The Head of the House of Coombe Frances Hodgson Burnett 9781542466394 Books
Download As PDF : The Head of the House of Coombe Frances Hodgson Burnett 9781542466394 Books
The Head of the House of Coombe follows the relationships between a group of pre–World War One English nobles and commoners. It also offers both some interesting editorial commentary on the political system in prewar Europe that Burnett feels bears some responsibility for the war and some surprisingly pointed social commentary. Frances Hodgson Burnett (November 24, 1849 – October 29, 1924) was an Anglo-American playwright and author. She is best known for her children's stories, in particular The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.
The Head of the House of Coombe Frances Hodgson Burnett 9781542466394 Books
Burnett writes so vividly and does her world-creating so well, that maybe it's finicky to find fault. And yet despite style and skill and some moving, memorable scenes, this novel and it's sequel, her two final books, are flawed by sensationalist melodrama and a thinness of character that really weaken the whole. There's real cruelty described (sometimes with a touch too much relish,) but there aren't real people. This is odd, because the scenes and the society feel concrete, and the dialog is lively. Heroes, villains,The Ingenue, the Loyal Retainer, move through their roles. But not
credibly. Fundamentally, I can't suspend disbelief about a sweet, loving, generous, brave, psychologically whole individual who endured total unremitting isolation, neglect and abuse from birth to six and has scumbag parents genetically, to boot. I can't buy it, and it has a Perils of Pauline, pulp-fiction circa-1919 vibe to it.
Not at the level of her earlier work, including lesser-known gem 'Making of a Marchioness' and the moving, albeit racist, 'In Connection with the De Willoughby Claim.'
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Tags : The Head of the House of Coombe [Frances Hodgson Burnett] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Head of the House of Coombe follows the relationships between a group of pre–World War One English nobles and commoners. It also offers both some interesting editorial commentary on the political system in prewar Europe that Burnett feels bears some responsibility for the war and some surprisingly pointed social commentary. Frances Hodgson Burnett (November 24,Frances Hodgson Burnett,The Head of the House of Coombe,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1542466393,Literary,FICTION Literary,Fiction
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The Head of the House of Coombe Frances Hodgson Burnett 9781542466394 Books Reviews
I read this book and the sequel Robin over and over as a teenager. You need to read this together with Robin to get the full affect. I didn't remember who had written it and am delighted to find it.
Loved it, shows a truer side of aristocracy life in a time were women's lives were only for the their male counterparts.
This was not an uplifting story. Frances Hodgson Burnett usually writes tales with more hope. I took it off of my kindle
Definitely not a children's book, like the Secret Garden, this book is very interesting as a study of England and English attitudes leading up to WW1
This review is for the version.
This book and the second half, "Robin", comprise a wonderful romantic story, but this electronic copy is not well done. Words are misspelled, halves of sentences are missing. It's still worth reading, but be prepared for some frustration. Also, the second part (Robin) isn't available on the , but you can find it free elsewhere on the web.
I was intrigued by this insight into life in upper class London just prior to WWI, and enjoyed its more complex writing style. I became involved with the characters and couldn't wait to see how their challenges were resolved. Note that this is not a book for those who want a quick easy read. Also note that this electronic version has numerous distracting (and some frustrating) typos - otherwise I would have rated it 5 stars. Can't wait to read the sequel, "Robin."
This book is only half of the story. Taken together with "Robin" it is lovely and moving. Burnett is sentimental in a way that reflects her own time - not ours - so, although you may balk at the sentiment it is not contrived, and there are flashes of beautiful writing and deep insight throughout her books. She is not on the same level as a Galsworthy but much can be gained in understanding the cultural cataclysm of the turn of the last century from reading her books. She is not as sophisticated but she therefore adds another emotional take on the era. Taken together with the Forsters, Galsworthys and all the other great "state of England" writers, one can begin to catch an authentic glimpse of what that time felt like - of the feeling of the reality of the cultural shift from the 19th into the 20th century. While there are plenty of histories and analyses of the first world war it's difficult to get a real grasp of what and why it happened. By reading the novelists of the time something unique is added to that understanding. It's both frightening and comforting to realize how prescient those writers are today and how comparable are their concerns to ours. To compare the last great cultural upheaval which happened at the turn of the 19th century with the one happening today at the turn of the 20th is fascinating.. The 19th century's weltgeist was humanism. The 20th century's weltgeist shifted to the machines. The 21st century's weltgeist has shifted to the transformation of the human into the machine - i.e. technology and computers. These cultural shifts are cataclysmic - it is obvious that they felt so back then and it is becoming obvious how much they feel so today. Burnett's novels are worth reading for many reasons - that historical perspective is but another one. She is uniquely feminine, satisfyingly, if too brazenly romantic, and if you are persistent she will give you flashes of insight and delight from her ability with the language. She is melodramatic in the best sense. If you like her books you should also look at Mary Webb's "Precious Bane", It is not as verbose as Burnett's books and more gracefully written - but it has the same sensibilities. Burnett's life was as rich and as melodramatic as her books. It's interesting to read her biography as well.
Burnett writes so vividly and does her world-creating so well, that maybe it's finicky to find fault. And yet despite style and skill and some moving, memorable scenes, this novel and it's sequel, her two final books, are flawed by sensationalist melodrama and a thinness of character that really weaken the whole. There's real cruelty described (sometimes with a touch too much relish,) but there aren't real people. This is odd, because the scenes and the society feel concrete, and the dialog is lively. Heroes, villains,
The Ingenue, the Loyal Retainer, move through their roles. But not
credibly. Fundamentally, I can't suspend disbelief about a sweet, loving, generous, brave, psychologically whole individual who endured total unremitting isolation, neglect and abuse from birth to six and has scumbag parents genetically, to boot. I can't buy it, and it has a Perils of Pauline, pulp-fiction circa-1919 vibe to it.
Not at the level of her earlier work, including lesser-known gem 'Making of a Marchioness' and the moving, albeit racist, 'In Connection with the De Willoughby Claim.'
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