The
Merry Hall Trilogy
Merry
Hall
By
Beverley Nichols
With
a Foreword by Ann Lovejoy
319
pp Oregon
Timber
Press $24.95
Laughter
On The Stairs
By
Beverley Nichols
With
a Foreword by Roy C. Dicks
257
pp Oregon
Timber
Press $24.95
Sunlight
On The Lawn
By
Beverley Nichols
With
a Foreword by Bryan Connon
264
pp Oregon
Timber
Press $24.95
Reviewed
by Burndett Andres
Lest
we use our entire allotment of space for book titles, let us commence at once
to employ a literary device used to great effect by our author, Beverley
Nichols. When faced with the necessity for oft-repeated phrases, he would, with
the reader’s permission of course, adopt the practice of substituting initials
for names or phrases. Hence “nice balustrade” became N.B. and N.Q.S.N.B. would
stand in for “not quite so nice balustrade.” You see at once the merit of this
procedure. In our situation, Beverley Nichols will become BN, The Merry Hall
Trilogy will be simply TMHT and MH, LOTS and SOTL should be obvious. I will
endeavor to ease you into it.
The
Merry Hall Trilogy, TMHT, is comprised of MH (1951), LOTS (1953) and SOTL
(1956). Together they give some insight into life in Merry Hall, BN’s Georgian
manor house in Surry, England, from the time the property was purchased in 1945
and throughout its reclamation. The animals of MH, human and feline, and the
inhabitants of the village of Meadowstream all play important parts, but the
flora has been given the starring role. The gardens are thoroughly introduced;
in fact, each individual tree, shrub and plant is thoroughly introduced. Early
on BN warns, “When I begin to write about flowers, I lose all sense of
restraint, and it is far, far too late to do anything about it.” It’s not so
much what he says, but how he says it that makes his writing so delightful. But
before we get into matters of style, let me first tell you a little bit about
BN.
I
met Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) leaning out of a window on the cover of his
biography Beverley Nichols – A Life
by Bryan Connon. It was pictured in the Timber Press catalog and was being
advertised as an adjunct to TMHT and others of BN’s gardening and cat books. He
looked so fetching that I stopped to get acquainted. The promoter assured me
that BN enjoys a secure seat in the pantheon of gardening gods. Generations of
literate gardeners, I was told, have turned to him for wit and wisdom, for
relief from prickling thorns and nasty nettles; for pure entertainment of the
home and garden variety, he has few peers and his books are classics. After
reading eleven of BN’s many books, I cannot dispute it.
In
addition, I have found that just as a soberly health-conscious person can
benefit spiritually from the occasional French pastry, so the joy of reading
can be restored by taking up something light and refreshing, something amusing,
a piece of literary candy from time to time. BN is a bonbonniere extraordinaire
and TMHT is one of his finest confections. He is a master story teller and can
transform trifling events into high drama. He takes impish delight in tattling
on everyone, most especially himself. Fine sketches capture the essence of his
characters, warts and all. Most are drawn sympathetically, even empathically.
Although all the major characters reprise in all three volumes, they are
presented most completely in MH, which was written first and should be read
first for best effect.
But
I was telling you about BN. The book jackets of the latest editions of TMHT
describes his work thusly: “Beverley Nichols was a prolific writer on subjects
ranging from religion to politics and travel in addition to authoring six
novels, five detective mysteries, four children’s stories, six autobiographies
and six plays. He is perhaps best remembered today for his gardening books,”
etc. etc. etc. Obviously he was very erudite, but he wears it so gracefully in
TMHT that it enhances the story rather than intrudes upon it. The gardening
knowledge and plant lore he shares can likewise be enjoyed by gardener (G) and
non-gardener (NG) alike.
One
is even willing to take a scolding about one’s attitude, or be chastised for one’s
general ignorance, or endure a dressing down because of one’s lack of
appreciation for cats, just for the pleasure of hearing BN put the words
together to accomplish it. Both his renowned felicity of speech and his famous
charm spill over into his writing. Who could resist meek and mild Miss Mint?
Miss Emily – the quintessential English countrywoman in her tweeds – and Our
Rose – a neighbor and famous floral designer – provide most of the intrigue.
Marius, a wise friend and neighbor is often called upon to help sort them all
out and Gaskin, BN’s “omniscient and beatific factotum” acts as the safety net
for the entire cast. And always there is Oldfield, the gardener, making us
smile and making the gardens flourish. The author’s cats, One, Four, Five and
Seven, romp freely through all the pages. The books read like novels.
Even
at its most neglected, Merry Hall is made to seem so appealing and the
characters are presented with such charm and grace, cocooned in gentle humor
and energized with such wit, well…one simply wants to leap into the story
oneself and make their acquaintance.
That
is just what BN’s conversational style, clearly drawn character portraits and
finely chiseled place descriptions make possible. One actually gets into the
act. One can feel the rich, soft loam, smell the fragrant lilies, taste the
fresh garden produce and hear the soothing purr of the kittens. They all come
to life in The Merry Hall Trilogy. It is a harmony of sweetness and
sentimentality in perfect measure, which produces a light, simply delicious
result. This fictional non-fiction could be just the mood-elevator the literary
doctor ordered. Think of it as chocolate for the mind.
Published - July/August 2004 issue of Wolf Moon Press Journal – A Maine
Magazine of Art and Opinion
Ref. Maine, At Last – Settling In Vol. II, page 264
Go to Maine, At Last - Settling In
Ref. Maine, At Last – Settling In Vol. II, page 264
Go to Maine, At Last - Settling In
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