Ivy Compton-Burnett
@ivycomptonburnett.bsky.social
Well, of course, people are only human. But it really does not seem much for them to be.
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Also updating the #NYRBWomen25 list. Eight excellent books to consider.
November 14, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Also updating the #NYRBWomen25 list. Eight excellent books to consider.
“Fanny, you do not mean half you say.”
“Yes, often almost the whole.”
“Yes, often almost the whole.”
November 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
“Fanny, you do not mean half you say.”
“Yes, often almost the whole.”
“Yes, often almost the whole.”
"And real charm should be unconscious.”
"No good quality is that. Good qualities involve effort. Without it they would not exist. Think of charity and tolerance. Even with it they exist uncertainly. But charm is perhaps more of the nature of a gift. It makes me humble as well as proud.”
"No good quality is that. Good qualities involve effort. Without it they would not exist. Think of charity and tolerance. Even with it they exist uncertainly. But charm is perhaps more of the nature of a gift. It makes me humble as well as proud.”
November 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
"And real charm should be unconscious.”
"No good quality is that. Good qualities involve effort. Without it they would not exist. Think of charity and tolerance. Even with it they exist uncertainly. But charm is perhaps more of the nature of a gift. It makes me humble as well as proud.”
"No good quality is that. Good qualities involve effort. Without it they would not exist. Think of charity and tolerance. Even with it they exist uncertainly. But charm is perhaps more of the nature of a gift. It makes me humble as well as proud.”
But I do not quarrel with fate. It is not a contest in which we should emerge victorious
November 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
But I do not quarrel with fate. It is not a contest in which we should emerge victorious
“You pride yourself on pessimism, Deakin,” said Julia.
“Well, ma’am, when we are told to look on the bright side of things, it is not generally at a happy time.”
“But it is good advice for daily life.”
“Daily life harbours everything, ma’am. All our troubles come into it.”
“Well, ma’am, when we are told to look on the bright side of things, it is not generally at a happy time.”
“But it is good advice for daily life.”
“Daily life harbours everything, ma’am. All our troubles come into it.”
November 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
“You pride yourself on pessimism, Deakin,” said Julia.
“Well, ma’am, when we are told to look on the bright side of things, it is not generally at a happy time.”
“But it is good advice for daily life.”
“Daily life harbours everything, ma’am. All our troubles come into it.”
“Well, ma’am, when we are told to look on the bright side of things, it is not generally at a happy time.”
“But it is good advice for daily life.”
“Daily life harbours everything, ma’am. All our troubles come into it.”
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
fuck Compton-Burnett
November 12, 2025 at 2:01 AM
fuck Compton-Burnett
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
“ ‘Changes come and carry us with them.’
'That sounds more comfortable than it is.’ ” –Ivy Compton-Burnett
'That sounds more comfortable than it is.’ ” –Ivy Compton-Burnett
October 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
“ ‘Changes come and carry us with them.’
'That sounds more comfortable than it is.’ ” –Ivy Compton-Burnett
'That sounds more comfortable than it is.’ ” –Ivy Compton-Burnett
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Rereading some much-loved older books by Ivy Compton-Burnett and Peter Dickinson.
October 26, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Rereading some much-loved older books by Ivy Compton-Burnett and Peter Dickinson.
“It is a pity you have not my charm, Simon,” said Walter.
“Well, we hardly want a double share in a family.”
“I am glad you are all without it. It is untrue that we cannot have too much of a good thing. I could not bear to be one amongst many. It would not suit the something there is about me.”
“Well, we hardly want a double share in a family.”
“I am glad you are all without it. It is untrue that we cannot have too much of a good thing. I could not bear to be one amongst many. It would not suit the something there is about me.”
October 30, 2025 at 4:18 PM
“It is a pity you have not my charm, Simon,” said Walter.
“Well, we hardly want a double share in a family.”
“I am glad you are all without it. It is untrue that we cannot have too much of a good thing. I could not bear to be one amongst many. It would not suit the something there is about me.”
“Well, we hardly want a double share in a family.”
“I am glad you are all without it. It is untrue that we cannot have too much of a good thing. I could not bear to be one amongst many. It would not suit the something there is about me.”
“I shall not miss you,” said Felix. “You have killed my feeling for you. And I find that I like women better than men.”
Jonathan looked from Felix to Gabriel, as if rejoicing in his possession of each.
“I suppose all men do in a way,” said Fane.
“I did not mean in a way,” said Felix.
Jonathan looked from Felix to Gabriel, as if rejoicing in his possession of each.
“I suppose all men do in a way,” said Fane.
“I did not mean in a way,” said Felix.
October 24, 2025 at 3:43 PM
“I shall not miss you,” said Felix. “You have killed my feeling for you. And I find that I like women better than men.”
Jonathan looked from Felix to Gabriel, as if rejoicing in his possession of each.
“I suppose all men do in a way,” said Fane.
“I did not mean in a way,” said Felix.
Jonathan looked from Felix to Gabriel, as if rejoicing in his possession of each.
“I suppose all men do in a way,” said Fane.
“I did not mean in a way,” said Felix.
“My figure is remarkably supple and lithe,” he said. “But when my father treats me as if I had the gift of perennial youth, I do not believe he is thinking about my figure.”
October 24, 2025 at 3:40 PM
“My figure is remarkably supple and lithe,” he said. “But when my father treats me as if I had the gift of perennial youth, I do not believe he is thinking about my figure.”
“It must be the climax, the coping stone, the peak of youthful experience.”
“Oh, don’t use the word ‘climax’,” said Josephine. “It has such a suggestion of anti-climax. And we hope that things are not over for them yet.”
“Oh, don’t use the word ‘climax’,” said Josephine. “It has such a suggestion of anti-climax. And we hope that things are not over for them yet.”
October 16, 2025 at 7:53 PM
“It must be the climax, the coping stone, the peak of youthful experience.”
“Oh, don’t use the word ‘climax’,” said Josephine. “It has such a suggestion of anti-climax. And we hope that things are not over for them yet.”
“Oh, don’t use the word ‘climax’,” said Josephine. “It has such a suggestion of anti-climax. And we hope that things are not over for them yet.”
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
“It would take more than that to turn my head,” said Josephine, smiling at Miss Rosetti whose eyes were on her face; “or it would be like a planet in a state of continual revolution.“
October 16, 2025 at 7:52 PM
“It would take more than that to turn my head,” said Josephine, smiling at Miss Rosetti whose eyes were on her face; “or it would be like a planet in a state of continual revolution.“
“We can make quite a useful world out of our imagination. I don’t know why falsehood does not do as well as truth.”
“It often does better; that is why it is used instead.”
“It often does better; that is why it is used instead.”
September 22, 2025 at 5:04 PM
“We can make quite a useful world out of our imagination. I don’t know why falsehood does not do as well as truth.”
“It often does better; that is why it is used instead.”
“It often does better; that is why it is used instead.”
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Gun Hu, Cat Scratching, Joseon Period (1392-1910)
September 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Gun Hu, Cat Scratching, Joseon Period (1392-1910)
I’ve been let into a sorry muddle.
September 14, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I’ve been let into a sorry muddle.
Well, don’t keep harping on it. A muddle is not any better because it is sorry. The sorrier, the worse, in my humble imagination.
September 14, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Well, don’t keep harping on it. A muddle is not any better because it is sorry. The sorrier, the worse, in my humble imagination.
“I believe you are a feminist, Mr. Bacon,” said Miss Luke, her tone hardly bearing out her own opinions.
“He is indeed,” said Helen. “He said that it was not settled that women were subordinate to men, and he could not be more of a feminist than that.”
“He is indeed,” said Helen. “He said that it was not settled that women were subordinate to men, and he could not be more of a feminist than that.”
September 14, 2025 at 8:09 PM
“I believe you are a feminist, Mr. Bacon,” said Miss Luke, her tone hardly bearing out her own opinions.
“He is indeed,” said Helen. “He said that it was not settled that women were subordinate to men, and he could not be more of a feminist than that.”
“He is indeed,” said Helen. “He said that it was not settled that women were subordinate to men, and he could not be more of a feminist than that.”
[One of Ivy’s two IMDB credits.]
11/09/1959 issue of Radio Times: Editorial featuring A Heritage and Its History; Cesare Siepi; Ivy Compton-Burnett; Johnny Morris; Giuseppe di Stefano and György Cziffra
READ: https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/62bd12a0991641ab8c8869d037f21964?page=8
READ: https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/62bd12a0991641ab8c8869d037f21964?page=8
September 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
[One of Ivy’s two IMDB credits.]
The judgement of posterity is known to be the only true one. So there seems no point in getting any other. I wonder so many people do it. You seem to be very wise.
September 10, 2025 at 2:36 PM
The judgement of posterity is known to be the only true one. So there seems no point in getting any other. I wonder so many people do it. You seem to be very wise.
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Labor Day weekend 🔥
Ivy Compton Burnett, UCONN, Frank Pepe's White Clam
Ivy Compton Burnett, UCONN, Frank Pepe's White Clam
September 1, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Labor Day weekend 🔥
Ivy Compton Burnett, UCONN, Frank Pepe's White Clam
Ivy Compton Burnett, UCONN, Frank Pepe's White Clam
“I am not an ogress.”
“Well, you are rather. That is why I feel it my duty to come between the two of you.”
“Well, you are rather. That is why I feel it my duty to come between the two of you.”
August 30, 2025 at 3:39 PM
“I am not an ogress.”
“Well, you are rather. That is why I feel it my duty to come between the two of you.”
“Well, you are rather. That is why I feel it my duty to come between the two of you.”
I shall come home to you a tired bread-winner. I suppose I am a bread-winner, even if all the bread I win is for myself. Breadwinners’ own bread hardly seems to count.
August 24, 2025 at 3:46 PM
I shall come home to you a tired bread-winner. I suppose I am a bread-winner, even if all the bread I win is for myself. Breadwinners’ own bread hardly seems to count.
Reposted by Ivy Compton-Burnett
Bare minimum for holding a conversation: Ivy Compton-Burnett
August 17, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Bare minimum for holding a conversation: Ivy Compton-Burnett