Google+ The Art that Inspires Writers and Readers: March 2018

Monday, March 12, 2018

My Barbara Cartland Addiction

Dear Ladies

I am not sure I should call it an addiction, but here I am, in bed recovering from severe back pain. At my side "The best of Barbara Cartland" a used book I bought long ago. It even has this number sticker proclaiming that I saved it from the book pond. I have read it before so it is a good thing that my memory of this plots is shortlived. Even remembering vaguely what will happen sometimes, I still enjoy to re-read them.


My well-read copy of "The best of Barbara Cartland" including "the Proud Princess" (in the cover), "the Magnificent marriage", "The Bored Bridegroom", "Kiss the Moonlight and "The Devil in love"



And I try to explain why is that. I consider myself, as well as my readers, intelligent, up to date,  tolerant. I believe that men and women have the same mental capacity and that we can achieve big things against great odds without the need to be rescued. I don't believe that the English are a superior race or that nobility (as in being from the nobility) has any physical manifestation. I don't think a woman has to be small, beautiful and innocent to deserve to be happy. I don't believe that we can transmit love and much less commands through some sort mental waves. I could keep going about all that is wrong in Cartlad's Universe. Especially her racist remarks. And don't forget the ridiculous names of many of her heroines (Lady Dorinda comes to mind, "Dorina" beeing a margarine brand in my home country) 

"The Bored Bridegroom", by Barbara Cartland. A story that takes a lot from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and sees Lucretia follow her beloved Marquis while pursued by French soldiers.


And here am I reading "The Bored Bridegroom", the third on this compilation book. And I was crying at the heroin's suffering. I couldn't wait for the end of the dramatic adventure and for the sexual tension between Lucretia and Max finally get resolved into a cast kiss and some insinuation like "....he took her to the heaven reserved only for true love" or something along that lines. We, readers, know she means they went to bed. Finally!  
Everything they feel will be meticulously explained at end of the book when they open their hearts to each other. As expected. 


"the Magnificent marriage" by Barbara Cartland where our ugly-dickling, Lady Dorinda, flourishes on a trip to Indonesia. She can't tell the magnificent Max Kirby that she loves him because he will marry her beautiful sister.


So what is it? at least for me, I think it is all that she conveys without saying. The feelings, the emotions, which despite Cartland's failings as a writer spring out of the pages real and honest. There is also this nostalgia for fairy tails where good deeds are rewarded and happiness is attainable.

Cartland herself was also a historian and a fighter for the rights she considered important. Her books have a lot of history in them and some sparks of women's revindication too. The scenarios tend to repeat themselves, but I think this reflects the small world where the English aristocracy lived. A while ago I found this neat little books at my local library. It contained a treasure trove of aquarelle drawings depicting the Edwardian era London with many of the scenes so present in Cartland's story. Here I share it with you.




"The season" by John S Goodall
enjoy,

Miranda


PS: You may want to join my Barabara Cartland fan site on G+