Kent - The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates

[chesilbeach]

KENT
 
The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates
 
Synopsis:
'Home looks nice. Allus does though, don't it? Perfick'
 
And so the Larkins - Pop, Ma, Mariette, Zinnia, Petunia, Primrose, Victoria and Montgomery - return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening. There, amid the rustic charms of home, they discover a visitor: one Cedric Charlton, Her Majesty's inspector of taxes.
 
Mr Charlton is visiting to find out why junk-dealer Pop hasn't paid his tax - but nothing's that simple at the Larkins. Mariette takes a shine to 'Charley' - as Pop calls him - and before long the family have introduced the uncomplaining inspector to the delights of country living: the lusty scents of wild flowers, the pleasures of a bottle of Dragon's Blood, cold cream dribbled over a bowl of strawberries and hot, hot summer nights.
 
In fact, soon Charley can't see any reason to return to the office at all.
 
 
Other Kent books:
 
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

[Janet]

The Darling Buds of May by H E Bates

Introducing the Larkins, a family with a place in popular mythology. Here they come, crashing their way through the English countryside in the wake of Pa, the quick-eyed, golden-hearted junk-dealer, and Ma, with a mouthful of crisps and a laugh like a jelly.

The Darling Buds of May is about the larger than life Larkin family, headed by lovable rogue Pa, a wheeler-dealer with a heart of gold, and Ma who is always on hand with a snack or a meal for her large family – and anyone who happens to join them! In this, the first instalment of stories about the family, the Larkins are visited by Cedric Charlton, a rather uptight tax inspector who is investigating why Pa has never filed a tax return. At first Mr Charlton is rather bemused by the family as he tries to get to the bottom of what has happened to the buff form that has been sent out to Mr Larkin on at least two occasions, but then he sees the Larkin’s eldest daughter, Mariette, and before he knows where he is he’s head over heels in love and life as he knows will never be the same again!

As a ‘Kentish Maid’ I watched, and loved, the ITV series The Darling Buds of May when it was first broadcast in 1991. I had not read the books but my Mum had and she said that the show was beautifully cast and that all of the actors did the characters total justice. Having just read this, the first book in the series, I can see what she was talking about! It meant that I was picturing David Jason, Pam Ferris et al whilst reading but that was okay! I’m going off at a tangent here, but to anyone who hasn’t seen the show and enjoys this book I would say to watch it if the chance arises – it’s such a faithful adaptation.

Set in an idyllic village in late 50s rural Kent, the book is such an easy and enjoyable read. The family are all such likeable characters and it made me chuckle out loud a few times – something which doesn’t happen to me that often with books. When I was a child in the 70s my Mum would go fruit picking to earn a bit of cash, and I used to go with her and spend all day in the countryside eating whatever fruit she was picking and having a wild old time with the other children there. In terms of the challenge this book really captures the feel of the county and the essence of those times and I can’t wait to read some more of the series. Perfick!

[poppy]

Perfick indeed! A delightful series of books, ones I've revisited many times. How wonderful to live and experience country living in this gorgeous looking part of Britain.

[Janet]

I've just ordered book 2! 

[willoyd]

I read this last August, so, as I'm not ready to read it again so soon, it's not going to be my Kent book.  However, I thought the (brief) review I wrote at the time might be worth adding to the list here.  Hope it's of interest:
 
The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates ***
A light, enjoyable evening's read. Most Brits will be familiar with the novel through the TV series (even if one hasn't watched it, as I haven't, it's fairly strongly engrained into the historical culture!). In some respects it was almost iconoclastic in its attitude to conventions at the time it was written, now it's nothing special on that front. The book itself is dominated by food and by colour: it seems the Larkins eat big and eat loud every two minutes, reflecting their approach to life, whilst everything, but everything, is described in terms of its colour. It all makes for characters and a simple story that read larger than life.  Great fun! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series in short, sharp, bursts.

[poppyshake]

Review: Very easy to read and entertaining. Maybe it's a little too ideal .. nobody seemed to get into a tizz about anything (well Mariette did get into a cat fight over Charley but it didn't amount to much) but then they're probably too stuffed full of food, bucolic charm and Dragon's Blood to care less. I like a book with food in it but this one took the biscuit ... they don't stop stuffing from morning to night. You couldn't help but worry about their cholesterol (and very weird combinations too .. like putting ketchup on iced buns terrible way to treat a bun I thought.) I couldn't help worrying about Charley either who was like a lamb to the slaughter but then he willingly went there so there was no saving him.

On the whole I liked it very much .. it's very amiable .. but I didn't love it. There wasn't a lot of depth to the story (there isn't meant to be .. that's not its purpose) though it is well written and would be perfect (not to mention 'perfick' .. ) for reading whilst drowsing away a sunny afternoon. Actually I will probably read at least one sequel (I saw at the back of this book that they go to France .. that's got to be worth a look, though Lord knows what they'll be putting on the croissants )

So idyllic as to make one positively dissatisfied with life .. and very seductive .. that is until one reads about Ma being as 'huge as a buffalo' .. that's taking a love for buns too far 3/5

[chesilbeach]

This is such a quintessentially English book, set in the Kent countryside, a working class family, who are food loving, big drinking, television watching, down-to-earth people.  Not much happens, but people fall in love, taxes are avoided, a gymkhana is hosted in the meadow and there's love in the air.  I'm not usually a fan of dialect or phonetic speech in writing, but Pop Larkin's dialogue is perfectly pitched and easily readable.

 

There are some questionable things …

 

Pop and Miss Pilchester kissing, which Ma accepts, and there's even a suggestion that it was her idea, and Mariette "trapping" Charley into marriage while believing she is pregnant and not knowing who the father is, making fidelity seem like an alien concept, but it's done with such affection for the characters, that it's virtually overlooked.  It's obviously written in a different time, so perhaps it's my modern sensibilities that find this a bit jarring.  That said, I still loved it, so it couldn't have affected me that much!

 

 

I was rather surprised at how short it was, and how little happened!  I've looked up the series, and there are only a few more books in it, so I guess the television series must have been inspired by it, rather than an adaptation, but I would like to read the other books, as I enjoyed this one so much.

 

The love for the English countryside and small villages shines through the writing, which is charming and sparkling with wit and warmth.   I've only seen the odd scene from the television adaptation from the 1990s, but I know the actors who played the leads, and I have to be honest and say these were who I pictured as I was reading the book, but actually, they fit perfectly the descriptions of the characters on the pages. I probably wouldn't have read it if not for the Counties challenge, so another one I'm glad to have found from our Counties list!

[Janet]

I was rather surprised at how short it was, and how little happened!  I've looked up the series, and there are only a few more books in it, so I guess the television series must have been inspired by it, rather than an adaptation, but I would like to read the other books, as I enjoyed this one so much.

Since reading this for the challenge I've gone on to read all apart from the last one (which is on my 'to read' pile).  The stories contained in the rest of them make up the TV series.   I'll be interested to know what you think of the others. 

[chesilbeach]

Thanks Janet.  I've just added them to my wish list, but I think I might actually get the second one tomorrow.