Happy New Year! Finished with 192 books and beginning the New Year finishing another RA Favorite, this one, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. A British comedy of an 18 year old orphan (Flora) who had limited time with her parents, (they died while away from their daughter, though they left her at boarding schools throughout) and needed to find her next home after their passing. Flora writes letters to a number of relatives asking for their hospitality to move-in with them and takes up the best offer (one in which she will receive her own room), but on a FARM!, one that has a family secret. Flora heads to Sussex after the invite from Cousin Judith Starkadder. Upon her arrival she realizes that this cast of characters needs some “cleaning up!” Flora and her favorite book, “The Higher Common Sense,” serves as a guide for her in putting some level of drive and focus to those at the farm. She gets her cousin Elfine married, Seth in the movies, Amos (a brimstone evangelist) on the road, and Aunt Ada Doom on a trip to France. She does this in a way that brings some chuckles and smirks. I was surprised that this was a favorite book of Edward (RA from the UK). I will admit I didn’t chuckle too much as it was a bit goofy and dated, 1932 publication. The characters were a bit “over the top” especially if you have the book cover I have, frightening pics of each character with a very hillbilly type character while Flore is the prim and proper young lady. I’d say it read more silly than funny. Washing plates with a twig… maybe Hee Haw funny (remember that TV show)? It wasn’t funny in the 1970s and isn’t funny today. An acquired humor that I guess I never have gotten. A big skip for me, sorry, just not that good. I want belly laughs and not “ok I get it, but…” You get the point?
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