The Church of England was a source of endless fascination to
Barbara Pym, and provided a rich background for much of her writing. It
is not surprising, therefore, that the theme of Pym and the Church has
run through the Barbara Pym Society's conferences in one form and
another since the Society's founding 10 years ago.
'No Soft Incense' draws together a number of papers which have
been
delivered to the Society through the years, all of which shed light on
Pym's relationship with the Church. Edited by Hazel K. Bell, the book
features a foreword by James Runcie (producer of the TV programme,
'Miss Pym's Day Out') and papers
by: Triona Adams, Eleonore Biber, Tim Burnett, Kate Charles, The Revd.
David Cockerell, Joy Grant, Fr. Gerard Irvine, Judy McInnis, Fr.
Gabriel Myers and Robert Smith. The book comprises thirteen essays on
the theme of the Anglo-Catholic Church in the life and work of the
novelist Barbara Pym, considering clergymen and their ways, clergy
wives, celibacy, Victorian hymns, London churches, and the dangerous
lure of Roman Catholicism. Complete with index by Hazel Bell.
Excerpted reviews of No Soft Incense
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Pascha
Nostrum,
Church of The
Resurrection, New York,
December 2007: "This little
volume serves two constituencies: the Pym reader who must confront the
massive “churchiness” of her work and finds
it mystifying, and the church-accustomed reader, who finds this topic
fascinating."
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The Christian Librarian, Winter
2005: "I
really enjoyed reading this book. I have to confess that I have never read
Barbara Pym and the contributions to this collection have made me resolve to do something about this."
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The
Tablet, 21 May 2005:
"This book is essential reading for Pym fans."
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The New Criterion, May 2005: "This volume is a happy dipping book for fans."
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Catholic Herald, 17 June 2005: "Not since Anthony Trollope's Barchester novels has the Church of England received such minute and detailed treatment in fiction."
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Green Leaves: The
Journal of the Barbara Pym Society, Vol. 10 No.1, May 2004: "All lovers of the
novels of Barbara Pym will want it on their bookshelf. ...helpful and
enlightening."
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Tregolwyn
Book Reviews: "... detailed and intensively-researched articles ...
it is difficult to read any of these articles without
laughing out loud at least once."
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The Alliance of
Literary Societies: "No Soft Incense is a must for anyone
interested in the writings of Barbara Pym and the world she
inhabited."
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