The Sweet Dove Died

The most underrated novelist of the century . . . The subtlest of her books — the sparkle on first acquaintance has been succeeded by the deeper brilliance of established artPhilip Larkin, poet and author of The Whitsun Weddings

[Pym] makes me smile, laugh out loud, consider my own foibles and fantasies and, above all, suffer real regret when I reach the final page. Of how many authors can you honestly say that?Mavis Cheek, author of Aunt Margaret's Lover

A splendid, humorous writerJohn Betjeman, Poet Laureate 1972-1984

Barbara Pym has a sharp eye for the exact nuances of social behaviourThe Times