Description

Book Synopsis

'Comyns's world is weird and wonderful . . . a neglected genius' LUCY SCHOLES, OBSERVER

'A curious hybrid: a mixture of domestic disaster, social commentary, comedy, and romance . . . ' KATHERINE A. POWERS, BARNES & NOBLE REVIEW

'I defy anyone to read the opening pages and not to be drawn in, as I was . . . Quite simply, Comyns writes like no one else' MAGGIE O'FARRELL

Pretty, unworldly Sophia is twenty-one years old and hastily married to a young painter called Charles. An artist's model with an eccentric collection of pets, she is ill-equipped to cope with the bohemian London of the 1930s where poverty, babies (however much loved) and husband conspire to torment her.

Hoping to add some spice to her life, Sophia takes up with Peregrine, a dismal, ageing critic and comes to regret her marriage and her affair. But in this case virtue is more than its own reward, for repentance brings an abrupt end to the cycle of unsold pictures, unpaid bills and unwashed dishes . . .



Trade Review
For anyone who is interested in stories of everyday concerns, poverty, marriage, love, happiness, fulfilment, peace or joy, this is the book for you -- Snowswick * Guardian *
A curious hybrid: a mixture of domestic disaster, social commentary, comedy, and romance . . . What I find so really excellent in this novel, in addition to Comyns's powers of description and the slow fuse of her comedy, is her ability to show the cold world and its indecencies without spelling everything out . . . -- Katherine A. Powers * Barnes & Noble Review *
Comyns's world is weird and wonderful . . . there's also something uniquely original about her voice. Tragic, comic and completely bonkers all in one, I'd go as far as to call her something of a neglected genius -- Lucy Scholes * Observer *
I defy anyone to read the opening pages and not to be drawn in, as I was . . . Quite simply, Comyns writes like no one else -- Maggie O'Farrell

Our Spoons Came From Woolworths: A Virago Modern

    Product form

    £9.49

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £9.99 – you save £0.50 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Sat 20 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Barbara Comyns, Maggie O'Farrell

    3 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Our Spoons Came From Woolworths: A Virago Modern by Barbara Comyns

      Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
      Publication Date: 04/07/2013
      ISBN13: 9781844089277, 978-1844089277
      ISBN10: 1844089274

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      'Comyns's world is weird and wonderful . . . a neglected genius' LUCY SCHOLES, OBSERVER

      'A curious hybrid: a mixture of domestic disaster, social commentary, comedy, and romance . . . ' KATHERINE A. POWERS, BARNES & NOBLE REVIEW

      'I defy anyone to read the opening pages and not to be drawn in, as I was . . . Quite simply, Comyns writes like no one else' MAGGIE O'FARRELL

      Pretty, unworldly Sophia is twenty-one years old and hastily married to a young painter called Charles. An artist's model with an eccentric collection of pets, she is ill-equipped to cope with the bohemian London of the 1930s where poverty, babies (however much loved) and husband conspire to torment her.

      Hoping to add some spice to her life, Sophia takes up with Peregrine, a dismal, ageing critic and comes to regret her marriage and her affair. But in this case virtue is more than its own reward, for repentance brings an abrupt end to the cycle of unsold pictures, unpaid bills and unwashed dishes . . .



      Trade Review
      For anyone who is interested in stories of everyday concerns, poverty, marriage, love, happiness, fulfilment, peace or joy, this is the book for you -- Snowswick * Guardian *
      A curious hybrid: a mixture of domestic disaster, social commentary, comedy, and romance . . . What I find so really excellent in this novel, in addition to Comyns's powers of description and the slow fuse of her comedy, is her ability to show the cold world and its indecencies without spelling everything out . . . -- Katherine A. Powers * Barnes & Noble Review *
      Comyns's world is weird and wonderful . . . there's also something uniquely original about her voice. Tragic, comic and completely bonkers all in one, I'd go as far as to call her something of a neglected genius -- Lucy Scholes * Observer *
      I defy anyone to read the opening pages and not to be drawn in, as I was . . . Quite simply, Comyns writes like no one else -- Maggie O'Farrell

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account