Résumé
Résumé de L'Oiseau de paradis
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À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
You will enjoy this if you love witty talk, drawing room comedy, matchmaking plots and sharp portraits of people, and if you like Jane Austen or Oscar Wilde.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
Madeline Irwin sweeps into a pale pink London drawing room, rustling a letter and scolding. The man she adores, Rupert Denison, has refused another invitation with more excuses. Her friend Bertha Kellynch looks up, calm and golden, and says that excuses are a form of compliment.
Bird of Paradise is a comic novel by Ada Leverson, set in London in 1913. Its question sits under every scene: how does a marriage stay romantic once the chase is over? You will meet a matchmaker, a husband who thinks his wife is a canary, a charming man who married for money, and his jealous wife.
Dans ce résumé
- 1A clever friend promises to win RupertFree
- 2Lady Kellynch and the report that could be worse
- 3Nigel, Bertha's old love, enters and starts to plot
- 4Rupert teaches two girls over tea and cakes
- 5Mary Hillier watches the window and waits
- 6Bertha wants romance, not just a good marriage
- 7Anonymous letters send Percy to the gallery
- 8Percy's jealousy is a gift to Bertha
- 9Madeline says yes twice and loses both
- 10Boys, mothers and the comedy of manners
- 11The bird, the canary and the way it is told
Point clé 1 sur 11
A clever friend promises to win Rupert
Madeline Irwin, twenty-three, tall and stylish, calls on her friend Bertha Kellynch. Madeline loves Rupert Denison, and he keeps refusing her mother's invitations with long lists of excuses. Bertha is small, plump and fair, with the face of a china shepherdess and a mind that notices everything.
Rupert likes to improve people. He has sent Madeline a book on the early Italian masters and a tiny Browning. Bertha does not much like him. She says he expresses himself dreadfully well. Yet she sees that Madeline's feeling is real, so she makes a promise in a low, steady voice. If Madeline truly wants him, she shall have him.
The plan begins at once. Nigel Hillier, Bertha's old admirer, will arrange a dinner and a play. A friend who takes your wish seriously is worth more than one who only gives advice.
That’s 1 of 11 key points.
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About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 55,200 words
- Reading timeAbout 3 h 50 min
Questions about L'Oiseau de paradis
What is Bird of Paradise by Ada Leverson about?
It is a comedy set in London in 1913. Bertha Kellynch helps her friend Madeline win Rupert Denison, while her own marriage to Percy is tested by jealousy, secret letters and her old suitor Nigel Hillier.
Why is the book called Bird of Paradise?
Percy calls his wife Bertha a canary, as a pet to keep in a pretty cage. The title comes from a moment when he sees her more truly and finds a grander bird.
Who is Rupert Denison?
Rupert is a handsome thirty-year-old with old-fashioned manners and a love of lecturing. He teaches Madeline about architecture and poetry and shows interest in her, but he is slow to say what he feels.
Is Bird of Paradise a true story, and when is it set?
It is fiction, a comic novel by Ada Leverson. It is set in London in 1913, with real places such as Rumpelmeyer's, the Carlton and the Russian Ballet, and shows the manners of the time.
Is Bird of Paradise easy to read?
Yes is not needed. It has short chapters, lively conversation and a teasing narrator. Most scenes are drawing room talk with clear characters, so it is easy to follow and pleasant to read aloud.
Cite this edition
Leverson, Ada. Bird of Paradise. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/bird-of-paradise.
Leverson, A. (2026). Bird of paradise. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bird-of-paradise (Original work published 1914)
Leverson, Ada. Bird of Paradise. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bird-of-paradise.
@book{leverson2026bird,
author = {Leverson, Ada},
title = {Bird of Paradise},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bird-of-paradise},
note = {First published 1914}
}
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