"The creative act is only an incomplete and abstract moment in the production of a work. . . . It is the joint effort of author and reader that brings upon the scene that concrete and imaginary object which is the work of the mind. There is no art except for and by others."

     These words illuminate the enduring appeal of Barbara Pym's novels which, some twenty years after her death, continue to be read and reread, discussed and debated by discerning readers. Pym's unique legacy is the world she created, one that is recognizably hers alone.

     The nineteen essays by noted scholars and critics examine the theme of reading in Pym's books. They emphasize Sartre's postulate that the narrative endow us with the knowledge that the artistic process be discursive, transforming us from passive receivers into productive interlocutors. Thus, a new and compellingly progressive image of Barbara Pym emerges--that of an author engaged in an ongoing dialogue with those who consider reading a reciprocal act.

     The first part of the book examines the significance of reading in Pym's works. Among the essays, Katherine Anne Ackley shows that Pym's heroines draw personal succor from their reading. Barbara Everett examines Pym as a reader of classical and modern works, and Orphia Jane Allen traces Pym's autobiographical writing as a transformational process that enables us to accept aging and death. Anthony Kaufman reflects on Pym's skillful organization of her past in Some Tame Gazelle, where memory transmutes recalled pain into amusement.

     The second part of the book discusses literary encounters and collaborations in Pym's life and works. For example, Hazel Holt recounts thirty years of friendship and collaboration with Pym. John Bayley shares the personal implication of his thesis that Pym's art has the capacity to provide spiritual sustenance. Jane Nardin analyzes the postmodern implications of Pym's irony, and the influences of Philip Larkin and Charlotte M. Yonge are traced by Janice Rossen and Barbara J. Dunlap, respectively. Author Robert Blythe shares Pym's last story, long out of print. Lastly, Dale Salwak assesses Pym's legacy and her place in twentieth-century literature.

FRAUKE ELISABETH LENCKOS received her doctorate in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan. She is an instructor in the Liberal Education for Adults Programs at the University of Chicago and the Newberry Library, Chicago.

ELLEN J. MILLER is the Director of Publications at Harvard Law School and originator and former director of the School's Media Services Department. In 1998, she founded the Barbara Pym Society of North America.