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A review by june_englit_phd
The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen
3.0
This is an interesting short novel by Elizabeth Bowen set in twentieth century Ireland during the time of tension between the British 'Black and Tans' and the Irish Resistance. The main backdrop is the large country house, Danielstown; home to Sir Richard Naylor and his wife Lady Myra Naylor. Also staying there are Sir Richard's orphaned niece, Lois, and Lady Myra's nephew, Laurence (who visits during his holidays from Oxford). Throughout the novel different characters either stay or visit Danielstown: some are prospective love interests, others old family friends.
As I want to make this review short, I will cut to the chase. Bowen's language is poetically beautiful; her descriptions of locations and landscapes remind me of Proust through her use of colour and scents. She ferrets away clues throughout the novel which foreshadow later events, and often her repetition of phrases uttered by characters makes the novel appear like it is stuck in time. (This would accord with James Joyce's view of early 20th century Ireland). She also incorporates repeated motifs which emphasise the strangeness of the location and sometimes hint at what is to come. I particularly liked her description (or is it personification?) of the country house, especially the Bachelardian concept of the windows being like eyes, staring out but also protecting.
The negative aspects of this book which stopped me giving it four stars were that events occurred very disjointedly. Sometimes I had to re-read sections to get my bearings. Maybe this was intentional by the author to add that air of uncertainty and disorientation to the narrative, but it took the edge off the pleasure of reading it a bit. The plot was a bit elusive as well; this is no Jane Austen-type narrative! Also, I didn't really gel with the characters; Lois is the main character that we follow, but after all 207 pages, I still hadn't really warmed to her. Marda was just strange, and Livvy reminded me of Isabella Thorpe in Jane Austen's [i] Persuasion [/i]. And the menfolk were just as odd. I think the house was the best 'personality' of them all!
So, in a nutshell, it's a good short story. It addresses class, politics, and elements of Irish society and seriously, the poetic language is well worth reading it for. I will read it again, as I'm sure there were aspects that I will appreciate second time round, but on first reading it strikes me as a clever but confusing novel.
As I want to make this review short, I will cut to the chase. Bowen's language is poetically beautiful; her descriptions of locations and landscapes remind me of Proust through her use of colour and scents. She ferrets away clues throughout the novel which foreshadow later events, and often her repetition of phrases uttered by characters makes the novel appear like it is stuck in time. (This would accord with James Joyce's view of early 20th century Ireland). She also incorporates repeated motifs which emphasise the strangeness of the location and sometimes hint at what is to come. I particularly liked her description (or is it personification?) of the country house, especially the Bachelardian concept of the windows being like eyes, staring out but also protecting.
The negative aspects of this book which stopped me giving it four stars were that events occurred very disjointedly. Sometimes I had to re-read sections to get my bearings. Maybe this was intentional by the author to add that air of uncertainty and disorientation to the narrative, but it took the edge off the pleasure of reading it a bit. The plot was a bit elusive as well; this is no Jane Austen-type narrative! Also, I didn't really gel with the characters; Lois is the main character that we follow, but after all 207 pages, I still hadn't really warmed to her. Marda was just strange, and Livvy reminded me of Isabella Thorpe in Jane Austen's [i] Persuasion [/i]. And the menfolk were just as odd. I think the house was the best 'personality' of them all!
So, in a nutshell, it's a good short story. It addresses class, politics, and elements of Irish society and seriously, the poetic language is well worth reading it for. I will read it again, as I'm sure there were aspects that I will appreciate second time round, but on first reading it strikes me as a clever but confusing novel.