David reviewed Eustace and Hilda by L. P. Hartley (New York Review Books classics)
Review of 'Eustace and Hilda' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
So, I really, really, really, really loved this. Is it possible to feel nostalgia for a time in which you didn’t live and for a childhood that wasn’t yours?
Eustace and Hilda is a beautifully written novel (actually, it’s a one-volume trilogy, and quite lengthy because of that) that follows the lives of a brother and sister from their childhood through early adulthood. More than that, however, it’s an evocation of early 20th century England, done in such a way that I feel like I’ve actually been there. It’s a wonderful world to live in, for a time at least.
Hilda and Eustace are close in age, although Hilda is the older and more dominant sibling. At the start of the first novel, Eustace is deathly afraid of an older disabled woman. Hilda forces him to confront his fear by speaking to her, and thereby sets in motion all the …
So, I really, really, really, really loved this. Is it possible to feel nostalgia for a time in which you didn’t live and for a childhood that wasn’t yours?
Eustace and Hilda is a beautifully written novel (actually, it’s a one-volume trilogy, and quite lengthy because of that) that follows the lives of a brother and sister from their childhood through early adulthood. More than that, however, it’s an evocation of early 20th century England, done in such a way that I feel like I’ve actually been there. It’s a wonderful world to live in, for a time at least.
Hilda and Eustace are close in age, although Hilda is the older and more dominant sibling. At the start of the first novel, Eustace is deathly afraid of an older disabled woman. Hilda forces him to confront his fear by speaking to her, and thereby sets in motion all the events—both good and ill—of the remaining three volumes. To write much more would be to spoil.
But make no mistake—this is one of those books that is all about character development, and the story, even though it’s very interesting, exists to delineate the relationship between the title characters. At times, this means it gets a little draggy (especially the second book in the trilogy. Way more time is spent in Venice than is necessary). Overall, though, I can’t recommend this highly enough and suspect I’ll be returning to it often over the years.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the seaside to look for an anemone....