Pomp and Circumstance

by Noël Coward

Book Overview

First published in 1960, Pomp and Circumstance, Coward's only novel, was greeted with wide critical acclaim. 'A South Sea Bubble of a book it is, with a Royal Visit expected on the Island of Samolo,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525480196
• ISBN13: 9780525480198
• Release Date: September 1982
• Publisher: Plume
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.5" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

A wonderful comedy and period piece

I first read this book twenty years ago and it is still one of my favorites. The book (written in the early 60s) is told from the point of view of Grizel Craigie, who is married to a plantation owner in the fictional British colony of Samolo. Grizel and her husband are persuaded by their friend Bunny Colville (a charming womanizer) to act as a front for him, allowing him to invite the Duchess of Fowey, with whom he is having an affair, to visit Samolo. The hoped for illicit romance falters through a series of hilarious accidents and mishaps. A secondary plot is provided by a royal visit to Samolo by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, which throws British society on the island into a frenzy of social competition and discontent. Coward, who himself lived in British colonies during this time, no doubt based his characters on people whom he knew. He expertly and comically paints a picture of the various expatriate residents of Samolo. This is a very funny book. One of the final scenes, which describes a fiasco of a dramatic public performance in honor of the royals still makes me cry with laughter. If you've ever seen an amateur dramatic performance, you will collapse with laughter at reading this. The downside to this book is that it reflects many attitudes and opinions that are no longer accepted in our day and age. Coward was a terrible snob and this is a very snobby book. Some of the things the characters say about "the natives", the "lower classes", etc. make me uncomfortable. The worst of Coward's scorn was reserved for lesbians, on whom he poured insults and clichés of every kind. This strikes me as odd, as Coward himself has many homosexual relationships (including with the Queen of England's uncle!). However, I think we should accept the book as a period piece and enjoy it for its very real greatness.