If you haven't read Monica Dickens (great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens), you'll be pleased to know that her books are "always acceptable". I know that values have changed, but was there ever a time when that was high praise?I'm afraid to say that I have sent a lot of Monica Dickens novels to be "recycled" (i.e. turned into road surfacing material) during the last few days. Like many middlebrow novelists who were incredibly popular in their time, Monica Dickens' books have no value today, as the supply far outstrips the demand. This is a great pity, as what I've read of Dickens compares favourably with many contemporary writers of popular fiction.
Monica Dickens was an interesting character. She was born into a privileged background and went to St Paul's Girls' School, but in her youth she chose to become a domestic servant and gained an insight into life "below stairs". I wonder if her great-grandfather's writing influenced this eccentric decision?
In the 1970s, her Follyfoot children's novels were succesfully adapted for television. I was going to include the title sequence of the programme, but that was before I discovered the magic of Richard Shireby and his electronic organ, playing Follyfoot's memorable theme tune:
