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Keeping Up Appearances

By Rose Macaulay
Series: British Library Women Writers
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Check link for latest rating. ( 96 ratings, 24 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Keeping Up Appearances by Rose Macaulay, two sisters navigate the social dynamics of the 1920s. While keeping up with appearances and societal expectations, the story explores their attempts at balancing personal desires with the need to maintain a certain social façade. It's a keen look at human behaviour and the cultural norms of the time.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have an appreciation for witty social commentary and clever satire of societal expectations. The narrative explores themes of identity, deception, and the contrast between public persona and private reality, providing both humour and insight into human behaviour.

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Rose Macaulay's novel, first published in 1928, offers a sharp and witty commentary on how we twist our identities to fit, delivered in an intelligent and innovative style.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Oh God, one should not go to parties, Daisy sighed, sinking in wan defeat in the melancholy dawn. One should not mingle with others; one should keep oneself to oneself...

Lying awake after a hotel party on holiday in the Mediterranean, Daisy Simpson reflects on her lacklustre social performance and muses on the impression her confident and graceful half-sister Daphne may have made on the other guests. What is it that makes Daphne, Daphne and Daisy, Daisy? And which of the two will attract the attentions of one of their hosts, Raymond, whom they have both fallen for?

Returning to London, Daisy's life is strained by the efforts of presenting the right elements of her personality to the right people, resulting in embarrassments, difficulties and deceits as she navigates her relationships and social standing. Rose Macaulay's novel, first published in 1928, offers a sharp and witty commentary on how we twist our identities to fit, delivered in an intelligent and innovative style.

Series: British Library Women Writers

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  • Keeping Up Appearances
    Oh God, one should not go to parties, Daisy sighed, sinking in wan defeat in the melancholy dawn. One should not mingle with others; one should keep oneself to oneself... Lying awake after a hotel party on holiday in the Mediterranean, Daisy Simpson reflects on her lacklustre social performance and muses on the impression her confident and graceful half-sister Daphne...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Keeping Up Appearances by Rose Macaulay is highly regarded for its sharp wit and insightful social commentary. The novel explores themes of identity, societal expectations, and the lengths people go to preserve their reputations, wrapped in Macaulay's signature style of acerbic humour and eloquent prose. It is celebrated for its clever portrayal of character dynamics and the satirical lens through which Macaulay views the human condition.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780712354011

Publisher: British Library Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 March 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: British Library Publishing

Contributors:

  • Afterword by Simon Thomas

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 190.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Rose Macaulay Series: British Library Women Writers

About the Author

Rose Macaulay (18811958) was a novelist, essayist and travel writer known for her satirical comedy. Her last novel, The Towers of Trebizond(1956), won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and she was created a Dame in 1958. Her second novel, Dangerous Ages, was re-published in the British Library Women Writers series in 2020.

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