A wonderfully sharp depiction
4 stars
This novel is a wonderfully sharp depiction of privileged Anglo-Irish lives in post-Great War Ireland. I couldn't believe just how vacuous and inane this family was! Their cosseted, closed-off existence, generations of being Lords of the Manor, has left them convinced of their own Irishness and frequently despising of English visitors, yet with practically no real understanding of how they are seen outside their estate walls. It felt like reading satire, but I later learned that Bowen kept ownership of her own Irish seat until the 1950s and experienced a similar upbringing to Lois. I am sure she must have seen its absurdities in order to write The Last September though.
Looking past the whirl of dances and tennis parties, the loneliness of the individual family members struck me. Lois is beyond naive and I found her incredibly irritating, but she does make an excellent counterpoint to the gathering malevolence. …
This novel is a wonderfully sharp depiction of privileged Anglo-Irish lives in post-Great War Ireland. I couldn't believe just how vacuous and inane this family was! Their cosseted, closed-off existence, generations of being Lords of the Manor, has left them convinced of their own Irishness and frequently despising of English visitors, yet with practically no real understanding of how they are seen outside their estate walls. It felt like reading satire, but I later learned that Bowen kept ownership of her own Irish seat until the 1950s and experienced a similar upbringing to Lois. I am sure she must have seen its absurdities in order to write The Last September though.
Looking past the whirl of dances and tennis parties, the loneliness of the individual family members struck me. Lois is beyond naive and I found her incredibly irritating, but she does make an excellent counterpoint to the gathering malevolence. Hints of nationalist violence slowly build up the tension and, even though Lord and Lady maintain their casually dismissive attitudes, it becomes increasingly obvious that their time is coming to a close. The question is simply when and how. Reading The Last September was frequently reminiscent of watching BBC period drama or a Merchant Ivory film. Bowen's pace is always gentle and with great use of detail and understanding of her characters. Despite having been written within a decade of the events depicted, there is always a very real sense of lost history and times gone by.