Darling: A razor-sharp, gloriously funny retelling of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love

Product Information

Briefly, then, for that reader: teenage Linda Radlett lives in “the very definition of emptiness” (north Norfolk). This is a Mitford retelling, so the British class obsession features prominently, mainly in the form of working-class Uncle Matthew’s complicated loathing of “poshos”. I thought the original might be coming out of copyright next year, when it’s 50 years since Nancy died, but apparently it’s 70 years after her death when it expires so it’s not for that reason. I felt genuinely traumatised with the abrupt, matter-of-fact manner in which the story was tossed aside.

Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's daily session limit. The Hogarth Press where I’m working, is in the heart of the literary world, with authors coming in all the time. I am at a loss therefore, especially as the modernisation of Shakespeare’s plays as books didn’t do too well.Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. Well-written and replete with deadpan humour, sarcasm and irony it’s a banter-filled, yet poignant tale. Knight's effervescence of language magnifies the eccentricities of the families to satirical levels. There are good lovely things, owned by the creative bohemians (squashy sofas, dogs, “square-cut antique emerald cufflinks”), and bad lovely things, owned by the Ukip-voting parvenus (Hunter wellies) and the faux-commie Etonians (slim hardback novels). Some tweaks reflect contemporary sensibilities: sea swimming replaces hunting, and most of the characters have jobs: Linda runs a Dalston café, and her one true love, Fabrice, owns chic boutique hotels.

The plot remains very much the same; Knight has taken few liberties, but has recast the beloved characters and story in a modern mould. Of course, she is beautiful, with an innate sense of style; every girl wants to be her, every guy wants to be with her. Perhaps this is why she remains a heroine for all ages: there is an innocence about her, even as she abandons a child and, here, dabbles in drugs. Publication dates are subject to change (although this is an extremely uncommon occurrence overall).As well as Mitford, there is something of Elizabeth Jane Howard’s much-adored Cazalet Chronicles in here, plus elements of Eva Rice’s The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets and Barbara Trapido’s Brother of the More Famous Jack. updated; Uncle Matthew, for instance, is a retired pop star; Davey an interior designer; Merlin a fashion designer. What it lacks in original storytelling, Darling more than makes up for in atmosphere and fresh jokes. The independent-minded quarterly magazine that combines good looks, good writing and a personal approach.

The last few years have seen the 2021 BBC adaptation of Mitford’s 1945 novel The Pursuit of Love, starring Lily James, and the “Mitford Murders” series by Jessica Fellowes. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. I avoided watching, because the Wes Andersonification of my greatest literary succour seemed likely to burst every vein in my eyeballs. If you aren’t familiar with the original, you might find the protagonist - and her tendency to fall in love with various ‘Bottoms’ (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream - a bit puzzling. Slightly Foxed brings back forgotten voices through its Slightly Foxed and Plain Foxed Editions, a series of beautifully produced little pocket hardback reissues of classic memoirs, all of them absorbing and highly individual.Darling is a wonderfully escapist caper of a read that will sweep you up into Linda’s world as she navigates it all in the pursuit of that epic love that is always just out of reach. Her updates are so so clever - Uncle Matthew is a cantankerous retired rock star living in rural Norfolk with bad wifi and little phone signal, and Auntie Sadie is posh Anglo-Indian boho, while Lord Merlin is now a sort of combination of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano (the doves dyed pastel colours totally fit! This is a great listen otherwise, but I would wait until the sloppy editing has been fixed - there is no way anyone on the production side has listened to the finished product the whole way through. The story just sailed along, and I really enjoyed being in the company of the Radletts as silly as they all were.