Babies in Literature Series: Barbara Comyns' Our Spoons Came From Woolworths

Barbara Coymyns' Our Spoons Came From Woolworths, a fictionalized account of her terrible first marriage to a fellow aspiring artist at the age of 21 in Depression-era London, is full of chattily evocative passages devoted to pregnancy, babies, and parenting by a naive young woman whose husband Charles is perhaps her biggest baby -- despite the fact that they are absolutely destitute, he refuses to work at anything except his own paintings. So she not only bears and raises their two children, she goes out to work to support them all. Charles, whose own mother thinks he is a genius, suggests at one point that they leave their firstborn in a foundling home. I suspect I'll post a number of passages from this book (particularly Comyns' disturbing description of her labour and delivery at a London hospital) but for starters here is the pair's reaction to the news they are going to have a baby:

   After about ten weeks of married life I began to feel rather sick, not of Charles or married life -- just sick in myself. At first it was just a whisper of sickness and I began to think I was imagining it, then I thought maybe it was strawberries; they were very cheap that year, there must have been what they called in the newspapers a "glut", we even ate strawberries for breakfast. One Sunday morning the milkman left a pint of cream instead of milk; it was marvellous. We ate everything simply smothered in cream; the kitten had a share, too, but the next day I felt even more sick. Then the whisper became very loud and I became even more sick. It was so difficult at work, because I had to keep running to the lavatory. I felt a little better in the evening, but so tired, all I wanted to do was go to bed. There were big black rings around my eyes.
   The girls I worked with said I should see a doctor; most likely he would have a nice surprise for me. One morning I fainted when I got out of bed. Charles was very scared and said I was to stay in bed. I didn't like to stay away from the studio in case they found how well they could get on without me and gave me the sack. I hadn't been working very well lately, but it just seemed like heaven to stay in bed, so I did.
   Charles said he would fetch a doctor. We had noticed a brass plate a little further up the road. Quite soon he returned with a proper doctor, complete with a black bag, a morning coat and pin-striped trousers, but he had a sad face. He talked to us for a little time to put us at our ease, then he sent Charles out while he examined me and asked a few questions. When Charles returned he had a very stiff bunch of maidenhair fern and carnations in his hand. The doctor reserved his verdict until his return. Then he told us we were going to have a baby in about seven months. Charles's white pointed face went even more so, and I felt frightened, trapped and excited all at once.
   The doctor gave a few hints and words of advice, and said I was to visit him in about a month. Then he had gone and we were left alone, but we were not alone any more. Charles said, "Oh dear, what will the family say? How I dislike the idea of being a Daddy and pushing a pram!" So I said, "I don't want to be a beastly Mummy, either; I shall run away." Then I remembered if I ran away the baby would come with me wherever I went. It was a most suffocating feeling and I started to cry.

They sound about ten years old, don't they? Like characters out of A. A. Milne story or a Hansel and Gretel style fairy tale. Our Spoons Came From Woolworths is one of the Virago Modern Classics series, which I have been stuffing myself full of, like Comyns' glut of strawberries.

Comments

[123oleary]

Oh, I have always wanted to read that one!
I bought a funny Virago at a church sale a few weeks back and now forget the title except that it had the word Harlot in it which thrilled me almost as much as the term wayward woman. I will set it aside and send it to you one of these days.

[Stephany Aulenback]

Ooh, now you've got me guessing which one it could be, Sara...

[123oleary]

Here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Harlot-Virago-Modern-Classics/dp/1860490042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234474177&sr=1-1

I liked the idea of it being author as angry young woman for a change.

At the same time I got a book of Nancy Mitford newspaper pieces and a strange Daphne DuMaurier book of essays - including one where she talks about the house that was the model for Manderly. All for under $2!

[Stephany Aulenback]

Wow. Score!

By the way, I'd send you the Spoons one but I borrowed it from the library. :(

Have you tracked down a copy of that Eudora Welty book for kids yet? I'm intrigued...