Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Penguin Books (1992), Paperback, 528 pages
Description
The worst thing to happen to the season's perfect couple: marriage. When the young and gorgeous Helen Eskdale met the wealthy aristocrat Lord Teviot, everything clicked. This was a couple that was meant to be - the match of the year, if not the ages. But in the rush to the altar, there was no time for bride and groom to actually get to know each other. Now the question is: Can they keep their marriage from falling apart? The semi-attached couple explores the upstairs-downstairs intrigues and comic misunderstandings central to the classic English romance with all the wit, style, and charm of a Jane Austen novel.
User reviews
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
The Semi-Attached Couple is a humorous and witty look at a Victorian couple who didn't exactly marry for love. Surrounding their romance, or lack-thereof, is busybody family members, a cultural protocol for decorum, and good, old-fashioned Victorian society standards. Of course, Sarah married too
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young and Lord Teviot married too quick. Neither understands the other and isn't sure of themselves. There is plenty of gossip, secrets, and satire in The Semi-Attached Couple. Show Less
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
Though not quite to the standard of Austen, Emily Eden, writing thirty years later, captures that same wry humour and scathing social eye in her two novels. I enjoyed The Semi-Attached Couple far more, but both stories are filled with familiar characters and romantic devices.
The honest portrayal
The slightly patronising air of the characters in The Semi-Detached House, particularly the 'angelic' Blanche, and the farcical plot that reads like a Trollope novel written by Wodehouse, didn't hold my attention or amuse me at all, unfortunately. I actually struggled to finish, but I have yet to tackle Persuasion by the incomparable Austen, too!
The honest portrayal
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of marriage between the Teviots in the first half book descends into a Victorian melodrama, putting me in mind of Baroness Orczy, but the bluff Mrs Douglas and Eltonesque Lady Portmore livened up the scenes of domestic misery. (I love Mrs Douglas' honest appraisal of one woman's 'mistaken bonnet' and her droll comment that 'the Beauforts all laugh as if they thought they had good teeth'!)The slightly patronising air of the characters in The Semi-Detached House, particularly the 'angelic' Blanche, and the farcical plot that reads like a Trollope novel written by Wodehouse, didn't hold my attention or amuse me at all, unfortunately. I actually struggled to finish, but I have yet to tackle Persuasion by the incomparable Austen, too!
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
The Semi-Detached House
Pregnant Blanche and her sister move into a semi-detached villa while Blanche's husband is away on a government mission to Berlin. Initially prejudiced against her neighbours, the Hopkinson family, Blanche gradually comes love and rely on them. In addition we meet Baron
This was a warm, amusing book in which common sense and kindness were prized. It is a pity that the Jewish characters were so dastardly - even the more likeable Rachel was unable to love the man she married - but this was presumably an acceptable prejudice at the time of writing. There was quite a lot of coupling off of all the unmarried men and women, which was a little hard to keep track of, but I enjoyed Willis' transformation.
The Semi-Attached Couple
Helen marries Lord Teviot on a brief acquaintance; he loves her jealously, but she is concerned that she does not feel for him as her sisters do for their husbands. This misunderstanding/estrangement was a little tiresome, although I suppose Helen does at least have the excuse of being very young; Teviot seemed rather petulant at times. The real joy of this story for me was the awful Lady Portmore and the sublime put downs served her by Mrs Douglas. This reminded me of Anthony Trollope (one of my favourite authors - and much more than it reminded me of Jane Austen) especially with the description of the election. Again, there was a bit of pairing off of unattached young people - I think Eliza could have done better for herself.
Highly recommended.
Pregnant Blanche and her sister move into a semi-detached villa while Blanche's husband is away on a government mission to Berlin. Initially prejudiced against her neighbours, the Hopkinson family, Blanche gradually comes love and rely on them. In addition we meet Baron
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Sampson, an apparently rich businessman who has dealings with the Hopkinsons' son-in-law, the perpetually miserable Willis. This was a warm, amusing book in which common sense and kindness were prized. It is a pity that the Jewish characters were so dastardly - even the more likeable Rachel was unable to love the man she married - but this was presumably an acceptable prejudice at the time of writing. There was quite a lot of coupling off of all the unmarried men and women, which was a little hard to keep track of, but I enjoyed Willis' transformation.
The Semi-Attached Couple
Helen marries Lord Teviot on a brief acquaintance; he loves her jealously, but she is concerned that she does not feel for him as her sisters do for their husbands. This misunderstanding/estrangement was a little tiresome, although I suppose Helen does at least have the excuse of being very young; Teviot seemed rather petulant at times. The real joy of this story for me was the awful Lady Portmore and the sublime put downs served her by Mrs Douglas. This reminded me of Anthony Trollope (one of my favourite authors - and much more than it reminded me of Jane Austen) especially with the description of the election. Again, there was a bit of pairing off of unattached young people - I think Eliza could have done better for herself.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member starbox
Two 19th century novels:
My favourite was definitely the former- published 1859 but written thirty years before, and with a definite Jane Austen flavour to the story of an aristocratic newly-wed couple, struggling to get used to their new life. Watched (and constantly criticized) by their poorer,
The Semi-Detached House is more of a typical Victorian story, as Lady Blanche Chester (reluctantly taking such a residence while her husband is away) finds her neighbours much nicer than she had anticipated, and all ends well.
My favourite was definitely the former- published 1859 but written thirty years before, and with a definite Jane Austen flavour to the story of an aristocratic newly-wed couple, struggling to get used to their new life. Watched (and constantly criticized) by their poorer,
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jealous neighbour Mrs Douglas; and given additional stresses in their married life by the trouble-making comments of the truly ghastly, self-aggrandizing Lady Portmore, there are moments of laugh-out-loud humour.The Semi-Detached House is more of a typical Victorian story, as Lady Blanche Chester (reluctantly taking such a residence while her husband is away) finds her neighbours much nicer than she had anticipated, and all ends well.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1859-1860
Physical description
528 p.; 7.7 inches
ISBN
014016233X / 9780140162332