Somewhere deep in the wealds of Sussex there lives a family. They are called the Starkadders. They live isolated on the family farm, Cold Comfort, as they always have done. They are ruled over by the formidable Aunt Ada Doom, who has great power over them all on account of her once seeing something nasty in the woodshed. They prefer to keep to themselves and are happy as long as they do so, or so they think. Unfortunately, their cousin Flora Poste thinks otherwise. When she goes to stay with her rural relatives her London tastes are appalled by the state of the farm, the people and especially Aunt Ada. Flora decides that during her stay she will tidy up Cold Comfort, Starkadders and all.
Cold Comfort Farm is a clever comedy in which each development in the story falls out as if it were the only logical event to follow. The Starkadders themselves are sharply observed without becoming charicatures. There is the dark matriarch figure of Cousin Judith, who at the beginning appears to be the most civilised of the rough Starkadder clan, but whose brooding over her favourite son takes her over. Then there is Amos Starkadder - a gruff, most Starkadder of Starkadders who has just one weakness - preaching to others. Then there is Seth and Reuben. The rude,sexual Seth, who is unimpressed by everyhing but the movies and himself, and kindhearted Reuben who is territorial over just one thing - Cold Comfort Farm. In the background slightly is Delphine, a poetry loving, elf-like creation who could just possibly become the next Mrs Hawk-Monitor. Not to mention Rennett, Adam, Feckless, Aimless, Pointless and the Sukebind.
Despite the characters being on the outside unlike any humans on earth, you can’t help warming to them and even believing that they are real. Even the amazingly interfering Flora is likeable, and the gentle romance surrounding her character adds a bit of depth to the novel, without intruding into events at Cold Comfort. The only slightly confusing issue is that of the setting. In the beginning of the book, there is a note that says “The action of the story takes place in the near future”. The book was written in 1932, but there are a few things (such as video phones and air fields where there weren’t any) that don’t quite fit in with that era. But this takes nothing from the story,and you can either accept them as part of a future setting or ignore them completely. The main point of the book is that it is amusing and enjoyable and sure to be up for a re-read.
A Note about the Author.
Stella Dorethea Gibbons was born in 1902 in London. She attended the North London Collegiate School and then studied journalism at University College, London. She worked for ten years in newspapers including the Evening Standard. Her first publication (a book of poems) appeared in 1930. She married the actor and singer Allan Webb in 1933 and they had one daughter. Stella Gibbons died in 1989.
Bibliography: The Mountain Beast (1930), Cold Comfort Farm (1932), Miss Linsey and Pa (1936), Nightingale Wood (1938), Westwood (1946), Conference at Cold Comfort Farm (1959), Beside the Pearly Water (1954), Collected Poems (1960).
Suggested Links
NGN Cold Comfort Farm - another review of ‘ Cold Comfort Farm.
Stella Gibbons ‘The Truce’ - an online copy of one of Gibbons’ poems.
Brit Comedy Digest: Cold Comfort Farm - a web site about the film version of the novel staring Kate Beckinsale.