Elders and betters
By: I. Compton-Burnett
Publisher: V. Gollancz
Published: 1944
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 235
Subjects: Manners and customs; Dysfunctional families; Fiction
Description: The Donne family's move to the country is inspired by a wish to be close to their cousins, who are to be their nearest neighbours. It proves too close for comfort, however. For a secret switching of wills causes the most genteel pursuit of self-interest to threaten good relations and even good manners. Ivy Compton-Burnett employs her sharp ear for comedy and celebrated powers of dialogue to spectacular effect. She reveals a devastating microcosm of human society, in which the elders are by no means always the betters, in which no character is totally scrupulous, but none without their appeal.
Notes: Internet Archive - 2

Internet Archive 2