Monday 18 December 2017

The Weather in the Streets by Rosamond Lehmann


"She sat in his arm-chair twisting the ring on her marriage finger. Rollo's emerald, unearthed from the back of the drawer... to look a person of consequence."

This was surprisingly heart-breaking, beautiful and so much better than the Bridget Jones  reference on the cover. Sometimes it really sucks to be intelligent and female and okay looking. Not the overwhelmingly gorgeous type that sends men into a "let's elope" kind of frenzy. More the "hmm ...she looks like fun and I can actually talk to her type". We seem doomed to take on this role of the other woman by lame guys who don't have the self confidence and general decency to understand when they're on to a good thing. Yep, perhaps I took this one  a little too personally. It was hard not to. In Olivia, I saw myself and my fantastic single girlfriends and in Rollo I saw cheap thrills and ultimate disappointment.

 I only hope the narrative is changing. Notwithstanding, this novel conjures up brilliantly the illicit appeal of an affair, of getting the man you've always wanted and yet settling for something so much less than you deserve. It is quietly brilliant. **Spoilers ahead** the abortion section was so moving in its perfunctory nature and juxtaposition of Rollo's wife's story. I just wanted to cry- not so good on the train.

5 out of 5 - cake is cake, you can't have it and eat it too.

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