The Past: A Novel by Tessa Hadley

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Three sisters and a brother, complete with children, a new wife, and an ex-boyfriend’s son, descend on their grandparents’ dilapidated old home in the Somerset countryside for a final summer holiday, where simmering tensions and secrets rise to the surface over three long, hot weeks.The house is full of memories of their childhood and their past—their mother took them there to live when she left their father—but now, they may have to sell it. And beneath the idyllic pastoral surface lie tensions.

Sophisticated and sleek, Roland’s new wife (his third) arouses his sisters’ jealousies and insecurities. Kasim, the twenty-year-old son of Alice’s ex-boyfriend, becomes enchanted with Molly, Roland’s sixteen-year-old daughter. Fran’s young children make an unsettling discovery in an abandoned cottage in the woods that shatters their innocence. Passion erupts where it’s least expected, leveling the quiet self-possession of Harriet, the eldest sister. As the family’s stories and silences intertwine, small disturbances build into familial crises, and a way of life—bourgeois, literate, ritualized, Anglican—winds down to its inevitable end.

my thoughts:

British to the core, The Past by Tessa Hadley reads, speaks, tastes, and feels like England. I found myself lulled into the story with its rich, descriptive language.  I enjoyed the slow-going pace and the way it made me feel as if I were back in the English countryside writing my dissertation.  I could picture the little white house, the crumbling decay of its facade, the smell of must and old within the walls and furniture.  I could smell the grass, leaves, and sunshine beating down.  And I could see this family gathered together, trying to relive the glory days of their youth spent at their grandparents' country home.  The misunderstandings, the tensions simmering beneath a thin layer of pretend happiness, the slights and minor hurts that turn into cutting remarks and hateful thoughts.  Hadley lays everything out - from the present dilemma of whether or not they should keep their grandparents' home, to the past secrets that have long kept them divided.  The Past is a glorious exploration of a family's history, love, secrets, jealousies, memories, passions, etc.  I found myself spellbound by these unlikeable siblings and their children.  I liked how Hadley introduced us to them as adults and then as children in the second part of the story.  Being privy to their childhood, we are able to gain a better understanding of why they have become the adults we are left with in the end.  Talk about a mesmerizing read - I was hooked! 

I absolutely loved this quiet, riveting novel of a dysfunctional family visiting an old childhood home - it made for quite an unforgettable read.  I would happily recommend The Past to fans of Tessa Hadley and fans of Brit Lit.  

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Past

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

Clever Girl: A Novel by Tessa Hadley

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Like Alice Munro and Colm Tóibín, Tessa Hadley possesses the remarkable ability to transform the mundane into the sublime—an eye for the beauty, innocence, and irony of ordinary lives that elevates domestic fiction to literary art. In Clever Girl, she offers the indelible story of one woman’s life, unfolded in a series of beautifully sculpted episodes that illuminate an era, moving from the 1960s to today.

Written with the celebrated precision, intensity, and complexity that have marked her previous works, Clever Girl is a powerful exploration of family relationships and class in modern life, witnessed through the experiences of an Englishwoman named Stella. Unfolding in a series of snapshots, Tessa Hadley’s involving and moving novel follows Stella from childhood, growing up with her single mother in a Bristol bedsit, into the murky waters of middle age.

It is a story vivid in its immediacy and rich in drama—violent deaths, failed affairs, broken dreams, missed chances. Yet it is Hadley’s observations of everyday life, her keen skill at capturing the ways men and women think and feel and relate to one another, that dazzles, pressing us to exclaim with each page, Yes, this is how it is.

my thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of all things British.  Heck, I went to grad school in England to study literature (and to experience life in Great Britain).  So, I absolutely love reading books by British authors, especially contemporary ones.  When I heard about Tessa Hadley's book, Clever Girl, I jumped at the chance to read it.  How could I not, when I had loved her novel, The London Train, so much - here's my review of it.  Unfortunately, I wasn't as mesmerized by her storytelling as I was last time.

Clever Girl is about Stella, a single mother of two living with her own mother and grandmother.  The story is about her life - from childhood to present day.  We get to see all of the gradual changes that occur within a person's lifetime through Stella's eyes.  The nitty-gritty everyday experiences that actually move a person's life forward - those are the main events within this quiet, slow-moving story.  And, I love that subtle beauty of the ordinary that Hadley focuses on in her stories.  Her writing is poetic and breathtaking - this is an author with immense writing talent.  Plus, she has this knack for creating a British feel to her stories.  You not only get transported to England whilst reading her work, but you are smack dab in the culture and lifestyle - its amazing.

However, the detached manner in which Stella shares her life story is too disconnected.  Told through vignettes, we get a feel for Stella's early years and so forth, but at the same time, huge gaps elicit a, "What happened here?  Something's missing." type of reaction.  Also, Stella is not an easy woman to root for.  She is manipulative and extremely unlikable.  I found myself more taken with Hadley's words than Stella's story.  I'm not sure what this says about the book, but for me it was definitely an interesting read.  To love the writing, but to be indifferent towards the characters and story lines was definitely not what I was expecting.

I would recommend this novel to fans of Hadley's writing, and fans of British literature.  You will either enjoy this book immensely or not - either way, you will LOVE the writing. 

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Clever Girl

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

The London Train by Tessa Hadley

From back of book:

After his mother's death, Paul goes in search of Pia, his daughter from a disastrous first marriage, who has disappeared into the labyrinth of London.  When he finds her, Pia is pregnant, single, and living in a run-down, illegal flat.  But Paul is entranced by her excitement at living on the edge.  Abandoning his second wife and their children in Wales, he joins Pia to begin a new life in the heart of London.

Cora, meanwhile, is running in the opposite direction.  Escaping both her constrictive career and the

disappointments of her marriage with Robert, she leaves London to return home to Cardiff.  But when Robert disappears from work, Cora begins a journey of expiation, which may lead her back to him.

These two compelling protagonists' disparate paths will converge in a chance meeting with immediate and far-reaching consequences. 

My Thoughts:

Subtle and engaging are the two words I would use to describe this book.  Hadley's The London Train is a slow moving novel that provides glimpses into the daily lives of two very flawed characters, Paul and Cora.   In fact, the characters are completely unlikeable - they hurt the ones who love them without abandon and don't even seem to realize how selfish and mean they truly are.  These are the types of characters that you don't really connect with, but that you can't stop reading about - you just have to see what they do next.  We have Paul, who has recently lost his mother and just found out his oldest daughter is pregnant and shacked up in London.  So, what does he do? He decides to leave his wife and two young daughters in Wales and move in with Pia, the preggers daughter.  Hmmm. Sounds like a midlife crisis to me.  Then there is Cora, she has tired of her life in London, including her husband, and decides to flee the city for Wales - she wants to live in her recently deceased parents' home and enjoy life in the country.  Hmmm. Another midlife crisis? 

Clearly, both characters have experienced loss and grief within their lives, but instead of  dealing with those raw and real emotions, they choose to abandon their realities and make a bid for freedom.  Freedom from their spouses, children, friends, responsibilities - whatever they feel is dragging them down into despair.  You can't help but feel sorry for the secondary characters and all they have to endure as a result of Paul and Cora's sudden departures.  And yes, Paul and Cora do meet on the London train and wind up involved in each other's lives, which is where the two parts of the story overlap - the book is broken into two parts, the first one is Paul's story and the second is Cora's.  We never get all the details, but we do get a sense of how and why these two connected with one another - both longing for something different, something new. 

Hadley has written a wonderful piece of literary fiction that exudes confidence and intelligence.  Her prose is subtle and perceptive.  The imagery is vivid and clear - you can easily imagine the streets of London.   The mood is gray and detached - you can feel the characters' despair.   Its easy to get lost in this book and find yourself wandering alongside Paul and Cora as they navigate the twists and turns life takes them on as they journey to freedom.  This is one of those books where not much happens plot-wise, but when it comes to the characters, its bursting with action.  Its the type of book that haunts you for days after.  I would most definitely recommend The London Train to anyone and everyone.  It is one of my favorite reads of this year!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book.