This month's literary retrospectives feature reviews of John Bowen's "The Girls," Rosamond Lehmann's "The Weather in the Streets," and W. E. Bowman's "The Ascent of Rum Doodle."
"The Girls" is described as a crime thriller that subverts a rural dream, set in an idyllic 1970s Cotswolds village. The story follows lovers Jan and Sue, who run a gift shop. After a boar destroys their business and Sue takes a holiday, Jan becomes pregnant by Alan, a friend. They raise the child together until Alan discovers his son and seeks a role in his life, leading to a "deadly secret" and an "unforgivable act" that haunts the characters. The novel is characterized as dark, funny, "pin-sharp," "offbeat," and rich in local characters.
Rosamond Lehmann's "The Weather in the Streets" is revisited as a novel that rewards re-reading. The story centers on Olivia, who, ten years after the events of "Invitation To The Waltz," is separated from her husband and begins a passionate affair with Rollo, an old family friend. Rollo is married to a "frail" wife. Their relationship involves secret meetings, but while Rollo desires "simple, earthy pleasure," Olivia sacrifices her "hopes, fears and physical health." The review notes the novel's raw emotional honesty, which was rare and shocking in 1936 and remains so. The novel is available from the Mail Bookshop.
"The Ascent of Rum Doodle" by W. E. Bowman is presented as a "pitch-perfect, uproarious parody" of British mountaineering expeditions. The narrative follows the "hapless, optimistic" Binder and his unwisely chosen team as they attempt to conquer the fictional "world's highest mountain" at 40,000-and-a-half feet. The team includes a lost navigator and an "always-ill" doctor. Binder remains oblivious to the team's disinterest, with members hiding to drink "medicinal" champagne rather than engage with him. The book is noted for its beloved status among mountaineers, with Mount Rumdoodles existing in New Zealand and Antarctica.