Anton Chekhov has a wonderful short story about a woman called Olga Semyonovna who keeps attaching herself to men and adopting their interests, way of speaking and worldview as her own. Here’s the link to an English translation. The story’s title is clumsily translated as “The Darling” but I’d translate it as “Fluff.” Olga is warm and fuzzy towards her men but also insignificant and never fully adult. She is an imprint of whichever pair of pants appears on her horizon. Such women exist, and we all know at least one. Such men exist, too, and that’s just as sad.
In any case, this brilliantly observed character helped me figure out which of Joyce Maynard’s books are worth reading. She is very much like Chekhov’s Olga, adopting the beliefs of the man to whom she happens to be attached. At the age of 60, she married “an extremely progressive” (in her own words) man and then married him. It’s kind of funny because Maynard originally became famous because she published a long article at age 18 that was quaintly conservative for somebody so young. At that time, of course, Maynard was under the influence of her father. Then, she met JD Salinger and started aping his love of homeopathy and raw eating.
After falling in love with the far-left Jim, Maynard embraced progressivism. This means one can rely on everything she wrote before 2011 (the year she met Jim) as being very good. I read her 2013 novel After Her ages ago, and I don’t remember much but my records show that I detested it with an uncommon passion. Under the Influence from 2016 is excellent but it predates the TDS stage that exacerbated Maynard’s leftism.
I’m very glad to be able to provide this service to the community. By the way, have I inspired anybody to start reading Maynard yet? She is very good. I’m loving her books. Salinger was right when he prophesied that she’d never become a real writer and he was spot on as to why. Still, even though Maynard’s books aren’t art, they are very enjoyable.
Clarissa's Blog 
I’m a tragically slow reader. Only just started on Anthony Trollope 😉
LikeLike
I envy you encountering Trollope for the first time. Enjoy! (what are you starting with?)
LikeLike
What that man can’t do with semicolons!
LikeLiked by 1 person
–And, downloaded a “complete works” because why not. Starting with The Warden, because it’s at the beginning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trollope’s skill increased greatly with practice. I almost gave up after reading The Warden but it’s truly his weakest work.
LikeLike
That’s good to know then– I’m enjoying it nonetheless. I had earlier started with *The Way We Live Now* and just couldn’t get into it. Not in the right headspace at the time. The Warden is OK, so if it only gets better from here… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trollope is real art, so you are definitely better off with him.
LikeLike
“The bishop did not whistle: we believe that they lose the power of doing so on being consecrated; and that in these days one might as easily meet a corrupt judge as a whistling bishop; but he looked as though he would have done so, but for his apron.”
-The Warden
I need, NEED there to be a band, or an early music ensemble out there, called the Whistling Bishops.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She is very good. I’m loving her books. Salinger was right when he prophesied that she’d never become a real writer and he was spot on as to why.
I just love this!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Imagine how great I will be on a show dedicated entirely to books. If there’s one thing I can talk about well, it’s books.
LikeLike
I need, NEED there to be a band, or an early music ensemble out there, called the Whistling Bishops.
…or even just a pub or café called The Whistling Bishop.
LikeLiked by 3 people