The School at Thrush Green

The latest Thrush Green novel by the prolific, pseudonymous ``Miss Read'' will undoubtedly satisfy those who enjoy simple and undemanding narratives largely about, and from the perspective of, the elderly. Having reached their 80s, the two village primary-school teachers Dorothy Watson and Anges Fogerty decide to retire and buy a new home at Barton-on-Sea. Dorothy alarms Agnes by determining to take driving lessons and Agnes disconcerts Dorothy by adopting a cat. Introducing a cast of stock village characters, the author pokes gentle fun at their foibles while tacitly disapproving of permissive child-rearing and the messily self-indulgent lives of the younger generation. Miss Read's worldwide popularity in translation is understandable in view of the clarity of her prose. Beneath the deceptive simplicity, however, there is arch humor and perceptive character analysis. Goodall's illustrations, having been culled from earlier novels, occasionally strike a slightly discordant note. (Dec.)