Sept. 2018 reread via Hoopla audiobook narrated by Nadia May:
4.5* for the audiobook edition. Nadia May did a terrific job narrating this novel & I enjoyed it even more this time around. Mrs. Brandon annoyed me a bit when I first read this book but this time around I just found her amusing.

I found that The Brandons reminded me of Jane Austen quite a bit more than the other Thirkell novels I've read... I think it was the romantic sub-plot between the old lady's companion Miss Morris and the reverend Mr. Miller -- Mrs. Brandon tries to fix her up with several other gentlemen, which reminded me of Emma, and the dislike Miss Morris professes for Mr. Miller reminded me of Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy. ( )

A not quite middle-aged woman, Lavinia Brandon, has two more or less grown up children named Francis and Delia. Episodes in their life include a visit to an elderly aunt who may or may not leave Francis her estate (he doesn't want it), the arrival of a hitherto-unknown sort-of relative who also may or may not inherit (and also doesn't want it), the mysterious history of said aunt's companion and the local vicar, etc. There were, as usual for Angela Thirkell, some hilarious bits of dialogue and characterization, but I wonder if I've already found my favorite Thirkell novel and the others can't compare? So far, anyway, Wild Strawberries was the best. ( )

Angela Thirkell was an author of novels of manners that are set in Anthony Trollope’s fictional Barsetshire They describe a life in provincial England that is now long gone, but that is very pleasant to visit – especially at the end of summer when no one wants to think too very hard.

The Brandons are an upper middle class family Mrs. Brandon is an attractive widow in her forties who attracts admirers as though she was in her twenties. Her two grown children don’t seem to do much except have fun and be decorative. This novel deals with who is going to inherit what from grumpy old Aunt Sissie when she dies; whether distant cousin, Hillary Grant will realize that he really loves Delia and not her mother; and what will become of Aunt Sissie’s long suffering companion, Miss Morris, after Sissie dies.

The dialogue is witty, nothing bad happens in these people’s lovely lives, and everything is tied up in a nice bow at the end. ( )

An oddly-paced delight, this quintessentially light-hearted early-20th-century British novel of characters revolves around a family, the Brandons and its circle of friends/associates in the village of Barsetshire.

The plot is simple and slow - the expected decline and death of a curmudgeonly old distantly-related aunt and the wait for the announcement of the will. The amount of setting up - and then this happened and then that happened - detracted somewhat from the true pleasures of this novel: the character interactions. Individually, however, - barring Delia who was the best -, the characters themselves were a constant struggle between delightful and frustrating. As this is book number seven in the Barsetshire Books, I am intrigued to read more by Thirkell as I suspect the true pleasure will come from how the Brandons and others fit together to form the greater Barsetshire. ( )

Amusing, but I think I have read enough of this series for now. Miss Brandon dies and all her relatives hope they have not inherited. Mrs Brandon takes in her aunt's now unemployed companion, while coping with all the young men who keep falling in love with her.

A sweet romance at the end, but I am sad that Lydia and Tony have grown up - there were no children to speak of in this novel and I do think Thirkell does children so well. ( )