Friends and Relations - Elizabeth Bowen

I had meant to post this on Monday night but got transfixed by rioting first in London, and then as it spread to Birmingham and Nottingham – both a lot closer to home, last night Leicester got its share of violence (I’m not sure why but a pound stretcher was done over, seems likely that the local ne’er do wells haven’t really worked out how this looting thing is meant to work). Tonight the police are letting the air out of the bike tyres of youths who are milling round the city centre. I’ve seen some derisive comments about this tactic on twitter but town is a lot quieter and so I’m neither complaining nor mocking. This whole chain of events seems to bring out a right wing monster in me so I’m not going to share my thoughts on events beyond a hope and belief that things are settling back down.

Now back to business, it’s almost a month since I read this book but happily (and unusually) I made quite copious notes about it (I was a fun holiday companion I can tell you). Spurred on by Book Snobs new found passion for Elizabeth Bowen I thought I’d have another go – I have a couple more of her books I want to read, really honestly want to read, and will read one day – but heavens do I find her hard work.

This was actually my second attempt at ‘Friends and Relations’, I had a run at it when I first bought it some time back but was easily distracted by something no doubt newer and more shiny. The same thing happened when I read ‘The Last September’; first time round it was a struggle but on my second attempt I loved it. Whilst reading ‘Friends and Relations’ I had to stop and re read things not just once or twice to get the proper flavour of it, but four or five times. The bit I’d already read albeit months ago was fine – enough had clearly sunk in to make an impression. I’m not sure why I have this reaction to Bowen, I enjoy her writing, I don’t find it especially hard to follow what’s going on, I engage with the characters and yet so much remains obscure and unspoken (I suppose that’s really unwritten) that taken all in all it was a bit of a struggle.

Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, I’m pretty sure that having to work for it increased the overall satisfaction I got from this book, I’ve come away from it with a lot to think over which is defiantly a good thing. The core of the book is the story of two sisters in love with one man. The complication is that he married one sister whilst being far from indifferent to the other. Sister number two is married happily to a man who adores her – which doesn’t affect her passion for her brother in law – a further twist is afforded by a mother in law and a wicked uncle who’s long ago affair led to divorce and disgrace for the mother in law and tense family meetings for the rest of the clan.

The things that interested me here are firstly what I take to be Bowen’s opinion that passion isn’t necessary for a happy marriage – the passionate marriage is indefinably wrong with the husband taking on the role of an extra, and entirely over indulged, child (I didn’t much care for Edward). Janet and her husband Rodney, despite Janet’s seeming ambivalence towards the man she’s married, are definitely contented, and more than that. It’s a vision that I find strangely attractive and reassuring – a reminder that successful relationships are about having a life in common as much as anything else.

The second thing that interested me is Lady Elfrida, Edwards’s mother who slipped with Rodney’s uncle and then realised that she didn’t love him anymore and couldn’t marry him despite her divorce. She loses her respectability and with it her confidence, marriage of any sort would have made her respectable again but she doesn’t do it which feels both brave and revolutionary.

I wonder where my next Bowen will take me.  

Six of the Best

Last weekend Nancy Pearl did a top ten list of neglected classics (in The Guardian) ripe for BBC adaptation. It’s a nice list composed in equal measures of books I love, authors I love, and books I now want because of the good company they’re clearly keeping but... One of the books on the list is F. M Mayor’s ‘The Rector’s Daughter’ which is an amazing moving and eventually heartbreaking book which I can’t help but think would make for miserable television (girl leads loveless and disappointing life with remarkable grace and stoicism than dies) I think it’s a bit subtle for television. All of which started me making my own list of neglected books I’d love to see in glorious Technicolor on a Sunday Evening.

The rules (there have to be rules) were that I had to be able to imagine watching instead of reading, that there shouldn’t already be filmed versions (I broke this immediately), and that the lesser known works of better known authors probably shouldn’t be included (which meant ruling out Wilkie Collins and Trollope amongst others). This all turned out to be a bit tougher than I thought (damn all self imposed rules) but here’s my list of books, ten wasn’t a rule I felt I needed to pay much attention to.

It starts with Gavin Maxwell, there’s already a film version of ‘Ring of Bright Water’ but it doesn’t do justice to either Maxwell or this particular book. Think about it – fast cars, sharks, arctic exploration, brushes with the Mafia, aristocratic connections, confused sexuality, witches, amazing scenery, and of course otters – and that’s just for starters. I could see this being a properly exciting bio pic probably in 6 parts or more and based on all his books (for no good reason I’m picturing Daniel Craig hunting sharks possibly, and for entirely artistic reasons, without a shirt).

Now that the token man has had his mention... Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s ‘Lady Audley’s Secret’ is definitely begging for the Sunday night slot, any sensation novel I’ve read would be a good fit, but why this particular book isn’t much better known baffles me; plenty of sex and attempted murder with the chance for some lavish costumes – it’s what I pay my licence fee for.

I would also dearly love to see what E M Delafield’s Provincial Lady books would look like, possibly in a superior sitcom format. All that genteel bitching over the tea cups and pawning of the family diamond to keep up appearances, I’m sure it could be a winner or would it be better suited to radio? Hmmm.

Mrs Oliphant is another TV friendly writer who deserves to be as widely loved as Trollope at the very least. ‘Miss Marjoribanks’ is the only Carlingford chronicle I’ve read so far (though this is soon to change) and I would love to watch it – like a racier ‘Cranford’ with a few good female roles and a nicely caddish villain, a bit of romance, some tragedy, and a heroine who could give Emma a run for her money.

Elizabeth Bowen's ‘The Last September’ has already been made into a film, it’s got an impressive cast and I’ve only just found out about it via Google; the trailer looks rubbish . It took me two attempts to get into this book and I know that Simon Stuck-in-a-book isn’t much of a fan but stay with me on this one because it could be great to watch. The relationship between the Irish, English, and Anglo Irish is ripe for exploration – all those themes of loyalty, belonging, tradition, class, conflict, and then throw in a bit of coming of age drama and romance (but not to heavy on the romance please – there are other things in the world that matter) and bob’s your uncle – a thought provoking feast for the eye.

Angela Carter’s ‘Night’s at the Circus’ would be a belter to watch as well – hopefully ‘The Crimson Petal and the White’ will be such a success that those who decide will be looking around for another Victorian set drama featuring brothels (and would be happy to include a winged woman flying through the air with the greatest of ease). ‘The Company of Wolves’ wasn’t a flop - now I’m thinking about it I’d love to watch it again - and I think the world is ready to see more Carter. I love her writing but admit that not so many of her books would be just right for anything but a very specialised audience (I really wouldn’t want to watch ‘The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr Hoffman’ for example) but ‘Nights at the Circus’ would be a treat.

Making this list has been far harder than I imagined. It turns out that I have a lot of books I haven’t read (I sort of knew that) and so can’t comment on, and a lot of books which are already on film in one form or another whether I knew it or not. I don’t consciously go out looking for tie in novels, more often than not the book comes before the film but I’m clearly more in tune with semi popular culture than I imagined. Now all I want to know is what would make it onto your list?