Title: Highland Fling
Author: Nancy Mitford
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, Romance
About the book...
Written in 1931 by Nancy Mitford, Highland Fling presents the world of English aristocracy with a comical twist. When the Sally and Walter Monteath are invited to host a hunting party at Sally's aunt and uncle's Scottish castle, they view it as a great way to escape from their financial troubles and be economical. Along with friends Albert Gates and Jane Dacre, they soon find themselves surround by the "stuffy" older generation and the traditions they hold so dear.
What I think...
I was expecting to like this book a great deal more than I did. This isn't to say I disliked it, but it just wasn't the right choice for me.
On the negative side, parts of it carried on for a bit longer than I cared for. It also was a much more up and down sort of story as far as the way it carried out than I generally prefer. Having been in a dismal mood lately, the frivolity of the characters annoyed me at points, as did the way they overreacted to things (I know this book is supposed to be poking fun at the aristocracy, it just wasn't as funny to me in this case).
That being said, there are still a handful of things that I did like about it. Mitford presents a wide array of characters, which really captures the changing attitudes between the generations of the time and added a comical touch to the relationships between everyone. Parts of it were very funny, such as a soggy hunting expedition, a staged ghost sighting, and the accidental eating of an entire picnic lunch followed by a second lunch, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Overall, Mitford's first novel is definitely not the one for me.
To sum it all up...
If you're looking for a lightweight book from the 30's you might want to give it a try, but if you're in the mood for something more substantial and less ridiculous, avoid it. ♥
I've heard of Mitford, but have yet to try anything of hers. I may try it for some lighthearted read sometime. But normally I love a deeply impacting book. Great book review, Inky! :)
ReplyDeleteMy preferences tend to be for the more complex books as well, but every once in a while a frivolously plotted one like this sneaks it's way in. Although after reading them I always feel like I want to find a book that's overly complicated to make up for it.
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