The L Shaped Room Lynne Reid Banks Cardinal Edition C-433 Robert Abbett cover
VG Solid binding has slight roll. Light crease and edgewear, wear to lower spine edge. The book appears gently read. A nice presenting copy of this early vintage paperback
The L-Shaped Room is a 1960 British novel by Lynne Reid Banks which tells the story of a young woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves into a London boarding house, befriending a young man in the building. It was adapted into a film, with significant differences from the novel, by Bryan Forbes.
The L-Shaped Room is set in the late 1950s and follows a young woman, Jane Graham, who arrives alone at a run-down boarding house in London after being turned out of her comfortable middle class home by her shocked father after telling him she is pregnant.[2]
The L-Shaped room is the dingy room at the top of the boarding house that Jane retreats to, to wallow in her miseries. Jane narrates the story as we follow her through her pregnancy and her encounters with the other residents of the boarding house, all misfits and outsiders. Jane got pregnant through a bungled sexual encounter, losing her virginity to her ex-boyfriend. Her decision to live by herself and have the baby causes her to be seen as little better than the prostitutes who live in the basement of the boarding house.
The L-Shaped Room is set in the late 1950s and follows a young woman, Jane Graham, who arrives alone at a run-down boarding house in London after being turned out of her comfortable middle class home by her shocked father after telling him she is pregnant.[2]
The L-Shaped room is the dingy room at the top of the boarding house that Jane retreats to, to wallow in her miseries. Jane narrates the story as we follow her through her pregnancy and her encounters with the other residents of the boarding house, all misfits and outsiders. Jane got pregnant through a bungled sexual encounter, losing her virginity to her ex-boyfriend. Her decision to live by herself and have the baby causes her to be seen as little better than the prostitutes who live in the basement of the boarding house.
Lynne Reid Banks (born 31 July 1929) is a British author of books for children and adults.
She has written forty-five books, including the best-selling children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard, which has sold over 10 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room, published in 1960, was an instant and lasting best seller. It was later made into a movie of the same name and led to two sequels, The Backward Shadow and Two is Lonely. Banks also wrote a biography of the Brontë family, entitled Dark Quartet, and a sequel about Charlotte Brontë, Path to the Silent Country.
Banks was born in London, the only child of James and Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada during World War II, and returned after the war was over. She attended St Teresa's School Effingham in Surrey. Prior to becoming a writer, Banks was an actress, and also worked as a television journalist in Britain, one of the first women to do so.
In 1962, Banks emigrated to Israel, where she taught for eight years on a kibbutz, Yas'ur. In 1965, she married Chaim Stephenson (1926–2016), a sculptor, with whom she had three sons.[5] She lives in Shepperton, Surrey, UK.[6]
Although the family returned to England in 1971, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in some of her books (including One More River and its sequel, Broken Bridge, and other books, such as An End to Running and Children at the Gate) which are set partially or mainly on kibbutzim.
In October 2013, Banks won the J. M. Barrie award for outstanding contribution to children's arts.
She has written forty-five books, including the best-selling children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard, which has sold over 10 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room, published in 1960, was an instant and lasting best seller. It was later made into a movie of the same name and led to two sequels, The Backward Shadow and Two is Lonely. Banks also wrote a biography of the Brontë family, entitled Dark Quartet, and a sequel about Charlotte Brontë, Path to the Silent Country.
Banks was born in London, the only child of James and Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada during World War II, and returned after the war was over. She attended St Teresa's School Effingham in Surrey. Prior to becoming a writer, Banks was an actress, and also worked as a television journalist in Britain, one of the first women to do so.
In 1962, Banks emigrated to Israel, where she taught for eight years on a kibbutz, Yas'ur. In 1965, she married Chaim Stephenson (1926–2016), a sculptor, with whom she had three sons.[5] She lives in Shepperton, Surrey, UK.[6]
Although the family returned to England in 1971, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in some of her books (including One More River and its sequel, Broken Bridge, and other books, such as An End to Running and Children at the Gate) which are set partially or mainly on kibbutzim.
In October 2013, Banks won the J. M. Barrie award for outstanding contribution to children's arts.
Children's novels
The Farthest-Away Mountain, illus. Victor Ambrus (London: Abelard-Schuman, 1976); US ed., 1977; also illus. Dave Henderson
The Adventures of King Midas, illustrated by George Him (J.M. Dent, 1976), LCCN 76-379385; illus. Jos. A. Smith (William Morrow & Co, 1992), LCCN 92-3795
The Indian in the Cupboard (1980)
The Return of the Indian (1985)
The Secret of the Indian (1989)
The Mystery of the Cupboard (1993)
The Key to the Indian (1998)
The Fairy Rebel, illus. William Geldart (1985); US ed., 19
Harry the Poisonous Centipede, illustrated by Tony Ross
Harry the Poisonous Centipede: a story to make you squirm (1997)
Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure (2001)
Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea (2006)
I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster, illus. Terry Riley (J.M. Dent, 1978); US ed., 1988[7]
Angela and Diabola (1997)
Alice-By-Accident (2000)
Tiger, Tiger (2005)
Bad Cat Good Cat, illus. Tony Ross (2011)
Ella and her bad Yellow T-Shirt, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS, 2011)
The Wrong-Coloured Dragon, illus. Joanna Scott (Kindle, 2012)
Uprooted: a Canadian war story (HarperCollins, 2014), OCLC 881018287
Short stories
The Magic Hare, illus. Barry Moser (1993); also illus. Hilda Offen
Sarah and After: the matriarchs (The Bodley Head, 1975) LCCN 75-318081; US title, Sarah and After: five women who founded a nation – Bible stories
Older readers
One More River (London: Vallentine Mitchell, 1973)
My Darling Villain (Bodley Head, 1977); US ed., 1986
The Writing on the Wall (1982) ?88
Melusine: a mystery (1988); US ed., 1989
One More River, revised edition (NY: William Morrow, 1992), LCCN 91-43152
Broken Bridge; US ed., 1994 (revised?) LCCN 94-26636 – sequel to One More River
Maura's Angel (1998)
Moses in Egypt: a novel inspired by the Prince of Egypt and the book of Exodus (1998) LCCN 99-190535
The Dungeon (2002)
Stealing Stacey (2004)
Adult novels
All in a Row: a comedy in three acts (London: Deane, 1956), LCCN 56-41380
The L-Shaped Room (Chatto & Windus, 1960); US ed., 1961
An End to Running (Chatto & Windus, 1962)
House of Hope (1962)
Children at the Gate (Chatto & Windus, 1968)
The Backward Shadow (1970) – sequel to The L-Shaped Room
Two is Lonely (1974) – completes the L-Shaped Room trilogy
Dark Quartet: the story of the Brontës (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1976); US ed., 1977 – Biographical fiction[8]
Path to the Silent Country: Charlotte Brontë's years of fame (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1977); US ed., 1978
Defy the Wilderness (Chatto & Windus, 1981)
The Warning Bell (Hamish Hamilton, 1984); US ed., 1986
Casualties (1986); US ed., 1987
Fair Exchange (London: Piatkus, 1998)
Non-fiction
Letters to My Israeli Sons: the story of Jewish survival (W. H. Allen Ltd, 1979), LCCN 80-455044
Torn Country: an oral history of the Israeli war of independence (New York: Franklin Watts, 1982)
Picture books
The Spice Rack, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS Designs, 2010)
Polly and Jake, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS, 2010)
The Farthest-Away Mountain, illus. Victor Ambrus (London: Abelard-Schuman, 1976); US ed., 1977; also illus. Dave Henderson
The Adventures of King Midas, illustrated by George Him (J.M. Dent, 1976), LCCN 76-379385; illus. Jos. A. Smith (William Morrow & Co, 1992), LCCN 92-3795
The Indian in the Cupboard (1980)
The Return of the Indian (1985)
The Secret of the Indian (1989)
The Mystery of the Cupboard (1993)
The Key to the Indian (1998)
The Fairy Rebel, illus. William Geldart (1985); US ed., 19
Harry the Poisonous Centipede, illustrated by Tony Ross
Harry the Poisonous Centipede: a story to make you squirm (1997)
Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure (2001)
Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea (2006)
I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster, illus. Terry Riley (J.M. Dent, 1978); US ed., 1988[7]
Angela and Diabola (1997)
Alice-By-Accident (2000)
Tiger, Tiger (2005)
Bad Cat Good Cat, illus. Tony Ross (2011)
Ella and her bad Yellow T-Shirt, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS, 2011)
The Wrong-Coloured Dragon, illus. Joanna Scott (Kindle, 2012)
Uprooted: a Canadian war story (HarperCollins, 2014), OCLC 881018287
Short stories
The Magic Hare, illus. Barry Moser (1993); also illus. Hilda Offen
Sarah and After: the matriarchs (The Bodley Head, 1975) LCCN 75-318081; US title, Sarah and After: five women who founded a nation – Bible stories
Older readers
One More River (London: Vallentine Mitchell, 1973)
My Darling Villain (Bodley Head, 1977); US ed., 1986
The Writing on the Wall (1982) ?88
Melusine: a mystery (1988); US ed., 1989
One More River, revised edition (NY: William Morrow, 1992), LCCN 91-43152
Broken Bridge; US ed., 1994 (revised?) LCCN 94-26636 – sequel to One More River
Maura's Angel (1998)
Moses in Egypt: a novel inspired by the Prince of Egypt and the book of Exodus (1998) LCCN 99-190535
The Dungeon (2002)
Stealing Stacey (2004)
Adult novels
All in a Row: a comedy in three acts (London: Deane, 1956), LCCN 56-41380
The L-Shaped Room (Chatto & Windus, 1960); US ed., 1961
An End to Running (Chatto & Windus, 1962)
House of Hope (1962)
Children at the Gate (Chatto & Windus, 1968)
The Backward Shadow (1970) – sequel to The L-Shaped Room
Two is Lonely (1974) – completes the L-Shaped Room trilogy
Dark Quartet: the story of the Brontës (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1976); US ed., 1977 – Biographical fiction[8]
Path to the Silent Country: Charlotte Brontë's years of fame (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1977); US ed., 1978
Defy the Wilderness (Chatto & Windus, 1981)
The Warning Bell (Hamish Hamilton, 1984); US ed., 1986
Casualties (1986); US ed., 1987
Fair Exchange (London: Piatkus, 1998)
Non-fiction
Letters to My Israeli Sons: the story of Jewish survival (W. H. Allen Ltd, 1979), LCCN 80-455044
Torn Country: an oral history of the Israeli war of independence (New York: Franklin Watts, 1982)
Picture books
The Spice Rack, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS Designs, 2010)
Polly and Jake, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS, 2010)
