Scan barcode
A review by robinwalter
Spring Magic by D.E. Stevenson
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A celebration of the ordinary, and an enjoyable read for being such. This D. E. Stevenson was not as frothy as Green Money or The Fair Miss Fortune, but it was not as dark as Charlotte Fairlie either. It was a simple, sweet tale with a familiar stucture and an inevitable outcome, but the way the book stayed grounded in its observations of daily life and of human nature made it a satisfying experience.
The story centred on Frances discovering her place in the world after escaping her aunt's cloying clutches. Ms Stevenson's depictions of Scotland are always a joy to read, and the town of "Cairn" and its surroundings are very important characters in the book. The human characters are drawn with understanding, without erasing the foibles that make them human. The final outcome for one of the officers' wives is a great example of this - frustrating but very believably so.
The book is set in war time, and I did skim over chunks that dealt with the war. One character says "It is not a pleasant thing to be a young man and not in uniform.” and having had personal friends imprisoned in WWII and in this century for conscientious objection, those words did not sit well with me.
This book is part of the Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press reissue series, and "middlebrow" fits perfectly. The introduction by Alexander McCall Smith was a delight to read, and summed up this genre well. As did, in my opinion, this one line from the book
"I believe that the middle state of man—-or woman—is the happiest and I want Jennifer to be happy. I don’t want riches or high places for Jennifer, I just want happiness, that’s all."
This account of characters finding that "middle state" brought them happiness, and me.
The story centred on Frances discovering her place in the world after escaping her aunt's cloying clutches. Ms Stevenson's depictions of Scotland are always a joy to read, and the town of "Cairn" and its surroundings are very important characters in the book. The human characters are drawn with understanding, without erasing the foibles that make them human. The final outcome for one of the officers' wives is a great example of this - frustrating but very believably so.
The book is set in war time, and I did skim over chunks that dealt with the war. One character says "It is not a pleasant thing to be a young man and not in uniform.” and having had personal friends imprisoned in WWII and in this century for conscientious objection, those words did not sit well with me.
This book is part of the Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press reissue series, and "middlebrow" fits perfectly. The introduction by Alexander McCall Smith was a delight to read, and summed up this genre well. As did, in my opinion, this one line from the book
"I believe that the middle state of man—-or woman—is the happiest and I want Jennifer to be happy. I don’t want riches or high places for Jennifer, I just want happiness, that’s all."
This account of characters finding that "middle state" brought them happiness, and me.