Darling: A razor-sharp, gloriously funny retelling of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love

Product Information

Darling is a witty, homely and comforting novel all orbiting the life of Linda Radlett and her pursuit to find love wherever she can. Exploring the modelling lifestyle in London and the cultural walks of Paris, this eccentric character captured my heart at every angle. The story is told from her cousin Fran’s perspective and we are truly welcomed with open arms by the beautiful Norfolk countryside setting that Knight feasts our eyes with. Emma Beddington Mitfordian mischief: Darling, by India Knight, reviewed A superb updating of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love will delight even diehard fans of the original Fans of Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit Of Love will adore this brilliant contemporary take ... The writing is as sharp, the details as perfect, the jokes as funny as [the] original' Daily Mail After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome. There is a lot of pressure, taking on a novel that is beloved of so many people, me included, and I approached this with some trepidation, but I have to say that this is an absolute triumph.

Okay readers, don’t judge me, we’ve all done it, but I requested this book solely on the basis of loving that simply gorgeous front cover.

About this book

What an extra treat to have read it right after having read the original Mitford‘s one, all the details India Knight wove in shone even brighter. The most beautiful modern re-tell of a book that I have ever stumbled across in literature. Darling is wrapped around Nancy Mitford’s, ‘Pursuit of Love’ and India Knight could not have captured the heart of the story any better than she has in this beautiful piece of literature. And who can resist the beautiful cover?! Also, any book that manages to make me laugh out loud (or snort) multiple times, has a special place in my heart. Husband number one, Tony Kroesig, has been perfectly refashioned as the son of a prominent right-winger. He calls his banking colleagues “proper lads” and has a sister called Blanche (“I thought it a sinister name for the offspring of a Ukip supporter,” thinks Fran).

Mess with Nancy Mitford at your peril. Last year, purists recoiled from Emily Mortimer’s (in my mind terrific) BBC adaptation of the author’s 1945 novel The Pursuit of Love. No one likes people fiddling with their favourites, especially a classic as beloved as Mitford’s tale of interwar aristos the Radletts. So India Knight is a brave woman for retelling it for the 21st century .But this is only the beginning of Linda's pursuit of love, a journey that will be wilder, more surprising and more complicated than she could ever have imagined. A savagely funny, bracingly sad, dazzlingly clever reimagining of The Pursuit of Love. I loved it' Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss

For a reader unfamiliar with Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love, India Knight’s reimagining would be a perfect comfort read: the kind of book you take into the bath and keep reading even when the water has gone cold, a one-sitting dark-at-four joy.India Knight takes on the mighty task of re-imagining Nancy Mitford's classic comedy of manners, The Pursuit of Love. Well-written and replete with deadpan humour, sarcasm and irony it’s a banter-filled, yet poignant tale. So very English. So very satirical. I absolutely flew through it. The big question is WHY OH WHY? i.e. why bother retelling such a perfect book? What can be gained from doing this? What a book to begin 2023 with. It is a tad different from what I usually read, but I loved it. I laughed out loud throughout, and thought that the characters were so impeccably described that I feel as though I know them. Emotive, raw and really really thought-provoking. I think we can all relate to the struggles that Linda faces, as well as a loathe for the Christians and Tonys of the world. The fact that it is a modern adaptation has been done so well, it has avoided being a superficial reading of The Pursuit of Love so well. Here are a few of m favourite quotes captured from a few of the chapters: Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.