Barbara Pym and Alice Munro-- opinions and where do I start?

At the risk of stating the obvious, the recent Backlisted episode on Pym was great: https://www.backlisted.fm/episodes/109-barbara-pym-excellent-women

i read excellent women recently and didn't really feel it

Same.

Midway through Less than Angels, can't say I'm feeling it more than Excellent Women. With both of them I feel, aptly enough, like an anthropologist, albeit a bad one who cannot fathom the nature of or reason for the tribe's peculiar customs.

They just really want to know what the new vicar's up to.

With both of them I feel, aptly enough, like an anthropologist, albeit a bad one who cannot fathom the nature of or reason for the tribe's peculiar customs.

i.e. what it's like to be gay in a world of straight people?

Yes it's really that isn't it?

Hear, hear!

But also what it's like to be closeted from everyone else in the world. You can sense this slightly intoxicating bewilderment she holds in Excellent Women for the likes of William, who's absolutely flaming and comfortable with it.

I will read the second half of Less than Angels with this perspective in mind.