Lettice Watson, the Marling’s older daughter, has moved back home with her two little daughters after the death of her husband at Dunkirk more than a year ago. The younger Miss Marling, Lucy, is one of those bouncing, hearty girls that Thirkell depicts so well. Brother Oliver, whose poor eyes don’t allow him to serve, has a job in the regional government offices. Mr. Marling is aggressively deaf and likes to play what his children call “the olde squire.” Mrs. Marling is a bit silly.
From the beginning of Marling Hall, we realize we’re going to encounter some familiar characters. The Marlings, along with Miss Bunting, their former governess (who gets her own book later in the series), go to call on the Leslies at Rushwater. It was David and John Leslie who made up two thirds of a love triangle in Wild Strawberries, and David very soon is trying his charm on Lettice. Soon after, Lucy brings home Captain Tom Barclay, a much steadier young man, who is also attracted to Lettice.
Because of this visit, we meet again the charming but disorganized Lady Emily as well as her daughter Agnes, so besotted with her own children that she can talk of nothing else. And we continue not to meet Agnes’s husband Robert. The efficient Miss Merriman also reappears on the scene. We hear about characters from Pomfret Towers and other books in the series.
Some newcomers to the area are the Harveys, who both work in Oliver’s office. Geoffrey Harvey is one of the artistic types that Thirkell likes to make fun of. His sister Frances is Oliver’s very organized assistant. The Harveys have been living with the Nortons and wish to find a house for themselves, but housing, along with everything else, is difficult to find during these days of war. They find the Red House, a repulsively decorated place owned by Mrs. Smith. A lot of the comedy of this novel comes from their encounters with Mrs. Smith, who, after she leases them the house, continues to return to it to remove one object after another, including the beans from the garden and the eggs from the chickens the Harveys purchased, and eventually the chickens themselves.
Unfortunately for me, more humor is derived from the visits of Harvey’s old French teacher and later her nephew. Although Thirkell has poked fun at the French before, she hasn’t actually included so much dialogue in French, which I don’t really know. Last time, it was little enough for me to type into my iPad and get a translation or simple enough for me to muddle out myself, but this time there was a lot more, also, I think, including some mocking of the quality of one character’s French. The part with the nephew was funnier because of being told the gist of what he was saying rather than the exact words.
In this novel, the difficulties of life during the war become more apparent, especially in regard to food and clothing shortages. However, it continues on in the Thirkell vein—funny, with its little side comments directed at the reader, insightful, touching, and certainly snobbish, but more as if she is laughing at her own and her characters’ snobbery. Another good one.
whatmeread 
Yes the French defeated me too but got the gist especially in relation to the dreadful Mrs Smith. Enjoyed Mrs Moreland’s appearance and will wait for David to someday find his match.
I need a huge chart to plot all the characters and their relationships and we aren’t half way yet.
Lots of funny dialogue in this one.
I know. At about the fourth book, I thought, why didn’t I make a chart?
I had a lot of trouble with my password and had a couple of goes at putting up a comment!!!
I also wanted to say how interesting it was to read about the rationing. Except for the Great Toilet Paper Shortage here during Covid lockdowns I have never experienced these shortages. They never appeared to be short of sherry though. Hahaha
I think it’s pretty horrible to consider that the rationing went on long after the war.
I’m only a quarter into this book, but I can see by your review there is some fun to come!
Yes, there is!
I really enjoyed this one, I liked the lack of xenophobia and I do just about read French still, well, I don’t mention struggling with that bit in my review so can only assume I didn’t! This was one that was published out of order so I had to wait to read it (don’t look at the incoming books in the post I reviewed it in, some of which I still haven’t read!) https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2020/09/12/book-review-angela-thirkell-marling-hall/
There is one Mixo-Lydian encounter in the next one. Do you know which country they’re meant to be?
I’ve always assumed it’s (former) Yugoslavia, but have no real basis for that, esp as they speak French, too, don’t they!
I’m sure some of them do, but it’s not an official language.
Sorry, I mean the Mixolydians in the books speak French as far as I recall, as well as their own language.
Oh, yes, I got it! I’m sure she made it as confusing as possible so that no one would know where they were from.
I did a very little research, and Lydia was ancient Western Turkey. I had a vague idea about that already. But Mixolydian is a mode in music. No hints there.
Okay, big confession coming here. I am having the hardest time staying interested in this book. Thirkell’s recycling of character types is very exasperating to me. Lettice is a retread of Kate and Mary; Lucy is a Lydia makeover; the “quirky” woman who walks in and out of the home she is letting to the Harveys is akin to the mother character who lived in Italy–as is the French refugee. The entire Lettice-David thing I find especially trying.
The most enjoyable parts are some of the conversations, and the bits about wartime in England. It just seems to me that Thirkell is skating in some of these books, and resting on her reputation. She could also have been a bit bogged down by the war.
I’m not saying I’ll give up the books, but I really am enjoying Margery Sharp much more. I’ve also found an excellent set of recordings of the Mapp and Lucia books that are very entertaining.
I have noticed her tropes, but they haven’t been bothering me. I’m sorry you’re not enjoying them as much. I think her focus is going to change a lot soon. My memory of the post-war books is that they are different. A lot of people think they’re not as good, and certainly they’re not as amusing, but they are different.