Scenes from Provincial Life

Dec 17, 2025 9:27 AM

Author:William Cooper

Penguin Decades bring you the novels that helped shape modern Britain. When they were published, some were bestsellers, some were considered scandalous, and others were simply misunderstood. All represent their time and helped define their generation, while today each is considered a landmark work of storytelling.

William Cooper's Scenes from Provincial Life was first published in 1950, when Joe Lunn was one of the first breed of ordinary male anti-hero protagonists to appear in English fiction. Joe's exploits and ordinariness, as he tries to avoid his mistress Myrtle's attempts to trap him into marriage, brilliantly poke fun at what were, and often remain, the taboo subjects of sex and class. Published at the beginning of the decade, William Cooper's novel ushered in books like Lucky Jim and Room at the Top in the 1950s.

This edition also contains the sequel, Scenes from Married Life.

Reviews

A story which grips and fascinates, a story enriched by the observation and understanding which have made Shute's work outstanding

—— Scotsman

He holds attention to the last page

—— Daily Telegraph

So convincingly does Shute tell the story and so cleverly does he leave the character of Shaklin deliberately vague that the book is as absorbing as anything he has written, and Cutter one of his finest creations

—— Glasgow Herald

Compelling ... An impressive debut

—— The Gloss Magazine

Haji deftly positions her appealing heroine as witness to her family's history . . . A masterful first novel

—— Booklist

How perfectly structured and paced it is, every episode carefully weighted, every chapter end a cliffhanger, scarcely a word wasted

—— The Times

Scary, funny and loaded with the kind of unforgettable characters that make all writers want to try harder

—— Eoin Colfer , The Week

A fine meditation on love and loss

—— Sally Cousins , Sunday Telegraph

Mankell carefully maps the changing seasons in beautifully stark prose

—— James Urquhart , Financial Times

The cool, enigmatic tone is reminiscent of Paul Auster

—— Brandon Borshaw , Independent on Sunday

Vivid prose...translated beautifully

—— Ian Thompson , Evening Standard

Present a spare tale of metaphors and symbols to argue that, in the middle of life, we are in death but occasionally, and happily, the opposite too

—— Tim Pashley , Times Literary Supplement

Previous Article：Lost Innocence Next Article：Paradise Postponed

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.