From Library Journal In Gibbons's classic tale， first published in 1932， a resourceful young heroine finds herself in the gloomy， overwrought world of a Hardy or Bronte novel and proceeds to organize everyone out of their romantic tragedies into the pleasures of normal life. Flora Poste， orphaned at 19， chooses to live with relatives at Cold Comfort Farm in Sussex， where cows are named Feckless， Aimless， Pointless， and Graceless， and the proprietors， the dour Starkadder family， are tyrannized by Flora's mysterious aunt， who controls the household from a locked room. Flora's confident and clever management of an alarming cast of eccentrics is only half the pleasure of this novel. The other half is Gibbons's wicked sendup of romantic cliches， from the mad woman in the attic to the druidical peasants with their West Country accents and mystical herbs. Anne Massey's skillful rendering of a variety of accents will make this story more accessible to American audiences. Recommended for both literary and popular collections.- Sharon Cumberland， Graduate Ctr.， CUNYCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From AudioFile Narrator Anna Massey has her work cut out for her as she takes on the eccentric Starr family of Cold Comfort Farm. Massey conveys humor and even a touch of suspense. The sights， sounds， even the smells of the farm are evoked amid the minutia of Gibbons's details. The very sounds of the words have as much effect as the tale they tell. Gibbons's use of melodrama popular in the early 1900's， to tell a romantic tale while simultaneously satirizing the genre， makes Massey's job more challenging. She manages quite well. The resurrection of the farm from brooding ineffectuality to normal human activity is worth listening to over and over. D.P.D. (c)AudioFile， Portland， Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews