Sylvia Townsend Warner's Lolly Willowes
My feminist reading streak continues! This novel was first published in 1926, but it has a really timeless kind of feel. It centers on the titular Lolly, a middle-aged spinster who tires of living with her demanding relatives, and decides to live on her own in the country. And then her nephew follows her there, intending to write a book, and she is Fed Up with taking care of all these people and begs the universe for help. Whereupon she finds a kitten in her bedroom, which bites her, and then she is all "oh, I guess I've made a pact with Satan and this kitten is my familiar and now I am a witch." At first I was confused about whether or not she was just being silly, but no, she's made a pact with Satan and now is a witch. It is amazing. I did wish for a little bit more from the ending, but the last paragraph is a zinger. A-.
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