I really struggled with this book at first, but once you become familiar with the family and servants, and the generational hopscotch writing, the story slowly draws you in. Thankfully my copy had the family tree on both ends of the book, which I referred to frequently! Mrs. Quin and her granddaughter Tracy are my favorite characters in a most unusual telling of life in an English country house over a century ago.

It's a lovely little book--sort of like Mrs. Dalloway in that it's about the story of a person (a family in this case) and her entire life in a limited span of time. In China Court, Godden gives us the history of a family upon the death of Mrs. Quin, from three generations back to the current grandchild, Tracy, and how their lives intersect in China Court, the family home.

This was a re-read. I was looking for something on my bookshelf & came across this, which I originally read as a teenager, having stolen it off my mom's shelf!

If you like Downton Abbey you'll probably like this book. This is the story of five generations of an upper middle class English family who live in a country house, & over the more modern generations it becomes increasingly neglected, but Tracy - the descendant of all these generations - is determined to save it. This is really nicely written. I like the way the stories of family members from different generations are interspersed with one another so you get a sense of time as a great weaving with the house at its center & the various people woven into the thread around it. I also like the way the book was organized around the readings for the hours of the day in a prayer book. This has significance later on in the story.

As others have noted, the technique of mixing up the timeline can be a little confusing, so it's good if you're reading an edition with the family tree & relevant years in it. Ultimately I think it's more interesting told this way.

I also agree that the ending is a bit disconcerting. Blame it on the era in which it was written...but even so, not an excuse. I like thinking up alternate endings. But whatever happens, after reading this story I'm sure you'll hope that China Court is saved, repaired & made a happy home again.

What a beautiful story. The language was simple but exquisitely evocative of the peace and beauty of the country place - its gardens and fields, woods and rooms and all the lives lived there. Very much a contrast of the gentle pace of simple living in a place contentedly vs the “modern” go-get-‘em, DO and BE style where life moves at a faster pace but is seldom lived. Loved the passage (p314) describing how loneliness can be good...contented loneliness is rich...there is time if one is alone.
The ending was lovely but I so wanted it to go on longer to witness the restoration of the house, gardens and farm. It ended far too soon for me. Must read more Godden.

(tbr shelf #13- Oct)

About the continuity of life and how a house is witness to five generations. If walls could talk. The house seems to whisper voices from the past intermingling with the present. Beautifully written.

However, the entire book is spoiled by the last few pages. What would have been a 5 star book for me lost much of its magic.

One of my favorite authors-- as usual her work is great. A good read

Such a unique approach to a family saga set in Cornwall from the mid-nineteenth century to 1960. Written in a nonlinear style, jumping from one period to the next with barely a transition, it kept you on your toes. The connections were ephemeral moments such as moonlight through a window or similar emotions that transpired a century apart. Holding it together was the house, China Court, solid as the stone it was built of, but not overly imposing. It begins with the death of Mrs. Quin, the current matriarch, in 1960. What is to happen to the house and farm? Her heirs gather to dispose of it all, but the most sympathetic character is Tracy, who loved her grandmother and loved the house, but was raised in America, and can't bear to see it all sold. Tracy's aunts and uncles all seem to be greedily calculating what they can get from the house and contents after death duties with little or no sentimentality. Through the novel we see the young Mrs. Quin from childhood, the man she loved and the brother she married, and various members of the family and household before and during her time. The characters are unique and well drawn. The plot has a bit of a surprise, when Mrs. Quin after her death plays her hand.

Though I have heard of her for years and years, this is the first Rumer Godden book I have read. I will read more. Her gift of creating a setting is marvelous, and I loved her detailed observations, both of place and character.

This book, while not one of Godden's best, is intersting and engrossing. It weaves together three time lines and three women, all living at different times in one house, China Court. Godden has a distinctive voice and style, and was very popular in the first half of the 20th century, and her stuff, if you can find it, is worth a look. Some members of my work book club loved it , some hated it. I myself recommend one of my favorite Godden books: In This House of Brede,The Battle of the Villa Fiorita or a memoir A House with Four Wallsfor a fascinating look at godden's interesting life in India.

Rumer Godden once again takes readers on a journey, weaving past, present, and future together seamlessly.

With spring approaching where I live, this felt like the perfect time to read China Court. Godden’s descriptions of the gardens, the delicate china, the figurines, and the house itself are wonderfully romantic, bringing the setting to life in a vivid and immersive way.

Overall, I loved the story. However, I found the ending a bit abrupt. While I understand this may have been a reflection of the times, I wish it had felt more natural. Because of that, I’m giving it four stars.

Rumer Godden was a genius!

This book is brilliant.
At first it was boring. Then I was confusing. Then I gave into the stream of consciousness and swam along in it like as if in a dream. Then all the pieces came together and I loved this book and this family and their world. Then it was all over way too soon and I regret it.

Rumer Godden was a genius and I plan to visit China Court and her other books again.

This is the second novel by Rumor Godden that has totally transported me into a complex world, not of activity, but of personal fulfillment obtained in a less than traditional means.

I was absorbed into the life of this book in a way I have not experienced in a long time. It is, in many ways, a traditional multi-generational family saga. And, many aspects of it were predictable, or foreshadowed. But, I was so intrigued by the characters, and their aspirations, that anything “ ordinary” about this novel was eclipsed by the quixotic values of the protagonists.

This kind of novel is not for everyone. . . Some readers will find it hopelessly old-fashioned, or very slow- moving, but I was lost in the world of this country house ( China Court) and didn’t want to escape.

How disappointing. I'd hoped Rumer Godden would be one of those consistently excellent authors, I really enjoyed 'Battle of the Villa Fiorita' and 'In This House of Brede'. But 'China Court' is a bit of a mess. There were too many characters and none of them were described enough for a reader to care about their fates. Contributing to that was Godden's penchant for jumping back and forth in time which was confusing and created detachment from the narrative. Just not very good at all.