The 1952 Club is here! There already seems to be a bit of a buzz in the blogosphere, which is lovely. Because this is the biannual event where Karen and I ask everyone to read and review books published in a particular year – any language, any genre, any format. And 1952 feels like an especially interesting one.
It certainly had a lot of candidates on my shelves – so I’ve actually been dedicating most of the year so far to 1952 Club titles. And, for fun, I decided to randomise my reading: I wrote down all the 1952 books I was hoping to get to on post-its, and have been picking the next one from the bowl.
Looking forward to seeing all your reviews – please put a link in the comments here, and I’ll do my best to update the list here.
Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham
Madame Bibi Lophile Recommends
She Reads Novels
Sarah Matthews
My Book Trunk
Love for Lydia by H.E. Bates
Fanda ClassicLit
My Name is Michael Sibley by John Bingham
Bitter Tea and Mystery
A Hot Cup of Pleasure
Secret Seven on the Trail by Enid Blyton
Literary Potpourri
Five Have A Wonderful Time by Enid Blyton
Books Please
Let It Come Down by Paul Bowles
Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
The Cardboard Crown by Martin Boyd
A Hot Cup of Pleasure
Short stories by Ray Bradbury
Brona’s Books
The Mountain and the Valley by Ernest Buckler
Buried in Print
Death on the Riviera by John Bude
Madame Bibi Lophile Recommends
A Perch in Paradise by Margaret Bullard
Rattlebag and Rhubarb
The Case of the Counterfeit Colonel by Christopher Bush
Adventures in Reading, Running, and Working from Home
Death Leaves A Diary by Harry Carmichael
Stuck in a Book
Mrs McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie
Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
What Me Read
Just Reading a Book
Literary Potpourri
They Do it With Mirrors by Agatha Christie
Wicked Witch’s Blog
The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
Let’s Read
Linden Rise by Richmal Crompton
She Reads Novels
Adventures in Two Worlds by A.J. Cronin
Somewhere Boy
Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Cespedes
Just Reading a Book
Reading Matters
1st Reading
Daphne du Maurier short stories
Literary Excursions
Literary Excursions
Literary Excursions
Literary Excursions
The Bright Blue Eye by Katherine Dunning
Stuck in a Book
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Elle Thinks
On The Clock That Wouldn’t Stop, by Elizabeth Ferrars
Words and Peace
Trial By Terror by Paul Gallico
Stuck in a Book
Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert
A Hot Cup of Pleasure
All our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg
Lizzy Siddal
The Malediction by Jean Giono
1st Reading
Who Lie in Gaol by Joan Henry
Somewhere Boy
An Untouched House by Willem Frederik Hermans
Winston’s Dad
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
What Me Read
Bookish Beck
Go by John Clellon Holmes
Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
Campbell’s Kingdom by Hammond Innes
Mr Kaggsy
AnnaBookBel
A Private View by Michael Innes
Stuck in a Book
Catherine Carter by Pamela Hansford Johnson
Stuck in a Book
Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
Words and Peace
Treasure Hunt by Molly Keane
Stuck in a Book
Mirror to Russia by Marie Noele Kelly
Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
The Village by Marghanita Laski
Literary Potpourri
Wayward Heroes by Halldór Laxness
Winston’s Dad
Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
My Book Trunk
Which Grain Will Grow by H. H. Lynde
Neglected Books
The Ivory Grin by John Ross Macdonald
1st Reading
The Groves of Academe by Mary McCarthy
Somewhere Boy
Nancy and Plum by Betty McDonald
Staircase Wit
Shakespeare and Myself by George Mikes
The Captive Reader
Year In, Year Out by A.A. Milne
Somewhere Boy
Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison
Stuck in a Book
Bitter Honeymoon by Alberto Moravia
1st Reading
The Financial Expert by R.K. Narayan
Somewhere Boy
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Literary Potpourri
Calmgrove Books
Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor
Somewhere Boy
1st Reading
746 Books
A City Winter by Frank O’Hara
Typings
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
746 Books
What? Me Read?
My Book Trunk
Period Piece by Gwen Raverat
Staircase Wit
Spark of Life by Erich Maria Remarque
Winston’s Dad
The Swimming Pool by Mary Roberts Rinehart
A Hot Cup of Pleasure
The Far Country by Nevil Shute
Staircase Wit
Maigret’s Revolver by Georges Simenon
Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings
AnnaBookBel
Aunt Clara by Noel Streatfeild
She Reads Novels
The Gentlewoman by Laura Talbot
Madame Bibi Lophile Recommends
All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Kindship of All Species
The Face of Despair by Kylie Tennant
Whispering Gums
The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
Madame Bibi Lophile Recommends
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
746 Books
The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich
Bookish Beck
Sword of Desire by Robert W. Tracy
The Dusty Bookcase
The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola
Winston’s Dad
Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut
Typings
Alien Son by Judah Waten
ANZ Lit Lovers
Ladies’ Bane by Patricia Wentworth
Staircase Wit
A Daughter’s a Daughter by Mary Westmacott
Fanda Classiclit
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Bookish Beck
Hemlock and After by Angus Wilson
Typings
The Equations of Love by Ethel Wilson
Stuck in a Book
Barmy in Wonderland by P.G. Wodehouse
Stuck in a Book
Pigs Have Wings by P.G. Wodehouse
Fanda Classiclit
Alien Son by Judah Waten: https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/04/21/alien-son-1952-by-judah-waten/
Looking forward to the week! Here’s my first post, Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham https://madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2025/04/21/london-is-too-full-of-fogs-and-serious-people-oscar-wilde/
I’m definitely looking forward to this week’s reading. Here’s my first entry for the week https://witchyreading.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/they-do-it-with-mirrors-book-review-1952club/
Here’s my first review for 1952 – Linden Rise by Richmal Crompton:
https://shereadsnovels.com/2025/04/21/linden-rise-by-richmal-crompton-1952club/
Trying to resurrect my blog after several difficult years, so just to get things going, I’ve recycled an old post on Murder at the Mill-Race by ECR Lorac. https://mybooktrunk.blogspot.com/2025/04/murder-in-mill-race.html
Hurrah! Here’s my first review, of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/invisible-man-by-ralph-ellison-1952club/
Christopher Bush’s “The Case of the Counterfeit Colonel” was my choice and very entertaining it was, too! https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/book-review-christopher-bush-the-case-of-the-counterfeit-colonel-1952club/
I’ve got one: Hemlock and After by Angus Wilson. https://reesewarner.blogspot.com/2025/04/angus-wilsons-hemlock-and-after-1952club.html
Looking forward to see the result of your random picks! Thanks for hosting
Here’s my review of Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie, plus a list of 1952 books I previously reviewed: https://whatmeread.com/2025/04/21/review-2569-1952club-mrs-mcgintys-dead/
Here is my review of the book I read for 1952, My Name is Michael Sibley.
https://bitterteaandmystery.blogspot.com/2025/04/my-name-is-michael-sibley-by-john.html
Thanks for hosting this club, together with Karen, Simon!
My first review is A Daughter’s a Daughter by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie): https://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-daughters-daughter-1952-by-mary.html
You know I can’t resist the chance to re-read a childhood favourite, so here is The Borrowers, by Mary Nortonhttps://mybooktrunk.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-borrowers.html.
Here’s my review of Excellent Women by Barbara Pym: https://whatmeread.com/2025/04/22/review-2570-1952-club-excellent-women/
Here’s my first review – Five Have a Wonderful Time by Enid Blyton – https://booksplease.org/2025/04/22/five-have-a-wonderful-time-by-enid-blyton/
Here are my reviews so far. I’m blogging through The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier.
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/20/the-birds-by-daphne-du-maurier-the-story-and-the-movie/
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/22/monte-verita-by-daphne-du-maurier/
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/22/the-apple-tree-by-daphne-du-maurier/
My second review: Pigs Have Wings by P.G. Wodehouse https://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2025/04/pigs-have-wings-1952-by-pg-wodehouse.html
Here my second review Simon, The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey:https://madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2025/04/23/nothing-puts-things-in-perspective-as-quickly-as-a-mountain-josephine-tey/
Another review. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. https://mybooktrunk.blogspot.com/2025/04/excellent-women.html
Here is The Far Country by Nevil Shute, which really does provide a feel for 1952 (and not a good one):https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-far-country-by-nevil-shute-for-1952.html
Eight Ray Bradbury short stories first published in 1952.
They are an odd mix of stories. Stories about memory, love and loss. Stories about childhood, time travel and war. Stories set in the past, old-fashioned and out-dated and stories set in the future. Hopeful stories and stories of despair. And every now and again, a stunning turn of phrase, imagery or idea.
https://bronasbooks.com/2025/04/23/ray-bradbury-short-stories-for-the-1952-club/
Here is my first review, anoyher one for Thousand Cranes!:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/04/23/book-review-for-the-1952-club-thousand-cranes/
Here’s my next review:
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/23/the-little-photographer-by-daphne-du-maurier/
Thanks for hosting; I’m contributing a Canadian classic, Ernest Buckler’s The Mountain and the Valley: http://www.buriedinprint.com/ernest-bucklers-the-mountain-and-the-valley1952club/
And here’s another post I just put up. :)
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/23/kiss-me-again-stranger-by-daphne-du-maurier/
A second entry: Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut. https://reesewarner.blogspot.com/2025/04/kurt-vonneguts-player-piano-1952club.html
Here’s my review of The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham:
https://shereadsnovels.com/2025/04/24/the-tiger-in-the-smoke-by-margery-allingham-1952club/
Here is my 2nd review: Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/04/24/book-review-for-the-1952-club-player-piano/
Here’s my review of Shakespeare and Myself by George Mikes: https://thecaptivereader.com/2025/04/24/shakespeare-and-myself-george-mikes/
Here’s my review of The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith: https://whatmeread.com/2025/04/24/review-2571-1952-club-the-price-of-salt/
The Tiger in the Smoke, by Margery Allingham https://mybooktrunk.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-tiger-in-smoke.html
Here’s my third and last review for the club: Love for Lydia by H.E. Bates https://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2025/04/love-for-lydia-1952-by-he-bates-1952club.html.
Thanks for hosting it, it’s been a good fun. There’re so many interesting books I’ve found from others’ reviews too!
Here’s my third review Simon: https://madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2025/04/25/good-authors-dont-seem-to-do-much-good-these-days-books-have-got-so-psychological-laura-talbot-the-gentlewomen/ The Gentlewomen by Laura Talbot
Here’s my contribution to the “’52 club” – a review of Sydney Taylor’s ALL-OF-A-KIND FAMILY
https://kinshipofallspecies.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/all-of-a-kind-family-sydney-taylor-1952/
It was good fun reading this book of stories. I also took the time to look back on other 1952 books I’ve read, and came up with this little list:
The Palm-Wine Drunkark (Amos Tutuola, Nigeria)
Mount Analogue (Réné Daumal, France)
Waiting for Godot (Samuel Beckett, Ireland)
The Cloven Viscount (Italo Calvino, Italy)
Thank you to all who participate and especially to Simon and Karen
Here is my 3rd and last review, alas not a happy one.
On The Clock That Wouldn’t Stop, by Elizabeth Ferrars:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/04/25/book-review-for-the-1952-club-the-clock-that-wouldnt-stop/
Wow, so many books written in 1952 and I haven’t read a single one of them, even though I had five not so unknown ones on my list from that year:
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-1952-club.html
My choice was “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie.
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/christie-agatha-mousetrap.html
Thanks for organizing this again and again. I’m looking forward to seeing what year will be picked next.
Which Grain Will Grow by H. H. Lynde (Helen Huntington Morgan)
Both impressive and disappointing, a book very much of its time in being too careful.
https://neglectedbooks.com/?p=10668
Here is another from me:
Nancy and Plum by Betty McDonald
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2025/04/nancy-and-plum-by-betty-mcdonald-for.html
Frank O’Hara’s A City Winter and Other Poems. It includes one of my favourite O’Haras.
https://reesewarner.blogspot.com/2025/04/frank-oharas-city-winter.html
It was an Italian award winner for me!
https://lizzysiddal2.wordpress.com/2025/04/26/all-our-yesterdays-natalia-ginzburg-1952club/
Hi Simon. Thanks for hosting once again!
Here’s my contribution: https://readingmattersblog.com/2025/04/27/forbidden-notebook-by-alba-de-cespedes-translated-by-ann-goldstein/
My last review is a memoir, Period Piece by Gwen Raverat:
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2025/04/period-piece-cambridge-girlhood-by-gwen.html
Constance
Here’s my final review for the week. Aunt Clara by Noel Streatfeild:
https://shereadsnovels.com/2025/04/27/aunt-clara-by-noel-streatfeild-1952club/
Thanks for hosting. Here is my combined post for four novels:
The Cardboard Crown by Martin Boyd
Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert
My Name is Michael Sibley by John Bingham
The Swimming Pool by Mary Roberts Rinehart
https://ahotcupofpleasureagain.wordpress.com/2025/04/27/1952-club-four-novels/
My last post for the Club! Death on the Riviera by John Bude https://madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2025/04/27/the-riviera-isnt-just-a-sunny-place-for-shady-people-w-somerset-maugham/
Very much last minute, but here are my contributions: https://bookishbeck.com/2025/04/27/1952club-patricia-highsmith-paul-tillich-e-b-white/
Here are my last two review posts:
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/24/the-old-man-by-daphne-du-maurier/
https://literaryexcursions.com/2025/04/28/the-birds-and-other-stories-by-daphne-du-maurier/
Inspired by Winstonsdad, I read Het behouden huis (An Untouched House) by W.F. Hermans. The copyright is 1951, but it was only published in 1952. I’m also finally getting round to reading Invisible Man, which is more visceral than I had expected.
https://marketgardenreader.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/an-untouched-house-het-behouden-huis-wf-hermans-1952club/