''An Unsuitable Attachment'' is a novel by

Barbara Pym Barbara Mary Crampton Pym FRSL (2 June 1913 – 11 January 1980) was an English novelist. In the 1950s she published a series of social comedies, of which the best known are ''Excellent Women'' (1952) and '' A Glass of Blessings'' (1958). In 1977 ...

, written in 1963 and published posthumously in 1982.Donato, Deborah (2005), ''Reading Barbara Pym'', Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, p. 14,
Google Books.
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Synopsis

The plot concerns librarian Ianthe Broome, a well-bred young woman left in comfortable circumstances by her late parents. There is no shortage of "suitable" candidates for Ianthe's hand, notably Rupert Stonebird. It surprises no one more than Ianthe herself when she falls for the new library assistant, a young man of doubtful antecedents with no money to spare. Some of the action takes place against the backdrop of Rome, where Ianthe and a group of other churchgoers are taking a sightseeing holiday. Being apart from John makes Ianthe realise how much she really cares for him, and on her return she agrees to his proposal, scandalizing her friends and family. As they settle down to their new life together, Rupert begins to recognise the charms of Penelope, another member of the community who has long been attracted to him.

Publication history

This novel is notable as being the first of Pym's novels to be rejected by publishers after she had established herself as a novelist. Pym completed the novel in February 1963 and sent it to Jonathan Cape, who had published all six of her previous novels however the novel was rejected. Pym wrote back to Cape to express her feeling that she had been unfairly treated, and received a sympathetic but firm response. Editor

Tom Maschler Thomas Michael Maschler (16 August 193315 October 2020) was a British publisher and writer. He was noted for instituting the Booker Prize for British, Irish and Commonwealth literature in 1969. He was involved in publishing the works of many no ...

, who had joined Jonathan Cape in 1960, made the decision to reject the novel. Maschler himself did not read the novel, but was given negative feedback by two readers at the company. Over the course of 1963, Pym sought out other publishers, including

Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

and Macmillan, but was told that the novel was unsuitable or not likely to sell. According to some accounts, the reason was its being "out of step with the racier literary climate of the sixties"; others say Cape and possible further publishers viewed it as commercially unviable, even when endorsed by

Philip Larkin Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, ''The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, ''Jill'' (1946) and ''A Girl in Winter'' (1947 ...

, who said: Janik, Vicki K., Del Ivan Janik, Emmanuel Sampath Nelson (eds) (2002), ''Modern British Women Writers: an A-to-Z guide'', Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 264,
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"It was a great pleasure and excitement to me to read ''An Unsuitable Attachment'' in typescript and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it continuously amusing and interesting – I have tried to keep my eye open for anything that would suggest why Cape's should not publish it, and I am bound to say that it still seems a mystery to me." Pym continued to revise the novel throughout 1964 and 1965. At one point, she changed the title to ''Wrapped in Lemon Leaves''. Among other titles Pym considered for the novel were ''The Canon's Daughter'' and ''Reserved for Crocodiles''. Pym would not have another novel published until 1977, when she was rediscovered by the reading public. She died in 1980, and ''An Unsuitable Attachment'' was finally published in 1982 by Macmillan in England and

E.P. Dutton E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company. It was founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. Since 1986, it has been an imprint of Penguin Group. Creator Edward Payson Dutton (January 4, ...

the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The English edition included a foreword by Larkin as well as a note by her literary executor, the novelist

Hazel Holt Hazel Holt (nee Young, 3 September 1928 – 23 November 2015) was a British novelist. She studied at King Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham, England, and then Newnham College, Cambridge. She went on to work at the International Afric ...

. The novel was recorded as an audiobook by Gretel Davis for Chivers Press in the 1980s and by

Penelope Keith Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith, (née Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and '' To the M ...

for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Synopsis

Publication history

Reception

Connections to other works

Adaptation

References