The Diary of a Provincial Lady: Penguin Classics Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

E. M. Delafield (Author), Kirsty Besterman (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)

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Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Kirsty Besterman, an experienced TV and theatre actress known for her leading role as Lady Macbeth in the National Theatre Tour, as well as a number of roles with Shakespeare's Globe and the RSC.

It's not easy being a Provincial Lady in Devonshire in the 1920s, juggling a grumpy husband, mischievous children and a host of domestic dilemmas - from rice mould to a petulant cook. But this Provincial Lady will not be defeated; not by wayward flower bulbs, not by unexpected houseguests, not even by the Blitz. She will continue to preside over the W.I., endure rain-drenched family picnics and succeed as a published author, all the while tending to her strawberries.

The Diary of a Provincial Lady is a brilliantly observed comic novel, as funny and fresh today as when it was first written.

Public Domain (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Listening Length

22 hours and 5 minutes
Author

E. M. Delafield
Narrator

Kirsty Besterman
Audible release date

26 September 2019
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Audio
ASIN

B07VMNM1ZR
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	22 hours and 5 minutes
Author	E. M. Delafield
Narrator	Kirsty Besterman
Audible.com.au Release Date	26 September 2019
Publisher	Penguin Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B07VMNM1ZR
Best Sellers Rank	47,187 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 1,370 in Classic Literature 4,101 in Classic Literature & Fiction

Customer reviews

5 star		47%
4 star		24%
3 star		16%
2 star		7%
1 star		6%

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Top review from Australia

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CountryCatkin

What a gem!

Reviewed in Australia on 9 September 2021

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Loved this book from start to finish. Found it by accident while trawling through assorted diaries on Kindle. A find to amuse and enjoy.

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Top reviews from other countries

Gillian

Di not waste your money on this version.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2019

Verified Purchase

This version ruins a brilliant book. Reads as though it has been translated to another language then back to English - very very badly. Also it is not formatted correctly . I cannot understand why it is still being sold on Amazon. A total con.
The Diary of a Provincial Lady is a wonderful book, warm and laugh out loud funny. This version though is deplrable

12 people found this helpful

AngelaWheeler

Brilliant and timeless

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 May 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a book I ought to have read years ago, given its status. I adore it. Although it is roughly a hundred years old, the thoughts of the Lady are as relevant today as they were then. Her observations of the people she encounters are spot on. She says what so many women think, but never articulate. The day to day lives of her neighbours in rural Devon are on a par with many English villages today: the social climbers, the snobs, the petty arguments and one-upmanships, the fallings out of local shopkeepers, the dullness of the parish magazine and the desire to enliven it were it not for the fact the editor is the Vicar's wife. And on a personal level, her habit of spending more than she can afford on a new dress or some beauty treatments to cheer herself up or ensure she doesn't look out of place in London Society, her lack of confidence around being a good parent, her long-suffering husband who doesn't say anything , ever, but who gives her plenty of freedom to have some life away from the country. It's marvellous. Yes, in some ways it's a privileged life, where the hunt for a new servant seems trivial compared to life today, but above all, the Lady comes across as human with hopes and fears that are as applicable today as in the early 1900s.

4 people found this helpful

S Riaz

Diary of a Provincial Lady

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2015

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Although published in book form in 1934, the “Diary of a Provincial Lady,” started life in 1930 as a serial in “Time and Tide.” Largely autobiographical, Delafield substituted the names “Robin” and “Vicky” for her own children, called Lionel and Rosamund, but, aside from name changes, this is very much a light hearted diary of country life and based upon the author’s own experiences.

The Provincial Lady deals with domestic disasters, the W.I., a monosyllabic husband, mutinous staff and the bossy and opinionated Lady Boxe. There are struggles with indoor bulbs and financial worries, tales of friends visits and reciprocal trips to see them – including shopping in London and a rash holiday to the South of France. Obviously, many of the issues raised in this book, such as domestic servants and boarding schools, are not relevant to the majority of people now. However, much of this book still feels relevant today – her musings of parenting especially ring true, as do her statements on social snobbery, her opinions about neighbours, worrying about how she looks and feeling left out of discussions about shows she has not seen or books she has not read (even if you could now substitute this for television shows or films).

There are many sequels to this book and I am sure that I will read them, as I enjoyed this very much. I found the Provincial Lady delightful and this a very light and humorous read. If you also like this, I would recommend, “Henrietta’s War,” by Joyce Dennys, which has a similar feel.

5 people found this helpful

Dr. Bob.

Print size too small

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2021

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In an attempt to put all the Provincial Lady series in one volume,the print size has been reduced so as to be (to me) almost unreadable ,unless using glasses AND a hand lens !! Luckily I have a hard copy of this published by Macmillan in 1935-totally different-AND who chose the ridiculous colour picture for the cover-this is set in the THIRTIES !!
Bob (Dr. Bob) ( N.B. NOT Victor Meldrew ! )

Lesley

Beautifully written, elegant prose and very very funny.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 July 2014

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book. Even tho it is dated (1930s), the sentiments are totally transferable to toady, with just a little adjustment in the readers mind, which is automatic. For instance, I don't buy a new hat when feeling down but the modern 'retail therapy' is an instant replacement.
Her comments and questions to herself in parenthsis, throughout the book, are like Bridget Jones' notes to self and Miranda Hart's pieces to camera.
This is a wonderfully funny book and also gives a good idea of middle class family life in this period. It is not a book you have to read from start to finish. There is no plot and it is written as a diary. However, I have used it to pick up and dip into in between other books and when I need a lift and it is just perfect!! Not a laugh out loud book but my husband frequently comments on my chuckling as I read it in bed. Recommended.

12 people found this helpful

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The Diary of a Provincial Lady: Penguin Classics Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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