Writing That's A Heap of Fun

This newsletter celebrates the writing of Jilly Cooper

During the recent Bank Holiday Weekend, I was gainfully employed – watching every single episode of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals. What a delightful romp it was. It captured a lot of the spirit of the book, although as any fan of Jilly will know, no real-life actor could elevate Rupert Campbell Black to the sex god status he has acquired in our imaginations.

And I’m delighted that this adaptation of Rivals, which Disney+ has advertised to bombardment levels, has brought the eighties blockbuster to a new audience. The books I read now mostly fall into the category of literary fiction: character driven, nuanced stories which use language in a subtle way.

But when I was growing up, I adored blockbusters –giant books that promised hours of glamour, decadence and fun. I thought the blockbuster had gone the way of legwarmers, and though my tastes have changed, I still yearned for them.

Which is why I keep reading Jilly Cooper’s early Rutshire Chronicles – though I do feel that her writing lost some lustre when she started adding exclamation marks to her titles. She is the queen of the blockbuster, and now a new generation of readers will discover her.

Here’s why I think Jilly Cooper’s books are a delight to read.

She’s a Master of Dialogue

Critics will often talk about a writer creating ‘whip smart’ dialogue. Jilly’s dialogue is was whip-smart long before the term was coined. If you want to know how to write good dialogue, read one of her books. Her dialogue full of wisecracks and word play and it’ll make you laugh out loud.

I love reading her dialogue out loud; her characters speak in a tonne of different accents. This has sometimes landed me in hot water – but I’ll tell you about that some other time.  

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She Enhances My Knowledge

Jilly draws on a wide frame of reference when she’s telling her stories. Her characters quote from Shakespeare, poets like Wordsworth and Yeats, and texts from the classical world.

Jilly does lots of research for her books, so I’ve learned lots about television, classical music, polo and showjumping from reading her books. I’ve been able to answer loads of quiz questions thanks to Jilly.

Photo by Femme Spirit on Unsplash

Copyright is an issue, but I chose this picture of stiletto heels to mirror the stiletto heel used on the original cover of Rivals. There is a hand resting on the feet with painted nails, and the sensuality of the picture mirrors the sensual vibe of Rivals.

This is one of the original covers of the book Rivals. It shows a stiletto heel on top of a hand, and a pair of white trousers.

Her Books Are Mighty Crack

This is not to be sneezed at. The books I usually read are wonderful, but they’re earnest – all these authors striving to add their voice to the quest for understanding of the human condition. But Jilly’s books offer bucketloads of fun, with all the lavish parties, the romantic romps and the warm-hearted, irreverent characters.

I’m not reading Jilly Cooper for incisive social commentary, though she does poke fun at the British class system and at political correctness. Jilly’s true value lies in the hours of entertainment she gives her readers; that’s what she does best. Thank you, Jilly, for all the joy your books have given to me and your millions of fans.

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