text:
The Darling Buds of May (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Darling Buds of May
Series titles
Starring
Pam Ferris
Philip Franks
David Jason
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of series
3
No. of episodes
20 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time
50 minutes approx.
Production company(s)
Excelsior Productions
Yorkshire Television
Distributor
ITV Studios
Release
Original network
ITV
Picture format
4:3
Original release
7 April 1991 (1991-04-07) – 4 April 1993 (1993-04-04)
The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama television series, produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network, first broadcast between 7 April 1991 and 4 April 1993. It is an adaptation of the 1958 novel of the same name, and its sequels, by H. E. Bates.
Set in rural 1950s Kent, it follows the life of the Larkin family. It starred David Jason as "Pop" Larkin alongside Pam Ferris as "Ma" Larkin, with Catherine Zeta-Jones playing their eldest daughter Mariette, who marries tax inspector Philip Franks as "Charley" Charlton. A ratings success, it proved to be Zeta-Jones' breakout role.
Featuring a total of 20 episodes, it was broadcast as three series of six double-episode story lines in the spring of 1991, 1992 and 1993, plus two single episode Christmas specials aired in 1991 and 1992.
The title is from the third line of Shakespeare's sonnet 18.
Contents
[hide]
1 Synopsis
2 Time period
3 Cast
3.1 Main cast members
3.2 Recurring cast - Larkin family
3.3 Recurring cast - others
4 Episodes
4.1 Series 1
4.2 Series 2
4.3 Series 3
5 Production
5.1 Conception and development
5.2 Casting
5.3 Filming
5.4 Filming locations
5.5 Music
5.6 Future
6 Themes
7 Release
7.1 Broadcast
7.2 Home media
7.3 Soundtrack
8 Reception
8.1 Awards
9 Source novels and other adaptations
10 References
11 External links
Synopsis[edit]
The square oast house of Buss Farm, featured in the opening credits, seen in 2007
The Larkin family lives on a farm in rural England, in the county of Kent. Sidney ("Pop") and his partner Florence ("Ma") have six children, eldest daughter Mariette, followed by their only son Montgomery, and other daughters Primrose, twins Zinnia and Petunia, and Victoria. Ma is a housewife while Pop supplements his farm income with various other not entirely legitimate enterprises. Tax collector Cedric ("Charlie") visits to audit Pop, but falls in love with Mariette and quits his job to live the rural life. As Ma and Pop raise their other children, Charlie attempts to provide for his now wife Mariette. Ma and Pop soon have a seventh child, Oscar, followed around a year later by Charlie and Mariette's first baby, John Blenheim.
Pop and Ma's relationship is depicted as loving and affectionate throughout, although Pop is flirtatious and subject to numerous advances, most of which Ma is aware of and evidently unconcerned by. Proud of all his children, Pop's schemes evidently provide well for the family, enough to fund boarding school for the twins, naval boarding school for Monty, a swimming pool, a fairground, and a holiday to France, although he is just as motivated by doing good and helping others as making a profit. Ma occasionally becomes involved in Pop's schemes, or creates a scheme of her own. Possessing some very close friends, their lifestyle, in particular the fact they have never been married, nonetheless raises eyebrows in the stuffy environs of the local village.
Mariette and Charlie's relationship is more torrid, in part due to his insecurity over her attractiveness, and his varying success in providing financially, with their newly acquired hop farm struggling. Mariette's business skills eventual come to bear as they purchase a local brewery. Primrose is depicted as a frustrated romantic, moving to France to live with a boy her own age and attempting to seduce both Charlie and the village minister upon her return. Monty meanwhile contends with bullying, both at home and at naval boarding school. The increasingly mischievous twins gradually grow apart from their younger sibling Victoria, who delights in teasing and embarrassing all her siblings, especially Primrose.
Time period[edit]
All the episodes are seemingly set during 1958–59 despite the timespan of events across all three series making this a logical impossibility. The first serial is based on the first book, written and set in 1958, during which Florence finds out she is pregnant. In the second serial ("When the green woods laugh") Sidney is accused of committing indecent assault on 23 August 1958. The trial takes place on July 7th, the same day as Charlie's and Mariette's wedding; this would seem to be a continuity error because it cannot be July of the following year as Florence's baby had not yet been born. By the time of the third serial ("A breath of French air") Florence has already given birth to Oscar and the Larkins have a late August holiday in Brittany, during which Charlie and Mariette celebrate their first wedding anniversary. The fourth serial ("Christmas is coming") is set at Christmas and it is established Mariette is five months pregnant; she gives birth in the fifth serial ("Oh! to be in England!"), which would be some time in the spring of 1960 at the earliest according to the dating of the first series and the chronology of events up to that point. However, in the sixth serial ("Stranger at the gates") the twins celebrate their birthday, which a close-up of a wall calendar reveals to be 15 August 1959.
In the eighth serial ("Le Grand Weekend") the Larkins' weekend getaway coincides with Charles de Gaulle's state visit, which would date the events of the episode to April 1960 if it does indeed coincide with the real-life visit. Primrose's birthday was revealed to be in May in "Stranger at the gates" and she celebrates it in the ninth serial "The happiest days of your life", dating the events either to May 1960 (using the retconned second series date) or 1961 (going by the date given in the first series). By the eleventh serial ("Climb the greasy pole"), when the children are older and the babies have grown to toddlerhood, another close-up of a calendar reveals the month to be October 1959. At the end of the final episode, Sidney is elected to the Rural District Council on 5 November 1959 (Guy Fawkes Night).
Cast[edit]
Main cast members[edit]
Of the four main cast members, Jason and Ferris appeared in all twenty episodes, while Zeta-Jones and Franks appeared in eighteen, their only absences being in the third series double episode "Cast Not Your Pearls Before Swine" (3.3 & 3.4).
David Jason, as Sidney Charles "Pop" Larkin, the father of the family
Pam Ferris, as Florence Daisy "Ma" (Parker) Larkin, the mother of the family
Catherine Zeta-Jones, as Mariette Charlton, née Larkin, eldest Larkin daughter
Philip Franks, Cedric "Charley" Charlton, husband of Mariette
Recurring cast - Larkin family[edit]
The actors playing the other Larkin children and grandchild were as below (listed in descending character age). All the children except those yet to be born appeared in the first episode. After appearing in the first six episodes, the actor playing Primrose was replaced, the second appearing from the seventh episode (the first Christmas special) onwards. The actors playing the roles of Oscar and John Blenheim first appear in episodes 1.5 and 2.1 respectively. Although a male character, John Blenheim was played by Daisy-May Bates, granddaughter of the author of the books.
Julie Stichbury, as Primrose Larkin (1991) (6 episodes)
Abigail Rokison, as Primrose Larkin (1991-1993) (12 episodes)
Ian Tucker, as Montgomery 'Monty' Larkin, their eldest son (13 episodes)
Christina Giles, as Petunia Larkin, twin sister to Zinnia (18 episodes)
Katherine Giles, as Zinnia Larkin, twin sister to Petunia (18 episodes)
Stephanie Ralph, as Victoria Larkin, the youngest Larkin daughter (19 episodes)
Ross Marriott, as Oscar Larkin, their youngest child (16 episodes)
Daisy-May Bates, as John Marlborough Churchill Blenheim Charlton, the only son of Charlie and Mariette (11 episodes)
Recurring cast - others[edit]
Various other actors appeared in more than one story-line, i.e. in more than one double-episode.
Rachel Bell as Edith Pilchester, a local spinster (16 episodes)
Moray Watson as the Brigadier, a local retired army officer (11 episodes)
Kika Mirylees as Angela Snow, a local woman (7 episodes)
Martyn Read as Sergeant Wilson, a local police officer (6 episodes)
Tyler Butterworth as Reverend John Candy, the local vicar (4 episodes)
Michael Jayston as Ernest Bristow, the brewery owner (4 episodes)
Carol MacReady as Mrs. Daws, a local shopkeeper (4 episodes)
Sheila Burrell as Mrs. Kinthley, owner of the hop-garden bought by Charlie (4 episodes)
Steven Brand as Tom Sargent, love interest of Mariette (4 episodes)
Anna Massey as Mademoiselle Antoinette Dupont, a French hotelier (3 episodes)
Michael Culver as Sir George Bluff-Gore, a local landowner (3 episodes)
Richenda Carey as Lady Bluff-Gore, wife of Sir George (3 episodes)
John Carlin as Reverend Spink (3 episodes)
Episodes[edit]
Series 1[edit]
No.
Title
Original broadcast
1.1 & 1.2 "The Darling Buds of May" 7 and 14 April 1991
Cedric Charlton, the tax inspector, arrives on Home Farm to help the Larkins fill in their tax form. He is distracted by their beautiful daughter, Mariette. The Larkins distract him further by attempting to teach him crib and getting him drunk. He wakes with a hangover, and is unfit to return home. Eventually, he forgets life in the office. He accompanies the family on their annual strawberry-picking trip, where he attracts Pauline Jackson, the local flirt. Mariette and Pauline fight for him but Mariette wins and the episode ends with Mr Charlton (called Charley by the family), proposing to Mariette, and Pop Larkin giving them his blessing.
1.3 & 1.4 "When the green woods laugh" 21 and 28 April 1991
The day of Charley and Mariette's wedding is looming. Pop sells a country mansion to an aristocratic couple. When Pop rejects the advances of Corrine Perrigo (Celia Imrie), she gets her revenge by persuading the woman to charge him with assault, when all he attempted was stop her from falling. The Brigadier is best man for the wedding. Eventually, Pop is found innocent and the wedding goes ahead.
1.5 & 1.6 "A breath of French air" 5 and 12 May 1991
The Larkins go on holiday to Brittany. The weather is appalling, the food revolting, the receptionist unfriendly. The weather improves, and a mechanic sees the crest on the doors of Mr Larkin's car and thinks him a lord. As a result, he is treated better, even by the receptionist, Molet. The hotel patronne, Mademoiselle Dupont, gives Pop and Ma her room. Primrose falls in love with a local boy named Marc - Antoine Gammelin and wants to stay in France. Tension springs up between Charley and Mariette when she attracts local young men and wants to spend time with them on the beach. She refuses to go on a miniature railway with Charlie. Incensed, Charlie says he will go on his own. The train is late and he wanders into a bar, where he meets a tomboy and her pals. They get him drunk; he misses his train and has to be escorted home by Pop. But he sobers up at the sight of Mariette playing in the sea with her new friends. Charley drags her away, and tells her she will come on the train with him next day whether she likes it or not. Mariette surrenders and enjoys it. The Larkins get together with the tomboy, Max (short for Maxime), and Angela Snow (who, by a coincidence, is also visiting Brittany) and her sister Iris, who with the hotel staff organise a wedding anniversary celebration for Charley and Mariette.
1.7 "Christmas is coming!" 22 December 1991
As Christmas approaches, Charley and Mariette go to view a house to rent, unaware that Tommy Mason, an escaped convict is hiding there. Pop later discovers him in the Larkins' hen-house where Victoria is taking food to him. He explains that, since his imprisonment, his wife has severed all ties with him but he is anxious to see his children. Pop usually dresses as Father Christmas to give local children toys but Charley suggests Tommy play the part so he can see his children, which he does, as well as making up with his wife and then returning to prison. Mrs Mason and her children join the throng already invited to spend Christmas Day with the Larkins.
Series 2[edit]
No.
Title
Original broadcast
2.1 & 2.2 "Oh! to be in England!" 26 January and 2 February 1992
Mam'selle Dupont comes to stay with the Larkins, and discovers the truth – Mr. Larkin is not a lord. She is disappointed but comes to terms with it, and enjoys her stay. Pop saves an old woman from being cheated, and buys a fair from his friend, Fruity Pears, who is unable to run it after being attacked by thugs. Primrose's relationship with the French boy has fizzled out; back in the UK she falls for Mr Candy, the young vicar in charge of christening the young Larkins ... and a newly arrived Charlton.
2.3 & 2.4 "Stranger at the gates" 9 and 16 February 1992
A young man named Pieter who says he is Danish arrives on the farm, and starts doing odd jobs for the people in the village. Everyone, including Mariette, thinks he's the bee's knees, much to the resentment of Charley. Meanwhile, Montgomery is being bullied by local boys, and Primrose is attempting to win Mr. Candy's heart. She mistakes his sister for a girlfriend, and angrily leaves him. Charley discovers that Pieter is German and has been hiding his identity because of the anti-German sentiment in post-World War II Britain. The villagers turn against him on this discovery, but Pieter is restored to favour again after he rescues John Watson, one of the bullies from a quarry ledge. The Larkins arrange for Pieter to marry his girlfriend, an English lady named Eileen.
2.5 & 2.6 "A season of heavenly gifts" 23 February and 1 March 1992
Pop Larkin unwittingly becomes involved in smuggling when he receives gifts from a grateful pilot he helped after a crash-landing. Meanwhile, an evil Polish man named Mr. Cope attempts to prevent Charley and Mariette from buying Mrs Kinthley's hopgarden. The pilot invites the family to a party at his club, which they greatly enjoy. Montgomery Larkin is unhappy at Naval College, where he is training to be a sailor in the merchant navy. The family go to his Open Day; the Brigadier goes along and helps them solve the problem by showing Pop how to humiliate the bullying instructor, Strickland.
2.7 "Le Grand Weekend" 26 December 1992
Pop and Ma's proposed week-end in Paris is disrupted by a storm, and they spend the time in a country house.
Series 3[edit]
No.
Title
Original broadcast
3.1 & 3.2 "The happiest days of your life" 28 February and 7 March 1993
The twins go to boarding school, while Charley starts doing the books as a part-time job for the brewery to which he wishes to sell his hops. Charley and Mariette decide to buy the brewery. The whole family repairs the twins' boarding school, which was otherwise going to be forced to close by the bank for not keeping up with the repairs.
3.3 & 3.4 "Cast not your pearls before swine" 14 and 21 March 1993
Pop builds a swimming-pool, and buys two hundred pigs from George Harran, a confidence trickster who is also cheating Edith, who has fallen in love with him. Meanwhile, Primrose has a new love interest – a member of the swimming pool building crew, from Liverpool. Pop prepares a trick against George to put all to rights without hurting Edith. Primrose runs away to Liverpool in pursuit of her love after Victoria teases her, causing Pop to realise the scam, but returns home when she realises he is not the man for her.
3.5 & 3.6 "Climb the greasy pole" 28 March and 4 April 1993
Pop runs for rural councillor while Charley and Mariette struggle at the brewery and have problems in their relationship. Gypsies get involved in Pop's campaign for rural councillor. Charley and Mariette have to work on their marriage as Mariette is attracted to Tom Sargent, after which they at last finalise the deal to buy Bristow's brewery.
Production[edit]
Conception and development[edit]
Having been sold to MGM films in 1959, it wasn't until 1989 that Richard Bates, son of the author of the original books H.E Bates, was able to purchase the rights to the novels. At the same time, Yorkshire Television were looking for a new project for David Jason, having starred for them in A Bit of a Do.[1] Richard Bates went on to Executive Produce the show, alongside Vernon Lawrence of Yorkshire Television.[2]
Casting[edit]
Bates had originally considered Bob Hoskins as ideal for the role of Pop, but Lawrence was of the view his increasing fame as a film actor would create problems.[2] Jason was cast first, followed by Ferris and Franks. Finding an actor to fit with the novel's description of Mariette as a black-haired and olive skinned beauty proved difficult, with over 300 rejected until Zeta-Jones was cast. With filming due to start, she had been spotted appearing in 42nd Street at the Drury Lane Theatre.[1]
Filming[edit]
Each one-hour episode took two weeks to film, followed by two months in post production.[1]
Filming locations[edit]
Farmhouse of Buss Farm, seen in 2007
Much of the series was filmed in and around the village of Pluckley in Kent; Executive Producer Richard Bates lived just a few miles away.[3]
The location for "Home Farm", the Larkin residence, was Buss Farm a few miles south of Pluckley, owned by the Holmes family. All four main buildings of the Grade II listed farm were utilised, the farmhouse itself, a square oast house (depicted in the title sequence), a Tudor barn and cart lodge. After being put up for sale by the family in 2012, it was purchased in 2013 by a businessman. Renaming it "Darling Buds Farm", several buildings were converted into guest accommodation themed around the show.[4][5]
The Black Horse pub in Pluckley, seen in 2009
Other locations in Pluckley village itself were used extensively; the Black Horse pub in The Street was renamed the Hare and Hounds and used as the Larkins' local. Church Gate Cottage and Fig Tree Cottage in The Street served as Edith Pilchester's and The Brigadier's homes respectively. Pluckley primary school, also in The Street, served as the village hall. The butcher's shop also featured, and the Post Office (dressed as the grocer's). Church scenes were filmed at St Nicholas Church in the village.[6]
The cricket scenes were filmed at Little Chart Cricket Club, a village north east of Pluckley.[6]
St Nicholas Church, Pluckley, seen in 2013
Further afield, in and around Tenterden, Kent, Halden Place in Halden Lane, Cranbrook, served as Mrs Kinthley's hop garden, Wentwood Cottage in Swain Road served as Charley and Mariette's cottage, and the Kent & East Sussex Railway was the location of Charley's arrival in Kent, and the station used by Ma, Charley and Mariette shopping for her wedding dress. Other scenes shot in Kent included the exteriors of "Bristow's Brewery", filmed at Shepherd Neame Brewery in Faversham, and scenes of the Larkin's beach holiday, filmed in Folkestone, including a backdrop of the Leas Lift. Mlle. Dupont is met by the Larkin's at Folkestone Harbour after her channel crossing.[6]
Little filming was done inside the farmhouse, the interiors having been shot in a studio at Yorkshire Television. Scenes shot in the former Wennington School in Yorkshire were included.
To mark the series' 20th anniversary, Kent County Council established a tourist trail featuring the various film locations and other local attractions and Kent food.[6][7]
Music[edit]
The series' music producer Pip Burley wrote the title theme, "Perfick!". He had submitted the piece anonymously, having deemed the submissions received from a shortlist of composers missed the point of the essential romanticism of the show. Although it also featured lyrics, drawn from the words used in the novels, the theme music for the series did not feature them. The song with lyrics was later sung by David Jason for the radio adaptation of the last book in the Larkin series, A Little of What You Fancy.[8][9]
Future[edit]
After the series ended, Ferris wished to film more episodes. Having performed it for radio in 1996, she theorised in 2008 that the reason the fifth book was never adapted for television was because the storyline featured Pop recovering from a heart attack, something the producers likely thought the audience would not want to see.[10]
In 2016, having filmed a cinema adaptation of another classic TV series, Dad's Army, Zeta-Jones responded positively to suggestions that The Darling Buds of May might also be similarly remade, stating "I’d be playing Ma Larkin, but I’m up for it".[11]
Themes[edit]
Locally produced food and drink intentionally played a core role in the series.[1] Due to not being ripe at the right time, the strawberries used in the series were imported from Holland.[3] One of the most iconic scenes featuring Pop and Ma eating a meal together while having a bath.[3] With several scenes featuring eating, the fact Ferris was a vegetarian had to be worked around by the production staff.[3] Both Ferris and Jason gained weight due to the amount of food they had to consume, often in multiple times and for multiple scenes at one time, to make the scenes look realistic.[2]
Another theme of the series was the Larkin family's habit of giving their children unusual or themed first and middle names. Mariette was created by combining 'Marie' and 'Antoinette'. Montgomery was named after wartime officer Field Marshall Montgomery. Victoria was named for being born during the plum season (Victoria plum). While Monty and Victoria have no middle names, the other children have multiple instances of them: Primrose Violet Anemone Iris Magnolia Narcissa, twins Petunia June Florence Nightingale and Zinnia June Florence Nightingale, and Oscar Columbus Septimus Dupont, the last one being in tribute to the French hotelleir Mademoiselle Dupont, who features in the series. In comparison, Mariette's wedding ceremony reveals her middle name is simply Jane. Mariette and Charlie continue the family tradition by naming their son John Marlborough Churchill Blenheim.
Release[edit]
Broadcast[edit]
The first episode was transmitted on the ITV channel at 8pm on a Sunday night.[1]
Home media[edit]
When the series was first released on video, it sold £1m worth of copies in the first four days.[2]
DVD releases:
Country
Publisher
Title
Rating
Release date
Notes
United Kingdom Cinema Club The Best of The Darling Buds of May PG 15 July 2002
Cinema Club The Darling Buds of May: The Perfect Collection PG 10 November 2003 all 20 episodes
ITV Studios The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Series - Special Edition PG 7 February 2005 all 20 episodes & exclusive interviews
ITV Studios The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Series PG 1 September 2008 contains all 20 episodes & exclusive commentary
ITV Studios The Darling Buds of May: The Complete 20th Anniversary Collection PG 8 August 2011 all 20 episodes
Australia Shock Records The Darling Buds of May: Series One PG 3 March 2007[12] Special 2-Disc Edition - contains all 6 episodes & bonus episode "Christmas is Coming"
Shock Records The Darling Buds of May: Series Two G 5 May 2007[13] Special 2-Disc Edition - contains all 6 episodes & bonus episode "La Grande Weekend"
Shock Records The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Collection PG 29 March 2008[14] all 20 episodes
Reel DVD The Darling Buds of May: The Complete Collection PG 6 February 2013[15] all 20 episodes (contains same packaging as UK 2011 release)
Note: The 2008 and 2011 DVD sets from ITV Studios list that there are 11 episodes; this is due to the fact that all episodes in series 1-3 (not including the specials) contain two parts making them count as a whole.
Soundtrack[edit]
A 16 track soundtrack of the series was released by EMI on CD in 1991.[16]
Reception[edit]
The series was a ratings success,[17] its "feel-good" factor during economic recession often noted as the reason[citation needed]. While Yorkshire TV classified it as a drama, audiences and critics have generally considered it a comedy/drama.
The first episode broke a British broadcasting record, becoming the first instance of a new series topping the national ratings, beating the soap opera Coronation Street (also an ITV production) on the night. This came as a shock to producers, although they had been hopeful of good ratings, based on the dull weather and the belief people would be looking for something to lift their spirits following the end of the Gulf War.[1]
Jason attributed the series' popularity to the public wanting a more wholesome, inclusive and inoffensive viewing option, at a time when violence on television was increasing. This was one of the main reasons he decided to take the role.[2]
The series generated an upsurge in sales of H.E. Bates' novels.[2]
Awards[edit]
1992 Ivor Novello Award - Best Theme from a TV/Radio Production[18]
Source novels and other adaptations[edit]
The Larkin family truck, seen at the Darling Buds Classic Car Show at Buss Farm in 2007
The series is based on the works of H. E. Bates, who died in 1974. Having moved from the industrialised English Midlands to a granary in Little Chart in Kent in 1930 in search of new inspirations for his work, he was initially frustrated in his efforts to create a novel based on the Kent way of life. His inspiration for the Larkin stories eventually came in 1955 while on a trip to Sittingbourne. Pausing at Faversham, he observed the joyful camaraderie of a large boisterous family as they emerged from a shop and departed in a large blue truck. Combining this with observations of another family on a nearby small-holding, he set about writing about how these families might live. Originally a short story, he expanded it into a novel, followed by a further four books, the titles of the first four of which were used as episode titles for the TV series:[1]
The Darling Buds of May (1958)
A Breath of French Air (1959)
When the Green Woods Laugh (1960)
Oh! To be in England! (1963)
A Little of What You Fancy? (1970)
The first novel in the series was originally adapted to the screen in 1959 as The Mating Game, starring Debbie Reynolds and Tony Randall as Mariette and Charley.
The fifth novel, A Little of What You Fancy?, was never adapted for television, but it was adapted into a six-part series by Eric Pringle for BBC Radio, with Jason and Ferris reprising their roles, first airing in February 1996.[19][20]
In May 2011 a stage production of the series was put on at Buss Farm.[7]
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "The Darling Buds of May and Kent". Kent Life. 21 June 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Hildred, Stafford; Ewbank, Tim (2012-09-03). Sir David Jason - A Life of Laughter. John Blake Publishing. ISBN 9781782190721.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "Darling Buds of May – Garden of England Trail – Behind the Scenes". Kent Film Office. 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
Jump up ^ "Darling Buds of May farm in Kent for sale for £1.35m". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
Jump up ^ "Darling Buds of May farm to open to public". RadioTimes. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
^ Jump up to: a b c d The Darling Buds of May Trail (PDF). Kent Film Office.
^ Jump up to: a b "Darling Buds of May visitor trail set up in Kent". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
Jump up ^ "The Darling Buds of May". Pip Burley. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "Perfick!". Pip Burley. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "Little Dorrit star Pam Ferris on her 15 year rift with Catherine Zeta-Jones". Mail Online. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "Catherine Zeta-Jones on Darling Buds of May film: "I’m up for it"". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "The Darling Buds Of May Series 1 on DVD". dvdorchard.com.au. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
Jump up ^ "The Darling Buds Of May Series 2 on DVD". dvdorchard.com.au. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
Jump up ^ "The Darling Buds Of May The Complete Collection Collectors Edition on DVD". dvdorchard.com.au. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
Jump up ^ "The Darling Buds Of May Complete Collection on DVD". dvdorchard.com.au. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
Jump up ^ "Darling Buds Of May, The- Soundtrack details - SoundtrackCollector.com". www.soundtrackcollector.com. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "The Darling Buds of May".
Jump up ^ "The Ivors 1992 - The Ivors". The Ivors. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "A Little of What You Fancy - BBC Radio 4 FM - 15 February 1996 - BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
Jump up ^ "Radio A Little of What You Fancy / Heartache Radio 4". The Independent. 1996-02-16. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
External links[edit]
The Darling Buds of May on IMDb
Darling Buds Farm – Kent farm location used for the TV series.
Darling Buds Cookery Courses - cookery course at the Kent farm location used for the TV series.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Darling_Buds_of_May_(TV_series)&oldid=803325930"
Categories:
1991 British television programme debuts
1993 British television programme endings
1990s British drama television series
ITV comedy
ITV television dramas
Television series set in the 1950s
Television shows set in Kent
Works by H. E. Bates
Television series by ITV Studios
Television series by Yorkshire Television
English-language television programs
Hidden categories:
EngvarB from September 2013
Use dmy dates from September 2013
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Français
Suomi
Edit links
This page was last edited on 1 October 2017, at 20:36.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values: text-align:center;font-size:125%;font-weight:bold;font-style: italic; background: #CCCCFF; padding: 0.25em 1em; line-height: 1.5em;

values: text-align:center;background: #CCCCFF; padding: 0.25em 1em; line-height: 1.5em;

values:
/wiki/Comedy_drama
mw-redirect
Comedy drama

values: List of state visits received by Queen Elizabeth II

values: Edit section: Recurring cast - Larkin family

values: Edit section: Conception and development

values:
/wiki/Drury_Lane_theatre
mw-redirect
Drury Lane theatre

values:
/wiki/Grade_II_listed
mw-redirect
Grade II listed

values:
/wiki/Field_Marshall_Montgomery
mw-redirect
Field Marshall Montgomery

values:
/wiki/Cinema_Club
mw-redirect
Cinema Club

values:
/wiki/Economic_recession
mw-redirect
Economic recession

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (December 2015)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: Edit section: Source novels and other adaptations

values:
nofollow
http://pipburley.com/perfick/
external text

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101077/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.darlingbudsfarm.co.uk

values:
nofollow
external text
http://cookerycourseskent.co.uk

values: Category:1991 British television programme debuts

values: Category:1993 British television programme endings

values: Category:1990s British drama television series

values: Category:Television series set in the 1950s

values: Category:Television series by ITV Studios

values: Category:Television series by Yorkshire Television

values: Category:Use dmy dates from September 2013

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-The_Darling_Buds_of_May_TV_series rootpage-The_Darling_Buds_of_May_TV_series vector-nav-directionality skin-vector action-view


text:
The House on Mango Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The House on Mango Street
1984 edition
Author
Sandra Cisneros
Cover artist
illustration: Nivia Gonzalez
design: Lorraine Louie
lettering: Henry Sene Yee
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
Coming-of-age story, novella, a book of vignettes
Published
1984 (Arte Público Press)
1991 (Vintage Contemporaries)
Media type
Print (Hardcover, Paperback, & library binding), audio cassette, and audio CD
Pages
110 (2nd edition, paperback)
ISBN
0-679-73477-5 (2nd edition, paperback)
OCLC
81009584
Dewey Decimal
813/.54 20
LC Class
PS3553.I78 H6 1991
The House on Mango Street is a 1984 coming-of-age novel by Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros. It deals with Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl, and her life growing up in Chicago with Chicanos and Puerto Ricans. Esperanza is determined to "say goodbye"[1] to her impoverished Latino neighborhood by turning to a life on the streets. Major themes include her quest for a better life and the importance of her promise to come back for "the ones [she] left behind".[1] The novel has been critically acclaimed, and has also become a New York Times Bestseller. It has also been adapted into a stage play by Tanya Saracho.
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Genre
3 Autobiographical elements
4 Critical reception
5 Publication history
6 See also
7 References
Plot[edit]
The story begins with Esperanza, the protagonist, describing how her family arrived at the house on Mango Street. Before the family settled in their new house, they moved around frequently. The reader develops a sense of Esperanza’s observant and descriptive nature as she begins the novel with descriptions of minute behaviors and observations about her family members. Though Esperanza's age is never revealed to the reader, it is implied that she is about thirteen. She begins to write as a way of expressing herself and as a way to escape the suffocating effect of the neighborhood. The novel also includes the stories of many of Esperanza’s neighbors, providing a picture of the neighborhood and offering examples of the many influences surrounding her. Esperanza quickly befriends Lucy and Rachel Guerrero, two Texan girls who live across the street. Lucy, Rachel, Esperanza, and Esperanza’s little sister, Nenny, have many adventures in the small space of their neighborhood. As the vignettes progress, the novel depicts Esperanza's budding personal maturity and developing world outlook.
Esperanza later slips into puberty and likes it when a boy watches her dance at a baptism party. Esperanza's newfound views lead her to become friends with Sally, a girl her age who wears black nylon stockings, makeup, high heels, and short skirts, and uses boys as an escape from her abusive father. Sally, a beautiful girl according to her father, can get into trouble with being as beautiful as she is. Esperanza is not completely comfortable with Sally’s sexuality. Their friendship is compromised when Sally ditches Esperanza for a boy at a carnival. As a result, Esperanza is sexually assaulted by a man at the carnival. Earlier at her first job, an elderly man tricked her into kissing him on the lips. Esperanza’s traumatic experiences and observations of the women in her neighborhood cement her desire to escape Mango Street. She later realizes that she will never fully be able to leave Mango Street behind. She vows that after she leaves she will return to help the people she has left behind. Esperanza exclaims that Mango Street does not hold her in both arms; instead, it sets her free.
Genre[edit]
The House on Mango Street is made up of vignettes that are not quite poems and not quite full stories. Not wanting to write directly about herself, Cisneros constructs the book in a combination of genres pulling mantles of poetry, autobiography, and fiction. Certain parts of the book directly reflect Cisneros’ life, while others stray. Esperanza narrates these vignettes in first-person present tense, focusing on her day-to-day activities but sometimes narrating sections that are a series of observations. The vignettes can be as short as two or three paragraphs long and sometimes contain internal rhymes. In "The Family of Little Feet" for example, Esperanza says:
"Their arms were little, and their hands were little, and their height was not tall, and their feet very small."[2] Each vignette can stand as an independent story. These vignettes don't follow a complete or chronological narrative, although they often mention characters introduced in earlier sections. The conflicts and problems in these short stories are never fully resolved, just as the futures of people in the neighborhood are often uncertain. The overall tone of the novel is earnest and intimate, with very little distance between the reader and the narrator. The tone varies from pessimistic to hopeful, as Esperanza herself sometimes expresses her jaded views on life:
"I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn't it. The house on Mango Street isn't it. For the time being, Mama says. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go."[3]
The set of vignettes charts her life as Esperanza Cordero grows during the year: both physically and emotionally.
Cisneros asserts that the goal of The House on Mango Street was to make the novel accessible to everyone. She wrote the book initially as a catharsis, not realizing that it would eventually represent a voice for Latinos and become enveloped in the works of great Latino literature. She wanted it to be lyrical enough to be appreciated by poetry enthusiasts, but also accessible enough that laymen could read and enjoy the novel. She desired the book to resonate with children, adults, and ages in between, and in totality chose to keep the novel short so that even the busiest of parents and adults who worked long shifts like her father always had, could still find time to read it.
Autobiographical elements[edit]
Sandra Cisneros' early life was a subject she would later draw on as a writer in books like The House on Mango Street. She was the only daughter among seven children in her family. Cisneros’ family and father specifically did not initially support her writing. Her father never wanted her to be an author. When she was growing up, the only famous Latinas were those on TV, and in the seventies they were seen most often on television as weather girls. Cisneros and her father envisioned her as a newscaster for that reason.[4] Despite a lacking support system, Cisneros continued to pursue writing, and used her life to inspire her early works. The House on Mango Street includes information inspired by her life. The story also is about the subject of migration, and about the struggles of her life during it, which included poverty, as well as misogyny. Cisneros first began writing about the protagonist, Esperanza, when she had just finished graduate school. Cisneros created Esperanza from personal feelings of displacement she had while writing. She had recently graduated from the University of Iowa and had felt marginalized as a person of color, a woman, and an individual of lower socioeconomic status.[4] The House on Mango Street became a way for her to solidify her identities through reflection in writing. Esperanza is one of four children, with a younger sister and two younger brothers. In reality, Cisneros was the middle child and only girl with six brothers, two older and four younger. While writing, Cisneros explains that because she was new to fiction, she initially craved simplicity, which resulted in Esperanza’s family being smaller than her actual family had been. She believed it would be easier to write about fewer family members.[4]
Critical reception[edit]
Acclaimed by critics, The House on Mango Street has been translated into various languages and has been taught in schools across the United States and Canada. The book received highly positive reception upon release and has been re-issued in a 25th Anniversary Edition.[5] The novel has especially earned high praise from the Latino/Latina community. Oscar Hijuelos, the first Hispanic writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, said that the novel has "conveyed the Southwestern Latino experience with verve, charm, and passion."[6] The book won her the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation (1985).[7]
After the initial release, the response to The House on Mango Street by the public and various academics was varied. Much of the critical reception surrounding the novel stems from the sexual content present throughout multiple scenes. During the “Red Clowns” chapter of the novel, Esperanza is raped by a male who repeatedly defines her as a “Spanish girl”[8] whom he loves. Critics argued that the suspected audience of the book was perceived to be too young for this content.[9]
Protesters are seen in June 2011 in support of the Tucson Unified School District's Mexican-American studies program. A new state law effectively ended the program saying it was divisive.
Despite its high praise in the realm of Latino literature, The House on Mango Street has also received criticism and has been banned from come school curriculums.
In response to these criticisms as well as the removal of the MAS program from TUSD schools, teachers, authors, and activists headed by Tony Diaz, a teacher from the MAS program formed a caravan in spring of 2012 that moved across the southwest conducting workshops in major cities. The caravan, called the Librotraficante Project, originated at the Alamo and ended in Tucson orchestrating workshops distributing books that had been removed with the curriculum, and informing attendees of H.B. 2281.[10] Though The House on Mango Street was never removed from TUSD's curriculum and continued to be taught in middle and high school English classes within TUSD, Cisneros traveled with the caravan reading The House on Mango Street and ran workshops about Chicano literature. She brought numerous copies of the book with her, distributed them, and discussed thematic implications of her novel as well as talked about the book’s autobiographical elements.[11]
Parents and education boards in other areas have found the content to be too graphic/real for children of a young age.[9] In response to this categorization as a children’s novel, Cisernos replies that even though it’s marketed as a young people’s book, the range of readers stems all the way to college level students.[12] Cisernos’ novel has one general theme: to promote individuality and drive within individuals which will conversely promote a distaste for conformity and cultural labeling.[8] Much of the critical reception surrounding the book today recants this theme due to its suspected negative effects on individuals challenging superior powers such as the government and educational institutions.[13]
Publication history[edit]
1984, The United States, Arte Público Press ISBN 0-934770-20-4, Pub date 1 January 1984, paperback
1991, The United States, Vintage Contemporaries ISBN 0-679-73477-5, Pub date 3 April 1991, paperback
See also[edit]
Chicago literature
Chicano literature
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Cisneros, Sandra (1991). The House on Mango Street. Vintage Contemporaries. ISBN 0-679-73477-5.
Jump up ^ Cisneros, The House on Mango Street, p.39
Jump up ^ Cisneros, The House on Mango Street, p. 5
^ Jump up to: a b c Cisneros, Sandra (2009-04-09). "House on Mango Street Celebrates 25 Years". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
Jump up ^ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0679734775
Jump up ^ Hijuelos, Oscar. "José Rubén De León Takes a Stab At 'The House on Mango Street". San Antonio Current. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
Jump up ^ American Booksellers Association (2013). "The American Book Awards / Before Columbus Foundation [1980–2012]". BookWeb. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013. 1985 [...] The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
^ Jump up to: a b Petty, Leslie. "Literature Resource Center - Document - Re-Envisioning Chicano Cultural Archetypes: The 'Dual'-ing Images of la Malinche and la Virgen de Guadalupe in Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street". go.galegroup.com. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
^ Jump up to: a b Cisneros, Sandra. "Spiritual Sustenance: Interview with Sandra Cisneros". go.galegroup.com. Susquehanna University Press. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
Jump up ^ Hoinski, Michael (2012-03-08). "GTT, The Papers Trail, San Antonio". New York Times. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
Jump up ^ Fernandez, Valeria (2012-03-15). "Librotraficantes Bring Banned Books into Arizona". New America Media. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
Jump up ^ Satz, Martha. "Returning to One's House: An Interview with Sandra Cisneros". go.galegroup.com. Gale Cengage Learning. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
Jump up ^ Matchie, Thomas. "Literary Continuity in Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street". go.galegroup.com. Gale. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
[hide]
v
t
e
Sandra Cisneros
Works
Bad Boys (1980)
The House on Mango Street (1984)
My Wicked, Wicked Ways (1987)
Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991)
Hairs = Pelitos (1994)
Loose woman: Poems (1994)
Caramelo, or, Pure Cuento: A Novel (2002)
Vintage Cisneros (2004)
Contributed to
Days and Nights of Love and War (2000)
Family Pictures/ Cuadros de Familia (2005)
Emergency Tacos: Seven Poets Con Picante (2007)
List of works
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_House_on_Mango_Street&oldid=807258634"
Categories:
1984 American novels
Novels by Sandra Cisneros
Hispanic and Latino American novels
Novels set in Chicago
Chicano literature
American bildungsromans
Hidden categories:
Pages to import images to Wikidata
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Deutsch
Español
فارسی
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 26 October 2017, at 21:57.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

value: i

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: caption

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

value: td

attrs: colspan style

value: tr

value: th

attrs: href title

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/81009584

values:
/wiki/Puerto_Rican_people
mw-redirect
Puerto Rican people

values:
/wiki/American_Book_Award
mw-redirect
American Book Award

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
nofollow
external free
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0679734775

values: Bad Boys (poetry collection) (page does not exist)

values: My Wicked, Wicked Ways (Sandra Cisneros) (page does not exist)

values: Loose woman: Poems (page does not exist)

values: Family Pictures/ Cuadros de Familia (page does not exist)

values: Emergency Tacos: Seven Poets Con Picante (page does not exist)

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Hispanic and Latino American novels

values: Category:Pages to import images to Wikidata

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values:
/wiki/The_House_on_Mango_Street
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values: خانه خیابان مانگو – Persian

values: 芒果街上的小屋 – Chinese

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-The_House_on_Mango_Street rootpage-The_House_on_Mango_Street vector-experimental-print-styles vector-nav-directionality skin-vector action-view