Valentine Grey
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Preview — Valentine Grey by Sandi Toksvig. Valentine Grey by Sandi Toksvig. London and a young girl, Valentine Grey, arrives in England. She's been brought up in the remote and sunny climes of India and finds being forced into corsets and skirts in damp and cold country insufferable.
The only bright spot: Reggie, and his lover Frank seek out the adventure the clandestine bars and streets of London offer and are ha London and a young girl, Valentine Grey, arrives in England. Reggie, and his lover Frank seek out the adventure the clandestine bars and streets of London offer and are happy to include Valentine in their secret, showing her theatre, gardens - even teaching her how to ride a bicycle.
by Sandi Toksvig
And then comes the Boer War which Reggie's father volunteers him for; the empire must be defended. But it won't be Reggie who dons the Volunteer Regiment's garb. Valentine takes her chance, puts on her cousin's uniform, and, leaving Reggie behind, heads off to war. And for a long while it's glorious and liberating for both of the cousins, but war is not glorious and in Victorian London homosexuality is not liberating.
This huge and sweeping story about gender and liberty, about empire and injustice is a wonderful and brilliant new departure by one of Britain's best-loved writers and performers. Hardcover , pages. Published September 5th by Virago first published September 1st Green Carnation Prize Nominee for Longlist To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Valentine Grey , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Mar 24, Jonathan rated it really liked it Shelves: A very good novel from Sandi Toksvig, centered around the Boer War, and the part played in it by the title character as she leaves London in place of her cousin Reggie, disguised as a soldier.
There have been enough known real examples of women who have gone to war in such a manner that any disbelief can be dismissed quite readily. Valentine journeys to England from India where she has been raised by her father, only to receive the news that an earthquake has led to his death. So she stays with A very good novel from Sandi Toksvig, centered around the Boer War, and the part played in it by the title character as she leaves London in place of her cousin Reggie, disguised as a soldier. So she stays with her uncle and aunt, and changes from a tomboy to a young lady, ready to be presented to the world.
She meets her cousin and his actor friend Frank, who show her London life is not as dull as she believes. When in due course she discovers that Reggie and Frank are in fact lovers, and Reggie's father wants his son to enlist in the army when war breaks out in South Africa, circumstances lead Valentine to abscond with Reggie's uniform and take his place on the ship bound for the Cape. Sandi Toksvig has written a revealing, often moving and shocking account of a war that is rarely mentioned now, possibly because Britain comes out of it so badly.
Valentine Grey has ratings and 44 reviews. Jonathan said: A very good novel from Sandi Toksvig, centered around the Boer War, and the part played in.. . Sandi Toksvig's 'Valentine Grey' is a compelling novel of love and courage during wartime. A slow burn of a book, the early part of Sandi Toksvig’s new novel is predictable, as feisty Valentine strains at the leash of London society. Fighting on both fronts is Toksvig’s shining.
Her exploration of many aspects of Victorian society is similarly enlightening, and as Valentine grows as a person due to her experiences it is easy to see why she eventually takes the path she heads down by the end of the book. Overall a well written and plotted novel.
More drama than the Kardashians. Although even they couldn't compete with the dead duck and the resulting scene. Feb 05, Max Fincher rated it really liked it. The Boer war is depicted with a convincing realism by Toksvig. Although Toksvig seems to embody a certain kind of 'British' humour, and is described by some as a 'national treasure', she is of course Danish. I sensed that her interest in the Boer War, particularly as an example of British nationalism, was partly due to her own sense of being both part of and outside to a certain kind of upper-class British social realm, traces of which are still probably present at the BBC and in the world of the media in London.
This sense of being an observant wry outsider on the margins is captured in the main character of Valentine Grey, who also crosses borders, from India to London, and principally, from female to male. The bibliography to the novel shows just how thoroughly she has researched the subject, particularly from the diaries and letters of soldiers who fought in the 'war'. I use war in quotation marks because as the novel shows the reader, the conflict, which was hyped up by the British Government, and was little more than one of the darkest expression of British imperialist policy.
As the character of Valentine Grey discovers when she cross-dresses to volunteer, we are shown how the 'concentration' camp was invented by the British to hold primarily Boer women and children. Notably at the Bloemfontein camp, many ended their days starving and dying of disease and exposure due to their deliberate neglect of the British army. If ever there was an argument against the jingoism of war, the 'glorification' of serving one's country, the Boer War is a testament to it. Of course, only a decade or so later, and again thousands were losing their lives in the name of duty.
Valentine, an upper-class young woman, comes to live in London at her uncle's house where she meets her restless cousin Reggie, whom she discovers is gay and in love with a working-class music hall star called Frank.
Click the above link to view the library catalogue in a new window. Nov 08, Nadia rated it really liked it. And then comes the Boer War which Reggie's father volunteers him for; the empire must be defended. Each of the characters has their own unique voice, particularly Frank as the music hall star "Dolly Dutch" from the realistically evoked East End of London. As is is the reminder that wars are generally over power, resources and wealth; whoever actually lives there is just a background inconvenience. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Though their idyll together proves to be all too brief, and they endure a personal hell, not dissimilar to war.
Longing for adventure and to escape from the conventional gender expectations placed on her, Valentine signs up to volunteer for the war, in place of Reggie who refuses to obey his uncle's commands to join up. Interspersed with the trials of Valentine's experiences which includes the repressed homosexuality among the officer class is the story of Frank and Reggie's developing love affair, which takes a tragic turn of events, reminiscent of what happened to Oscar Wilde. When Valentine finally returns from home, she discovers that her cousin is a broken man and also that her destiny is to be more than a respectable Edwardian housewife making sure the aspidistras are watered in the conservatory.
At times, it's almost impossible not to hear Toksvig's own unique wit and voice in the narration. But this is by no means to the novel's detriment. Each of the characters has their own unique voice, particularly Frank as the music hall star "Dolly Dutch" from the realistically evoked East End of London. However, the novel's real strength for me lies in how Toksvig describes both Valentine's frustrations living as a woman who can't and doesn't want to be restricted by the expectations of conventional society the novel is dedicated to her 'feisty' daughters.
There is both humour and pathos in how Valentine describes her life of secrecy among the mostly very young and inexperienced men who bond together in horrific circumstances. An entertaining read that is both historically realistic and vividly descriptive, this is a novel that takes the reader into the heart of darkness, but also affirms the power of survival.
Apr 23, Samantha rated it really liked it. I must disagree with a previous reviewer, I'm afraid. I consider myself a reasonably well-educated adult with an 'A' Level in history, but my knowledge of the Boer War was limited to dates and a few general impressions.
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- Review of Valentine Grey by Sandi Toksvig.
Wasn't on my syllabus! Anyway, I found this book interesting and entertaining. Valentine is an engaging character, pushing against the restraints of late 19th century society, as is her cousin Reggie.
However, it is the war itself which becomes a character for me. The futility an I must disagree with a previous reviewer, I'm afraid. The futility and misery come across strongly, along with the hideously inhumane treatment of the Boer women and children. The home front is also the scene of inhumanity; sticking blindly to conformity without question, whatever the human cost. I liked this parallel. Turning the gender roles upside down for Valentine is an interesting way to underline the inequality of that era, and gives us a unique perspective on a soldier's experience. I would be interested to read more of Sandi Toksvig's work.
Mar 07, Fiona rated it liked it Shelves: I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. It's certainly very well researched and well written but, for me, it felt like an educational novel for young adults, not for grown ups. Teenagers would learn so much about the idiocy and travesties of the Boer War, the position of women and gay men in England circa , but surely most well educated adults know all this already?
Feb 12, Emily rated it it was ok. Gave up at chapter Sep 30, Graeme Aitken rated it really liked it. The novel focuses on three major characters against this backdrop: Valentine Grey, a free-spirited young woman, raised in India, who feels stifled when obliged to adapt to the obligations of London society lifestyle; her lively cousin, Reggie, who she eventually discovers is homosexual; and his older more experienced lover, Frank, who works as an actor. But Reggie is wholly unsuited to become a soldier, and is also deeply in love with Frank.
He cannot face the prospect of being separated from him.
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Valentine sees an opportunity: Despite, some close calls, her masquerade goes undetected, and at first the freedom is exhilarating. But when Valentine and her regiment finally face actual battle, and the casualties mount up, the horrors of war mark her irrevocably. Though their idyll together proves to be all too brief, and they endure a personal hell, not dissimilar to war.
This is an extremely well-written novel: The novel does become increasingly grim and unsentimental, but this is wholly appropriate given the background of war and is finely judged. Valentine Grey is also one of those rare novels which will appeal to both gay men and lesbians, as well as the general reader. Dec 15, Johanne rated it it was amazing. Its about time someone related the horrors of the Boer war - it had so many hideous firsts including the first use of concentration camps. The description of the horrors that the largely volunteer army went through are eye-opening.
As is is the reminder that wars are generally over power, resources and wealth; whoever actually lives there is just a background inconvenience. There are no good guys in this story - individual Boers and British are decent but neither care about t Really interesting. There are no good guys in this story - individual Boers and British are decent but neither care about the people whose land it actually is.
Those bits are equally well but grimly done and draw a picture of Victorian London with its music halls, opium dens, asylums, atmosphere of violence and utterly constrained lives for women of all classes. Its well written, the dialogue is generally convincing, the plot is a little dodgy at first but has to be I think, to set up the bulk of the book although women disguising themselves as male soldiers is as old as war itself. Valentine's story is written in the first person and this really brings home the horrors. Occasionally the transitions feel clunky and I wonder if that was an over heavy handed editor or just the realisation that actually this could probably have been two books.
Not a feelgood read but a hugely recommended one. Mar 27, Lucy Raby rated it it was amazing. A fabulous story about a young Victorian girl who is orphaned. She has grown up in India where her father has a plantation.
She comes to live with her straitlaced aunt and uncle in London. She loves her cousin Reggie who is gay when it was the love that dare not speak its name and takes his place as a volunteer in the Boer War. Incredibly well researched, Sandi's bibliography is staggering and includes letters and diaries at the British Museum as well as history books it deals effortlessly and A fabulous story about a young Victorian girl who is orphaned.
Incredibly well researched, Sandi's bibliography is staggering and includes letters and diaries at the British Museum as well as history books it deals effortlessly and seamlessly with a number of issues that are still current today - imperialism, greed, power, intolerance, gays, feminism, social and sexual equality, war, love, life and death, without seeming heavy handed and obtrusive. It is a gripping story and you really engage with Valentine and the characters she meets. The story follows her journey and that of her cousin and the vast sweep of history, when the British Empire was at the height of its power.
Sandi is one of the most talented women around today and always worth a read. Oct 18, CF rated it it was amazing Shelves: A moving and touching story of life in the late Victorian period. The Boer war is raging, and Valentine, fresh from India, has the pleasure of meeting her jovial and bright cousin Reggie. Her Uncle, who is stoic but well meaning, in the heat of the patriotism from the war, makes a decision that will change their lives forever. A beautiful and tragically sad tale that is so visual, I kept thinking how well it would adapt to a BBC mini-series.
In fact, it is this quality of honesty that shines through this particular novel — it would have been so easy to have put a gloss on several of the issues she raised. It is, after all, fiction. Toksvig may be well known for her other achievements, but she is also an accomplished, interesting novelist. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Twitter account.
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