CHRISTMAS AT COLD COMFORT FARM

STELLA GIBBONS

THREE STARS

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. Laced with wry authorial asides, and careful, subtle wit, Gibbons' stories allow us to glimpse the make-do climate of England in the 1930's. Though WWI is by no means belaboured the series of stories reveals its effects on women in their various spheres; the career woman, the domesticate, the housewife, the spinster. 

The stories, if a little obvious at times, are interesting and compelling period pieces in their own right, and for my part, the collection certainly doesn't need to be touted as some kind of continuation of Cold Comfort Farm, especially since it isn't. The title story, "Christmas at Cold Comfort farm' is out of keeping with the themes found in the remainder of the compilation, which would be infinitely more cohesive without it. I'd be far more admiring of this collection if it were allowed to stand on its own two feet, rather than being masqueraded as something it's not. 

It's not Cold Comfort Farm, and that's fine. It's still an enjoyable read, and while it might not provoke all out laughter, there's still a lot to be said for a wry smile.