Polo: The lavish and racy classic from Sunday Times bestseller Jilly Cooper
£5.70
In Jilly Cooper’s third Rutshire chronicle we meet Ricky France-Lynch, who is moody, macho, and magnificent. He had a large crumbling estate, a nine-goal polo handicap, and a beautiful wife who was fair game for anyone with a cheque book. He also had the adoration of fourteen-year-old Perdita MacLeod. Perdita couldn’t wait to leave her dreary school and become a polo player.The polo set were ritzy, wild, and gloriously promiscuous.Perdita thought she’d get along with them very well.
But before she had time to grow up, Ricky’s life exploded into tragedy, and Perdita turned into a brat who loved only her horses – and Ricky France-Lynch.
Ricky’s obsession to win back his wife, and Perdita’s to win both Ricky and a place as a top class polo player, take the reader on a wildly exciting journey – to the estancias of Argentina, to Palm Beach and Deauville, and on to the royal polo fields of England and the glamorous pitches of California where the most heroic battle of all is destined to be fought – a match that is about far more than just the winning of a huge silver cup…
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‘Compulsively readable and funny…the irrepressible Jilly remains irresistible’ The Times
‘Polo is the best thing she’s ever done’ Daily Mail
‘A work of towering genius’ Evening Standard
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Additional information
| Publisher | Transworld Digital, New e. edition (23 Dec. 2010) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2278 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 769 pages |
| Page numbers source ISBN | 1409032248 |
by Suze thompson
This might be a Jane Austin of our time. Jilly Cooper’s characters are well drawn, and she writes about them in a way that is both funny and affectionate. The story moves on briskly and carries you with it. Great fun, I found it difficult to put down.
by Hideehi
I initially read Polo when I was a teenager and reading any Jilly Cooper book was a little bit naughty, and I loved it then. I bought this and Riders & Rivals on a whim, and I’m glad that I did as it’s just as good now as it was back then. I’ve seen reviews which have slated it but for the time period and yes things have changed, but I read to escape and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
by Chrissie
What can I say? She could write a book in the sand and I would read it. I love her honestly and humour, and the way she exposes members of the upper classes (only slightly disguised). Polo was the first I read of Jilly’s after having no intention of ever reading her books – far too snooty for me. After reading this I was hooked. She pulls no punches. Gets raunchy so watch out. She probably scares the living daylights out of members of the elite in England, because they are most likely to be in her books. I even started watching Polo matches on Youtube. Well, I could never afford a ticket to actually see a Polo match.
by Michelle Gill
This isn’t the fist time I’ve read polo, or the second,but I still get as much pleasure. Thrilling read folk poo wing the lives of the rich and wealthy horse mad characters. I expect I will read it again once I’ve made my way through the rest of the Jilly Cooper books, featuring Rupert Campbell Black and his family and associates.
by Mr. Alastair Brown
I have to say I like Jilly Cooper and find most of her books very readable and enjoyable. In the last couple of years I’ve re-read “Riders” and “Rivals” both of which are excellent – particularly “Rivals” which has true “can’t put it down” quality. I would suggest that if you want to try Jilly Cooper for the first time go with Rivals” and you’ll be impressed.
Would that I could give the same praise to “Polo” but sadly that’s not possible. First of all it paints a picture (and I know the book was written some time ago) of polo the sport being as big as Premier League football if not bigger – the players are huge stars pursued round the world by the tabloid press. Well I have to say in my world and I think most people’s worlds polo has always been very much a small minority interest sport pursued by a select few rich people in which the population at large has no interest whatsoever. In other words when you read “Polo” you have to imagine yourself in some sort of alternative universe where polo matters and is the world’s most important and newsworthy sport – not easy to do!
Moving on from that the book contains various endless descriptions of particular matches. How boring is that! I’m interested in football but I can’t say I’d want to read a novel containing umpteen detailed descriptions of matches.
And then there’s the characterisation….as others have said the principal female lead (Perdita) is so unlikeable she is a complete blot on the novel. She is wholly self centred and unpleasant and has no positive qualities at all so that doesn’t help. Some of the other characterisation is frankly laughable – Angel the embittered Argentinian is a complete caricature with regular hilarious dialogue. Perdita’s mother, Daisy, is a complete wimp who should have been put out of her misery very early in the book.
And then there’s the plot – there isn’t one! All that happens is that the characters plan and then play endless polo matches whose results are irrelevant to the reader. Occasionally to beef up the flagging narrative the characters go abroad – to Argentina and the USA – where they continue to plan and play endless polo matches… Who cares!!
I read this on my kindle but I would think the paper novel must be about a thousand pages long – being charitable I reckon that’s about six hundred pages too many.
It’s not all bad and others have clearly enjoyed it more than me. There are some of Jilly’s lovely puns along the way – but “Polo” is very definitely not one of her best. From memory “The Man who made Husbands Jealous” is much better and a return to form so perhaps the best tactic is just to skip “Polo”?
by T J . Donnelly
Excellent service! Book exactly as described and delivered quickly.
by Jeeds
Jilly Coopers ‘Riders’ has long been one of my favourite novels and I finally got around to reading ‘Polo’. I have read other Jilly Cooper Books – Harriet, Rivals & Jump! – but I must say Polo has to be my favourite of them all.
The Book is definitely a bit of a marathon read at over 750 pages but I didn’t find it a slog at all – and in fact when I got down to the last 100 pages I was sad I was reaching the end.
The books real highlight for me is the writing about the horses and the dogs – which always play such a big part in Coopers best novels – but the story zings along too with a classic mix of middle class characters. The Carlisle Twins, Seb and Dommie, were particular favourites of mine and provided several laugh-out-loud moments.
I will definitely read the novel again as so much happens in it, it is definitely worth a second turn.
For fans of ‘Riders’ and Jilly Cooper this is a must. And if you love horses, wild characters and a good few romps along the way then this book is one for you.
Prudes and Animal Loathers Need Not Apply…
by Kittyboo
I love these books, all of them! It is a stand alone book but I recommend reading them all and in order as many of the characters pop up again and again sometimes small part others as major parts of the plot. The down side, if it is a downside is I get totally submerged in the world and my thoughts stray to Rutshire and the many characters and what’s going to happen next!
Jilly Cooper has a brilliant way with words and these books make you laugh, cry and swoon. Sorry it’s not the best review but I don’t want to spoil anything. I’m currently re reading the whole series and if I’m not careful I might get to the end and start again!