PRINCES IN THE LAND (1938), is an interesting story about marriage, motherhood and, last but not least, class.
Patricia's father was killed in the BoerPRINCES IN THE LAND (1938), is an interesting story about marriage, motherhood and, last but not least, class.
Patricia's father was killed in the Boer War when she was a child. Both she and her sister Angela were taken by their mother to live with their grandfather, Lord Waveney, at his mansion in the countryside. Lord Waveney took a special liking to the red-haired, freckled Patricia, who shared his love of horses and nature. He spoilt her a lot.
Years pass and Patricia marries Hugh, a hard working, promising student from a poor background (who will later become an academic). Her snobbish mother is dismayed because she wanted Patricia to marry someone of her own class. She marries him anyway. So Patricia must move from a happy, privileged childhood to the life of a housewife perpetually short of money and the hard work of parenting with very little help from her husband.
Patricia and Hugh have three children, and she dearly loves them. They are her only solace. She is a doting mother, fully dedicated to her offspring. She doesn't care about economic hardship or getting old or her husband's indifference: all her dreams for the future are deposited in her children, her "Princes in the Land".
As the children grow older they do not turn out as Patricia had dreamed. They end up disappointing Patricia as much as she had disappointed her own mother many years ago. Patricia will have to learn how to live her life after the children leave their home, and go their own ways, so different from what she had dreamed for them. PRINCES OF THE LAND is a nicely written novel which tackles interesting subjects related to motherhood and child/parent relationships.
THE FAR CRY (1949) is the story of Teresa, an unhappy young English girl who traveled to India with her father, Mr Digby.
When Mr. Digby’s ex wife retuTHE FAR CRY (1949) is the story of Teresa, an unhappy young English girl who traveled to India with her father, Mr Digby.
When Mr. Digby’s ex wife returns from America, after she divorced her second husband, he’s certain that she’s coming to take their daughter, Teresa, away from him. In a state of panic, he pulls her out of school in order to go to India, where Mr. Digby’s other daughter from a previous marriage, Ruth, lives with her husband. The novel’s progress takes its reader on the extremely long boat journey out to India; to Bombay; then to Calcutta; and finally, to Assam near the Naga hills, where Ruth’s husband, Edwin, is a tea planter.
Teresa's father has never been attached to his daughter in any way so this decision of taking her all the way to India is rather surprising, to say the least. Teresa is an introverted and sullen teenager. He knows that she never had a caring, feminine figure to look after her, and he's never spent much time with her either, however, he makes no effort to relate to her during the trip although they spent such a long time together.
THE FAR CRY is a charming, uplifting novel about Teresa and her father's long voyage and their experiences once they arrive in a country that is far different than what either of them had expected. Though initially Teresa seems to be an unlikable character, in India she seems to blossom. Teresa surprises the reader with her capacity of observation, her empathy and intelligence. So this is the story of a long journey across a fascinating landscape described in loving detail and a story of emotional growth, of a profound inner transformation that comes as a result of embracing all the new things this radical experience had to offer. ...more
EFFI BRIEST (first published in German in 1895) is the story of a young upper class girl who is persuaded to marry a man old enough to have married heEFFI BRIEST (first published in German in 1895) is the story of a young upper class girl who is persuaded to marry a man old enough to have married her mother. The book is based on a society scandal on which Fontane modelled his novel. Effi belongs to the 19th century genre of spirited young women, whose very spiritedness becomes troublesome in the world of bourgeois convention. She is far too lively for the late 19th century Prussia, a country halfway between a feudal, militarised state and a fragmented modern society. This is a time where duelling over a woman's unfaithfulness is still possible. Charles Lee Potter aptly describes Effi Briest as a "quietly political and subversive novel, which tugs at life's restraints without ever questioning them directly. [...] Above all, it is the portrait of a girl who has the misfortune to discover that the life she assumes she wants cannot give her everything she needs." EFFI BRIEST is considered one of the novels that brings the German novel at long last into the European realist tradition. A highly recommended book, especially for readers interested in the modern German novel, as it has been praised by several authors, including Thomas Mann, a writer considered the father of a new kind of German novel....more
THE HOME-MAKER (1924) is an interesting novel about gender roles and how they affect families. When published it was very much ahead of its time, howeTHE HOME-MAKER (1924) is an interesting novel about gender roles and how they affect families. When published it was very much ahead of its time, however, the subjects Canfield Fisher explores in this book are still relevant today. It starts as the grim, depressing story of an unhappy family until the ruthlessly efficient mother and wife is forced to let her husband become a house-maker when he is injured and becomes confined to a wheelchair and she becomes a working mother. Canfield Fisher explores what happens when gender roles are reversed and she plays with extremes to make her point. At times she becomes overly didactic in her effort to make sure her point of view is understood. The ending is too neat, melodramatic and controversial, to say the least. Nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable and thought provoking novel. 3.5 stars....more
World War II left 13 million children in Europe without one or both of their parents. A staggering figure, right? LITTLE BOY LOST is a book that chronWorld War II left 13 million children in Europe without one or both of their parents. A staggering figure, right? LITTLE BOY LOST is a book that chronicles the physical and emotional journey of a man in search of his lost child aged five, whom he has seen only when he was born. The story, set in France after the war, is as compelling as a thriller but it is not a thriller. Widower Hilary Wainwright, a British former soldier, poet and critic is the flawed hero in search of his boy. Actually, he is not really sure he wants to find him. He is not used to children, he is quite selfish and he seems to feel some hostility towards an obligation which might not be his. Hilary has been devastated by the loss of his wife and now he is afraid he cannot love, and he fears the disruption of his ordered life. Laski does not spare the reader with her descriptions: we see ugliness, desolation and ruin in the impoverished post war France Hilary visits. The insidious presence of post war corruption is everywhere. And then we have the grim realities of the orphanage where Jean, the boy who might be his son, lives miserably. It is an affecting story written in a simple style which reminds us that the miseries of post war France and little boys like Jean still exist. LITTLE BOY LOST is a timeless, unforgettably sad book which everyone should read....more
Mary Shannon is a middle-class English girl with no exceptional talents, and this is her coming of age story, set in England in the 1920's and 30's. ApMary Shannon is a middle-class English girl with no exceptional talents, and this is her coming of age story, set in England in the 1920's and 30's. Apparently, Monica Dickens borrowed a lot from her own life in order to write this book. I think the first part of the novel was more successful than the second part. It's an interesting period piece, rich in domestic detail. However, the second part, when Mary meets her Perfect Man was disappointing. Mr Perfect Man was just too perfect, their love was just too ideal and the story did not ring true at all. Mary's love story moves too fast and sometimes, I found some dialogues and some scenes incredibly clichéd and trite. To make things worse Mary is quite insensitive, very class conscious and snobbish. Not to mention some anti Semitic remarks she made which really surprised me. I know that this sort of thing was quite common during that period, but these observations appear mostly when Mary is a grown up woman, at a time she should have known better. It would be easier to excuse her when she was a teenager, but it was a bit jarring to read some annoying remarks of this kind. MARIANA is a lighthearted and entertaining read, valuable as a period piece, probably best enjoyed by younger readers....more
This is the story of the destruction of a happy marriage, a deceptively simple plot which, nevertheless, offers entertainment as well as social commenThis is the story of the destruction of a happy marriage, a deceptively simple plot which, nevertheless, offers entertainment as well as social commentary. The novel is set in post war rural England and tells the tale of a naive, good woman and her foolish, proud husband. The family is torn apart by a flirtatious, vain young French woman who, very aptly, identifies herself with Emma Bovary. While it is true that the couple derived their unity from their two children, especially the young daughter, it is also true that no one saw the serpent coming until it was too late. Both, husband and wife, were unwillingly responsible for their domestic drama. The ending is a bit too neat, in my opinion, but I believe the novel offers a brilliant examination of human frailty, happiness and family life. It is a very well written novel, a compelling read with lots of emotional tension....more
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