The Blue Bedroom and other stories (by Rosamunde Pilcher)

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In my gradual re-reading of the late Rosamunde Pilcher’s books, I reached her short story collection, ‘The Blue Bedroom and other stories’. I have read these at least twice, and recalled enjoying them. I last read this book in 2008.

Short stories are ideal to read at breakfast time, or before going to bed, as they are complete in themselves. However I’m not usually particularly keen on collections, preferring to read just one or two at a time in magazines. But Rosamunde Pilcher’s are the exception.

My all-time favourite short story, ‘Home for the Day’ is the second one in this book; it’s one I could relate to when I first read it, I loved it when I read it again, and I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it a few days ago. It’s a simple story, really, about a businessman who spends an unexpected day at home, and discovers what his wife does during the daytime. But it’s beautifully written, with just the right amount of description for my tastes.

I also like the story which gives its title to the book. This one is about a young teenager who feels rather awkward and underdeveloped. She’s grieving her mother, and hasn’t yet developed a good relationship with her fairly new stepmother, who is expecting a baby. She grows up somewhat in this story, and the first tentative steps are taken in bonding.

Two other stories I particularly like are ‘The Tree’, and the final one, ‘An Evening to Remember’. I had not recalled that either of them are in this book, but as soon as I had started reading, I recalled them. The first is about a young couple who live in a somewhat unsatisfactory situation, but cannot afford to do anything about it. They give up a weekend in the country to entertain an elderly and somewhat cranky godfather.

The last story is one I could identify with almost more than anything, The viewpoint character, Alison, is not very organised, but has bought a special notebook because she is preparing to entertain her husband’s boss and his wife. He is hoping for promotion, and it’s important that everything goes well. What actually happens is the kind of disaster that I would not handle nearly as well as the protagonist does… and, as with all the stories in the book, it’s extremely well written.

I didn’t like all the stories as much as these four, and there were one or two which did not seem to me to have very much point. But they all paint pictures of interesting people, and while a few conversations are a tad stilted, I found myself caught up on the stories each time. Rosamunde Pilcher had a tremendous gift for characterisation, and even in these short stories, covering about twenty pages each, she created people who felt three-dimensional and sympathetic.

Inevitably they feel a bit old-fashioned; I’m surprised to find that the book was published as recently as 1985, although I suspect some of the stories were written earlier than that. The backgrounds are mostly quite upper class middle class, even if impoverished, and there’s a tendency to send children away to school, or have nannies to look after younger ones. The women are mostly housewives too, expecting to give up their jobs, or at least change them to suit their husbands, as soon as they’re married.

Feminists might object, as might those who see families as more integrated, not wanting the children to be separated from the adults. Yet a short story collection like this is a snapshot of a certain era, in a particular sector of society. And there’s a lot of emotion in this; relationships are what matter, not day to day lives or roles.

Definitely recommended if you like gentle (albeit sexist, at times) short stories of thirty or more years ago. Suitable for teenagers as well as adults.

Review by Sue F copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews