she having served in WWI. There is a hint of romance in quite a few characters, some which is realized by the end and some which is left tantalizingly open ended.
Reading this book was almost exotic in its depiction of upper class Britain on the cusp of World War II. It was written for the British reading public of 1940 England and not a 21st century, middle class American.
Reading this book was almost exotic in its depiction of upper class Britain on the cusp of World War II. It was written for the British reading public of 1940 England and not a 21st century, middle class American.
May 8, 2021
I have developed an affinity for interwar British novels, which prompted me to pick this one up. I have been reading a lot of Angela Thirkell and hoped for more in that vein, which it sort of is, except nothing *happens*. Until the last 10% of the book. I had lost interest by then and only skimmed it so I could mark it as finished. Meh.
August 31, 2020
I abandoned this book. There really was nothing to report.
September 28, 2023
Not my favorite Furrowed Middlebrow book so far, but it was decent. Carola Oman’s writing style is similar to D.E. Stevenson, but without as much sparkle and amusement. This story reminded me a lot of the first Mrs.Tim book, except that it really didn’t keep my interest and I kept forgetting who was who.
I liked the main character of Mary Morrison and, up until the middle of the book, I was hopeful. Sadly, I had the hardest time getting through the last quarter of the book and I felt disconnected to the ending.
Maybe it was just the wrong time to read my first Carola Oman book. I believe there’s another book that comes after this one, so I’ll give this author another try.
I liked the main character of Mary Morrison and, up until the middle of the book, I was hopeful. Sadly, I had the hardest time getting through the last quarter of the book and I felt disconnected to the ending.
Maybe it was just the wrong time to read my first Carola Oman book. I believe there’s another book that comes after this one, so I’ll give this author another try.
July 17, 2021
A mildly enjoyable story of life among the upper class residents of an English village in the months leading up to WW2. We get occasional glimpses of the lives of the lower orders, but it is mainly the toffs who concern us. The main character, Mary Morrison, is a well off single lady in her 40s who has numerous friends and relations - in fact, rather too many, I found it hard to keep track of who was who. I couldn’t remember who we were going to Ascot with, and whose coming out ball it was. I would have preferred fewer characters portrayed in more detail.
October 6, 2023
This is just like getting time-travel dropped in a little English village and all its goings on in 1939. Many characters are introduced (some with multiple names), there are multiple named houses, and the tension about the upcoming war (with all the attendant preparation) is well depicted. Occasionally I wasn't sure exactly what was going on or who was being discussed, but that's what happens when we eavesdrop on an on-going conversation.
Written before the war ended, it's poignant, and Mary Morrison is an excellent Austen-esque heroine (gently born now in reduced circumstances with facets of Elinor Dashwood, Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Wodehouse and Anne Eliot all mixed) taking on whatever life throws at her.
There's also a delightfully understated (VERY UNDERSTATED!) love story that made me happy sigh at the end. I'm really grateful this was reprinted by Dean Street Press.
Written before the war ended, it's poignant, and Mary Morrison is an excellent Austen-esque heroine (gently born now in reduced circumstances with facets of Elinor Dashwood, Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Wodehouse and Anne Eliot all mixed) taking on whatever life throws at her.
There's also a delightfully understated (VERY UNDERSTATED!) love story that made me happy sigh at the end. I'm really grateful this was reprinted by Dean Street Press.
February 27, 2026
I thought I would enjoy this, but did not. The characters are very judgemental and there is so much emphasis on people's appearance. A hugely privileged and discriminatory class. The plot is disjointed. I liked best the last few pages, when the war has got going and it's clear what an effect it is having on people's lives.
May 3, 2020
This is a snapshot of a particular stratum of English society at a particular time - the outbreak of WW2. As such, it is imbued with a certain amount of nostalgia, but as it was written by someone who lived in that milieu and time, it is authentic. I’m not going to tell the story. Enough to say it is told from the beady eyed perspective of an old maid who knows everybody and their past, and it is always witty and sometimes VERY FUNNY. A perfect escape from a world facing another war: the pandemic.
March 1, 2022
Julia Dunstan, to her surprise, has inherited a small house from a distant uncle and in a bout of sudden generosity invites her cousin Dora to live with her. Julia hasn't seen Dora since they were playmates from childhood, and finds that their personalities aren't as convivial as memory serves.
This novel of a small village and its characters was entertaining. We meet the vicar, Alaric Pope, and his sister, both of whom are troubled by Miss Brigg. Miss Brigg loves to drop in whenever the spirit moves and make sure Alaric has all he needs. Could Miss Brigg possibly have an ulterior motive?
Small town dramas, conundrums with servants, and the quirks of the gentry abound in this lighthearted depiction of life in this small English village. In addition there is matchmaking, as Marion Prentice, engaged to a missionary (Hubert) is deemed to be an unsuitable partner by her good friend Harriet. Harriet's ploy to bring Marion together with an eligible suitor in the neighborhood seems destined to succeed... but will it?
"You must come to tea," she said kindly. "Are you interested in bees?"
"I know nothing about them."
"Perhaps you like goldfish. Or tortoises? I have a sweet tortoise called Michael, after my uncle. My uncle is dead."
Robert felt - and looked - baffled. He did not know whether to congratulate her on her tortoise or commiserate with her over her uncle's death. After a short pause he said that tortoises weren't really in his line, either."
An enjoyable light read.
This novel of a small village and its characters was entertaining. We meet the vicar, Alaric Pope, and his sister, both of whom are troubled by Miss Brigg. Miss Brigg loves to drop in whenever the spirit moves and make sure Alaric has all he needs. Could Miss Brigg possibly have an ulterior motive?
Small town dramas, conundrums with servants, and the quirks of the gentry abound in this lighthearted depiction of life in this small English village. In addition there is matchmaking, as Marion Prentice, engaged to a missionary (Hubert) is deemed to be an unsuitable partner by her good friend Harriet. Harriet's ploy to bring Marion together with an eligible suitor in the neighborhood seems destined to succeed... but will it?
"You must come to tea," she said kindly. "Are you interested in bees?"
"I know nothing about them."
"Perhaps you like goldfish. Or tortoises? I have a sweet tortoise called Michael, after my uncle. My uncle is dead."
Robert felt - and looked - baffled. He did not know whether to congratulate her on her tortoise or commiserate with her over her uncle's death. After a short pause he said that tortoises weren't really in his line, either."
An enjoyable light read.
April 28, 2020
I loved this book as it gave me a view into the life of Brits in WWII, including my mom who was in the ATS. I loved the character of Mary and her wisdom through it all. Of course, there were foolish and spoiled types as well. That’s what makes this book so readable, funny at times and bittersweet. Wonderful read!
September 3, 2021
I didn’t finish it. No story line.
October 24, 2021
Really 3 1/2 stars, but GR doesn't do 1/2 stars.
September 17, 2022
4 Stars
Charming and funny.
Charming and funny.
June 9, 2020
This book caused me considerable difficulty. When I was more than half-way through it was teetering on three stars tipping toward two. Then when I had finished it I went back to check a couple of things and read it through again. I like rereading a favourite book but this was the first time I reread back-to-back. Or more accurately front-to-back-to-front-to-back. The second time through it went considerably faster.
The prime difficulty, one which should actually draw this down to three stars was that there are entirely too many characters and most of them have too many names. The Heroine of the tale is Mary Morrison often called Button, or Auntie Bee by her niece. I manage that fairly quickly, but there are scores of others who sometimes have nick-names and sometimes have titles and sometimes have the same title; Lady Merle, for example is often the ancient dowager who looks like Queen Elisabeth but may also be Violet, Button's arty school-chum. I read this on a Kindle. I would not recommend trying to read it printed. If not for the Kindle search function I would have been even more at sea than I often was. Who is "Little Taylor" - surely not the Rector of Westbury-on-the-Hill? The pompous ass who posted a sign forbidding the casting of rice and confetti outside his church at a village wedding. The buoyant Miss Pamela Wallis taxed the bishop about this. Taxing bishops is not normally acceptable social behaviour but "'It's all right, or at any rate better than you know,' explained Mary. 'He married her parents and christened her and confirmed her. She's a Merle grandchild.'" (Chap. VI).
The first time through though I had to look up Pamela more than once even though she is a colourful character. She disappears for long bits, as did the Misses Hill, of whom there are three. We have Mrs Morrison and her daughter Rosemary – Mrs, not Miss, is Mary's deceased brother's widow and her child, She is also known as Marcelle. Not to be confused with Miss Rosanna Masquerier the well-known historical novelist who some readers have suspected is a fictitious portrait of Ms Oman herself.
There is also the wet-blanket Mrs Bates, able to present the worst possible interpretation of any event. Somehow she knows still everything and is always right, despite being mostly confined to her home crippled with rheumatism. There should be a note when she is first introduced saying pay attention to what she says.
I have not even mentioned the other principle characters, the Rollo family, headed by Tim aka Sir Daubeny, and his wife, Catha, who is Button's other old school-chum. The Rollos have recently returned from India where Tim made a fortune. Their eldest son Tony is a Bolshevik reading at Oxford, while his younger brother Crispin is "perfect". Their daughter Elisabeth is a débutante.
Nor have I mentioned the lower classes: Doris is Button's live-in house maid, she began in this position at age 14 but at the time of the story is 15½ and completely capable of working full-time and assuming responsibility for any messages, sudden visitors, and the house. Her friend, Rose, is Mary's cook; she also has "a garden boy", but other than these three Mary has to do for herself.
Ted Squirl is perfectly willing to marry Florence Potts but has cold feet on the day, hating to stand at the alter like a "Stuckey". Whatever that may be.
Mary is not a snob, though moving in overclass circles and completely happy with the class structure as it is. She happily finds time to chat with Catha's maid Ada at the inaugural ball at the Rollo's newly purchased family mansion, Crossgrove, and even with Florence's mother Mrs Higgs who is brought in to help. (Doris calls her "Missisix). Her son Albert was pantry boy at Woodside, Mary's ancestral home, but Mary recommends him as footman to Catha Rollo. Sir Daubeny will not be the worst master he has had:
"In the first situation I was in the North, my lady's first husband, who was a frequent guest, habitually threw his boots at me if they were not polished to his liking. The gentleman was a Russian nobleman.'
Mary longed to say, 'You have lived, Albert!' and, 'Sir Daubeny won't do that,' but contented herself with, 'You'll find Crossgrove a nice change then.'
And after that,' continued Albert, apparently revelling in the memory, 'I went on to the gentleman from South Africa, what was killed motoring. Another very hot-tempered gentleman. My late master, who had the accident with the rook rifle, only had his moments of being put out, so to speak. More melancholy-like, one would say.'"
Unfortunately members of the underclass are often used to comic effect as their names suggest or in the case of Mrs Higgs who never uses her false teeth except on Sunday.
Mary is busy in village life and in the Red Cross and works as an administrative nurse – as well as I comprehend – her practical duties are not recorded, except for attending meetings and arranging things for other people to do, particularly the volunteer nurses. She still finds time to visit her friends, run up to London, take a three weeks holiday in Scotland and visit Ascot – at least on Gold Cup Day. Also she falls in love, or possibly rekindles love. As a romance novel this is a total bust. Mary is 43 years old and generally happy living by herself in her cottage at Willows. "Converted seventeenth century cottages, rich in oak beams and elm floors, have their disadvantages, reflected Miss Morrison drowsily..." (Chap. I)
There is considerable description of natural beauty, often a catalogue of whatever flowers are blooming – in the garden or transported into vases in houses. There are significant descriptions of buildings and home furnishings and even more so of women's fashion; their dresses, the material used, the cut, the hat.
"The violet of Miss Elizabeth Rollo’s brief-skirted check gown was that of the indelible pencil. The remainder of her gala costume consisted of high-heeled sandals, fish-net stockings and gloves, and a handbag capable of swallowing all she wore with the exception of the cartwheel hat." This costume is referred to in a later passage as one born by "a débutante of undeniable chic". (Chap. IX)
I stumbled onto Mrs Oman as I am a huge fan of Angela Thirkell and they write somewhat in the same grain. Both are witty and erudite and well read. Angela's earlier novels, in the Barsetshire series, were also a struggle to begin as she flung in all the main characters at once. I learned to read the first chapter or two, wait a day and then begin again. In later books she paces herself better and her cast of dramatis personae is probably only a third of Mrs Oman's. Angela is considerably more fun. Mrs Oman also has a subtle wit, at times possibly too subtle for me to understand, separated by half a century and a different culture, but her witticisms are not as plentiful. Angela is also a bit more romantic, there is usually a least a couple of young women in need of a husband, or men in want of a wife.
I bought the book on the strength of the one-liner blurb in the advertisement:
“I have told Rose that there will be a chauffeur for dinner,” [Mary] ended, frowning slightly at the cannibalistic sound of her sentence." (Chap. I)
This was a bit of a come-on as such flagrant wit is otherwise largely absent. Still there are a few memorable passages, nor all they always merely witty:
"...'But in my heart I know that the poor creature has no sense. I sometimes attribute it to her having not a drop of Scottish blood.'
'From the giddy and godless South,’ quoted Lady Rollo, ‘Good Lord deliver us.’" (Chap. I) I have been unable to discover the source of this quotation.
“'Rooks always seem to me to be crying ‘Far! Far!’ said Miss Morrison, watching them." (Chap. I)
"...crumpets are death to female charm.” (Chap. II)
"The morning was one which made one want to walk slowly and draw long breaths. She was anxious to see how the cowslips were coming on in the field beyond the orchard." (Chap. IV)
“'The next six weeks are my favourites in the whole year,' sighed Mary. 'They’re what I call the real "Shakespeare’s England" weeks.'" (Chap IV: April 14th- April 18th)
There is, of course, a serious note struck as this is 1939.
"... he was killed in the last war. Oh, dear! I will not say ‘the last war’ as if we were bound to have another.” (Chap. IV)
World events encroach on the congeniality of a tennis party:
"Of course, for all I know, the Baron may not be Nazi, and the Doctor may not be Non-Aryan." (Chap. VI). "Non-Aryan" is no doubt a euphemism for "Jew".
"...a Merle grandchild. Mr. Christopher Hungerford, after an early career somewhat resembling that of Prince Hal, had, to his relatives’ stupefaction, settled down to unremitting toil in an eminent firm of stockbrokers..." (aka "Kit)
"...It’s possibly the last Ascot any of us will ever see. Don’t be defeatist, Kit.” (Chap. VIII)
Comic foreigners have been popular in English novels since Wilkie Collins, at least.
"Lady Wilson’s new manservant had a complexion of warmer hue than was customary for one of his profession in this neighbourhood. He wore a grey alpaca jacket, which very nearly matched his greying hair, cut en brosse. He had small, dark brown eyes, pendulous rosy cheeks, reminiscent of nectarines, and a double chin. He was about five feet two inches in height, and had, apparently, not one word of English." (Chap. VIII)
"Mrs. Gibson was almost beautiful, in a noble, out-of-door manner that recalled to the memory statues of classic goddesses in the basements of museums, Indeed, so strong was this resemblance, that Mary often noticed with surprise that her friend had neither a head nor a hand knocked off." (Chap. VIII) I suggest that this is over-the-top.
"Violet’s dressing-room was a revelation to Mary, and would have delighted anyone with a low opinion of the idle rich..." (Chap. X)
"...the elder Rollo son arrived late, dressed in an oil-stained khaki linen mechanic’s costume." This is hardly the thing to wear at a wedding – normally. (Chap. XII)
"'I don't like the thought of leaving you here while I go off to perfect safety and security.'
'I've had forty-three years of the best,' said Mary, 'and I'm beginning to be afraid that a great many of us here have come to think too much of those two words for some time past...'" (Chap. XII)
As in Angela Thirkell's books from this time, as in other author's books of this time, an air of poignancy is added by the fact that all of these silly people will soon be thrown into a world war. Who knows who will emerge. I have recently purchased the sequel: Somewhere in England.
The prime difficulty, one which should actually draw this down to three stars was that there are entirely too many characters and most of them have too many names. The Heroine of the tale is Mary Morrison often called Button, or Auntie Bee by her niece. I manage that fairly quickly, but there are scores of others who sometimes have nick-names and sometimes have titles and sometimes have the same title; Lady Merle, for example is often the ancient dowager who looks like Queen Elisabeth but may also be Violet, Button's arty school-chum. I read this on a Kindle. I would not recommend trying to read it printed. If not for the Kindle search function I would have been even more at sea than I often was. Who is "Little Taylor" - surely not the Rector of Westbury-on-the-Hill? The pompous ass who posted a sign forbidding the casting of rice and confetti outside his church at a village wedding. The buoyant Miss Pamela Wallis taxed the bishop about this. Taxing bishops is not normally acceptable social behaviour but "'It's all right, or at any rate better than you know,' explained Mary. 'He married her parents and christened her and confirmed her. She's a Merle grandchild.'" (Chap. VI).
The first time through though I had to look up Pamela more than once even though she is a colourful character. She disappears for long bits, as did the Misses Hill, of whom there are three. We have Mrs Morrison and her daughter Rosemary – Mrs, not Miss, is Mary's deceased brother's widow and her child, She is also known as Marcelle. Not to be confused with Miss Rosanna Masquerier the well-known historical novelist who some readers have suspected is a fictitious portrait of Ms Oman herself.
There is also the wet-blanket Mrs Bates, able to present the worst possible interpretation of any event. Somehow she knows still everything and is always right, despite being mostly confined to her home crippled with rheumatism. There should be a note when she is first introduced saying pay attention to what she says.
I have not even mentioned the other principle characters, the Rollo family, headed by Tim aka Sir Daubeny, and his wife, Catha, who is Button's other old school-chum. The Rollos have recently returned from India where Tim made a fortune. Their eldest son Tony is a Bolshevik reading at Oxford, while his younger brother Crispin is "perfect". Their daughter Elisabeth is a débutante.
Nor have I mentioned the lower classes: Doris is Button's live-in house maid, she began in this position at age 14 but at the time of the story is 15½ and completely capable of working full-time and assuming responsibility for any messages, sudden visitors, and the house. Her friend, Rose, is Mary's cook; she also has "a garden boy", but other than these three Mary has to do for herself.
Ted Squirl is perfectly willing to marry Florence Potts but has cold feet on the day, hating to stand at the alter like a "Stuckey". Whatever that may be.
Mary is not a snob, though moving in overclass circles and completely happy with the class structure as it is. She happily finds time to chat with Catha's maid Ada at the inaugural ball at the Rollo's newly purchased family mansion, Crossgrove, and even with Florence's mother Mrs Higgs who is brought in to help. (Doris calls her "Missisix). Her son Albert was pantry boy at Woodside, Mary's ancestral home, but Mary recommends him as footman to Catha Rollo. Sir Daubeny will not be the worst master he has had:
"In the first situation I was in the North, my lady's first husband, who was a frequent guest, habitually threw his boots at me if they were not polished to his liking. The gentleman was a Russian nobleman.'
Mary longed to say, 'You have lived, Albert!' and, 'Sir Daubeny won't do that,' but contented herself with, 'You'll find Crossgrove a nice change then.'
And after that,' continued Albert, apparently revelling in the memory, 'I went on to the gentleman from South Africa, what was killed motoring. Another very hot-tempered gentleman. My late master, who had the accident with the rook rifle, only had his moments of being put out, so to speak. More melancholy-like, one would say.'"
Unfortunately members of the underclass are often used to comic effect as their names suggest or in the case of Mrs Higgs who never uses her false teeth except on Sunday.
Mary is busy in village life and in the Red Cross and works as an administrative nurse – as well as I comprehend – her practical duties are not recorded, except for attending meetings and arranging things for other people to do, particularly the volunteer nurses. She still finds time to visit her friends, run up to London, take a three weeks holiday in Scotland and visit Ascot – at least on Gold Cup Day. Also she falls in love, or possibly rekindles love. As a romance novel this is a total bust. Mary is 43 years old and generally happy living by herself in her cottage at Willows. "Converted seventeenth century cottages, rich in oak beams and elm floors, have their disadvantages, reflected Miss Morrison drowsily..." (Chap. I)
There is considerable description of natural beauty, often a catalogue of whatever flowers are blooming – in the garden or transported into vases in houses. There are significant descriptions of buildings and home furnishings and even more so of women's fashion; their dresses, the material used, the cut, the hat.
"The violet of Miss Elizabeth Rollo’s brief-skirted check gown was that of the indelible pencil. The remainder of her gala costume consisted of high-heeled sandals, fish-net stockings and gloves, and a handbag capable of swallowing all she wore with the exception of the cartwheel hat." This costume is referred to in a later passage as one born by "a débutante of undeniable chic". (Chap. IX)
I stumbled onto Mrs Oman as I am a huge fan of Angela Thirkell and they write somewhat in the same grain. Both are witty and erudite and well read. Angela's earlier novels, in the Barsetshire series, were also a struggle to begin as she flung in all the main characters at once. I learned to read the first chapter or two, wait a day and then begin again. In later books she paces herself better and her cast of dramatis personae is probably only a third of Mrs Oman's. Angela is considerably more fun. Mrs Oman also has a subtle wit, at times possibly too subtle for me to understand, separated by half a century and a different culture, but her witticisms are not as plentiful. Angela is also a bit more romantic, there is usually a least a couple of young women in need of a husband, or men in want of a wife.
I bought the book on the strength of the one-liner blurb in the advertisement:
“I have told Rose that there will be a chauffeur for dinner,” [Mary] ended, frowning slightly at the cannibalistic sound of her sentence." (Chap. I)
This was a bit of a come-on as such flagrant wit is otherwise largely absent. Still there are a few memorable passages, nor all they always merely witty:
"...'But in my heart I know that the poor creature has no sense. I sometimes attribute it to her having not a drop of Scottish blood.'
'From the giddy and godless South,’ quoted Lady Rollo, ‘Good Lord deliver us.’" (Chap. I) I have been unable to discover the source of this quotation.
“'Rooks always seem to me to be crying ‘Far! Far!’ said Miss Morrison, watching them." (Chap. I)
"...crumpets are death to female charm.” (Chap. II)
"The morning was one which made one want to walk slowly and draw long breaths. She was anxious to see how the cowslips were coming on in the field beyond the orchard." (Chap. IV)
“'The next six weeks are my favourites in the whole year,' sighed Mary. 'They’re what I call the real "Shakespeare’s England" weeks.'" (Chap IV: April 14th- April 18th)
There is, of course, a serious note struck as this is 1939.
"... he was killed in the last war. Oh, dear! I will not say ‘the last war’ as if we were bound to have another.” (Chap. IV)
World events encroach on the congeniality of a tennis party:
"Of course, for all I know, the Baron may not be Nazi, and the Doctor may not be Non-Aryan." (Chap. VI). "Non-Aryan" is no doubt a euphemism for "Jew".
"...a Merle grandchild. Mr. Christopher Hungerford, after an early career somewhat resembling that of Prince Hal, had, to his relatives’ stupefaction, settled down to unremitting toil in an eminent firm of stockbrokers..." (aka "Kit)
"...It’s possibly the last Ascot any of us will ever see. Don’t be defeatist, Kit.” (Chap. VIII)
Comic foreigners have been popular in English novels since Wilkie Collins, at least.
"Lady Wilson’s new manservant had a complexion of warmer hue than was customary for one of his profession in this neighbourhood. He wore a grey alpaca jacket, which very nearly matched his greying hair, cut en brosse. He had small, dark brown eyes, pendulous rosy cheeks, reminiscent of nectarines, and a double chin. He was about five feet two inches in height, and had, apparently, not one word of English." (Chap. VIII)
"Mrs. Gibson was almost beautiful, in a noble, out-of-door manner that recalled to the memory statues of classic goddesses in the basements of museums, Indeed, so strong was this resemblance, that Mary often noticed with surprise that her friend had neither a head nor a hand knocked off." (Chap. VIII) I suggest that this is over-the-top.
"Violet’s dressing-room was a revelation to Mary, and would have delighted anyone with a low opinion of the idle rich..." (Chap. X)
"...the elder Rollo son arrived late, dressed in an oil-stained khaki linen mechanic’s costume." This is hardly the thing to wear at a wedding – normally. (Chap. XII)
"'I don't like the thought of leaving you here while I go off to perfect safety and security.'
'I've had forty-three years of the best,' said Mary, 'and I'm beginning to be afraid that a great many of us here have come to think too much of those two words for some time past...'" (Chap. XII)
As in Angela Thirkell's books from this time, as in other author's books of this time, an air of poignancy is added by the fact that all of these silly people will soon be thrown into a world war. Who knows who will emerge. I have recently purchased the sequel: Somewhere in England.
April 12, 2022
I hate leaving books unfinished, but I gave up 84 pages into this one. I don't think I'd enjoyed a single page, so what's the point of muddling through another 120+?
I may also have to give up on these publishers that are discovering and reissuing forgotten works by lesser-known authors. Perhaps there's a reason these books dropped out of publication to begin with.
The title for this one is apt, anyway: there really is nothing much to report about Oman's story. Or, should I say, what story?
This is a meandering, muddled attempt at portraying pre-war life in a small English town, but I'd just finished a remarkably superior book by Margery Sharp on that topic, which put Oman's work on even worse footing. Her central character, Mary Morrison, has little personality and seems to be present merely to wander around her neighborhood, talk to every single person in town, and get info-dumps about all these villagers' lives - but without any attempt to convey who they are, how they're related to each other, what relevance they're going to have to the ongoing story, etc. Because there, again, is no story to speak of.
Apparently there was a sequel, which makes me feel a little better about giving up here, since there's certainly no way I'd continue through a second blandly boring book where I haven't liked a single one of the characters. If things aren't going to get wrapped up in one volume, what's the point in trudging on to the non-finish-line.
Oman was known for her lengthy historical works, primarily biographies, which even the introduction by her nephew-in-law noted were: "well researched, [but] most would strike the modern reader as ponderous and lacking a sharper critical insight and analysis."
Ponderous is an excellent word for her writing. Wish that had been in the summary instead of that one sharply funny line that hardly worked in context and certainly didn't reflect the rest of this narrative at all. Don't be like me, falling for that trick or for the 5 star reviews on here, which truly baffle me. This is not a good book, even for its time period or genre.
The writing is dense, dull, and full of awkwardly expository dialogue. I should've given up after the scene where two ladies go into a church and one describes the piece of art they're looking at in great detail. Here's an excerpt of that absurd section:
This is not how human beings talk to each other. All of the conversations, really, are close to this awkward and unnatural, but it's particularly apparent here. They pop into this "watching chamber" literally just to look at and describe this item, then run off to tour other parts of the town. It reads very much like Oman was simply cobbling together a huge amount of notes she'd made while visiting and researching a similar town.
That's not how you write a novel, and it certainly does not make for an enjoyable reading experience.
I may also have to give up on these publishers that are discovering and reissuing forgotten works by lesser-known authors. Perhaps there's a reason these books dropped out of publication to begin with.
The title for this one is apt, anyway: there really is nothing much to report about Oman's story. Or, should I say, what story?
This is a meandering, muddled attempt at portraying pre-war life in a small English town, but I'd just finished a remarkably superior book by Margery Sharp on that topic, which put Oman's work on even worse footing. Her central character, Mary Morrison, has little personality and seems to be present merely to wander around her neighborhood, talk to every single person in town, and get info-dumps about all these villagers' lives - but without any attempt to convey who they are, how they're related to each other, what relevance they're going to have to the ongoing story, etc. Because there, again, is no story to speak of.
Apparently there was a sequel, which makes me feel a little better about giving up here, since there's certainly no way I'd continue through a second blandly boring book where I haven't liked a single one of the characters. If things aren't going to get wrapped up in one volume, what's the point in trudging on to the non-finish-line.
Oman was known for her lengthy historical works, primarily biographies, which even the introduction by her nephew-in-law noted were: "well researched, [but] most would strike the modern reader as ponderous and lacking a sharper critical insight and analysis."
Ponderous is an excellent word for her writing. Wish that had been in the summary instead of that one sharply funny line that hardly worked in context and certainly didn't reflect the rest of this narrative at all. Don't be like me, falling for that trick or for the 5 star reviews on here, which truly baffle me. This is not a good book, even for its time period or genre.
The writing is dense, dull, and full of awkwardly expository dialogue. I should've given up after the scene where two ladies go into a church and one describes the piece of art they're looking at in great detail. Here's an excerpt of that absurd section:
"Look at the little shepherd in a felt dunce's cap and jerkin, piping to his lambs, and the milkmaid on her stool, in a horned head-dress, with dozens of buttons down her jacket, and the two gaffers in top-boots, gathering apples, and the dog after a hare, and the hooded men stooking corn. They're supposed to show the things country people do during the Twelve Months. Aren't they neat and waggish, and isn't the oak a lovely silvery color?"
"Quite perfect," agreed Lady Rollo. "How long should you think they've been up there?"
"I know," said Miss Morrison mildly, "because they've got the Hart, the badge of the unfortunate Richard of Bordeaux, on the south side."
This is not how human beings talk to each other. All of the conversations, really, are close to this awkward and unnatural, but it's particularly apparent here. They pop into this "watching chamber" literally just to look at and describe this item, then run off to tour other parts of the town. It reads very much like Oman was simply cobbling together a huge amount of notes she'd made while visiting and researching a similar town.
That's not how you write a novel, and it certainly does not make for an enjoyable reading experience.
June 20, 2022
Oh, Nothing to Report, you are a head scratcher of a book. As many reviewers have noted, it’s hard to keep track of the characters here. Yet I don’t think it’s due to their sheer volume. Nothing to Report has no more characters than a typical Angela Thirkell novel; the problem is, I’m afraid, with Oman’s writing style. There’s a blandness about it that doesn’t differentiate much. Multiple names for almost every characters doesn’t help — I was near the end before I realized that Kit was not a 20-something godchild but in fact the adult Mr Hungerford (thus missing a plot point).
Name confusion aside, Mary Morrison, the main character, is a very competent person yet also such a doormat! Indeed, that very competence in almost any situation, along with her willingness to help, draws needy and lazy people to her — but allowing them to walk all over her is Mary Morrison’s own choice. That, combined with a lack of character development, makes her a hard character to really get to know or like.
I usually adore novels of village life in the 30s/40s where nothing really happens. But a bland protagonist; a tiresome, self-absorbed “best friend”; and a muddled cast of supporting characters just didn’t come together enough for me to get into Nothing to Report.
Name confusion aside, Mary Morrison, the main character, is a very competent person yet also such a doormat! Indeed, that very competence in almost any situation, along with her willingness to help, draws needy and lazy people to her — but allowing them to walk all over her is Mary Morrison’s own choice. That, combined with a lack of character development, makes her a hard character to really get to know or like.
I usually adore novels of village life in the 30s/40s where nothing really happens. But a bland protagonist; a tiresome, self-absorbed “best friend”; and a muddled cast of supporting characters just didn’t come together enough for me to get into Nothing to Report.
March 19, 2026
This book is told from the perspective of single 40-ish Mary Morrison, over the course of 1939 into 1940 mostly in the rural area outside London. She is an independent soul of genteel not-poverty, but reduced circumstances from her earlier life. She is a well liked mover-and-shaker in her small town, and interacts with the amiable upper-class twits, amiable eccentrics, not so amiable upper class twits, and local normal folks of varying stations. Almost from the beginning, I pictured Mary as being played by the British actress Olivia Coleman, who can shift from earnest seriousness to witty sarcasm to bewilderment in seconds.
The chapters are centered on monthly blocks of activity, with the early '39 being a hive of social activity, with only the occasional vague fear of conflict, hopefully on the distant horizon. As the year goes on, and the threat of war becomes more palpable, people still try to do the social things of the upper class, but with the idea that this might be the last event for a long time. The last chapter is after the start of the war and all kinds of material and friend and family changes have taken place in a flurry - as they did.
Much of the tale is humorous, some parts more serious, especially tied to the war. As the external pressures on some folks mount, their true personalities start to show through more. For good and bad....
The chapters are centered on monthly blocks of activity, with the early '39 being a hive of social activity, with only the occasional vague fear of conflict, hopefully on the distant horizon. As the year goes on, and the threat of war becomes more palpable, people still try to do the social things of the upper class, but with the idea that this might be the last event for a long time. The last chapter is after the start of the war and all kinds of material and friend and family changes have taken place in a flurry - as they did.
Much of the tale is humorous, some parts more serious, especially tied to the war. As the external pressures on some folks mount, their true personalities start to show through more. For good and bad....
April 25, 2023
My Interest
I never say no to a Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow title! And, it was published in 1940 making it perfect for The 1940 Book Club hosted earlier this month by Simon at Stuck in a Book and Karen at Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings.
The Story
“‘My mother wants me to marry as soon as possible, so that she can play Bridge and try on clothes all day in comfort….and my father spends his evenings drinking, mostly.'”
Mary, aka “Button” is a single woman beset by that most annoying of conditions: Genteel poverty. They family manor home has been sold, but she still lives in the village surrounded by her family’s former grandeur. What will become known as The Second World War is heating up. Button has committees, rotas and rosters, gas masks, wool to knit, and potential evacuees wanting a wartime safe billet, you name it–she is involved in it.
Meanwhile, he friend Catha, home from hubby’s terribly important position in India is in need of help sorting suitably grand housing and the debut of her daughter at Court. Of course, it is dear Button to the rescue. Catha’s trials don’t end there. Her Bolsie son and her perfect other son are added to the mix, as is her dearly loved husband. Button is fond of them all and has played Auntie to them while Mummy and Papa were off serving the King in the Jewel of his Crown. Other friends and neighbors rely on this well connected”able spinster” to sort out their little lives as well.
Is “useful spinster” all people see in Button? Does anyone see “Mary?” Possibly…….
My Thoughts
“You love Munich and he loves Moscow. I mean, they both have masses of spies and concentration camps and no religion. I never can see why they can’t kiss and be friends.”
There is one comment that will unsettle today’s readers–about a servant: “He’s an Austrian ….the wife–much younger–is distressed for her father, who is in a concentration camp.” Ouch. It is important to remember that the Illustrated London News was once duped by the Nazis and showed the UK a wonderful camp set up for Jewish people relocating to the new areas of the Reich [or similar lies].
Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you this book, that comment aside, (not minimizing it at all) was a delight from start to finish. I loved Button and Catha and her family. In fact, I loved them all.
I never say no to a Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow title! And, it was published in 1940 making it perfect for The 1940 Book Club hosted earlier this month by Simon at Stuck in a Book and Karen at Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings.
The Story
“‘My mother wants me to marry as soon as possible, so that she can play Bridge and try on clothes all day in comfort….and my father spends his evenings drinking, mostly.'”
Mary, aka “Button” is a single woman beset by that most annoying of conditions: Genteel poverty. They family manor home has been sold, but she still lives in the village surrounded by her family’s former grandeur. What will become known as The Second World War is heating up. Button has committees, rotas and rosters, gas masks, wool to knit, and potential evacuees wanting a wartime safe billet, you name it–she is involved in it.
Meanwhile, he friend Catha, home from hubby’s terribly important position in India is in need of help sorting suitably grand housing and the debut of her daughter at Court. Of course, it is dear Button to the rescue. Catha’s trials don’t end there. Her Bolsie son and her perfect other son are added to the mix, as is her dearly loved husband. Button is fond of them all and has played Auntie to them while Mummy and Papa were off serving the King in the Jewel of his Crown. Other friends and neighbors rely on this well connected”able spinster” to sort out their little lives as well.
Is “useful spinster” all people see in Button? Does anyone see “Mary?” Possibly…….
My Thoughts
“You love Munich and he loves Moscow. I mean, they both have masses of spies and concentration camps and no religion. I never can see why they can’t kiss and be friends.”
There is one comment that will unsettle today’s readers–about a servant: “He’s an Austrian ….the wife–much younger–is distressed for her father, who is in a concentration camp.” Ouch. It is important to remember that the Illustrated London News was once duped by the Nazis and showed the UK a wonderful camp set up for Jewish people relocating to the new areas of the Reich [or similar lies].
Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you this book, that comment aside, (not minimizing it at all) was a delight from start to finish. I loved Button and Catha and her family. In fact, I loved them all.
June 22, 2022
I have just finished this book and immediately bought the sequel Somewhere in England, I loved the characters and the village setting and want to know more about how they are coping during the war and basically what happens next?
Similar to E. M. Delafields's Diary of a Provincial Lady, it was about one woman's social calender and her neighbours and friends and their familys. Nothing happens, it was just day to day life but it was such an interesting read. Carola Oman is very good at describing views from windows, and the English and Scottish countryside, felt I was there!
A gentle read but also poignant at times.
Similar to E. M. Delafields's Diary of a Provincial Lady, it was about one woman's social calender and her neighbours and friends and their familys. Nothing happens, it was just day to day life but it was such an interesting read. Carola Oman is very good at describing views from windows, and the English and Scottish countryside, felt I was there!
A gentle read but also poignant at times.
January 24, 2025
This was an interesting read that was published in the Spring of 1940 and that must have been written quite quickly after the start of WWII as it focuses on a small community as it gets ready for the war and in its early days of the phoney war. It is filled with strange and interesting details about the impact of the build up of the war on everyday (upper middle class mostly) families. I am glad I read it.
July 20, 2022
Wanted to love this, but the story was a bit hard to follow-lots of characters and the scene changes were abrupt and jarring and made assumptions of what the reader might understand. Period piece; interesting backdrop of war and social manners with some very low key hint of romance.
December 10, 2024
DNF - Meandering, with too many characters to keep track of, and writing that seems to lack in transitions. I often found myself puzzled by the jumps in scene and by the endless characters who popped up out of seemingly nowhere.
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