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A review by vinpauld
A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor
4.0
This is the third novel I've ready by Taylor and though I really liked it, I would have to say of the three I've read so far, it's my least favorite. "A View of the Harbour" has a much larger cast of characters than the other two novels I've read and that might be part of the reason I didn't like it quite as well. In this one we are introduced to 9 or 10 characters in the first 30 pages, all of them residents of a rather rundown, seaside harbour town. Though I was amazed as always at Taylor's writing and how she moved between characters and gave us access to each character's thoughts, I found myself drawn to certain characters and less interested in others. Unfortunately, the two characters I found to be the most unsympathetic (Tory and Robert) had more pages devoted to them than the characters I found more interesting (Lily, Iris, Prudence and Mrs. Bracey). Taylor's books are not plot driven but tend to be more devoted to studying characters and this book, with its large cast is no different. How well you enjoy this book will depend entirely on whether or not you can appreciate a novel that basically details the meandering day-to-day lives of a town's inhabitants.
The book is very English in feeling (i.e. young boys sent off to boarding school, the importance of the local pub) and though it takes place right after WWII, in many ways, it feels surprisingly modern, especially the glimpses of feminism that are presented through the thoughts of the character, Beth, who is a novelist and how she feels her business outings to meet her publisher are not taken seriously by her husband because she's a woman. This section is quoted in the nyrb edition's introduction by Roxana Robinson, an introduction well worth reading.
An enjoyable read, mostly because of Taylor's glorious writing style, but also one that I felt went on for a little too long.
The book is very English in feeling (i.e. young boys sent off to boarding school, the importance of the local pub) and though it takes place right after WWII, in many ways, it feels surprisingly modern, especially the glimpses of feminism that are presented through the thoughts of the character, Beth, who is a novelist and how she feels her business outings to meet her publisher are not taken seriously by her husband because she's a woman. This section is quoted in the nyrb edition's introduction by Roxana Robinson, an introduction well worth reading.
An enjoyable read, mostly because of Taylor's glorious writing style, but also one that I felt went on for a little too long.