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A review by alannashelfhelp
Clever Girl by Tessa Hadley
4.0
"And I thought that the substantial outward things that happened to people were more mysterious really than all the invisible turmoil of the inner life, which we set such store by. The highest test was not in what you choose, but in how you lived out what befell you."
CLEVER GIRL by Tessa Hadley is a first-person, character-driven, coming-of-age story about an Englishwoman, Stella, told mostly through episodic reflections throughout the decades. Stella lives her life in Bristol from childhood in the 1960s and 1970s and up to the point of the close of the story, when she is in her 50s. Raised by a single mom until her mother remarries in Stella's teens, Stella becomes accustomed to a sparse extended family and a limited social bubble, encouraging her to romanticize and cling to new acquaintances. In line with the book's title, it is precisely Stella's "cleverness" that propels the narrative, both strengthening and defeating her character. Stella faces momentous tragedies throughout her life, alongside the truthfulness of life's trivial everyday scenes.
The quote I chose above does a decent job of getting to the heart of the book, which is where we, the readers, look to only inward motivations rather than outside factors as the true test of character. That's not to discredit introspection and rich inner lives, though I was frustrated with how much Stella exhibited deliberate control of either. Rather, this is the idea that despite autonomy and strong-will, our actions are subject to the time period, privilege (or lack thereof), social circumstance, etc that we are born into. All this being said, I enjoyed Stella's voice and there were plenty of dramatic plot points to keep me turning the page. But at the end of the day, this will be a story that I will soon forget. This was a solid reference point for writers seeking character studies and for that reason, I intend to read more from Tessa Hadley.
CLEVER GIRL by Tessa Hadley is a first-person, character-driven, coming-of-age story about an Englishwoman, Stella, told mostly through episodic reflections throughout the decades. Stella lives her life in Bristol from childhood in the 1960s and 1970s and up to the point of the close of the story, when she is in her 50s. Raised by a single mom until her mother remarries in Stella's teens, Stella becomes accustomed to a sparse extended family and a limited social bubble, encouraging her to romanticize and cling to new acquaintances. In line with the book's title, it is precisely Stella's "cleverness" that propels the narrative, both strengthening and defeating her character. Stella faces momentous tragedies throughout her life, alongside the truthfulness of life's trivial everyday scenes.
The quote I chose above does a decent job of getting to the heart of the book, which is where we, the readers, look to only inward motivations rather than outside factors as the true test of character. That's not to discredit introspection and rich inner lives, though I was frustrated with how much Stella exhibited deliberate control of either. Rather, this is the idea that despite autonomy and strong-will, our actions are subject to the time period, privilege (or lack thereof), social circumstance, etc that we are born into. All this being said, I enjoyed Stella's voice and there were plenty of dramatic plot points to keep me turning the page. But at the end of the day, this will be a story that I will soon forget. This was a solid reference point for writers seeking character studies and for that reason, I intend to read more from Tessa Hadley.