Having stumbled across Beverley Nichols thanks to the lovely Reading 1900-1950 blog, I must confess that I have become a total convert, completely addicted to his writing – so much so, that I am having to rein myself in and not buy every book of his I come across! However, I’ve long wanted to read “Merry Hall”, one of his house-and-garden books, and so when I stumbled across a reasonably priced copy online I snapped it up. It’s a Companion Book Club copy, alas without dustjacket – but more of the quality of the book later, first onto the content.
I make no apology for reproducing in full the first few paragraphs of the book here:
“Some fall in love with women; some fall in love with art; some fall in love with death. I fall in love with gardens, which is much the same as falling in love with all three at once.
For a garden is a mistress, and gardening is a blend of all the arts, and if it is not the death of me, sooner or later, I shall be much surprised. A pleasant sort of death, I venture to suggest, which runs in the family. One of my grandfathers died of a clump of iris stylosa; it enticed him from a sick bed on an angry evening in January, luring him through the snow-drifts with its blue and silver flames; he died of double pneumonia a few days later. It was probably worth it.
Then there was a great-uncle who expired because of his passion for pears-not the fruit, but the blossom. He could not, quite rightly, have enough pear blossom; he wanted to hug it, bees and all, as a nice old gentleman should. So he took to climbing up into the branches, and sitting among the wild white spray of the flowers, for hours on end, with none but the bees for company. And one day a branch broke, and they found him out there in the orchard, lying on his back, staring up to the April sky, with an expression on his face of the greatest serenity.
I cannot forecast, with any accuracy, the probable nature of my own horticultural demise; at the moment, in view of the fact that the water garden is claiming most of my attention, it will probably take the form of drowning. Indeed, by the time these words are published, I may already have been discovered floating under a clump of James Brydon nymphaeas, a variety of water-lily which is described in the catalogues as a deep old rose pink that somrtimes seems flushed with crimson. That sounds a good description of the prose in which many of the passages in this book will doubtless be written. When I begin to write about flowers I lose all sense of restraint, and it is far, far too late to do anything about it.
You cannot say you have not been warned.”
Basically, if that wonderful opening doesn’t hook you instantly, have you chuckling out loud and make you want to devour the book, this is no place for you!!
“Merry Hall” tells of Nichols’ escapades after the war, when he was looking for a particular type of house and garden to settle in. He’s obviously an obsessive gardener and when he stumbles across the house of the title he’s instantly smitten, despite the fact that there is an incredible amount of work which needs doing on both house and garden. Despite the misgivings of his friend Bob, he takes Merry Hall and moves in lock, stock and barrel, along with his cats known as “One” and “Four” and his miracle-working factotum Gaskin. As well as the house and garden, he also inherits the suspicious old gardener, Oldfield. Has Beverley taken on more than he can handle? He’ll have to battle against the elements, the locals (Miss Emily and Our Rose), Oldfield and the ghosts of the previous owners, the Stebbings. But he’s surprisingly stubborn….
This is a positive delight of a book on so many levels. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, there’s Nichols’ writing. I just *love* his phrasing, his wit, his way of putting things. He often wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to wax lyrical if the occasion demands it (and it often does); but his humour is a delight too and had me laughing out loud at places. He’s an engaging narrator, someone you feel you would like to have an afternoon just gossiping with in the garden, with tea and cats and interruptions and sarcasm and delight.
“As we all know, the only way to plant daffodils is to pile them onto a tray, and then to run out into the orchard and hurl the tray into the air, planting them exactly where they fall. There may be other, less orthodox methods; if so they should be spurned. The tray, the ecstatic gesture … that is the only sure road to success.”
Nichols has strong opinions on everything from politics to gardening and isn’t afraid to state them, which I love, whether it’s about roses or other gardeners (he says of Vita Sackville-West, “I am glad to learn that there is at least one great gardener who agrees with me – the poet Vita Sackville-West, who has less nonsense in her little finger than most women in their whole bodies, if you know what I mean” – he is not tolerant of silly women…)Ā He also seems incredibly knowledgeable about plants and trees, and quite determined to track down what he actually wants – which is a useful trait to have when dealing with Miss Emily and Our Rose, who drive him to distraction (but whom he secretly seems to enjoy sparring with). This book is a joy from start to finish, and the the fact that there are follow-ups is wonderful and terrifying – I must restrain myself….
I really feel I have to say something about the physical book itself, too. My copy in 60 years old – I can’t believe it was published as long ago as 1953 – and yet is in remarkably good condition. Although missing its jacket, this is compensated for immediately you open and see the lovely endpapers (reproduced below – excuse my rubbish scanning!).
There are some gorgeous line illustrations by William McLaren dotted throughout the book, and this one of Nichols and his cats is one of my favourites:
The book paper has remained in lovely condition, the binding is still firm and the volume falls open nicely at whatever page you’re on. This was a budget book at the time, and I only wish that more modern books were made so well!
I could rave about how fantastic Nichols is for pages, but I would end up boring everyone to death. I can’t understand why he isn’t more well-known, and I see he also wrote some mystery books which I really must read. Suffice it to say, he’s one of my biggest author heroes and I *will* have to try to ration myself with his work!
Nov 05, 2013 @ 15:25:51
I read Down the Garden Path a year – two years? – ago and was absolutely enchanted too. I have put his other books on my reading list but like you, must restrain myself. It is rare and thrilling to find someone who can talk so knowledgeably and so delightfully about gardening. Nichols never bores one, which is a feat in itself. I can’t wait to read Merry Hall myself!
Nov 05, 2013 @ 15:45:05
I find his writing such a joy – it’s a pleasure to read and sometimes you just need someone who will make you smile. However, he’s not just flippancy – I find he has a lot to say as well. It’s probably a good thing it’s the Christmas period so that I’d feel guilty going on a spending spree…!
Nov 05, 2013 @ 16:16:52
Really lovely, this book sounds delightful! I read one of his books many years ago, borrowed from the library, forget which one, and meant to read more but just never have. The endpapers in your book are stunning, and I’ve looked at the covers for his other books before and they are beautiful too. It looks as if you’d better put some more of those books on your Christmas list!
Nov 05, 2013 @ 16:26:24
Indeed! I really would like to read nothing but Beverley for a while, but I *will* ration myself!
Nov 05, 2013 @ 17:52:43
I like the idea of a book by Beverley Nichols about his life – but I am not mad about reading abou gardens, although you make this sound very appealing indeed.
Love those endpapers.
Nov 05, 2013 @ 18:07:52
They *are* lovely aren’t they? The book is about gardens, yes, but there’s plenty that isn’t and a lot about his life so I think you would enjoy!
Nov 05, 2013 @ 20:09:40
I have the same edition and I really must get past the stage of admiring the endpapers and start reading.
Nov 05, 2013 @ 20:10:36
š It’s definitely worth it!
Nov 06, 2013 @ 08:39:58
Absolutely smitten with the lovely opening! What a great sense of fun to be found in those lines. And I envy you those beautiful endpapers and the illustration. I have been looking out for affordable copies of his house/garden books but so far have only been successful in getting one – Down The Garden Path. Am determined to look harder now, after reading your review!
Nov 06, 2013 @ 08:43:06
Yes, some of the prices are quite high and I like to have an older edition rather than a modern reprint if I can. The opening *is* gorgeous, and if you don’t like that, you definitely aren’t going to like Beverley’s books!!
Nov 06, 2013 @ 21:25:56
Loved your review! His writing is full of charm, an unusual word to apply to works isn’t it. You make it clear that nongardeners should have no hesitation in reading his series.
Nov 06, 2013 @ 21:39:29
Yes, I’m a non-gardener in that most of my gardening goes on in my head! However, his writing is so lovely that it really doesn’t matter if you don’t like gardens – you’re just happy to follow his adventures!
Nov 08, 2013 @ 11:16:49
Ah, almost my favourite category of books – reading about household things rather than doing them (I’m particularly keen on ‘domestic’ and food-writing books in that sense!). This sounds lovely and what gorgeous end-papers.
Nov 08, 2013 @ 11:18:08
š Me too! It’s lovely to read about these things and I have to confess it’s much easier than actually having to do them!
Nov 12, 2013 @ 17:34:47
Hello Karen! Sorry to have missed the conversation (and my life in books). I’m so happy to have introduced you to Nichols! I have that 1953 edition of Merry Hall too, with the lovely endpapers though my copy looks to have had a hard life along the way.
Have you had a look at the Bryan Connon biography? It suggests that Nichols was not much of a hands-on gardener and his ‘gardening’ books are rather more fictional than they may at first appear. Though I don’t think this in any way matters; they are funny and charming and Nichols never let pesky reality get in the way of being funny and charming!
Nov 12, 2013 @ 17:45:29
Oddly enough, I have the Cannon book on order from the local library! I never actually suspected Nichols would get his hands dirty much – I imagined he would be the one planning and buying and instructing the various practical gardeners on what to do. I agree that this doesn’t matter – his lack of grubby fingernails doesn’t stop the books from being such fun!
(And I’m impressed you guessed who I was – or was it very obvious? I do tend to wear my literary hearts on my sleeve!)
Nov 13, 2013 @ 10:02:28
I’m afraid I did guess straight away – it was the Bulgakov that did it! But I could have been wrong! My Life in Books was a lovely thing to take part in, and I did enjoy reading your answers. I had to think long and hard when I was writing mine, and it left me feeling curiously vulnerable. A life in books is a very personal and revealing thing!
Nov 13, 2013 @ 10:31:42
It *was* fun to take part, but you are right about this being such a personal thing – when books are so important to you, they reveal a lot about your life!!
Nov 13, 2013 @ 12:00:05
I’m catching up on my feed reader again and you, you evil woman, are making me add another book to my wishlist. Bah. *grin*
Nov 13, 2013 @ 13:30:45
*Chuckle* I’m turning into a bit of a Beverley groupie – I’ve rather wickedly sent for 3 of his murder stories – lovely lovely old hardbacks! Pictures to follow…… š
Mar 30, 2015 @ 16:11:50
I don’t know if you’re aware of Umberto Eco’s comment in ‘Travels in Hyperreality’ on books talking to one another, but I’m beginning to think that blogs on books do the same thing!
I set up a blog of random thoughts a little while ago (http://www.moulderslane.wordpress.com) and when someone left a comment on a mention I’d made of P.G. Wodehouse, and I investigated further, I found an article from ‘Plumtopia’ he’d re-blogged. Looking round Plumtopia I found an article from ‘Reading Books 1900-1950’ that she’d reblogged. Looking round Reading Books I found a Nichols review by Erica, and following a link at the end of that, found you.
This is a very nice site and your love of books, particularly as a physical entity, comes through very strongly. It’s also very nice to find someone else who loves Nichols too – I don’t know anyone else outside the Blogosphere who does.
Your comments are very perceptive and I look forward to reading more of your ‘ramblings’.
Mar 30, 2015 @ 19:14:08
Thanks for your kind comments Victoria! There do seem to be serendipitous meetings on blogs, don’t there? I am a huge lover of Beverley’s books – I’d read them all the time if I didn’t think I’d turn into a terrible bore! :0
(BTW, I popped over to have a quick look at your blog, and I wonder if you might have some kind of adware infection on it? There were lots of odd little green arrows all over the place and they don’t seem to be on any other sites I go to, so I don’t think it’s me…..)
Mar 30, 2015 @ 20:59:37
Long live the Beverley Bores!
Thanks for the tip about the little arrows – being a techno-idiot I just thought that was a normal WordPress thing, as it appears on all the blogs I look at. That would indicate it’s my computer – but then I don’t know why your computer would see the same thing??
(I’ve just checked my blog, and other blogs, on a tablet and the arrows don’t come up.) Beyond me.
Mar 31, 2015 @ 10:15:52
They don’t show on my tablet either – most odd. Maybe there’s a Firefox/Wordpress issue.