(Downloaded on my Kindle for $6): A few years ago, I read almost all of Barbara Pym's novels and they were like a long cozy tea-time. Crampton Hodnet was written in 1940 and published in 1985 after Pym's death when her work was back in favor and edited by her literary executor. A charming comedy of missed connections and frustrated loves set in the university of North Oxford. There are two main plot threads. Miss Morrow, paid companion to the elderly, domineering Miss Doggett, becomes involved in a strange relationship with curate Mr. Latimer who is boarding with the ladies. Meanwhile, Miss Doggett's nephew, Frances Cleveland, a middle-aged don, has developed an infatuation with his young student Barbara Bird. Romantic illusions give way to practicality as both Mr. Latimer and Mr. Cleveland discover amorous fantasies do not always lead to happy endings. One of my favorite lines is when Miss Morrow observes she enjoys dramatic scenes in novels and films, but they can be embarrassing and awkward in real life. There are two gay characters, a pair of mincing undergraduates who perform impromptu ballet steps in the middle of shops, who are there mainly for comic relief. Miss Doggett was a funny, bossy character given to extravagant hats and snobbish opinions. I felt badly for Miss Morrow whom everyone treats as a sexless appendage to her employer.
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