Book Review: Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym
Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Library.
This was my second Barbara Pym novel. I liked it a lot even though there was little plot … maybe even less than Excellent Women. The characters grew and better knew themselves by the end. They advanced. For about half the book I didn’t care for Jane (spacey) or Prudence (discontent). By the end I was a fan (of Jane, anyway). Beautifully written. It could take a lifetime to trace all the allusions of poetry and literature.
I understand why people don’t care for Pym, but I do enjoy the calm, floating absorption when I’m reading one of her books. She tells simple tales of regular folk; there’s nothing mysterious or exceptional about the things that happen to her characters, but their individual voices, their interests, abilities, and character all are brought together in a loving, purposeful way.