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Jola's Reviews > Angel
Angel
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by
It's official: there is a new arrival on my favourite authors' list. Enter Elizabeth Taylor.
Review to come.
Review to come.
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Angel.
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Reading Progress
May 1, 2017
– Shelved
(Other Paperback Edition)
May 1, 2017
– Shelved as:
to-read
(Other Paperback Edition)
April 26, 2020
– Shelved
May 4, 2020
–
Started Reading
May 4, 2020
–
8.0%
"'Until now she had thought of love with bleak distaste. She wanted to dominate the world, not one person.'"
May 4, 2020
–
21.0%
"'She had never cared much for books, because they did not seem to be about her, and she thought that she would rather write a book herself, to a pattern of her own choosing and about a beautiful young girl with a startling white skin, heiress to great property, wearing white piqué at Osborne and tartan taffetas at Balmoral.'"
May 10, 2020
–
30.0%
"'The more the critics laughed, the longer were the queues for her novels at the libraries; the power of her romanticism captivated simple people; her preposterous situations delighted the sophisticated; her burning indignation when some passing fury turned her aside from her plot into denunciations and irrelevancies, swayed some readers into solemn agreement and others into paroxysms of laughter.'"
May 10, 2020
–
42.0%
"“Perhaps you need a holiday. You’ve worked very hard—a novel a year is something formidable to keep up.�
“A holiday wouldn’t do any good, or make any difference. I should have to take myself with me.�
“And what is so very wrong in that?� He tried to sound robust, but the change in her disconcerted him.
“It is myself I need a holiday from,� she said."
“A holiday wouldn’t do any good, or make any difference. I should have to take myself with me.�
“And what is so very wrong in that?� He tried to sound robust, but the change in her disconcerted him.
“It is myself I need a holiday from,� she said."
May 12, 2020
–
55.0%
"'I shall find plenty of ways of being busy. I can mend gloves and iron veils and make cakes and preserve gooseberries. Don’t look round, wondering where you can find gooseberries in April—they are only metaphorical. I might even rise to great heights and engage a cook for you, some wonderful treasure, who will be a constant memorial to me.'"
May 15, 2020
–
78.0%
"'Letters which merely made carping criticisms, about flowers coming out in the wrong season, Orion appearing in the night sky in August, or some confusions with Greek deities, she put down as the work of literary critics, a part of their general scheme against her.'"
May 15, 2020
– Shelved as:
united-kingdom
May 15, 2020
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-18 of 18 (18 new)
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Leila
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May 09, 2020 03:58AM
I think I will add this one Jola, purely out of interest. I was a primary school teacher for many years but had to resign due to ill health. It is such a worthwhile and fulfilling thing to be.
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Thanks a lot for your kind words, Leila. I decided to be a teacher at the age of four and have stuck to it since then. 🙂 Sorry to hear about your health problems. Hopefully everything is much better now.
I've only just discovered Taylor too - it's nice to see her gathering all these new fans.
Roman Clodia wrote: "I've only just discovered Taylor too - it's nice to see her gathering all these new fans."She definitely deserves it! Great to know you are a fan also.
If you haven't read it yet, I can recommend Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont - the characters are marvellous and Taylor shifts between cruel waspishness and moving empathy.
Thanks for your recommendation, Roman Clodia. 'Angel' is the first novel by Elizabeth Taylor I've ever read. 'Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont' sounds dazzling also!I've just discovered something strange: it looks as if ET's books haven't been translated into any foreign languages yet.
I'm not surprised as she's been out of print even in the UK until recently - the reprint covers are misleadingly flowery making them look like cosy "women's fiction" (so patronising!) when her writing is far more robust.
Jola, I'm pleased that you too have added her to your favourite authors' list. I look forward to reading your review. :-)
Oh, and you might also want to read 'A Wreath of Roses'.
Roman Clodia wrote: "I'm not surprised as she's been out of print even in the UK until recently - the reprint covers are misleadingly flowery making them look like cosy "women's fiction" (so patronising!) when her writ..."Couldn't agree more, Roman Claudia! I can't stand the covers of the series with black and white photos of faces either. I think the intention was to give a mysterious feel to ET's novels but the effect doesn't convince me at all. I was quite shocked when I discovered that the series had been published by Virago. 😳 I used to associate them with stunning covers.
As for the translations, I don't think it's possible that ET's books have been overlooked everywhere. I suppose this absence might have something to do with copyrights. Maybe, for some bizarre reason, Taylor didn't give her consent to have the novels and stories translated? I'll investigate into the matter. 🕵�
TBV wrote: "Jola, I'm pleased that you too have added her to your favourite authors' list. I look forward to reading your review. :-)"So happy you too enjoyed Elizabeth Taylor's uniqueness. And 'A Wreath of Roses' has just landed softly on my TBR shelf. 🙂 I'm grateful for your recommendation, TBV.
Welcome amongst fans of E. Taylor. ;-)
Mela wrote: "Welcome amongst fans of E. Taylor. ;-)"Glad to know that the fan club is growing strong. 🙂 By the way, your stellar reviews of Taylor's books were also an inspiration for me, Mela. Big thanks!
Jola wrote: "Glad to know that the fan club is growing strong. 🙂 By the way, your stellar reviews of Taylor's books were also an inspiration for me, Mela. Big thanks!"You are welcome. I am honored to spread such a genius writer. ;-)
Jola, it's so long since I have been able to follow your reviews, but I happened to have read "Angel" and saw this review. I couldn't put the book down! I also highly recommend "Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont", and "A View of the Harbour", which was my introduction to her. I also enjoyed most, but not all, of her collected short stories, published by her daughter.It's so nice to share enjoyment of this author with you!
Dear JC, thanks so much for your comment. I'm absolutely thrilled to know that you loved Angel also! I find it sad that this exquisite novel is not widely known. One of the best books I've read in the last few years, so amusing and sad at the same time. Thanks so much for your recommendations, I'm definitely going to explore more books by Elizabeth Taylor, although after the unforgettable Angel I'm a bit afraid of disappointment.
Lovely to hear from you, Jola - stay well!
Thank you, dear J.C., you too! ❤️
