tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post3654905786292622111..comments2023-11-29T07:39:34.401+00:00Comments on Carla Nayland Historical Fiction: The Town House, by Norah Lofts. Book reviewCarlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-6599508709090119682014-02-12T13:14:54.984+00:002014-02-12T13:14:54.984+00:00Anonymous - Hello and welcome! It does seem stran...Anonymous - Hello and welcome! It does seem strange for the publishers to make two of the books available as e-books and not the third, unless the third is just delayed for some reason. At least it isn't totally out of print if there is a hard copy available.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-90685453078911488552014-02-10T00:22:21.839+00:002014-02-10T00:22:21.839+00:00I first read this trilogy in my early teens and ha...I first read this trilogy in my early teens and have re-read all three more than once in the following decades. I simply cannot put them down once I begin. I too have a Kindle with the first two, but was dismayed to find that The House at Sunset is not available. Why!!!?? My paperback copy is either lost or disintegrated so now I am forced to order the hardcopy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-73952584328486833642013-07-01T12:30:09.936+01:002013-07-01T12:30:09.936+01:00Annis - yes, the house is the common thread linkin...Annis - yes, the house is the common thread linking all the different people and their stories together through the centuries. Especially so in the later books.<br /><br />Jean Plaidy's novels seem to be variable, as also are Nigel Tranter's, which may be inevitable given the number of titles they each produced. I re-read the Bruce trilogy not so long ago and was drawn into it all over again, whereas others seem rather weak. Haven't re-read any Jean Plaidy for a while, though. I completely agree with you that it's the characterisation that makes the House trilogy work so well.<br />Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-19179669514673881932013-06-30T18:58:26.547+01:002013-06-30T18:58:26.547+01:00This trilogy is one of what I think of as "ho...This trilogy is one of what I think of as "house" books, novels inspired by an actual place - in this case thought to have been <a href="http://www.hadleigh.org.uk/content/noralofts.htm" rel="nofollow">"Sun Court"</a> in Hadleigh, an ancient market town in South Suffolk.<br /><br />Yes, we've become accustomed to Author's Notes and Historical Notes in our historical fiction, but back in the day they rarely made an appearance - I found this as well with Lofts' <a href="http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5261&highlight=bethlehem" rel="nofollow">"How Far to Bethlehem"</a>. Can be a bit frustrating when you'd like to know what sources the writer used and where they employed artistic licence :)<br /><br />Lofts' work still stands up well - she has an empathy for her characters which still captivates, unlike Jean Plaidy's, which I now find pretty dry stuff.Annishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02367569632016734415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-41991131749805014002013-01-22T11:15:50.498+00:002013-01-22T11:15:50.498+00:00Doug - Great anecdote about Marston Moor! I suppo...Doug - Great anecdote about Marston Moor! I suppose for most people distant battles made no difference at all to their lives, and there was nothing they could do about them anyway, so would have been of limited interest even if people heard about them. Which may partly answer your other point; many people may not have been much bothered about finding out what was happening unless/until it affected them directly. From the 1500s and onwards there were printed news-sheets and pamphlets of various kinds, before then it was presumably announcements made in church on Sundays or the town crier.<br /><br />Rosie55 - it's strange that one novelist should go out of fashion while another stays popular, isn't it? Fortunately Norah Lofts' books didn't disappear entirely. I noticed the blue plaque when I cycled through Bury St Edmunds last summer, so it is definitely there. I know what you mean about the way people disappear abruptly when they move away from The House, especially in the third book - which I suppose reflects the change from property passing on mainly by inheritance (in the first two books) to a situation where it is more often bought and sold and rented out (in the third book).Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-24761261740384876082013-01-21T16:01:04.233+00:002013-01-21T16:01:04.233+00:00Thankyou. In the sixties and seventies, when I fir...Thankyou. In the sixties and seventies, when I first read these, NL was often bracketed with and spoken of in the same terms as Georgette Heyer - ie good knowledgeable writers of quality historical novels. Then she seemed to have faded into obscurity while GH has remained more constantly popular. So I am pleased to see her work being appreciated again. I picked up a whole pile of her novels from Abebooks for pence a couple of years ago and enjoy dipping into them again. <br />I have only visited BSE once, a couple of years ago but will be holidaying in Southwold again this June and will make a point of going again and looking out for the Blue Plaque that the local Civic Society have put on her house.<br />Norah Lofts often made her houses the real heroes of her books, rather than the people who lived in them who often are only featured for the time they are associated with the house. <br />I seem to remember finding it a bit disconcerting with one or two of the later books in this sequence when I first read this that their stories stopped quite suddenly when that character moved on but it made sense in the context of "The House" being the focus of the books, rather than the occupant.<br />Now I'm going to have to dig out my precious original boxed paperback set and re-read them all. Though I don't have far to dig, they have always stayed on my favourites bookshelf for more than thirty years.<br />As a Kindle owner, too, I am delighted to see that the House trilogy and one or two other NL books are now available from Amazon for Kindle, presumably testing the waters before issuing others. Much as I love my printed books, if electronic versions enable more people to enjoy them, that has to be a plus.Rosie55https://www.blogger.com/profile/13807799892949072960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-12185336017202225102013-01-21T16:00:07.775+00:002013-01-21T16:00:07.775+00:00Thankyou. In the sixties and seventies, when I fir...Thankyou. In the sixties and seventies, when I first read these, NL was often bracketed with and spoken of in the same terms as Georgette Heyer - ie good knowledgeable writers of quality historical novels. Then she seemed to have faded into obscurity while GH has remained more constantly popular. So I am pleased to see her work being appreciated again. I picked up a whole pile of her novels from Abebooks for pence a couple of years ago and enjoy dipping into them again. <br />I have only visited BSE once, a couple of years ago but will be holidaying in Southwold again this June and will make a point of going again and looking out for the Blue Plaque that the local Civic Society have put on her house.<br />Norah Lofts often made her houses the real heroes of her books, rather than the people who lived in them who often are only featured for the time they are associated with the house. <br />I seem to remember finding it a bit disconcerting with one or two of the later books in this sequence when I first read this that their stories stopped quite suddenly when that character moved on but it made sense in the context of "The House" being the focus of the books, rather than the occupant.<br />Now I'm going to have to dig out my precious original boxed paperback set and re-read them all. Though I don't have far to dig, they have always stayed on my favourites bookshelf for more than thirty years.<br />As a Kindle owner, too, I am delighted to see that the House trilogy and one or two other NL books are now available from Amazon for Kindle, presumably testing the waters before issuing others. Much as I love my printed books, if electronic versions enable more people to enjoy them, that has to be a plus.<br /><br />Rosie55https://www.blogger.com/profile/13807799892949072960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-76705920854603020232013-01-20T17:06:08.712+00:002013-01-20T17:06:08.712+00:00I was quite amused by the statement that there was...I was quite amused by the statement that there was no mention of Agincourt. I was reminded of a report that a peasant on the field of Marston Moor on the day before the battle was advised by a military scout to keep well away because there was to be a battle between the king and Parliament. "Eh", he said, "has them two fallen out then?" I often wonder how people found out what was happening in past times. How, for example, did they hear that World War I had ended? You couldn't put a radio on, and newspapers were a bit behind the times for specific events, even assuming you could read. No wonder there were several deaths after the armistice. Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02204909202506240971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-13306591433552662892013-01-20T13:22:35.445+00:002013-01-20T13:22:35.445+00:00Rosie55 - Hello and welcome! I thought of Bury St ...Rosie55 - Hello and welcome! I thought of Bury St Edmunds as soon as Martin arrives in Baildon and sees the great abbey dominating the town. Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-7253668163735886412013-01-20T00:53:50.126+00:002013-01-20T00:53:50.126+00:00I first read these many years ago and have always ...I first read these many years ago and have always loved this trilogy. Norah Lofts was a very knowledgeable writer but doesn't weigh her readers down with her knowledge but, as you say, uses it to make her stories very realistic about life.<br />There is a group over on Goodreads which has done a lot of research on NL, and there are discussions there on various titles.<br />And NL herself said that Baildon was actually Bury St Edmunds, where she lived.Rosie55https://www.blogger.com/profile/13807799892949072960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-72252713256649456792013-01-20T00:52:37.059+00:002013-01-20T00:52:37.059+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Rosie55https://www.blogger.com/profile/13807799892949072960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-33023860909517825812013-01-19T18:43:23.852+00:002013-01-19T18:43:23.852+00:00Constance - Well worth a read, I'd say. I lik...Constance - Well worth a read, I'd say. I liked it very much. Family sagas as a type I can take or leave - some of them grab me, some don't. This one did :-)Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-12260473789667932632013-01-19T17:00:33.216+00:002013-01-19T17:00:33.216+00:00This sounds interesting. There are so few books th...This sounds interesting. There are so few books that go into the daily life of the common people. I like family sagas if they are done well - think James Mitchner. Constance Brewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964121072645959593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-28597056625906042932013-01-18T19:57:28.940+00:002013-01-18T19:57:28.940+00:00Hi Sarah! Nice to hear from you again. I'm n...Hi Sarah! Nice to hear from you again. I'm not generally all that into family sagas, but I was most impressed with The Town House. I hadn't read it before, and was captivated, especially by Martin's tale. Really first-rate. I shall now go and look for the sequels! I'm glad you liked the review. <br /><br />Rick - Definitely England. The Shire's Bywater isn't a sea port :-) I actually know one or two of the real places mentioned, and can make a guess at roughly where Baildon would be if it had ever existed.<br /><br />Yes, it's well worth reading. Martin's tale is harsh, and there are some heart-rending events, but it never gets into the relentless 'beating the reader to death' mode that makes you want to give up in despair. I haven't quite figured out why; perhaps because Martin himself never gives up trying.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-25829513062633384542013-01-18T02:34:08.693+00:002013-01-18T02:34:08.693+00:00the fictional port of Bywater
Are you entirely su...<i>the fictional port of Bywater</i><br /><br />Are you entirely sure the book is actually set in England? :-)<br /><br />This sounds like an interesting book. From the description it is realistic about medieval life without going the other way and beating the reader to death with unrelenting awfulness.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16932015378213238346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19922276.post-51018144338291169182013-01-17T23:35:17.423+00:002013-01-17T23:35:17.423+00:00You've made me want to pick up a Norah Lofts n...You've made me want to pick up a Norah Lofts novel again soon! It's been ages since I read The Town House, and my memory of the finer details have faded, so thanks for capturing what I enjoyed so much about it. Family sagas remain my favorite type of novel.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.com