I had a bit of a DEFCON 5 moment while on holiday in Cyprus when I ran out of reading matter. I borrowed a book from our host for a day at the beach, choosing a re-reread, Stella Gibbon’s classic COLD COMFORT FARM. I recalled this as being a delightful, easy read, about the power of a comic worldview. It tells the story of a young woman who goes to live with her relatives in a farmhouse that is a sort of mix of the worst of Hardy, Bronte, and Laurence. She resolves the various issues – incest, madness, etc – with a jolly mix of common sense and cleanliness.
I always approach re-reading with a degree of trepidation. You don’t want to risk a happy memory for an uncertain actual experience. However, I need not have worried about COLD COMFORT FARM. It’s refreshing, as I recalled, though a good deal more dated than I remembered. I guess what I held on to is its message – of how comedy trumps tragedy – rather than its style.