The Stone of Chastity by Margery
Sharp
Summary:
Entertainingly ridiculous story of an English village turned upside down when a visiting Professor who studies folklore discovers the legend of the Stone of Chastity - a stepping stone in the local stream reputed, according to legend, to trip up impure women.
My first impression:
It's indeed ridiculous! But more
of a witty-sarcastic one. No doubt, it would be a criticism against puritanical society.
About the author, Margery Sharp, who had a pretty name: Clara Margery Melita Sharp, was an English writer, born in 1925. From several books I've found of hers, I noticed that her titles are always intriguing. Like this one: The Stone of Chastity. Or the next book I'm going to read, maybe later this year, The Foolish Gentlewoman. They instantly attract your attention, don't they? There's something charming about them (the titles) that makes you instinctively want to read them.
I decided to keep on reading, because I'm curious of what might happen next. Right now the Professor is distributing surveys about stone of chastity: what do you know about it, where it was located, etc. And I'm curious how this little village Gillenham people will think and react about it. Hilarious things are prone to take place!
I haven't read anything by Margery Sharp but plan to. I have Four Gardens on my Kindle which sounds a bit more my thing than The Stone of Chastity.
ReplyDeleteI have A Foolish Gentlewoman on my TBR, and plan to read it sometime within this year. Yeah, The Stone of Chastity isn't for everybody. I've finished it, and was not very impressed.
DeleteI found it really funny but I think it might be a particular kind of English funny with only a small appeal! I wouldn't give up on Sharp though as this is the silliest of her books I've read, and I've read quite a few.
ReplyDeleteIt's good, then, that I've read Sharp's silliest one. At least I can hope much better things to come from her other books I'll read next. ;)
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