Barbara Comyns

Barbara Comyns (1907-1992) was an English writer and artist known for her distinctive novels that often blend dark humor with surreal and Gothic elements. Her works frequently draw from her own experiences growing up in a decaying English manor house and her later life struggles in London. Comyns published eleven novels during her career, including her most acclaimed works "The Vet's Daughter" (1959) and "Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead" (1954). Her writing style is characterized by a matter-of-fact approach to the bizarre and supernatural, combining everyday domestic details with unsettling undertones. After struggling financially in her early career, Comyns worked various jobs including dealing antiques and breeding poodles while developing her writing. Her first novel, "Sisters by a River" (1947), was written on a kitchen table while she raised her children alone in London during World War II. Comyns experienced a revival of interest in her work in the 1980s when Virago Press began republishing her novels. Her literary legacy continues to influence contemporary writers, with her unique blend of the domestic and the grotesque remaining particularly relevant to modern readers.

Readers praise Comyns' matter-of-fact narrative voice when describing dark or bizarre events. Many reviews note her ability to make the supernatural feel ordinary and the ordinary feel strange. Her straightforward prose style and dark humor attract readers who appreciate unconventional storytelling. Liked: - Unique blending of mundane domestic details with unsettling elements - Child-like narrative perspective in several works - Vivid, memorable imagery - Economical writing style Disliked: - Abrupt plot transitions - Lack of traditional narrative resolution - Some find the dark themes too disturbing - Character development feels incomplete to some readers Ratings across platforms: Goodreads average ratings: - The Vet's Daughter: 3.9/5 (2,800+ ratings) - Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead: 4.0/5 (1,900+ ratings) - Our Spoons Came from Woolworths: 3.8/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon reviews highlight her "deceptively simple style" and "ability to make the macabre seem natural." Critical reviews often mention difficulty connecting with characters or following narrative threads.

Our Spoons Came from Woolworths (1950) A semi-autobiographical account of a young art student's marriage, poverty, and struggles in 1930s London, told through the eyes of Sophia Fairclough.

The Juniper Tree (1985) A modern retelling of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, set in London and exploring themes of motherhood, marriage, and loss through the story of a woman named Bella Winter.

The Vet's Daughter (1959) The tale of Alice Rowlands, a young woman living with her brutal father in south London, who discovers she has the supernatural ability to levitate.

Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead (1954) Depicts a small English village struck by a mysterious outbreak of madness following a flood, centered around the eccentric Willoweed family.

Sisters by a River (1947) Chronicles the unusual childhood of six sisters in a decaying mansion by a river, based on Comyns' own upbringing in Warwickshire.

Birds in Tiny Cages (1964) Follows the story of a young woman working in an antique shop while trying to establish herself as an artist in London.

The Skin Chairs (1962) Recounts life in a rural village through the eyes of a ten-year-old girl living with relatives after her mother's death.

Out of the Red into the Blue (1960) Details the experiences of an Englishwoman starting a new life in Spain while running a boarding house.

Shirley Jackson writes about domestic settings that transform into spaces of psychological horror and supernatural occurrences. Her work shares Comyns's matter-of-fact treatment of disturbing events and focus on women's experiences in oppressive circumstances.

Elizabeth Taylor chronicles the lives of middle-class English women with precise observation of domestic details and underlying darkness. Her novels examine class dynamics and social constraints in mid-century Britain through a lens that combines realism with subtle strangeness.

Leonora Carrington creates narratives that merge everyday life with surreal elements and dark fairy tale motifs. Her work features female protagonists navigating bizarre circumstances with the same straightforward acceptance found in Comyns's writing.

Jane Bowles writes about eccentric characters and unconventional relationships using deadpan humor and unsettling scenarios. Her work shares Comyns's ability to create narratives that feel both familiar and deeply strange.

Angela Carter combines Gothic elements with domestic realism and draws on fairy tale traditions to examine women's lives. Her work features the same blend of the mundane and the macabre that characterizes Comyns's novels.