--- product_id: 30984621 title: "Excellent Women (Penguin Classics)" price: "€ 29.99" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.es/products/30984621-excellent-women-penguin-classics store_origin: ES region: Spain --- # Excellent Women (Penguin Classics) **Price:** € 29.99 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Excellent Women (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** € 29.99 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.es](https://www.desertcart.es/products/30984621-excellent-women-penguin-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Excellent Women (Penguin Classics) [Pym, Barbara, Wilson, A. N.] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Excellent Women (Penguin Classics) Review: "I always think of you as being so very balanced and sensible,... - ...such an excellent woman." And a bit later in the novel: "`You could consider marrying an excellent woman?' I asked in amazement. "But they are not for marrying.'" Barbara Pym's use of the title phrase is wryly ironic throughout the book. The women of excellence are the self-effacing, non-entities, bound for, or have already embraced, what was once called spinsterhood. They often found fulfillment clustered in church auxiliaries, polishing the brass candles, and arranging the flowers for the much more important pastor, a male, who was in charge, and who would patronizingly "compliment" them with that phrase. The novel is told through the eyes of Mildred Lathbury, one of literature's unforgettable, empathetic characters. She is 30ishs. The period is early post-Second World War England. Some of the worship services are depicted in a church that still has its bomb damage un-repaired. The other characters are less sympathetic, and include Rockingham and Helena Napier, and the pastor Julian Malory and his sister, Winfred. The Napier's have moved into a "flat" downstairs, and indicative of the housing shortage of the period, share the common bathroom with Mildred. "Rocky" is a de-mobbed naval officer, rather shallow, whose previous duties included rendering solace to WRENS (British female naval officers) in Italy. His wife Helena is an anthropologist, who doesn't do the housekeeping well. Helena's colleague, Everard is also an anthropologist, and via both one gains insight into the workings of their profession, as well as the associated "learned" societies. The arrival of Allegra Grey, recently widowed from a clergyman, with her eyes on Pastor Malory, adds additional drama to the novel. But the drama is never high; the issues are not all-encompassing and grandiose. As Ms Lathbury says: "I wondered that she should waste so much energy fighting over a little matter like wearing hats in chapel, but then I told myself that, after all, life was like that for most of us--the small unpleasantness rather than the great tragedies; the little useless longings rather than the great renunciations and dramatic love affairs of history or fiction." Pym epitomizes classic understated British humor. She has that deft touch of selecting the precise detail that will resonate with the reader, and flesh out words that we use daily in graphic images. Clearly Mildred Lathbury is "self-effacing," and who could ever forget that after passages like: "I began taking off my apron and tidying my hair, apologizing as I did so, in what I felt was a stupid, fussy way, for my appearance. As if anyone would care how I looked or even notice me, I told myself scornfully." Or latter, when William has taken her to lunch, and he says, of the Nuits St. George wine: "`A tolerable wine, Mildred,' he said, `unpretentious, but I think you will like it.' `Unpretentious, just like me,' I said stupidly, touching the feather in my brown hat.'" Another complementary theme throughout the novel is how all the other characters routinely impose their problems upon Mildred. She realized it, but normally accepts them, and attempts to resolve them. At some level, I found the novel a wonderful antidote for any desire to live in a more integrated community. The anonymous life of the big city has much to be said for it. Pym also weaves a certain level of erudition throughout the novel, which most likely reflected the actual level of the characters, before the days of television. For example, the Pastor quotes Keats to Mildred, all too fittingly: I cannot see what flowers are at my feet Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs. Mildred thinks the last line would be a great title for a novel; I checked at desertcart, and yes, it is still `available.' As for observations on the human condition, consider Mildred's comment: "Yes, men are sometimes taken in. They don't ever quite see the terrible depths that we do." Does Mildred get "rescued" from spinsterhood, as every empathetic reader would hope? Yet another compelling reason to read this marvelous, "balanced and sensible", in a very British sort of way, 5-star plus novel. Review: Period piece from the 1950s - This period piece, written in 1950, reflects life, especially for unmarried women, in post-war London. It also reflects the style of writing that was created in that time as well as the dry humor that we still see sometimes today in British stories. Mildred Lathbury, a woman in her early thirties, is the daughter of a clergyman who lives alone and works in the mornings at an agency that helps impoverished gentlewomen. We never learn what she does there. She is certain on a practical level that she will never marry yet daydreams about the men she meets. They include Father Julian Mallory from the nearby High Anglican church she attends; Rocky Napier who moves into the apartment below hers with his wife Helena; and Helena’s fellow archaeologist Everard Bone. The title refers to the unmarried women who help men with all sorts of chores, do grunt work for the churches and are mostly unseen. Nothing significant happens in the novel, but it makes an interesting read. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #50,855 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #448 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction #822 in Classic Literature & Fiction #2,305 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (5,057) | | Dimensions | 0.6 x 5.1 x 7.8 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 014310487X | | ISBN-13 | 978-0143104872 | | Item Weight | 6.4 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 256 pages | | Publication date | December 26, 2006 | | Publisher | Penguin Classics | ## Images ![Excellent Women (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81OcLgMBLlL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I always think of you as being so very balanced and sensible,... *by J***I on May 26, 2010* ...such an excellent woman." And a bit later in the novel: "`You could consider marrying an excellent woman?' I asked in amazement. "But they are not for marrying.'" Barbara Pym's use of the title phrase is wryly ironic throughout the book. The women of excellence are the self-effacing, non-entities, bound for, or have already embraced, what was once called spinsterhood. They often found fulfillment clustered in church auxiliaries, polishing the brass candles, and arranging the flowers for the much more important pastor, a male, who was in charge, and who would patronizingly "compliment" them with that phrase. The novel is told through the eyes of Mildred Lathbury, one of literature's unforgettable, empathetic characters. She is 30ishs. The period is early post-Second World War England. Some of the worship services are depicted in a church that still has its bomb damage un-repaired. The other characters are less sympathetic, and include Rockingham and Helena Napier, and the pastor Julian Malory and his sister, Winfred. The Napier's have moved into a "flat" downstairs, and indicative of the housing shortage of the period, share the common bathroom with Mildred. "Rocky" is a de-mobbed naval officer, rather shallow, whose previous duties included rendering solace to WRENS (British female naval officers) in Italy. His wife Helena is an anthropologist, who doesn't do the housekeeping well. Helena's colleague, Everard is also an anthropologist, and via both one gains insight into the workings of their profession, as well as the associated "learned" societies. The arrival of Allegra Grey, recently widowed from a clergyman, with her eyes on Pastor Malory, adds additional drama to the novel. But the drama is never high; the issues are not all-encompassing and grandiose. As Ms Lathbury says: "I wondered that she should waste so much energy fighting over a little matter like wearing hats in chapel, but then I told myself that, after all, life was like that for most of us--the small unpleasantness rather than the great tragedies; the little useless longings rather than the great renunciations and dramatic love affairs of history or fiction." Pym epitomizes classic understated British humor. She has that deft touch of selecting the precise detail that will resonate with the reader, and flesh out words that we use daily in graphic images. Clearly Mildred Lathbury is "self-effacing," and who could ever forget that after passages like: "I began taking off my apron and tidying my hair, apologizing as I did so, in what I felt was a stupid, fussy way, for my appearance. As if anyone would care how I looked or even notice me, I told myself scornfully." Or latter, when William has taken her to lunch, and he says, of the Nuits St. George wine: "`A tolerable wine, Mildred,' he said, `unpretentious, but I think you will like it.' `Unpretentious, just like me,' I said stupidly, touching the feather in my brown hat.'" Another complementary theme throughout the novel is how all the other characters routinely impose their problems upon Mildred. She realized it, but normally accepts them, and attempts to resolve them. At some level, I found the novel a wonderful antidote for any desire to live in a more integrated community. The anonymous life of the big city has much to be said for it. Pym also weaves a certain level of erudition throughout the novel, which most likely reflected the actual level of the characters, before the days of television. For example, the Pastor quotes Keats to Mildred, all too fittingly: I cannot see what flowers are at my feet Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs. Mildred thinks the last line would be a great title for a novel; I checked at Amazon, and yes, it is still `available.' As for observations on the human condition, consider Mildred's comment: "Yes, men are sometimes taken in. They don't ever quite see the terrible depths that we do." Does Mildred get "rescued" from spinsterhood, as every empathetic reader would hope? Yet another compelling reason to read this marvelous, "balanced and sensible", in a very British sort of way, 5-star plus novel. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Period piece from the 1950s *by J***F on March 12, 2025* This period piece, written in 1950, reflects life, especially for unmarried women, in post-war London. It also reflects the style of writing that was created in that time as well as the dry humor that we still see sometimes today in British stories. Mildred Lathbury, a woman in her early thirties, is the daughter of a clergyman who lives alone and works in the mornings at an agency that helps impoverished gentlewomen. We never learn what she does there. She is certain on a practical level that she will never marry yet daydreams about the men she meets. They include Father Julian Mallory from the nearby High Anglican church she attends; Rocky Napier who moves into the apartment below hers with his wife Helena; and Helena’s fellow archaeologist Everard Bone. The title refers to the unmarried women who help men with all sorts of chores, do grunt work for the churches and are mostly unseen. Nothing significant happens in the novel, but it makes an interesting read. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Well written quick read. *by F***R on December 13, 2016* What you should know is that it is a British comedy of manners, so the "comedy" is understated and dry. The humor comes from Mildred, a 30 something "spinster" who is heavily involved in her church, and the people around her that drag her into their somewhat messy lives. The book ambles along with a mild climax where all of these seem to come to a head, and then sort of drops off leaving you to wonder what you just read. It was worth the read, there were times I laughed (as a member of the Anglican community some of the judgy "High" and "Low" church conversations made me chuckle), but all in all it was really about... nothing. I don't feel better or worse for having read it, just the passage of a little time. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.es/products/30984621-excellent-women-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.es/products/30984621-excellent-women-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Spain* *Store origin: ES* *Last updated: 2026-05-23*