Noah's Compass, The Characters of Love and Blaming

 

I was just about to give my review three stars when I remembered that highly emotional ending. Liam Pennywell is sixty something, made redundant from his teaching role at St Dyfrigs, downsizes to a small apartment and has no reason to find other employment. But on his first night there he is attacked, although he has no recollection of the event except he wakes up in hospital. He has lots of visitors from an extended family (two failed marriages) who appear on odd occasions through the story. Grown up children and their offspring. Also his older sister: "She collected and polished resentments as if it were some sort of hobby".

Settling down in his small apartment, his stitches are out, visitors gone, he is fixated by not being able to remember anything about the attack. He does, however, become distracted by Eunice who he meets at the doctor's surgery, and their relationship, of sorts, carries the book forwards. Interrupted as it is by daughter Kitty suddenly staying with him. Towards the end, Liam reflects on his life and we hear at last about his ex wives. His visit to one at the end is maybe the basis for some kind of resolution.

Then at the very end, the author even starts the poem "James, James, Morrison, Morrison, Weatherby George Dupree......". (He took great care of his mother though he was only three). An A.A. Milne poem that my father recited to us when we were very young. That is much more than seventy years ago.

Unfortunately, this is my last Susie Boyt book as I have read all her others. As her second novel, I didn't think it was up there with her best. The story follows Nell from childhood to her early twenties, combining her relationships with an absentee father and that with her much much older tutor at university. Nell is a strange creation. A difficult girl in some ways, but highly intelligent and resourceful. I guess the author is trying to compare these two men in her life, who are not really the best for her fragile mind. But at that impressionable age, these things can happen. The writing is as brilliant as ever, especially some of the dialogue. I will now have to wait until her next book is published.

I haven't read all of Elizabeth Taylor's novels but this is her last. She was dying when she finished the book so never saw it published. There is a kind of melancholy and occasional anger that permeates the writing. Amy and her husband Nick are on a Mediterranean cruise onboard a ship that also has cargo. The only other English speaking passenger is Martha who is a single American. Nick is recovering from treatment in hospital and seems to be struggling. They reach Istanbul for a stop-over. The next day when Martha boards the coach, Amy and Nick are missing. Only later does she find out that Nick has died.

So begins a strange kind of relationship between Amy and Martha. Back home Martha tries to support Amy despite the latter feeling this is the last sort of person she wants around. In Amy's fancy but old house we find Ernie Pounce, a general factotum who Nick had stay as a housekeeper and cook. He seems oblivious to Amy's loss and just talks about the problems with his teeth. "They are the last straw, she thought".

We then hear about Amy's family and the husband of her dead best friend. Gareth, is perhaps, the one straightforward character in the story. But it's Martha who tries to dominate her life. Two people you would do everything to avoid: Martha and Ernie Pounce. This is not the favourite of the Elizabeth Taylor shortish novels, but the writing is as sharp and wonderful as ever. There is humour too, but that underlying sadness cannot be avoided.