Off the Shelf: Bad Relations by Cressida Connolly

A family saga spanning hundreds of years featuring war, hot hippies, adolescent yearning, snobbish monsters, and middle aged matrons.

Happy new week, my friends. I must start by saying how lovely it is to have so many new subscribers? I find it enormously heartening to discover a glorious glut of fellow bookworms and people who love and value words. Hello! I am so very happy to have you here.

And heartening cheer is particularly welcome, as my intention to swing into January with a laser-like focus on work (as discussed here) has been somewhat stymied by the stubbornly prevailing wind of illness emanating from my youngest child. Said child is currently composing a story about a footballer who delights in the name Calvin Nkuku - every detail of which requires fervent discussion. This accounts for the fact it has taken me twenty minutes to write as many words.

Nonetheless, onwards. There are books to discuss.

Amidst the gift guides and the best-ofs, the tinsel and party pieces, I am aware that I have neglected the bookshelf stalwarts. The not-so-new-and-shiny but very good indeed. Plus, I have promised to heed a recent correspondent’s plea to review more “books one can find in the library or second hand bookshops”.

This said, I was in the Dogs’ Trust charity shop on Friday - ironic as I’m not a great fan of dogs (fear rather than outright loathing) - and there were five copies of a certain biography of Boris Johnson (an unusual bookclub choice?), three of the first Thursday Murder Club, and a clutch of Mills & Boon. Fancy any of those?

I’m can’t remember what made me pick up Cressida Connolly’s Bad Relations. I had scrawled down the title at some point, and thank heavens I did, for it is a rare and hauntingly lovely book.