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The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Question 5.
#NYRBBookClub

@BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @vivastory

Liz_M I was definitely surprised by the introduction of Alice's levitation in what I was reading as a realistic novel up to that point. I am not sure what “certain elements“ are made clear in the final section, though....? 2y

vivastory I have to admit that I was. I was unsure if this was a case where the levitation would be left as ambiguous or not. The sense I had when I first started reading it was someone who was escaping into an imaginary world due to trauma & I thought that the levitation might be a manifestation of it 2y

vivastory I love the graphics you used BTW 2y

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LeahBergen @vivastory Thanks! I had fun hunting them down. 😆 2y

LeahBergen @Liz_M @vivastory I initially thought the she might have been suffering from some sort of epilepsy; remember the first time she falls down/faints in the kitchen and hits her head? And then I thought it might be some sort of psychological dissociation from trauma that was making her feel as if she was floating. 2y

vivastory @LeahBergen @liz_m I was wondering if she had epilepsy too. I listened to The Backlsited episode about this months ago & immediately ordered it afterwards. I don't recall if they avoided saying if she literally levitated or not 2y

quietjenn @vivastory Yes - I knew from the back copy that something was afoot, but I suspected that the entire story from the time she leaves to stay with Mrs. Peebles would end up being a hallucination, and the levitation just an element of that fantasy. 2y

vivastory @quietjenn In one of the articles that I read after finishing when the BBC adapted it they tried to make the levitation as dream scenes & Comyns explicitly told them no. That they really happened & their adaptation needs to treat them as reality. I do think it puts the book in a different perspective knowing that it really happened. 2y

Liz_M @vivastory Ooooh, interesting tidbit. 2y

DrexEdit It took me by surprise too. I also thought it was an hallucination or fantasy of escapism until it wasn't. I wasn't even sure right up until the end if she would be able to levitate on command. @LeahBergen I also like your images. So many women levitating! 😀 2y

Leftcoastzen I was on that same page , that maybe hitting her head or Psychological detachment from trauma caused her to imagine she was floating, then the ending!😳 2y

merelybookish By the end, I also assumed it was really happening but I didn't understand why, or what Comyns was doing with it. Maybe her spirit was trying to fight against her downtrodden life? Like even though she is powerless, she has this weird power. But even that is eventually used against her. 2y

Leftcoastzen Yes ! What @merelybookish said . There was a part of me that was thinking her special power would end up being more positive for her,revenge on those people, but it was not to be. 2y

quietjenn @Leftcoastzen @merelybookish yes! I kept hoping that maybe she would just float away from them all. @vivastory thanks for sharing that! I wouldn't mind hunting down an adaptation. Kudos for the images, @LeahBergen and thanks to you both for the discussion! 2y

batsy It took me by surprise but I also appreciated how skillfully it was woven in; by the time it happened it didn't seem as out of place as all of ways in which life is grotesque, absurd & plain incomprehensible 🙃 I admire Comyns for how she balanced the elements of realism and magic/enchantment. I recently finished Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger which had a lot to say about the restless energy within people that escape physical boundaries & 2y

batsy that made me think of Alice & her special ability. 2y

merelybookish @batsy Gosh, you're on 🔥 with your comments! Given me more to think about and appreciate about this book! 2y

merelybookish @vivastory Thanks for mentioned the Backlisted episode. I am excited to listen and it's with Lucy Scholes whose criticism I really enjoy! 2y

GatheringBooks I loved the introduction of the levitation as a surreal, otherworldly, gothic component that rendered some “black mirror” elements to it. The sense of floating/flying away from all the undesirables on the ground, and this form of release was even used as a form of exploitation by the master abuser, the father. 2y

vivastory @merelybookish I will have to look into Lucy Scholes. Do you have a particular recommendation. That episode remains a favorite! 2y

LeahBergen @vivastory That IS an important bit of info! 👍 2y

LeahBergen @DrexEdit And there were even more levitating images I could‘ve chosen from. 😆 2y

LeahBergen @merelybookish @Leftcoastzen I was really hoping that there might be some sort of Carrie at the prom moment, à la Stephen King. ? 2y

LeahBergen @GatheringBooks Good points. And that “release” ended up being no release at all for her. 2y

LeahBergen @batsy I really like your comparison to The Little Stranger! 👌 2y

Reviewsbylola I actually was pleasantly surprised. I typically don‘t care for magical realism, try as I might, so the way the author paced it really worked for me and made me appreciate that aspect of the story. 2y

LeahBergen @Reviewsbylola I‘m not much for magical realism myself! 2y

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The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Question 4.
#NYRBBookClub

@BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @vivastory

Liz_M Well the sailor (especially the gleaming image of him riding the horse) is certainly a Prince Charming figure, even if Alice wasn't the chosen princess.... 😂 2y

vivastory I think that the presence of the animals, even if they were being terribly mistreated, added to the sense of it being a dark fairytale. Also, I couldn't help but wonder if Comyns didn't name Alice after Carroll's heroine. I couldn't find anything to support this, but the book had a through the looking glass feeling to it at times. (edited) 2y

Liz_M @vivastory I also wondered if using Alice was a reference to Carroll's work 2y

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LeahBergen @vivastory @Liz_M Ah, I never even thought of Carroll‘s Alice! 2y

quietjenn @Liz_M Even Blinkers has a bit of a Charming feel, in the way he sweeps in to “rescue“ Alice, at least temporarily. Even if he doesn't fit the mold in lots of other ways. 2y

quietjenn The caravan in the woods where escapes to dream has a little bit of a fairy tale feel to me. And the way that the evil or grotesque is often lurking below the seemingly good or normal elements, if that makes sense. 2y

merelybookish @vivastory Yes to the animals and especially the birds! The crow (raven?) that won't fly away even though he could. The poor parrot stuck shrieking then pecking away at the floor. Also, not a bird, but the seamstress friend who is deaf. The descriptions of them signing also felt bird-like. Also intrigued by the Alice in Wonderland idea 🤔 2y

batsy Yes, there's so many layers here and it's maybe hard for me to pinpoint specific fairytale/folklore elements but the whole feel of it had the energy of a dark, nightmarish fable. The animals, the beasts lurking (ordinary men), Alice herself being a kind of mistreated Cinderella figure, the gobliney Gowleys! 2y

batsy @vivastory I did wonder about that, too! Something about Alice's experiences (and her very self) being somewhat enchanted lends that through the looking glass vibe. 2y

GatheringBooks How about the nearly-stepmother, wicked in her entirety, setting up Alice to be raped. 2y

vivastory @GatheringBooks She definitely fit the role of the wicked step-mother! 2y

LeahBergen @batsy Good one! Cinderella and her drudgery. 2y

LeahBergen @GatheringBooks Yes! Rosa does seem to be a bit of a “wicked stepmother” archetype. 2y

Reviewsbylola This is a tough question for me but I‘m loving the comments! 2y

30 likes14 comments

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Question 3.
#NYRBBookClub

@BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @vivastory

Liz_M I don't know about the first part, but I do agree that the novel is about the evil that can exist in ordinary people. 2y

vivastory Absolutely. It's rare that in lit fic that you meet characters who are outright villains, but Rosa & her Father definitely seem to fit the bill. Especially her father. 2y

LeahBergen @Liz_M @vivastory And Rosa DOES seem to redeem herself a little in the final chapter, unlike that horrific father. 2y

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quietjenn Yeah, the father is maybe the most casual evil I've encountered in a long time. And the “head waiter“ is a pretty good example of it too. But even the a character like Nicholas who initially seems like he might be a good guy, turns out to be a bit an arse (which, granted is not exactly evil, but still). 2y

Leftcoastzen I kept waiting for the father to be less evil , it never happened. when he tells her off when she‘s leaving, I was probably reading with my mouth open & a little gasp! I used to have a friend who had a constantly angry mother , felt sorry for her & wondered why , also wondered doesn‘t that just take too much energy? 2y

vivastory @LeahBergen There for a minute Rosa seemed like she might be the real villain, but that def passed. I also could never shake the images of what the father did to some of the animals. 😬 2y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen That scene brought this to mind. Same vibe:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/mediaviewer/rm1407337472/ 2y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen I'm sorry to hear about your friend & her mom. That would be so difficult 2y

DrexEdit Yep. Evil people are everywhere in this book! Ordinary, everyday evil people who only see others as a means to their own ends. 2y

merelybookish @vivastory @quietjenn @DrexEdit Men! Men are evil. In small.and big ways. Peebles might be the exception but he still fails to be a force of good. I came to feel sorry for Rosa by the end. Another woman stuck relying on men to get by. Although the married housekeeper at the Peebles house was pretty terrible. 2y

batsy Yes, I agree. The banal evil that the father embodies as @quietjenn points out was so hard to take! The enduring image is the one of Alice's mother climbing up the stairs. 2y

batsy The final scene is chilling in its depiction of how selfish people in search of a spectacle and who can't make sense of what they see spontaneously generate an evil social situation; a tale as old as time (people gleefully viewing burnings and hangings and beheadings in the past) or a metaphor for modern politics, in a way! 2y

GatheringBooks Agreed with all you mentioned here. All the men here, notwithstanding their best intentions, are evil in their banality - as @batsy pointed out - even the man who “hired” Alice as a companion for his mother - turned out to be passive and not much help in the end. (edited) 2y

vivastory @batsy Chilling is absolutely the perfect description for the ending. Comyns conveyed so much in just a couple of pages. 2y

Reviewsbylola I absolutely agree with Graham‘s assessment. Sometimes it‘s the people that appear most normal that are actually the most depraved and unfeeling. 2y

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Who was Changed and who was Dead: A Novel

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Question 2.
#NYRBBookClub

@BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @vivastory

Liz_M If the tone wasn't detached, it would have been too intense and emotional. And I feel like detached is a convention of the time (and the literature it harks back to). The hyper-emotional, hyper-personal seem more modern? (I am specifically thinking of, even though I have read neither 😁, A Little Life or the My Struggle series) 2y

vivastory I agree with this assessment & the narrative is actually one of the most unusual things about the book considering the ending. I think the detached voice is a way for Alice to keep her emotions under control. It's a coping mechanism for how she is handling her trauma. 2y

vivastory @Liz_M That's a good point re: it being a convention of the time. When I first heard about Comyns someone had compared her to Jane Austen. Having read Vet's Daughter I didn't really understand the comparison, but I do think that Comyns is part of the tradition. Even if she is working against it at times. 2y

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LeahBergen @Liz_M @vivastory Good points about the intensity of emotion and keeping it under control. Alice narrated in such a ‘flattened affect‘ way which seems understandable when we read the extent of her lifelong traumas. 2y

LeahBergen @vivastory I really don‘t get the Austen comparison (especially for this novel). I‘ll have to read more Comyns, I guess. 😆 2y

Leftcoastzen I agree with everyone, if she didn‘t have a somewhat detached storytelling technique we would be in the more modern unreliable narrator territory.Keeping the emotions under control & a more controlled narrative can put to an extent the emotions on us . 2y

arubabookwoman I thought the detachment was because she had so much to be afraid of. She also had such limited experience with life, she had no way of knowing which experiences/feelings were usual/normal and which were unusual/abnormal, so it was almost like she was afraid to say anything that might be a value judgement or opinion. I also don't get the Austen comparison (& I've read several other other books). 2y

quietjenn Yes to what everyone has said. It seems a very natural response to the trauma of pretty much her entire life. Detachment helps her cope and there is little in her life that has ever indicated that she's entitled or worthy of her own thoughts/feelings/destiny. 2y

quietjenn @arubabookwoman @LeahBergen @vivastory I've only read one other, but the Austen comparison makes no sense to me at all! 2y

vivastory @arubabookwoman The limited life experience was striking. Like when she asked another character if they ever levitated. 2y

vivastory @quietjenn @arubabookwoman @quietjenn The *only* part of the book that struck me as anywhere in the same vicinity as Austen was when she levitated in front of Nick (I think that was his name) & he became embarrassed & worried that someone would see her. 2y

DrexEdit @arubabookwoman Yes! I got this same impression. I felt like Alice had very low self-esteem and was afraid, mostly, of saying anything that would appear to be impolite or unconventional lest people think less of he for it. 2y

merelybookish Plot-wise, I don't get Austen but her ability to say a lot about a character in just a few sentences has an Austen flair to it. The scene where she was riding on the train and describes the other women in the car with her and how they shame her for trying to throw out her sandwich really struck me. I could immediately picture the woman dressed in lolly pink. 🙂 2y

merelybookish @arubabookwoman @DrexEdit Definitely! And I also feel like her detachment reflects her lack of agency. Why attach when you have no say in anything that happens to you? 2y

merelybookish @arubabookwoman Do you have another book by Comyns you'd recommend? 2y

arubabookwoman @merelybookish I read The Juniper Tree last year and really liked it. It's based on the fairy tale of the same name. I also liked Sisters by the River, semi-autobiographical about her childhood, and Our Spoons Came From Woolworths, semi-autobiographical about her young adulthood, 1st marriage. These two are more realistic, but still with lots of quirky elements.👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 2y

arubabookwoman I also liked Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, which is at least as dark,if not more dark, than The Vet's Daughter. These last 3 I read many years ago, so my memory might not be the best. 2y

quietjenn @arubabookwoman @merelybookish I just read Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead last month and quite liked it. It felt like a sort of British Flannery O'Connor. I love the sound of Sister by the River and think I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy. I have both of the others that you mention and may give them a go, as I really like the way she writes. 2y

batsy Love all the points made here and that's a really astute observation, @arubabookwoman . The detached voice is not just as aesthetic choice but makes sense for a young girl coming of age who seems utterly bewildered by what the world throws at her. An emotional or overly involved voice might have rendered this a true melodramatic Gothic, as opposed to the late modernist Gothic vibes it gives off. 2y

merelybookish @Liz_M @quietjenn Thanks for the recommendations! I think I have a copy of

GatheringBooks Rather than a sense of detachment, I felt that it was more a reined-in terror conveyed with utter subtlety and simplicity and matter-of-factness that increased its surreal, otherworldly, but painfully-traumatic elements that has emotional abuse, domestic violence and exploitation as the cornerstones. 2y

Reviewsbylola I agree that the detachment is a defense mechanism. Alice couldn‘t cope otherwise. 2y

33 likes22 comments

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Question 1.
#NYRBBookClub

@BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @vivastory

Liz_M The ironworks house that suffered a fire, for sure. The creepy caretakers. The narrator's precarious position, both in her father's house and out in the country. 2y

vivastory I agree with @liz_m about the ironworks house. Also when she described one part of the house being burnt, that had a very gothic feeling. This often felt like an Edward Gorey book but I would be startled by some of the more dramatic elements that made it more gothic, more sinister 2y

LitStephanie What does NYRBBookclub stand for? 2y

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Liz_M @LitStephanie nyrb is a publisher: https://www.nyrb.com/ and this bookclub reads exclusively from their (extensive) catalog 2y

LeahBergen @Liz_M @vivastory Yes, wasn‘t that ironworks house something else? 2y

Leftcoastzen The grim description of her parents gave me gothic feeling , her mom scraggly hair , moving along the wall like a frightened mouse , and her father who seems intense & angry . I was already thinking this poor girl ! I think that a lot in this book club!😄 2y

LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen We‘ve certainly read some grim ones, haven‘t we? 😆 2y

quietjenn Agree about the ironworks house, particularly the burnt out portion of it, just locked up and left to further rot. I also think the tone, overall, is quite gothic, as is Alice's paranormal ability, which is just accepted, but not really explained or interrogated. 2y

quietjenn @Leftcoastzen excellent point about the descriptions! Very true. 2y

vivastory @quietjenn Good point about her ability not being explained/interrogated. 👍 2y

DrexEdit I don't have much to add to what's already been said. But I do think there was a rather sinister atmosphere through much of the book that felt gothic. Either through descriptions of locations or people's actions. The men in this book were all rather sinister too, from the very beginning and the man with the ginger moustache. 2y

LitStephanie @Liz_M thanks! 2y

merelybookish @Liz_M @vivastory @Leftcoastzen @quietjenn @DrexEdit Agree with everything that's been mentioned. Both the houses she inhabited felt dark and macabre. Also the menagerie of animals and animal skulls added to the gothic feel. They seemed trapped and as unsafe as Alice. 2y

batsy Yes, agree with what's said above and also wanted to mention as @merelybookish did that Alice's own home felt like a disturbing place; the shrieking animals, things out of place, the sense of Alice and her mum being held captive by a patriarch. Decay, darkness, etc. Lots of unsettling imagery: the ironworks house, but also early on when her mum is on all fours climbing up the stairs 😩 But also the heavier themes of abuse & male power. 2y

GatheringBooks Love what @batsy mentioned regarding abuse and male power. The ironhouse detail escaped my limited attention span, but it all felt very dark, with a sense of foreboding embedded thruout. 2y

Reviewsbylola Omg I‘m such a slacker Leah!! I read the book weeks ago and yet here I am, days late to the party. 😩 Answering the questions now! 2y

Reviewsbylola Def had a strong gothic feel for me too, for the myriad of reasons listed above. I remember as I was reading it thinking that it was a great pick for this time of year, with its creepy, gothic atmosphere. 2y

LeahBergen @Reviewsbylola Hey, no worries! Everyone gets busy. 😊 2y

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quietjenn

The Vet's Daughter | Barbara Comyns

Taking a little time to finish the #nyrbbookclub selection, before running a few errands later this afternoon.

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merelybookish

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

so-so

Sucks to be a woman. 😑I haven't read Comyns before but I know a darkness runs through her novels. And it's definitely here. Women are at the mercy of men, and in the case of Alice, that means her cruel, drunken vet dad. Even to escape she's dependent upon a hero, one she finds kind but repugnant. Aspects of this novel I didn't get but the descriptions of characters and scene-setting are fabulous. A good book to discuss! #nyrbbookclub

merelybookish @LeahBergen @vivastory 2y

vivastory Great review. I think it'll make for a great discussion! 2y

LeahBergen I shall read this when I‘m done! 😆 2y

merelybookish @vivastory Thanks Scott! 2y

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DrexEdit

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

A man with small eyes and a ginger moustache came and spoke to me when I was thinking of something else.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

34 likes

DrexEdit

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

pick

What in the heck did I just read!? Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Looking forward to the #nyrbbookclub discussion!

LeahBergen Oh, good! 👏🏻👏🏻 2y

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The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

#NYRBBookClub Usually I say death before decaf but beings how it‘s getting late & will need to sleep soon , I wanted the taste without the jolt !

LeahBergen And it looks tasty! 2y

TrishB Love the pic ❤️ 2y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen it was! 2y

Leftcoastzen @TrishB thanks 😊 2y

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The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Yay! #NYRBBookClub I love it when someone uses the word strumpet !Comyns even gets rhyming with it !
the strumpet from The Trumpet !😄👏

vivastory 😂 I'm looking forward to diving into this one 2y

sarahbarnes Loving this one so far too! 2y

Leftcoastzen @sarahbarnes yep! 💕 2y

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LeahBergen I love the word ‘strumpet‘. 😆 And also ‘trollop‘ and ‘hussy‘. 😆😆 2y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen indeed! I posted before I read on!😁 2y

batsy 😆 This has now also made me think about The Hearing Trumpet so yay strumpets and trumpets! 2y

Leftcoastzen @batsy 😂makes me remember how many interesting books we have read in the book club! 2y

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The Vet's Daughter | Barbara Comyns

Wow #NYRBBookClub look at the first edition dust jacket!

vivastory @BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar 3y

vivastory What a cover! Serious Lolly vibes! 3y

Leftcoastzen @vivastory indeed! I am quite taken with it! 3y

Tamra 😵 that‘s an amazing cover! 3y

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Leftcoastzen @Tamra Heinemann , 1959 . Loving it 3y

sisilia Wow!!! 😍 3y

BarbaraBB A first edition. How cool 😍 3y

Leftcoastzen @sisilia @BarbaraBB Yes , I was just curious, so I looked it up. There was not a copy on Abebooks , I found the image on Wikipedia, pretty amazing. 3y

BarbaraBB I never do that but I should, it is very cool to know what a first edition looks like! 3y

LeahBergen Ooo! I want it! 😆 3y

batsy I love it 🖤 Yes @vivastory Lolly vibes! 3y

Cathythoughts Great cover ! I think I ordered this one .. 2y

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vivastory

The Vet's Daughter | Barbara Comyns

Due to Halloween falling on the final Sunday of the month the discussion for the October #NYRBBookClub selection will be 11/7 @ 11 MST. Join @LeahBergen & I as we discuss Barbara Comyns' novel!

merelybookish That's great because I need all the extra time I can get. 😀 3y

vivastory @merelybookish It's short, too! 3y

LeahBergen @merelybookish Well, don‘t feel bad … I haven‘t started it. 😆 3y

merelybookish @LeahBergen I haven't started it either! 🤣 3y

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The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

#NYRBBookClub I need to get started on this , feeling behind! Did you ever have one of those days where you thought you slept well the night before but feel like for whatever reason it‘s like it didn‘t take ? Yep, that‘s today for me .

vivastory Honestly I feel that way most nights...& btw I'm about to make an announcement post regarding the discussion date/time (edited) 3y

sarahbarnes Yes, all the time! 3y

LeahBergen I feel you. This has been me lately, too. 🙄 3y

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BarbaraBB

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

I recently read this one so won‘t reread but will reshare my thoughts on this month‘s #NYRBBookClub choice ⬆️⬆️

vivastory, Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

LeahBergen Thanks for sharing! I‘m glad it was still a pick for you. 😊 3y

vivastory Thanks for sharing. I've been very curious about this one for awhile now. 3y

BarbaraBB @LeahBergen @vivastory It is an intriguing book, so much to discuss. I am looking forward to it! 3y

sisilia Gothic meets magic 🥴 Not my fav theme hahaha.. 3y

BarbaraBB @sisilia it‘s short and you may describe it totally different 🤞🏽 3y

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merelybookish

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Picked up a very battered Virago Modern Classis edition of The Vet's Daughter from the library today. Makes me sad to see it in such rough shape.
#nyrbbookclub @LeahBergen @vivastory

Leftcoastzen Wow that‘s a black Dial Virago. Poor old thing. 3y

vivastory That is in rough shape. Maybe they will replace it with a new edition? 3y

LeahBergen Poor old thing! 3y

Cathythoughts Poor book ! Sounds great though & stacking 3y

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GatheringBooks

Vet's Daughter | Barbara Comyns

#Haunted Day 6: #WitchyWednesday is perfect for this haunting book because umm… levitating? Paired with husband‘s roka salata that will put Cyma to shame. Caramelized walnuts, blue cheese, shaved parmesan, sundried tomatoes (plus diced fresh tomatoes), and greens. Homemade lunch is 💕 Also our #NYRBBookClub pick for the month.

BiblioLitten I have been wanting to read this book for so long! 🙂 3y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yum 😋 3y

Eggs Great book cover and ensalata ❣️ 3y

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GatheringBooks

The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

#FallTreasures Day 21: This #NYRBBookClub pick for October is definitely #WaitingToBeRead - perfectly paired with Egentid peppermint tea with cocoa and of course the rapidly-disappearing truffles.

vivastory, Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Michael_Gee Truffles!!! 😛 3y

vivastory Wonderful picture☕📚 3y

tpixie Lovely cup and saucer! 🤍🖤🤍 3y

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LeahBergen Ooo, lovely! 3y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome photo ❤️ 3y

catebutler Love everything in this photo!! 3y

Eggs 🧡❤️🧡❤️ 3y

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vivastory

Vet's Daughter | Barbara Comyns

There are a couple of members who have yet to vote, but as the votes currently stand Comyns' The Vet's Daughter will be the October #NYRBBookClub Selection. Join @LeahBergen & I next month as we discuss! I look forward to it. I have been meaning to read Comyns for awhile now & have heard nothing but praise for this work.

vivastory @BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @tanisha_a @theaelizebat @billy_par (edited) 3y

batsy I've yet to read any Comyns but I've been meaning to for so long... Excited for this! 3y

vivastory @batsy Same here! It sounds promising. 3y

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LeahBergen Woot! 👏🏻 3y

vivastory @LeahBergen Great nominations 👏 3y

rubyslippersreads I think I‘d like to join in, but before I decide, should I skip it if I want to avoid any animal cruelty? 3y

vivastory @rubyslippersreads I can't say. I haven't read it yet. 3y

rubyslippersreads @vivastory I realized after I posted the question that probably no one had read it yet. 😹 Oh well, I‘ll leave it just in case. 3y

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The Vet's Daughter | Kathryn Davis, Barbara Comyns

Okay, #NYRBBookClub … here are my nominations for our October read. Vote away!

@BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @sarahbarnes @saresmoore @sisilia @batsy @Reviewsbylola @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @vivastory

merelybookish Wow, I'm conflicted! But I think I'll vote for

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Billypar All three of these sound good, but I'm going with

catebutler All sound good! I‘m going with

daena I‘ll vote for the

sisilia The Vet‘s Daughter 💕 3y

vivastory Thanks for posting! Although I have Vet's Daughter, I'm voting for Great Granny Webster (never heard of it) 3y

Leftcoastzen I‘ve read the other 2 , but Webster I read long ago , I‘d reread either for the club

mklong I‘m torn too, but I‘m going with

Liz_M Tough choice! I'm voting for In a Lonely Place (but also will be happy if AVD wins). 3y

sarahbarnes Great choices! I‘ll honestly be happy to read any of them, but I‘ll vote for In a Lonely Place. 3y

GatheringBooks Thank you for putting this up early. All interesting choices! I vote for

In a Lonely Place

BarbaraBB I LOVED In a Lonely Place and I hope that one will win. I also read (and was underwhelmed by) The Vet‘s Daughter so my vote goes to

emilyhaldi I think in the spirit of spooky October reading 🖤 I‘ll vote for

In a Lonely Place

batsy Great picks! I'm going with

youneverarrived Great choices! I‘m going for

quietjenn After much back and forth, I'm casting my vote for

arubabookwoman If it's not too late my vote is for The Vet's Daughter. I've read it, but many years ago, and I love Barbsra Comyns. (I also loved In lonely Place), but not sure how much discussion it would generate). 3y

LeahBergen @sprainedbrain @KVanRead @readordierachel @saresmoore @Reviewsbylola @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet Here‘s the nominations; there‘s still time to vote! 😊 3y

sprainedbrain Sorry I‘m late! I will vote for

saresmoore Oh, gosh! I‘m sorry I missed the notification for this! What brilliant choices, Leah—of course! ♥️ I‘ll be delighted to read any of these. If I‘ve snuck in before the deadline, my vote is for

In a Lonely Place

Reviewsbylola So sorry I‘m tardy! If it‘s not too late, my vote goes to

Tanisha_A Gosh! I haven‘t been following nyrb since a bit! But maybe I‘ll join.

LeahBergen @Reviewsbylola @Tanisha_A Scott has already tallied the votes and The Vet‘s Daughter won. 😊 @vivastory 3y

Tanisha_A Lol! That says how absent I have been here! 😶 3y

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vivastory

The Vet's Daughter | Barbara Comyns

A poor night's sleep would usually result in a mediocre day at best. Luckily my NYRB sale order arrived & my coffee is doing it's job (so far). I'm thoroughly pleased with my order.

MayJasper I like the look of them 😊 3y

vivastory @MayJasper They reliably produce the greatest covers IMO. I've read a few that were forgettable but I have never outright hated a NYRB, they're def one of my fave publishers 3y

sisilia I have only read Angel and I loved it. A different style from Taylor 3y

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vivastory @sisilia It sounds really interesting, darker than the other Taylor our group read 3y

vivastory @sisilia I've heard her stories are great too 3y

sisilia Yes. I‘m not sure if the one NYRB published is the complete version. Virago Modern Classics has her complete short stories and I‘ve heard praises 3y

erzascarletbookgasm These covers are great! 😍 3y

vivastory @sisilia I somehow managed to forget that NYRB published a volume of her stories. Just added to my TBR. 3y

vivastory @erzascarletbookgasm Aren't they? I suspect the stories inside will be equally memorable 3y

LeahBergen Ooo, looky! 👀 3y

Megabooks Gorgeous! 3y

quietjenn Ha, Angel and The Vet's Daughter were part of my sale haul also 😄 3y

vivastory @quietjenn Taylor's A Game of Hide & Seek was a real gem from round 1 of NYRB, so I'm really looking forward to Angel. Vet's Daughter sounds fascinating! Have you received your haul yet? 3y

quietjenn I got that one, too! I've read a few things by her - and own even more on my Kindle - but none of the NYRB titles (although I see that they are doing an edition of Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont in the fall, and that's my favorite thus far). I did get my box. I spent entirely too much and would be ashamed if a) it hadn't been my birthday gift to myself and b) I hadn't promised to buy anything else for a while (already proving difficult!) 3y

vivastory @quietjenn That's exciting to hear that Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is a favorite. If I remember correctly @reviewsbylola also said it's her favorite Taylor book. I will def. be checking it out! No shame in splurging on yourself, esp. for your birthday. I think that writer Olga Grushin outdid us all with her NYRB sale haul:
https://twitter.com/olgagrushin/status/1416134912927834113 3y

quietjenn 😲 yes, mine was not nearly as grand as that! And it looks like she already had quite a collection! Now to read them all ... eventually! 3y

BarbaraBB Wow, another Tove! 3y

vivastory @BarbaraBB What can I say? She's a new favorite. Can't wait to explore more of her work 3y

ShelleyBooksie What is NYRB? 3y

vivastory @ShelleyBooksie New York Review Book Classics They publish some great work 3y

Suet624 Wow. You got some great books. And those covers are just so seductive! 3y

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