Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins

It would take a stellar read to hold my attention with The Heiress back from school and being the lone dog walker and play toy of Deacon with R away.  The Tortoise and the Hare was definitely that and so much more, and to think it was a serendipitous purchase due to a riveting pair of red stockings on the cover.

Considering that I must be one of the last in this sphere of bloggers to read this quiet masterpiece I won't go into much detail about the synopsis.  In the simplest of descriptions this book is about a woman slowly coming to the realization that her husband is having an affair.

Imogen Gresham is younger than her husband, Evelyn, a handsome and confident barrister with an office in London.  Her day usually consists of seeing to the whims of her son, Gavin, who holds the same regard for her as his father.  She is nothing more than an ornament, someone who runs their errands or sees that their clothing is bought from the right shops.  I haven't quite decided if it's down to Jenkins' writing or my finally coming to terms with the character of the quiet woman but Imogen failed to frustrate me.  Yes, I wanted her to call Evelyn on his neglectful behaviour and excuses to spend time with Blanche the Bloated but I was willing to wait patiently for the eventual outburst.  Well, at least I hoped there would be something of the sort.

Disliking Blanche, Evelyn and even Gavin made it easy for me to put them on a team early on and separate them from Imogen.  I sat on the sidelines as quietly as Imogen, waiting for her to come to the conclusion that she deserved happiness from life for her own sake.  When that moment came it would have been easy to write a scene of a woman emerging as a butterfly in technicolour but I thought Jenkins stayed true to Imogen's character and the ending was a most satisfactory one.

The handful of peripheral characters were a wonderful respite, the Leeper family with their house in disarray added an element of fairy tale from which little Tim escapes his bohemian family.  And wasn't Cecil Stoner wonderful with her subtle yet potent jibes to Blanche?  Oh, just writing about it makes me want to turn right back to the first page and start all over again.

Thank you to everyone who told me I would love this book, you were right!  In fact, I enjoyed Jenkins' writing so much that I'm off to the dusty Reuse centre to pick up a copy of, Brightness, that I left behind last time.

18 comments:

  1. I LOVE those stockings - my modern edition does not feature those at all. And I didn't know she had other books - I must get hold of Brightness too.

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  2. I knew you'd love it! I sympathised with all three of them ... I always feel sorry for the men married to these passive women. Now I want to go back and read it again. The only other Elizabeth Jenkins I've read is Dr Gully which I think I read somewhere was supposed to be her favourite (of her own works). It was interesting, part fiction-part true story - but I didn't love it as much as Tortoise and the Hare. I've never come across Brightness - lucky you, they're hard to track down.

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  3. I'm so glad you liked it! It is indeed a quiet masterpiece. I also thought the ending was in keeping with her character although she was definately becoming stronger and more independent towards the end, but in her own way.

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  4. I'm so glad you enjoyed this Darlene, how could you not?! How lucky that you have found another of her books to go back and get, as well - you'll have to read it quickly to satisfy our curiosity!

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  5. That makes me the last blogger to read this book... it's been on my wish list for too long. Must have been very special to hold your attention under those circumstances!

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  6. Make that two other bloggers who haven't read The Tortoise and the Hare! I was inspired after I read her memoir (Up Downshire Hill) but it never quite happened. Do rush back for that other book - Elizabeth Jenkins's other works are not at all easy to find.

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  7. One of my favorite books last year...it always makes me happy when someone enjoys a book that I loved.

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  8. And I am angry with myself because I had this very book and I believe I gave it away unread when we moved! I do still have some boxed of books to unpack, though, so .......

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  9. verity, Aren't they wonderful! And I'm not sure why but this version doesn't seem very easy to come by, I couldn't even find an image on Google.

    mary, There were three copies of Dr Gully on the shelf but after a quick glance it didn't really seem for me. Oh and if I were Imogen, there would have been puncture's in Blanche's tires and some length missing from Evelyn's ties!

    Cristina, The best sort of serendipitous book find, it's sure to make my list of all-time favourites!

    Cornflower, Absolutely stunning! I just read that EJ lived to be 104, amazing.

    bookssnob, Stay tuned! My plan is to immerse myself in some Elizabeth Taylor and then there's another homework assignment you've handed out by the name of Cather. You should have been a teacher!

    JoAnn, Pouring a cup of tea means reading time to me but play time to Deacon...little monkey!

    FleurFisher, Mission accomplished, 'Brightness' is on my bookshelf. And you should rush out and find a copy of The Tortoise and the Hare, you'll love it I'm sure, Jane!

    Audrey, I'm glad to hear you loved it as well, it's a firm favourite with me now too!

    joan, Oh no! Well, keep your eye out for another copy, it was such a wonderful read. Good luck!

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  10. I must be the very very last blogger to read this book! I will rectify that this year. Great review.

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  11. Vintage Reading, Please do! The reissue has been out for awhile now so if you spy a bargain somewhere in your travels, snap it up.

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  12. This book has popped up on a few blogs recently. I read it many, many years ago and I'm delighted that the book I loved them is now being read and enjoyed by seemingly many people. I don't remember exactly when I read it, but I do recall one day, taking it with me on a visit to the dentist and was reading it when he called me into the surgery. He wanted to know what I was reading that I was finding so engrossing! So, for me, the book is forever linked to that visit to the dentist. I wonder if other readers remember where they read memorable books? I distinctly remember reading Katie Fforde's first published novel, Living Dangerously, one January, by the River Teign in Devon, eating fresh crab rolls!
    Margaret P

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  13. I looked up Brightness in Elizabeth Jenkins' memoir in the library today, and she wrote that she felt it contained some of her best writng. She writes a little about the real life inspirations for the book, which are very interesting. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts.

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  14. galant, Oh, fresh crab rolls sound delicious and a much nicer memory than visiting the dentist!

    FleurFisher, Thank you so much for passing on that information, how lovely. I'm even more intrigued now so I'm sure you won't be kept waiting too long.

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  15. I did enjoy this, but I think I enjoyed it a bit less than everyone else seems to have done - I found it a bit slow at times. But still wonderful, for the most part. And what a wonderful cover image your edition has!

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  16. StuckInABook, Well I'm glad you at least enjoyed it even if it wasn't a complete hit with you.

    That cover was the initial draw of the book for me, I absolutely love it!

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  17. Very belated comment but wanted to add my voice to the chorus of those who are singing the praises of this book. I found it heart-breaking to follow the undoing of a marriage seen from the inside and Imogen's helplessness to alter the situation to her satisfaction. The ending was so much in keeping with the entire book. Jenkins just offered up a bit of hope for Imogen's future.

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