Before Lunch

I thought that I had noticed a pattern in the last two or three of the Angela Thirkell novels that I have been reading with great enjoyment. Most of the book is taken up with the semi-comic comings and goings of a large cast characters, some of whom have appeared in the earlier novels. Then just when I thought it would never happen, a serious issue or issues arise the resolution of which brings the story to a more or less satisfactory conclusion.

Most of these elements appear in "Before Lunch," the last of the series to be written prior to World War II. Indeed this, of the all those read so far, seems to have more of the characters from prior novels including tying up some loose ends from other stories - in one case without the characters in question saying a word. The caption on the book cover (above left) calls this "a glorious social comedy of rural England," which is certainly true, but in my opinion doesn't go anywhere near far enough.

As noted in the first paragraph, most of the novel seems to be taken up with the social comedy aspects of the story. But once again just in the nick of time, the serious issues arise - in this case they seem to be more about what to do when one makes a commitment in a relationship, but then realizes it is a mistake. As usual these issues come out of love triangles or, as I call them, 2/1 dynamics. The the end of the book is taken up with resolving these issues "before lunch," which happens in typically elegant Thirkell style. However this time there is more, at the very end one, and probably two, of the characters are in a great deal of pain. Exactly why isn't explained and, while one can infer, the logical inference seems hard to believe. This answers the one concern I have had about Thirkell's novels - fairy tale endings with everyone more or less happy. It will be interesting to see if there is some further explanation or resolution of this pain.

Something else that is interesting about Thirkell's novels is that while they are stories of the gentry and upper classes, the servants are presented as developed characters who hold their own with their masters and mistresses. These relationships were part of rural life in England during the period, Thirkell couldn't have changed that reality, she could, however, have chosen to ignore the servants, but to her credit doesn't do so. As noted this is the last of the novels set in pre World War II England, it will be interesting to see how Thirkell treats this issue in her post war novels. From some fiction I have read recently (especially Mollie Panter Downes - "One Fine Day," the unwillingness of people to continue in those servant roles forced a major adjustment on the middle class/gentry during the post war years. However, I still have to read my way through Thirkel's 4-5 novels set during the war itself - so many books so little time!