We had a wonderful discussion exploring a book we had all enjoyed reading.
First up let's mention the introduction. It is all too easy in the excitement of a new read to skip the intro and get stuck in. For this book the introduction by Sarah Walters adds real understanding of the author and the story of Lolly Willowes. So, those who took the time to read it encouraged those who did not to give it a go.
The story was written in 1926, and of its time. Lolly is a girl growing up in a quiet household, the sister of two brothers who transitions through being an eligible young lady, a 'spinster' aunt and eventually an 'almost' independent woman/witch.
We felt sad for Lolly but also for Edwardian society that allowed women, like Lolly, who found themselves single and, therefore, in need of family support.
Lolly's situation raises so many questions: Why could Lolly not have continued to live in the family home? Why did her brothers feel it was their responsibility to take Lolly on? Why did Lolly accept that?
Society decreed that the large family home be mothballed and Lolly must leave the house and gardens she loved and move to a poky room in the London home of her brother and his family. This was the social norm, this is what families did with their single sisters. Initially the plan is to introduce the eligible lady to eligible gentlemen. When that fails the spinster sister becomes the beloved spinster aunt and takes on the role of being useful to the lady of the household and unpaid childminder to the children. This was the case even for intelligent and well educated women of independent means. Worse still, for Lolly, her independent means are managed by her brother. The situation, with its controls and lack of privacy, is cruel. Lolly doesn't forgive this cruelty but she does move on.
The writing is beautifully vivid - the reader can picture where Lolly is and what she is thinking. In our discussion we delved into the book and reminded ourselves of favourite lines such as:
"London life was very full and exciting. There were the shops, processions of the Royal Family and of the unemployed...".
"He observed gloomily that daughters could be very expensive now that so much fuss was being made about the education of women."
"Herb gathering .... too useful .... she didn't want to be a white witch."
(Of cowslips)"She knelt down among them and laid her face close to their fragrance. The weight of all her unhappy years seemed for a moment to weigh her bosom down to the earth; she trembled, understanding for the first time...."
Some of our group felt is should have ended with the cowslips but others felt we would have been left hanging in a state of sadness for Lolly. Certainly Part Three takes on a different tone and style that perhaps led to the second, alternative, title for the book "The Loving Huntsman". Some of our group felt it 'dragged on a bit'.
As village dwellers ourselves we chuckled over the Midsomer Murders/Hot Fuzz style parody of the Great Mop village community that became Lolly's escape. Great Mop is somewhere in the Chiltern Hills - just far enough away from London to be mysterious, but just close enough to get to and enjoy rural life.
The characters are really well described:
- Caroline - a rather spooky, uptight and orderly sister-in-law.
- Henry - a controlling wimp of a brother who accumulates (Lolly wanted to sell the furniture but Henry had it locked up - was Lolly's lively and inquisitive mind locked up too?).
- Titus - the clingy, caring, too well meaning nephew.
Would we recommend this book? Yes it's a must read. We would all like to read more of Sylvia Townsend Warner.
Our next read is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and we will meet at 8pm in The Hundred of Ashendon on Thursday 21st November.
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