Angela Thirkell (1890–1961)
Author of High Rising
About the Author
Image credit: Courtesy of the Angela Thirkell Society
Series
Works by Angela Thirkell
An Angela Thirkell omnibus; 8 copies
Mrs. Morland & Son 3 copies
gutland cottage 1 copy
Everything 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Thirkell, Angela
- Legal name
- Thirkell, Angela Margaret
- Other names
- Parker, Leslie
- Birthdate
- 1890-01-30
- Date of death
- 1961-01-29
- Burial location
- Rottingdean, Sussex, England, UK
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Kensington, London, England, UK
- Place of death
- Bramley, Surrey, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Kensington, London, England, UK
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Chelsea, London, England, UK - Education
- St Paul's School, London, England, UK
- Occupations
- writer
novelist - Relationships
- Mackail, Denis (brother)
Mackail, J. W. (father)
Burne-Jones, Edward Coley (grandfather)
MacInnes, Colin (son)
Kipling, Rudyard (first cousin)
Baldwin, Earl Stanley Baldwin (first cousin) (show all 10)
Barrie, J. M. (godfather)
Baldwin, Monica (cousin)
Thirkell, Lance (son)
McInnes, Graham (son) - Short biography
- Angela Margaret Mackail was born on January 30, 1890 at 27 Young Street, Kensington Square, London. Her grandfather was Sir Edward Burne-Jones, the pre-Raphaelite painter. Her grandmother was Georgiana Macdonald. Angela's brother, Denis Mackail, was also a prolific and successful novelist. Angela's mother, Margaret Burne-Jones, married John Mackail - an administrator at the Ministry of Education and Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. Angela married James Campbell McInnes in 1911. James was a professional Baritone and performed at concert halls throughout the UK. In 1912 their first son Graham was born and in 1914 a second son, Colin. A daughter was born in 1917 at the time when her marriage was breaking up. In November 1917 a divorce was granted and Angela and the children went to live with her parents in Pembroke Gardens in London. The child, Mary, died the next year. Angela then met and married George Lancelot Thirkell in 1918 and in 1920 they travelled on a troop ship to George's hometown in Australia. In 1921, in Melbourne Australia, her youngest son, Lancelot George, was born. Angela left Australia in 1929 with 8-year- old Lance and never returned. Although living with her parents in London she badly needed to earn a living so she set forth on the difficult road of the professional writer. Her first book, Three Houses, a memoir of her happy childhood was published in 1931 and was an immediate success. The first of her novels set in Trollope's mythical county of Barsetshire was Demon in the House, followed by 28 others, one each year. Angela died on the 29th of January 1961. She is buried in Rottingdean alongside her daughter Mary and her Burne-Jones grandparents.
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Books About Boys (1)
Female Author (1)
Hidden Classics (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 47
- Also by
- 3
- Members
- 7,742
- Popularity
- #3,150
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 269
- ISBNs
- 245
- Languages
- 5
- Favorited
- 54
People who have ever been stuck in a lift with someone who panics can imagine a little bit what it feels like to read this book, but of course I say that with a wink. In any case, Angela Thirkell proves that we do not have a monopoly on the Jan Steen Family and that ADHD is an invention and a concoction to be able to satirize the chaos of fictional families in English literature. In short, Angela describes in her book the troubles of two families - one well-off, the other making ends meet - with a procession of children, who all have some kind of problem, to say the least, be it puberty, jealousy, being in love with a married woman, climbing on roofs and racing cars, everything conceivable and unthinkable comes along, and that at a high pace, as if your least favorite aunt is sitting next to you and keeps on chattering.
In the meantime, almost all of them, with will or with reluctance, are roped in for a Greek play, and so the chaos is complete.
The complications are described with dry English humor, and with the arrival of Mr. Fanshawe, the tent becomes somewhat calmer and everyone is neatly put back on earth with both feet.
The persevering are treated to a piece of English satire, which by the way regularly brings a smile to your face.
Gradually the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the right people come together. The Greek piece will be performed outside the pages of the book, we are allowed to watch the fatal dress rehearsal just in time.
But the reader who eventually reads the book in its entirety and then understands why half the English-speaking world is still charmed by Angea Thirkell will also understand why I have now ordered a next book by this author.… (more)