I had never read any of Barbara Pym's books before, but had heard she was a good writer, so when I came across this in a library, I tried it out. Perhaps it was the 1970s time period, but I had trouble understanding the motivations of many of the characters. Caro, the narrator, is a "University wife" whose husband teaches something unspecified in the Anthropology dept. of a provincial university. Caro herself is bored with her life, but doesn't seem to have the gumption to do anything about it. She's interested in very little, including her own child (the couple employs a full-time Swedish nanny although Caro doesn't work), and seems to just drift along, not very well-treated by those around her. When her husband commits an unethical act to further his research paper, Caro hardly seems aware that it is wrong, and never says anything about it to him. Dramatic events are quickly leached of any momentum: an adulterous affair is briefly agonized over, and then never mentioned again; thefts go unnoticed; an ex-lover shows up briefly, then disappears. The most interesting characters, Caro's flamboyant friend Coco and his diva mother, merely provide background color, and never further the story. If Pym intended to create a portrait of a dull, modern life, she succeeded, but I can't say the book does anything for the reader. Although her writing style is fairly engaging, it doesn't make up for the characters' lack of initiative. If you want to feel as frustrated as they are, read this book.

Professor Maynard always gave a party at the beginning of autumn. Caroline Grimstone, Caro, is the narrator of the book. She is married to Alan and has a four year old daughter, Kate. The university had grown up from a local technical college. Crispin Maynard heads Alan's department.

The Pym voice is fully present in this work, notwithstanding the fact that Hazel Holt used two drafts to make a coherent whole of this posthumous work. A mother and son couple, Coco, (Corcoran), and Kitty Jeffreys are friends of Alan and Caro and also attend the party. Coco is a research fellow in Caribbean Studies. Crispin is an historian and Alan an anthropologist, and both men are specialists in the study of pre-literate peoples. Iris Horniblow is someone who is new in the department and Caro wonders if Alan is interested in her. Dolly Arborfield is a friend and the sister of Kitty Jeffreys. Her interests run to old books, junk, and animals. In her sixties, it seems that Dolly has rather lost contact with people.

Through Dolly Arborfield, Caro pursues good works by going to an old peoples' home, Normanhurst, to read to a missionary living there. The paper read is one authored by Crispin Maynard. The missionary, Mr. Stillingfeet, has a box of papers that even Crispin Maynard has not seen. In a Henry James-like plot, Caro and Alan distract the old missionarya day prior to his death with a bag of crisps while Alan gains entry to the box. Later, Caro, a volunteer at the university library, has to find a way to secrete the manuscript in the librarian's office. Alan, an up and coming academic, uses the information gained in a piece for a scholarly journal. It turns out that Crispin knows what has transpired, at least sort of. There is the suggestion in the book that Crispin would have used the advantage gained from seeing the papers had he been in Alan's shoes.

What Caro really thinks of the matter is not fully disclosed. Everything is treated in a tone of irony. This is a very good, and completely modern, book.

I have read all of Barbara Pym's published works and I find that this is one of her weaker offerings. In this book she leaves her spinsters and has a married woman with a child for her heroine. She doesn't seem comfortable with this heroine. The scenes with the child are a little stilted. She doesn't seem as real or as interesting as Mildred of "Excellent Women" or even Wilmet of "A Glass of Blessings" her other married heroine. But, as a fan I enjoyed the book. It was interesting to see her outside her usual cast of characters. There are some really good parts, especially those dealing with the academics where she is on familiar ground.