Miss Buncle's Book

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And so she does. It is none other than Miss Barbara Buncle, impoverished and overlooked, 30-something gentle spinster of Silverstream with no imagination, but a lot of unpaid bills and the latter prompts her to get by as a woman in her position may do. Of course, she had no more idea of the snowball-effect the book would have on all their lives than the villagers themselves did. The strangest thing about Barbara (...) was that although she understood practically nothing, she yet understood everything. She might or might not have ‘an imagination’, but she certainly had an extraordinary power of getting underneath people’s skins. Without being conscious of it herself she was able to sum up a person or a situation in a few minutes. People’s very bones were bare to her – and she had no idea of it. Mrs Tim of the Regiment, 1932 (alternate title: Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, or, Leaves from the Diary of an Officer's Wife) This started out as a 5-star book for me ( 😊 ) but then it progressively faded down to 3. 😐 Oh well, I’m glad I read it. 🙃

The publisher loves her novel, though he can’t quite decide whether it’s written satirically or straightforwardly. Either way, he feels the book will do well.Mr. Arthur Abbot doesn't know what to make of Miss. Buncle, she appears so simple, and yet her book is climbing the charts! What he can't figure out is whether she is writing this book as she sees things or sardonically.

What Miss Buncle never imagined was that her wishes might be followed and she is ever so pleased that some of their lives improve (and that she can subsequently pay her bills). However she also didn't foresee that some of those with an exaggerated sense of their own dignity would want her punished!

Publication Order of Bel Lamington Books

Barbara Buncle's dividends are down and finances are getting tight. Realizing that she must do something to bring in more income she briefly considers keeping hens or taking in boarders but neither seem very appealing. After a comment from her maid, Miss Buncle decides to write a book. The only problem is that she is not a writer and does not know how to write about things she does not know. Miss Buncle's quiet little English village of Silverstream is therefor turned into the village of Cooperfield and the residents of Silverstream become thinly veiled characters in Miss Buncle's book, Disturber of the Peace.

She explained, somewhat incoherently, that the character of Mrs Horsley Downs was a horrible character and not in the least like her, but that it was obviously intended for her, because it was exactly like her, and that therefore it was liable and as such ought to be punished to the utmost rigour of the law. I like the name,' said Arthur. 'I like the name of the book very much indeed. It goes very well with The Pen Is Mightier -- and is quite in the "John Smith" tradition. You will make a lot of money out of the book, Barbara.' Tras leer El libro de la señorita Buncle este verano y disfrutarlo enormemente por su narrativa distendida, irónica y divertida, decidí que quería continuar con esta trilogía. Esta segunda parte titulada “El matrimonio de la señorita Buncle”, fue publicada en 1936 y continúa la historia que se desarrollaba en la entrega anterior. Catnip alert: the romance between Miss Buncle and Mr. Abbott takes place between two middle-aged people (or at least people who feel middle aged by the standards of the time), as does the romance between Colonel Weatherhead and Dorothea. One might also delight in reading between the lines of the relationship between Miss King and Miss Pretty, longtime roommates who are clearly devoted to each other. There are no passionate love scenes in the book, although readers are scandalized by a passionate love scene in Disturber of the Peace. How could she write of men as she did, with such true insight? She saw them naked (as it were), stripped of all their little subterfuges, their mannerisms, the coverings that they assumed to shield their inadequate souls from the world’s gaze. She saw them naked and calmly limned them so; not aware, in her kind, pleasant mind, that she was giving the show away. "That's when inspiration strikes and Miss Barbara Buncle decides to write a book, all about Silversteam. Only, she can't possibly call it Silversteam, what would the residents say? Most would not like the way they are portrayed. So to solve that little dilemma she changes the name to Copperfield, and everyone's names along with it. But the discontented readers are worked up to a fever pitch in their search for John Smith and their desire to make him pay for what he has written about them. Miss Barbara Buncle, a single lady in her thirties, is having trouble making ends meet, since her investments aren't paying dividends like they once were. Casting about for ways to earn some additional money (and rejecting keeping hens; they're "too fluttery"), she decides to write about the town she lives in, Silverstream, and the people she knows, and publishes it using the pseudonym of John Smith. The series begins with Barbara in a bind. Her bank account is low, times are harsh, and she’s seen better days. One area that she thinks she could be a success in is selling a novel, but right now she doesn’t know any stories and is fresh out of ideas. So Barbara decides to write a novel using the residents of her small village of Silverstream as her inspiration.

Dorothy Emily Stevenson, escritora y novelista, publicó en 1934 el primer tomo de la trilogía de Barbara Buncle «El libro de la señorita Buncle». Sus novelas tienen fama de ser humorísticas, románticas y alegres, un entretenimiento seguro; por ello decidí darle una oportunidad, deseando escapar del drama que es lo que suelo leer habitualmente y qué gran elección ha resultado ser. When the Villagers read it they are aghast to see themselves pictured as they are. Who is this John Smith that wrote all about them and their follies in The Disturber of Peace? The busybodies of the town are off to find out. So begins the humorous comedy that swirls around Barbara Buncle and Silversteam. For this very reason I was slightly disappointed at first, but on re-reading it, without high expectations this time, I grew much more appreciative and decided it deserved the full 5 stars (bearing in mind that Miss Buncle's Book deserves at least 10, of course). This is Book 2 in D.E. Stevenson's "Miss Buncle" Series and while it is not as brilliant as the unsurpassable Miss Buncle's Book, it is still awesome.

The Miss Buncle Series in Order (3 Books)

The family of author Stevenson was well known as engineers and writers. Among the other pursuits, author Stevenson liked to play golf and a few other outdoor games. Her skills as a golfer were so great that she was in consideration for the Ladies Golf Team of Scotland. In the year 1913, she played her debut season in Edinburgh and in the year 1915, she was able to publish her first poetry book. Due to the World War, she had to change the focus of her life and married a family friend named James Reid Peploe. Barbara isn't an extrovert, she is an observer of humanity. In her quiet way, she is fascinated by the wide variety of humans around her. The children next door show her their prized button collection, declaring that no two are the same. I think Barbara feels the same way about her friends and acquaintances. Stevenson proves herself to have a shrewd view of human nature too. With all the new material from their new location, Barbara finds herself madly writing another book. This time, however, she realizes the consequences of publishing and refuses to let anyone but Arthur read it. I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the first--maybe a little more, as there's a more unified plot. Miss Buncle, now Mrs. Abbott, takes it into her head to buy a run-down house in a little village so as to get away from the constant social demands of her and her husband's friends in town. She's also sworn off writing, particularly since she likes her new home and is afraid of having to move away if she publishes another book about her neighbors. But she hasn't sworn off observing, and once again we get a novel full of delightful, quirky characters and interesting interactions between them.