Our book choice for November 2020 is Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. A wickedly funny portrait of British rural life in the 1930s. Flora Poste, a recently orphaned socialite, moves in with her country relatives, the gloomy Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm, and becomes enmeshed in a web of violent emotions, despair, and scheming, until Flora manages to set things right.
Cold Comfort Farm is a 1932 novel by Stella Gibbons that satirizes the doomy, tragic, close-to-the-earth gothic novels of writers like Mary Webb and DH Lawrence. The novel follows the story of Flora Poste, a young woman who is orphaned and left with no means of support. She decides to go and live with her distant relatives, the Starkadders, on their farm in Sussex. The Starkadders are a gloomy and dysfunctional family, and Flora soon sets about trying to bring some order and happiness into their lives.
The Starkadders are a family of farmers who live in the isolated village of Howling in Sussex. They are a gloomy and dysfunctional bunch, and their lives are dominated by the past. The head of the family is Aunt Ada Doom, a mysterious and reclusive woman who lives in a locked room. Ada is a powerful presence in the household, and her influence has led to the Starkadders becoming mired in a cycle of tragedy and despair.
Flora Poste is a breath of fresh air for the Starkadders. She is cheerful, optimistic, and determined to help them. She soon sets about trying to improve their lives, and her efforts are met with some success. She helps to get the farm back on track, and she also helps to bring some happiness into the lives of the Starkadders.
As Flora gets to know the Starkadders, she begins to change them. She helps them to see the world in a new light, and she encourages them to embrace life. The Starkadders begin to open up to her, and they start to let go of their past.
Flora herself also undergoes a transformation. She starts to realize that she is not the helpless orphan she thought she was. She is strong and capable, and she is able to make a difference in the lives of the Starkadders.
In the end, Flora is able to help the Starkadders overcome their problems. She helps them to find happiness and fulfillment, and she also helps them to break free from the past. Flora herself also finds happiness, and she realizes that she has found a new home with the Starkadders.
Cold Comfort Farm is a novel about the power of hope and the importance of living in the present. It is also a satire of the doomy, tragic gothic novels of the early 20th century. The novel’s humor comes from its contrast between the Starkadders’ gloomy worldview and Flora’s optimistic one.
Cold Comfort Farm was a critical and commercial success when it was first published. It was praised for its humor, its satire, and its insights into human nature. The novel has been adapted into a film, a television series, and a stage play.
Discussion Questions for Cold Comfort Farm
- Did you find it funny? Any particular bits? Did any of it grate?
- Which was your favourite character? Which were 2D and which were 3D?
- How did you find the writing style? Did you find the style changed over the course of the book?
- What was the book trying to say?
- How strong was the feminist theme?
- How did you find the subtle science fiction motifs?
- What was the role of nature in the book? How did you find the descriptions? What did this add?
- To whom would you recommend this book?
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