H E Bates

[Kate Mary]

I have been a fan of H E Bates' writing ever since "The Darling Buds of May" with Bernard Miles as Pop was on the radio in the 1960s, (has anyone read his beautiful novel "Love for Lydia"?) and I have just discovered this new website:

http://www.thevanishedworld.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bates was a writer of wonderful lyrical prose, especially in his short stories and this website lists all his books . I like the name of the site, it comes from the title of the first volume of Bates' autobiography. The site is worth checking out if you enjoy his books.

Kate

[Eddie Muir]

I am also an H.E. Bates fan, Kate and you will find some posts about him on the Are we missing out? thread in the Miscellaneous Blyton section. Reproduced below are just parts of two posts on Bates. He is also mentioned in others.

I haven't read Love for Lydia since I was a teenager. I've forgotten the details of the story now, but there lingers in my memory a feeling of exquisite poignancy.

I know exactly what you mean, Anita. It is many years since I first read Love for Lydia and, as I had forgotten the details of the story, my recent return to the novel was like reading it for the first time apart from the vague remembrance of the emotional experience of reading it so long ago. The book contains so much I can relate to from my own teenage years, especially the rapture and fragility of personal relationships.

Thank you for providing details of the H.E. Bates website which looks very interesting. I shall add it to my favourites bar and take a closer look later today.

[Kate Mary]

The old memory not being what it once was I had forgotten that thread. It is ages since I read "Love for Lydia", I must dig it out again. One of the best bits of The Vanished World website is the book listing, it is useful to see what short stories and novellas are in each collection, I think Bates was one of the best short story writers ever, my favourite is 'The Lily' in "My Uncle Silas".
Another novel I have a great fondness for is "A Moment in Time", a poignant story set in the apple orchards of Kent while the Battle of Britain rages overhead.

Kate.