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袧械蟹邪胁械褉褕械薪懈泄 锌芯褉褌褉械褌
袪芯屑邪薪 鈥溞澬敌沸靶残笛€褕械薪懈泄 锌芯褉褌褉械褌鈥� 鈥� 褑械 褋胁芯褦褉褨写薪邪 褨 蟹胁芯褉褍褕谢懈胁邪 褋锌芯胁褨写褜 谢褞写懈薪懈, 褖芯 芯锌懈薪懈谢邪褋褟 蟹邪 泻褉芯泻 写芯 斜械蟹芯写薪褨. 些芯 锌褉懈胁械谢芯 褩褩 写芯 褌邪泻芯谐芯 褉褨褕械薪薪褟, 褟泻懈泄 薪械褋褍褋胁褨褌薪褨泄 褉芯蟹锌邪褔 蟹屑褍褋懈胁 谐谢褟薪褍褌懈 胁 芯泻芯 锌褉褨褉胁懈? 小邪屑械 蟹 褑褨褦褩 屑懈褌褨 泄 锌芯褔懈薪邪褦褌褜褋褟 薪械泻胁邪锌谢懈胁懈泄 蟹胁芯褉芯褌薪褨泄 胁褨写谢褨泻 卸懈褌褌褟 谐芯谢芯胁薪芯褩 谐械褉芯褩薪褨 褉芯屑邪薪褍 鈥� 小械谢褨褩 ... 效懈 褌邪泻 胁卸械 泄 胁懈锌邪写泻芯胁芯 锌懈褋褜屑械薪薪懈褑褟 胁懈褏芯锌懈谢邪 褋邪屑械 褑褞, 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 薪械锌褉懈屑褨褌薪褍 蟹-锌芯屑褨卸 褌懈褋褟褔 褨薪褕懈褏, 写芯谢褞 卸褨薪泻懈, 褟泻邪 胁卸械 薪械胁蟹屑芯蟹褨 锌褉褍褔邪褌懈褋褟 卸懈褌褌褦胁懈屑 胁懈泻谢懈泻邪屑? 袗胁卸械卸 鈥� 薪褨. 袪芯屑邪薪 胁械谢懈泻芯褞 屑褨褉芯褞 锌械褉械谐褍泻褍褦褌褜褋褟 蟹 写芯谢械褞 褋邪屑芯褩 袗谐邪褌懈 袣褉褨褋褌褨, 褖芯 褔褨褌泻芯 斜褍谢芯 锌褨写褌胁械褉写卸械薪芯 褩褩 鈥溞愋惭傂拘毖栃拘逞€邪褎褨褦褞鈥�, 芯锌褍斜谢褨泻芯胁邪薪芯褞 邪卸 褔械褉械蟹 褋芯褉芯泻 褉芯泻褨胁 锌褨褋谢褟 鈥溞澬敌沸靶残笛€褕械薪芯谐芯 锌芯褉褌褉械褌邪鈥�. 袘械蟹褋褍屑薪褨胁薪芯, 褉芯屑邪薪 锌褉芯泄薪褟褌芯 褩褩 胁谢邪褋薪芯褞, 褨 褌芯屑褍 褌邪泻芯褞 薪械褋褌械褉锌薪芯褞, 褌褍谐芯褞 蟹邪 效邪褋芯屑 鈥� 蟹 褩褩 斜械蟹褏屑邪褉薪懈屑 写懈褌懈薪褋褌胁芯屑, 褋芯谢芯写泻芯褞 锌芯褉芯褞 褞薪芯褋褌褨, 芯褋褟褟薪芯褞 薪邪褩胁薪芯褞 谐芯褌芯胁薪褨褋褌褞 写芯 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯谐芯 褖邪褋褌褟... 邪 褖械 蟹 褍褋褨屑邪 锌芯写邪谢褜褕懈屑懈 褋褌褉械褋邪屑懈: 褋屑械褉褌褞 屑邪褌械褉褨, 蟹褉邪写芯褞 褔芯谢芯胁褨泻邪, 鈥� 褔械褉械蟹 褖芯, 胁谢邪褋薪械, 褉褍褏薪褍胁 褍 芯写薪芯褔邪褋褋褨 褑褨谢懈泄 鈥� 褌邪泻懈泄 斜械蟹褏屑邪褉薪懈泄 鈥� 褋胁褨褌 褟泻 锌懈褋褜屑械薪薪懈褑褨, 褌邪泻 褨 褩褩 谐械褉芯褩薪褨. 袙褨写芯屑芯, 褖芯 胁 谐褉褍写薪褨 1926 褉芯泻褍 袗谐邪褌邪 袣褉褨褋褌褨 蟹斜褍写芯褉邪卸懈谢邪 褔懈 薪械 胁褋褞 袗薪谐谢褨褞: 薪械 屑邪褞褔懈 蟹屑芯谐懈 锌械褉械卸懈褌懈 谐谢懈斜芯泻懈泄 褉芯蟹锌邪褔 锌褨褋谢褟 蟹褉邪写懈 褔芯谢芯胁褨泻邪, 胁芯薪邪 (褟泻 褨 褩褩 小械谢褨褟) 胁 褋褌邪薪褨 写懈褋芯褑褨邪褌懈胁薪芯谐芯 褉芯蟹谢邪写褍 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褖械蟹谢邪 胁褨写 褋胁褨褌褍 褨 褋邪屑芯褩 褋械斜械, 褩褩 褕褍泻邪谢懈 11 写薪褨胁. 袘芯 褖芯 褦 写褍褕邪 胁 褋褌褉邪卸写邪薪薪褨 鈥� 胁芯薪邪 褟泻 屑械褌械谢懈泻, 锌褉懈褕锌懈谢械薪懈泄 褔褍卸芯褞 褉褍泻芯褞 写芯 泻邪锌械谢褞褕泻邪 卸懈胁懈屑 (!) 鈥� 写懈褌褟褔懈泄 褌褉邪胁屑褍褞褔懈泄 褋锌芯谐邪写 小械谢褨褩 鈥� 写褉褍谐芯谐芯 鈥溠忊€� 锌懈褋褜屑械薪薪懈褑褨. 袛芯 胁褋褜芯谐芯 褋泻邪蟹邪薪芯谐芯 锌褉芯 褉芯屑邪薪, 褑械 褖械 泄 谐芯褋褌褉芯 薪芯褋褌邪谢褜谐褨泄薪懈泄 褌胁褨褉, 写械 薪邪 褌谢褨 褋芯褑褨邪谢褜薪懈褏 泻邪褌邪泻谢褨蟹屑褨胁 胁屑褨褋褌懈谢芯褋褟 卸懈褌褌褟 泻褨谢褜泻芯褏 锌芯泻芯谢褨薪褜 蟹 褩褏薪褨屑 锌芯斜褍褌芯屑, 褋褌懈谢械屑 卸懈褌褌褟, 卸懈褌褌褦胁懈屑 写芯褋胁褨写芯屑 鈥� 褍褋褨屑 褌懈屑 褖械屑谢懈胁懈屑, 褖芯 薪邪蟹邪胁褕械 泻邪薪褍谢芯 胁 袥械褌褍, 锌褉芯褌械 写谢褟 薪邪褋, 褋褍褔邪褋薪懈褏 褔懈褌邪褔褨胁, 斜械蟹褋褍屑薪褨胁薪芯, 褋褌邪薪芯胁懈褌褜 薪械邪斜懈褟泻懈泄 褨薪褌械褉械褋.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1934
106 people are currently reading
3,910 people want to read
About the author
Mary Westmacott
15听books632听followersPseudonym used by
Agatha Christie
to write her dramatic novels about relationships.
Associated Names:
袦褝褉懈 袙械褋褌屑邪泻芯褌褌 (Russian)
袦械褉褨 袙械褋褌屑邪泻芯褌褌 (Ukrainian)
Associated Names:
袦褝褉懈 袙械褋褌屑邪泻芯褌褌 (Russian)
袦械褉褨 袙械褋褌屑邪泻芯褌褌 (Ukrainian)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
April 16, 2011
Oh my god. What an amazing novel.
It's so clearly autobiographical if you know the basic facts of Christie's life and that's why it's so fascinating in this way that horrifies you with its ruthless psychological detail but also imbues you with a sort of ... responsibility, a commitment to see it through because this is, as her second husband says on the back of my book, "nearly than anywhere else a portrait of Agatha."
So because you're so wrapped up in the awful intimacy and inescapable authenticity of the story, the way Christie suddenly pulls back and twists the end in pure literary triumph ... just totally thumped me in the chest with awe. Holy mother of brilliant writing, omg.
I had a feeling at the start of the novel that this story was going to break my heart. I knew it would make me very sad in that piercing way Christie has. But I totally did not expect the joyful sense of resolution I feel now.
Oh man. What a legend Christie is. To take her life and make a small careful literary triumph out of it. Perfectly unassuming and all the more precious for it. And that title! All the better when you know what Christie did find after.
*sighs happily*
It's so clearly autobiographical if you know the basic facts of Christie's life and that's why it's so fascinating in this way that horrifies you with its ruthless psychological detail but also imbues you with a sort of ... responsibility, a commitment to see it through because this is, as her second husband says on the back of my book, "nearly than anywhere else a portrait of Agatha."
So because you're so wrapped up in the awful intimacy and inescapable authenticity of the story, the way Christie suddenly pulls back and twists the end in pure literary triumph ... just totally thumped me in the chest with awe. Holy mother of brilliant writing, omg.
I had a feeling at the start of the novel that this story was going to break my heart. I knew it would make me very sad in that piercing way Christie has. But I totally did not expect the joyful sense of resolution I feel now.
Oh man. What a legend Christie is. To take her life and make a small careful literary triumph out of it. Perfectly unassuming and all the more precious for it. And that title! All the better when you know what Christie did find after.
*sighs happily*
April 7, 2023
I saw a totally different side of Agatha Christie and I am glad I did. Very beautifully written.
January 31, 2019
Being an Agatha Christie fan, I鈥檝e been meaning to read the six non-crime novels she wrote under the name of Mary Westmacott. This is my second one.
Unfinished Portrait is very much Christie鈥檚 life, vaguely disguised. Having read her autobiography, you can totally see the similarities. It is a heart-breaking tale, especially when you realise you鈥檙e seeing into her heart and soul. Even without this aspect, it is a worthy read, the study of a life.
Personally, I preferred , another character study, but that one completely bowled me over. This is more than likely because I had no inkling where Agatha was going with that one, while here, I knew what was going to happen. Still, I鈥檓 happy I read it.
Unfinished Portrait is very much Christie鈥檚 life, vaguely disguised. Having read her autobiography, you can totally see the similarities. It is a heart-breaking tale, especially when you realise you鈥檙e seeing into her heart and soul. Even without this aspect, it is a worthy read, the study of a life.
Personally, I preferred , another character study, but that one completely bowled me over. This is more than likely because I had no inkling where Agatha was going with that one, while here, I knew what was going to happen. Still, I鈥檓 happy I read it.
May 27, 2023
I don't think I'll be rushing to read another Mary Westmacott any time soon.
Unfinished Portrait is based very obviously on Agatha Christie's real life - her father's early death leaving her mother struggling for cash, her bad first marriage, her own difficulties in finding a place for herself in the world. It's all there but having read Lucy Worsley's superb biography of Ms Christie this book really held nothing new.
In the end I was irritated by the fictional Celia's utter hopelessness and inability to read people. I figure that a lot of women made marriages that were deeply unsatisfactory for one reason or another simply so that they had some form of security that a single life did not offer back at the beginning of the 20th century.
Unfinished Portrait gives quite a bleak view of a young woman's life and I suppose it us heartening to know that Agatha herself was far more dynamic and confidant in her writing abilities than Celia is.
Either way not a book I'd have picked up had it not been part of the Read Christie 2023 Challenge so onwards to the next book.
Unfinished Portrait is based very obviously on Agatha Christie's real life - her father's early death leaving her mother struggling for cash, her bad first marriage, her own difficulties in finding a place for herself in the world. It's all there but having read Lucy Worsley's superb biography of Ms Christie this book really held nothing new.
In the end I was irritated by the fictional Celia's utter hopelessness and inability to read people. I figure that a lot of women made marriages that were deeply unsatisfactory for one reason or another simply so that they had some form of security that a single life did not offer back at the beginning of the 20th century.
Unfinished Portrait gives quite a bleak view of a young woman's life and I suppose it us heartening to know that Agatha herself was far more dynamic and confidant in her writing abilities than Celia is.
Either way not a book I'd have picked up had it not been part of the Read Christie 2023 Challenge so onwards to the next book.
June 7, 2023
Agatha Christie (1890-1976), here writing under her penname Mary Westmacott, married her first husband Archibald Christie in 1914. In 1919, she had her first and only child, a daughter. Divorcing in 1928, following the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her mother in 1926, she made international headlines by disappearing for eleven days. These are the facts that lie at the basis for this story, a semi-autobiographical work of fiction.
Reading this, I鈥檝e had trouble distinguishing between fact and fiction. Problem number one. This sent me time and time again to search the net.
The story is told by a famed artist whom the central character, a stand-in for Agatha, meets one night on a voyage abroad. She spills out her heart and sorrows to the unknown stranger. He writes here in this story of what she has told him. She is ? I find this setup an unnecessary gimmick. Here we have problem number two! Despite that I do believe talking about a problem helps, the artist is not a writer, and yet it is in the art of writing that we observe how he excels!
The prose is topnotch! Christie鈥檚 lines capture events, feelings and humor. All are superbly rolled together! Celia is the central character. She plays the part of Agatha. Her grannie鈥檚 ideas are antiquated, but you cannot help but laugh on listening to what spills from her lips. She has a ferocity that is invigorating. I had less trouble slipping into grannie鈥檚 shoes than Celia鈥檚 / Agatha鈥檚! Honestly, I could scarcely relate to Agatha, she is so utterly meek, timid and opinionless. This is peculiar because in Christie鈥檚 autobiography, which I have also read and absolutely adore, the opposite is true! Is it a matter of different age perspectives? I鈥檓 not sure.
The fictional of the tale is what gives me trouble. The writing is superb. Maybe others wll not notice this, but I love how Christie plays with words, and I see humor when others seem to miss it totally. I鈥檓 giving the story three stars because I do like it. I鈥檝e enjoyed chuckling and marveling at Christie鈥檚 ability of getting ideas into words.
The audiobook I listened to from Audible is narrated by Lewis Hancock. His narration is worthy of five stars. He captures wonderfully the nationality, sex and age of the person speaking. He鈥檚 got French down pat! I mean, his variations in voice could not be better. I seriously think it better to listen to this than to read it鈥攖he narration is that good!
Don鈥檛 get me wrong. I have definitely enjoyed this book, but this doesn鈥檛 stop my head from analyzing and figuring out what seems a little bit off kilter. I鈥檓 a terribly picky reader and don鈥檛 hand out many stars in my rating of books!
Recommended to me by my dear friend Cleo. Due to my poor vision, I have difficulty finding good books. Thank you, Cleo. (((((Cleo)))) Please continue to recommend them to me.
***
I highly recommend . This I gave a whopping five stars! Also , which I gave four stars. She writes under her husband's name in the latter, i.e. .
Mary Westmacott novels:
* 4 stars
* 3 stars
* TBR
* TBR
* TBR
* TBR
Reading this, I鈥檝e had trouble distinguishing between fact and fiction. Problem number one. This sent me time and time again to search the net.
The story is told by a famed artist whom the central character, a stand-in for Agatha, meets one night on a voyage abroad. She spills out her heart and sorrows to the unknown stranger. He writes here in this story of what she has told him. She is ? I find this setup an unnecessary gimmick. Here we have problem number two! Despite that I do believe talking about a problem helps, the artist is not a writer, and yet it is in the art of writing that we observe how he excels!
The prose is topnotch! Christie鈥檚 lines capture events, feelings and humor. All are superbly rolled together! Celia is the central character. She plays the part of Agatha. Her grannie鈥檚 ideas are antiquated, but you cannot help but laugh on listening to what spills from her lips. She has a ferocity that is invigorating. I had less trouble slipping into grannie鈥檚 shoes than Celia鈥檚 / Agatha鈥檚! Honestly, I could scarcely relate to Agatha, she is so utterly meek, timid and opinionless. This is peculiar because in Christie鈥檚 autobiography, which I have also read and absolutely adore, the opposite is true! Is it a matter of different age perspectives? I鈥檓 not sure.
The fictional of the tale is what gives me trouble. The writing is superb. Maybe others wll not notice this, but I love how Christie plays with words, and I see humor when others seem to miss it totally. I鈥檓 giving the story three stars because I do like it. I鈥檝e enjoyed chuckling and marveling at Christie鈥檚 ability of getting ideas into words.
The audiobook I listened to from Audible is narrated by Lewis Hancock. His narration is worthy of five stars. He captures wonderfully the nationality, sex and age of the person speaking. He鈥檚 got French down pat! I mean, his variations in voice could not be better. I seriously think it better to listen to this than to read it鈥攖he narration is that good!
Don鈥檛 get me wrong. I have definitely enjoyed this book, but this doesn鈥檛 stop my head from analyzing and figuring out what seems a little bit off kilter. I鈥檓 a terribly picky reader and don鈥檛 hand out many stars in my rating of books!
Recommended to me by my dear friend Cleo. Due to my poor vision, I have difficulty finding good books. Thank you, Cleo. (((((Cleo)))) Please continue to recommend them to me.
***
I highly recommend . This I gave a whopping five stars! Also , which I gave four stars. She writes under her husband's name in the latter, i.e. .
Mary Westmacott novels:
* 4 stars
* 3 stars
* TBR
* TBR
* TBR
* TBR
August 5, 2019
The second romantic novel Christie wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. It gives a very vivid description of the life and times of Agatha Christie, the then prevalent customs and society鈥檚 view towards women in particular. It is a story of Celia though Christie鈥檚 husband Max Mallowan says in the jacket-鈥淚n Celia we have more nearly anywhere else a portrait of Agatha鈥�. Seen through these lens, the novel becomes an interesting read because the reader gets an insight into Christie鈥檚 own fears and view of life. Good read.
March 9, 2011
This was the second book I've read by Agatha Christie writing under her pen name. It seems she used this alternate identity to write a different type of book than the mystery/thrillers that she was so famous for. Knowing a little about her own life I wonder if these "anonymous" writings reflect her own unhappiness in her first marriage (her husband was unfaithful). I understand she only used this pen name in the earlier part of her career. Overall I found the book rather gloomy and in the end I was left a little confused about the overall message she was trying to convey. The bottom line for me was that it really doesn't mean good things for a book when you are relieved to finish it!
April 5, 2019
This was such a difficult story to read because I knew it was based on Agatha Christie herself, her own life and feelings. And how Archie Christie truly hurt her so deeply in the end, at the worst time he could possible do it. Also how he just seemed to be blind to anything but his own thoughts and feelings. It really tore at my heart.
There is a strange connection between "Unfinished Portrait", a Harley Quin short story called; "Man from The Sea" and "Towards Zero. " I read them one after another. They all have a suicide attempt that is stopped, in two of the stories the place for it is exactly the same and in two of the stories, the same philosophy against suicide is the same. Has anyone else pondered this? I never read it in an article or a book about Christie.
I thought it very interesting too, that she incorporated her own nightmare of the gun man, and the interesting twist she gave it. I will not add any spoilers to this review but if you want to know how Agatha Christie felt about what happened to her in 1926, this is the book to read.
There is a strange connection between "Unfinished Portrait", a Harley Quin short story called; "Man from The Sea" and "Towards Zero. " I read them one after another. They all have a suicide attempt that is stopped, in two of the stories the place for it is exactly the same and in two of the stories, the same philosophy against suicide is the same. Has anyone else pondered this? I never read it in an article or a book about Christie.
I thought it very interesting too, that she incorporated her own nightmare of the gun man, and the interesting twist she gave it. I will not add any spoilers to this review but if you want to know how Agatha Christie felt about what happened to her in 1926, this is the book to read.
March 25, 2018
Review later.
September 12, 2021
Bardzo dobrze sp臋dzi艂am czas przy tej ksi膮偶ce.
May 10, 2021
This is basically Agatha Christie's autobiography, but stopped before she knew she would be happy again. It's bleak 馃槶 but it's from the heart. I would recommend reading her actual autobiography instead of this, for a better sense of closure.
December 10, 2021
围伪渭畏位蠋谓 蟿蠈谓蠅谓 蟽蟿慰 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻慰 渭苇蟻慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 魏慰喂谓蠅谓喂魏蠈 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 蟿畏蟼 Agatha Christie (aka Mary Westmacott) 渭伪 蟿蠈蟽慰 蔚谓未蔚位蔚蠂苇蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 伪蟺蔚喂魏蠈谓喂蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏萎蟼 蟿畏蟼 畏蟻蠅委未伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽伪 蟺伪蟻维 谓伪 蟿慰 伪纬伪蟺萎蟽蠅 (蠈蟽慰 魏喂 伪谓 萎胃蔚位伪 谓伪 渭畏谓 渭蔚委谓蔚喂 伪蟿蔚位苇蟼 蟿慰 蟺慰蟻蟿蟻苇蟿慰 伪蠀蟿萎蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟿蠈蟽慰 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓畏蟼 畏蟻蠅委未伪蟼).
螒尉委伪 苇蠂慰蠀谓 蟿伪 位蠈纬喂伪 蟿慰蠀 未蔚蠉蟿蔚蟻慰蠀 蟽蠀味蠉纬慰蠀 蟿畏蟼 Agatha, Max Mallowan, 蟽蠂蔚蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 蟿慰 螚渭喂蟿蔚位苇蟼 螤慰蟻蟿蟻苇蟿慰 :
"螆谓伪 渭蔚委纬渭伪 渭蠀胃慰蟺位伪蟽委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠋谓 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿蠅谓 魏伪喂 蟺蟻慰蟽蠋蟺蠅谓. 螣 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪蟼 蟿畏蟼 危委位喂伪 [畏 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏萎 畏蟻蠅委未伪] 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 蠈,蟿喂 蟺位畏蟽喂苇蟽蟿蔚蟻慰 苇蠂慰蠀渭蔚 蟽蔚 苇谓伪 蠄蠀蠂慰位慰纬喂魏蠈 蟺慰蟻蟿蟻苇蟿慰 蟿畏蟼 螁纬魏伪胃伪."
螒尉委伪 苇蠂慰蠀谓 蟿伪 位蠈纬喂伪 蟿慰蠀 未蔚蠉蟿蔚蟻慰蠀 蟽蠀味蠉纬慰蠀 蟿畏蟼 Agatha, Max Mallowan, 蟽蠂蔚蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 蟿慰 螚渭喂蟿蔚位苇蟼 螤慰蟻蟿蟻苇蟿慰 :
"螆谓伪 渭蔚委纬渭伪 渭蠀胃慰蟺位伪蟽委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠋谓 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿蠅谓 魏伪喂 蟺蟻慰蟽蠋蟺蠅谓. 螣 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪蟼 蟿畏蟼 危委位喂伪 [畏 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏萎 畏蟻蠅委未伪] 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 蠈,蟿喂 蟺位畏蟽喂苇蟽蟿蔚蟻慰 苇蠂慰蠀渭蔚 蟽蔚 苇谓伪 蠄蠀蠂慰位慰纬喂魏蠈 蟺慰蟻蟿蟻苇蟿慰 蟿畏蟼 螁纬魏伪胃伪."
January 8, 2019
I felt a bit cheated as this book is 90% Christie鈥檚 autobiography, which I read in 2018.
But, still I will give it 4 stars because I loved the biography and I think Christie really wanted to share something personal with this book. When you read this, you can be sure that Celia IS Agatha.
Only after chapter 10 the descriptions of her life begin to deviate a bit from her bio.
Chapter 18 is mostly very new. I guess this is what really happened to Christie in real life. Here the descriptions of the torment she lived are more detailed. Maybe because she wrote this just a few years after he abandoned her, and she was still bitter? In her bio, the dedicates just 2 pages to whole divorce and nervous breakdown topic.
I assume that when this book got published, it was still a secret that Mary Westmacott and Agatha Christie were the same person.
But, still I will give it 4 stars because I loved the biography and I think Christie really wanted to share something personal with this book. When you read this, you can be sure that Celia IS Agatha.
Only after chapter 10 the descriptions of her life begin to deviate a bit from her bio.
Chapter 18 is mostly very new. I guess this is what really happened to Christie in real life. Here the descriptions of the torment she lived are more detailed. Maybe because she wrote this just a few years after he abandoned her, and she was still bitter? In her bio, the dedicates just 2 pages to whole divorce and nervous breakdown topic.
I assume that when this book got published, it was still a secret that Mary Westmacott and Agatha Christie were the same person.
May 20, 2023
"Nobody realized how humble this pretty girl was feeling鈥攈ow bitterly conscious of her social defects."
My pick for May鈥檚 Read Christie 2023.
The theme for this month is betrayal and, when I saw Unfinished Portrait listed as the official pick for May, I was beyond thrilled. I've been curious about the works Agatha Christie wrote under her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott, for some time now.
I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it, so I'll simply say that I can't wait to read more of the books Christie wrote and published under her pseudonym.
My pick for May鈥檚 Read Christie 2023.
The theme for this month is betrayal and, when I saw Unfinished Portrait listed as the official pick for May, I was beyond thrilled. I've been curious about the works Agatha Christie wrote under her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott, for some time now.
I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it, so I'll simply say that I can't wait to read more of the books Christie wrote and published under her pseudonym.
February 6, 2017
had it been possible, I would have given it 4.5 stars - this book gives a very good idea of whom Agatha Christie was - just loved it
July 15, 2019
This book is based on Agatha Christie鈥檚 early life. If you read her autobiography first, you can see clearly how connected the two books are!
April 17, 2023
Unfinished Portrait este cel de-al doilea roman scris de Agatha Christie sub pseudonimul de Mary Westmacott 葯i cartea aleas膬 pentru luna aprilie pentru #provocareaAgathaChristie
Publicat 卯n 1934, volumul deap膬n膬 povestea de via葲膬 a Celiei, ce 卯n urma unui divor葲 dureros se g芒nde葯te la sinucidere. 脦n timpul unui sejur pe o insul膬 exotic膬, 卯l 卯nt芒lne葯te pe Larraby, un pictor specializat 卯n portrete, c膬ruia 卯i poveste葯te copil膬ria, adolescen葲a, mariajul e葯uat 葯i urm膬rile sale.
Cartea este inspirat膬 chiar de via葲a autoarei, a葯a c膬 romanul ia forma unei lecturi semi-autobiografice, 卯n special 卯n ceea ce prive葯te prima ei c膬snicie.
脦nceputul a fost mai greu葲 pentru mine, dar cea de-a doua parte e plin膬 de reflec葲ii intime a unei rela葲ii unde aprecierea curge doar dintr-o parte. Nara葲iunea este fluid膬, iar personajele 卯n葲esate 卯n atribute reale. Mesajul din spatele deciziilor protagonistei prinde culoare 葯i sens pe cum 卯naintezi 卯n lectur膬, dezv膬luind un destin 卯mpov膬rat de iubirea oarb膬 pentru un so葲 indiferent.
Publicat 卯n 1934, volumul deap膬n膬 povestea de via葲膬 a Celiei, ce 卯n urma unui divor葲 dureros se g芒nde葯te la sinucidere. 脦n timpul unui sejur pe o insul膬 exotic膬, 卯l 卯nt芒lne葯te pe Larraby, un pictor specializat 卯n portrete, c膬ruia 卯i poveste葯te copil膬ria, adolescen葲a, mariajul e葯uat 葯i urm膬rile sale.
Cartea este inspirat膬 chiar de via葲a autoarei, a葯a c膬 romanul ia forma unei lecturi semi-autobiografice, 卯n special 卯n ceea ce prive葯te prima ei c膬snicie.
脦nceputul a fost mai greu葲 pentru mine, dar cea de-a doua parte e plin膬 de reflec葲ii intime a unei rela葲ii unde aprecierea curge doar dintr-o parte. Nara葲iunea este fluid膬, iar personajele 卯n葲esate 卯n atribute reale. Mesajul din spatele deciziilor protagonistei prinde culoare 葯i sens pe cum 卯naintezi 卯n lectur膬, dezv膬luind un destin 卯mpov膬rat de iubirea oarb膬 pentru un so葲 indiferent.
February 7, 2011
**vague spoilers**
Very interesting to read a Christie "romance", not that there's much romance in it. Great insight into human behaviour in the context of the social structure of the time (1930s).
The best thing about the book is the contrast between Celia's cosetted dreamworld of a childhood, where she was shielded from everything, had nannies and staff running after her and a doting mother, and her bleak adult life; poor, married to an emotionless husband with a daughter who turns out like her "sensible" father rather than her "silly" mother.
The ending is a bit rushed but I thought it was clever how the "Gun Man" of her childhood nightmares came back into the conclusion of the book.
Overall, a very well-written story which proves that Christie wasn't just the Queen of Crime. After reading Unfinished Portrait, I will now go out of my way to find more Westmacott novels to enjoy.
Very interesting to read a Christie "romance", not that there's much romance in it. Great insight into human behaviour in the context of the social structure of the time (1930s).
The best thing about the book is the contrast between Celia's cosetted dreamworld of a childhood, where she was shielded from everything, had nannies and staff running after her and a doting mother, and her bleak adult life; poor, married to an emotionless husband with a daughter who turns out like her "sensible" father rather than her "silly" mother.
The ending is a bit rushed but I thought it was clever how the "Gun Man" of her childhood nightmares came back into the conclusion of the book.
Overall, a very well-written story which proves that Christie wasn't just the Queen of Crime. After reading Unfinished Portrait, I will now go out of my way to find more Westmacott novels to enjoy.
July 12, 2021
It took me a while to get into this one, but I'm very glad I pushed through. The story starts with Celia, on the edge of committing suicide. She meets the painter Larabby, and tells him about her life. The book itself is Larabby's written portrait of Celia. He narrates the story of her life: beginning with her youth, her adolescent years and so on goes through all the stages of her life until the age of 39 (the moment they meet). When you finally start to feel happy for Celia, her life turns around. The question remains what effect the meeting with Larabby will have on Celia.
The story is very beautifully written. It's also very interesting because of the image it gives of women's role in society in the early twentieth century.
Three stars because the beginning chapters were a bit dragging in my opinion, for sure compared to the other Westmacott novels. Either way a great read.
The story is very beautifully written. It's also very interesting because of the image it gives of women's role in society in the early twentieth century.
Three stars because the beginning chapters were a bit dragging in my opinion, for sure compared to the other Westmacott novels. Either way a great read.
November 17, 2012
I鈥檝e always been really curious about Agatha Christie鈥檚 work as Mary Westmacott so I decided to start by reading an Unfinished Portrait.
First of all let me just say that I鈥檝e always been a great fan of her work and for that reason my expectations towards this book were high - unfortunately they weren鈥檛 met. I didn鈥檛 like the main character 鈥� thought she was too submissive and na茂ve 鈥� and the writing was a bit dry. The plot wasn鈥檛 that appealing; I kept hopping that something interesting would happen but it didn鈥檛.
Reading this book was a bit of a challenge but I managed to finish it; I wouldn鈥檛 recommend it, especially if you more accustomed to her crime novels.
First of all let me just say that I鈥檝e always been a great fan of her work and for that reason my expectations towards this book were high - unfortunately they weren鈥檛 met. I didn鈥檛 like the main character 鈥� thought she was too submissive and na茂ve 鈥� and the writing was a bit dry. The plot wasn鈥檛 that appealing; I kept hopping that something interesting would happen but it didn鈥檛.
Reading this book was a bit of a challenge but I managed to finish it; I wouldn鈥檛 recommend it, especially if you more accustomed to her crime novels.
April 1, 2024
D眉z眉, Aqata Kristinin ba艧qa adla qeyri-detektiv 蓹s蓹rl蓹r yazd谋臒谋n谋 bilmirdim. Yax艧谋 m蓹nada t蓹蓹cc眉bl蓹ndim v蓹 ara艧d谋rma qabiliyy蓹tim蓹 艧眉bh蓹 il蓹 yana艧d谋m.
鈥淣atamam portret鈥� 蓹s蓹rind蓹 Seliya adl谋 bir qad谋n谋n h蓹yat hekay蓹sind蓹n b蓹hs edilir. Bu hekay蓹d蓹 n蓹 Ceyn Eyrin dram谋 var, n蓹 d蓹 Elizabet Bennetin ironiyas谋. S蓹n dem蓹, sad蓹, 艧ablon h蓹yatdan da, sad蓹l枚vh insan谋n d眉nyan谋n o biri 眉z眉n眉 g枚rd眉kc蓹 b枚y眉m蓹sind蓹n d蓹 maraql谋 v蓹 oxunaql谋 roman yazmaq olarm谋艧. S眉jeti laxlam谋r, inamla ir蓹lil蓹yir v蓹 m蓹ntiqi sonuna 莽at谋r.
陌ki 蓹sr 枚nc蓹 陌ngilt蓹r蓹d蓹 ya艧ayan h蓹mcinsimin m眉asir d枚vr眉n insan谋na yad olmayan probleml蓹rd蓹n 蓹ziyy蓹t 莽蓹kdiyini g枚rm蓹k n枚vb蓹ti d蓹f蓹 ilahi 蓹dal蓹t蓹 deyil, ilahi komediyaya inam谋m谋 art谋rd谋.
Sonda n蓹 dey蓹 bil蓹r蓹m? Natamam portretl蓹rin bir g眉n s蓹rgil蓹ri b蓹z蓹m蓹si, yar谋m莽谋q talel蓹rin bir g眉n h蓹yata qar谋艧mas谋 dil蓹yi il蓹.
鈥淣atamam portret鈥� 蓹s蓹rind蓹 Seliya adl谋 bir qad谋n谋n h蓹yat hekay蓹sind蓹n b蓹hs edilir. Bu hekay蓹d蓹 n蓹 Ceyn Eyrin dram谋 var, n蓹 d蓹 Elizabet Bennetin ironiyas谋. S蓹n dem蓹, sad蓹, 艧ablon h蓹yatdan da, sad蓹l枚vh insan谋n d眉nyan谋n o biri 眉z眉n眉 g枚rd眉kc蓹 b枚y眉m蓹sind蓹n d蓹 maraql谋 v蓹 oxunaql谋 roman yazmaq olarm谋艧. S眉jeti laxlam谋r, inamla ir蓹lil蓹yir v蓹 m蓹ntiqi sonuna 莽at谋r.
陌ki 蓹sr 枚nc蓹 陌ngilt蓹r蓹d蓹 ya艧ayan h蓹mcinsimin m眉asir d枚vr眉n insan谋na yad olmayan probleml蓹rd蓹n 蓹ziyy蓹t 莽蓹kdiyini g枚rm蓹k n枚vb蓹ti d蓹f蓹 ilahi 蓹dal蓹t蓹 deyil, ilahi komediyaya inam谋m谋 art谋rd谋.
Sonda n蓹 dey蓹 bil蓹r蓹m? Natamam portretl蓹rin bir g眉n s蓹rgil蓹ri b蓹z蓹m蓹si, yar谋m莽谋q talel蓹rin bir g眉n h蓹yata qar谋艧mas谋 dil蓹yi il蓹.
November 18, 2022
Pewien malarz spacerowa艂 po egzotycznej wyspie. W pewnym momencie zauwa偶a kobiet臋 i zwraca uwag臋 na jej rysy twarzy. Bardzo szybko wyczuwa, 偶e ona chce pope艂ni膰 samob贸jstwo, wi臋c podchodzi do niej. Odwi贸d艂 j膮 od pierwotnego zamiaru i sk艂ania Celie do zwierze艅 na temat swojej przesz艂o艣ci, co trwa艂o ca艂膮 noc. Postanowi艂 wszystko zapisa膰.
To by艂a ciekawa lektura. Trudno jest nie lubi膰 Celie, kt贸ra jest bardzo delikatn膮 oraz wra偶liw膮 dziewczynk膮, a potem kobiet膮. Przygl膮damy si臋 jej 偶yciu od kiedy mia艂a trzy latka. Poznajemy jak膮 mia艂a relacj臋 z matk膮, bratem, ojcem, niani膮 czy innymi r贸wie艣niczkami. Mo偶emy zaobserwowa膰 jak jej wyobra偶enia o 偶yciu oraz mi艂o艣ci zderzaj膮 si臋 z rzeczywisto艣ci膮, a to bolesne zderzenie ze 艣cian膮. Autorka daje te偶 nam do namys艂u jak dzieci艅stwo oraz ludzie, kt贸rzy nas otaczaj膮 wp艂ywaj膮 na odbi贸r r贸偶nych rzeczy ju偶 w doros艂ym 偶yciu.
Nie jestem fank膮 tego typu obyczaj贸wek. Zwykle one s膮 dla mnie nudne, a fabu艂a bardzo si臋 przeci膮ga. Jednak tutaj czu艂am si臋 bardzo zaciekawiona, a wszystkie elementy tej historii uk艂ada艂am sobie niczym puzzle, 偶eby stworzy膰 pe艂ny obraz sytuacji i 偶eby przede wszystkim zrozumie膰 sk膮d to wszystko si臋 wytworzy艂o. To powolny proces, wi臋c trzeba si臋 uzbroi膰 w cierpliwo艣膰 i metodycznie przesuwa膰 si臋 rozdzia艂 za rozdzia艂em.
To by艂a ciekawa lektura. Trudno jest nie lubi膰 Celie, kt贸ra jest bardzo delikatn膮 oraz wra偶liw膮 dziewczynk膮, a potem kobiet膮. Przygl膮damy si臋 jej 偶yciu od kiedy mia艂a trzy latka. Poznajemy jak膮 mia艂a relacj臋 z matk膮, bratem, ojcem, niani膮 czy innymi r贸wie艣niczkami. Mo偶emy zaobserwowa膰 jak jej wyobra偶enia o 偶yciu oraz mi艂o艣ci zderzaj膮 si臋 z rzeczywisto艣ci膮, a to bolesne zderzenie ze 艣cian膮. Autorka daje te偶 nam do namys艂u jak dzieci艅stwo oraz ludzie, kt贸rzy nas otaczaj膮 wp艂ywaj膮 na odbi贸r r贸偶nych rzeczy ju偶 w doros艂ym 偶yciu.
Nie jestem fank膮 tego typu obyczaj贸wek. Zwykle one s膮 dla mnie nudne, a fabu艂a bardzo si臋 przeci膮ga. Jednak tutaj czu艂am si臋 bardzo zaciekawiona, a wszystkie elementy tej historii uk艂ada艂am sobie niczym puzzle, 偶eby stworzy膰 pe艂ny obraz sytuacji i 偶eby przede wszystkim zrozumie膰 sk膮d to wszystko si臋 wytworzy艂o. To powolny proces, wi臋c trzeba si臋 uzbroi膰 w cierpliwo艣膰 i metodycznie przesuwa膰 si臋 rozdzia艂 za rozdzia艂em.
March 4, 2021
And so the great Agatha Christie project comes to an end. This is the last of her Mary Westmacott novels, at least in the order that I read them in, and it was a pretty fitting end because it鈥檚 basically the quintessential Westmacott novel, with everything that that entails.
Christie鈥檚 Westmacott books leave the murder mystery stuff behind and focus instead on the relationships between people. How that actually works in practice can vary quite a lot and some of them are much better than others. This one was towards the better end, although I鈥檓 not particularly convinced about the overall setup to the book, the gimmick in which it鈥檚 presented as an unfinished portrait of a person鈥檚 life, a bit like an unfinished painting.
There鈥檚 not too much to say about this one because all of the goodness comes from the subtleties of the interactions between the different characters. It鈥檚 not a fast-paced novel, although it does feel like one if you鈥檙e able to get the Agatha Christie signature edition, which is a beautiful artefact in its own right.
I can understand why people don鈥檛 read the Westmacott books, but I do think that they鈥檙e worth giving a try, especially if you鈥檙e a fan of more introspective fiction that holds up a mirror to the reader and sees if they鈥檙e found wanting. It鈥檚 like literary fiction, except easier to read. And yes, there鈥檚 a little romance there. It鈥檚 just not the overriding premise, with it factoring in instead in the same way that love generally plays a part in life.
So would I recommend this one? Well, it depends. To a general reader, probably not. To an Agatha Christie fan, though, it鈥檚 definitely worth giving at least one of her Westmacott novels a go, and this is as good a book to pick up as any of them. It鈥檚 also just the right length, lasting for just long enough to stop it from getting dull. So yeah.
Christie鈥檚 Westmacott books leave the murder mystery stuff behind and focus instead on the relationships between people. How that actually works in practice can vary quite a lot and some of them are much better than others. This one was towards the better end, although I鈥檓 not particularly convinced about the overall setup to the book, the gimmick in which it鈥檚 presented as an unfinished portrait of a person鈥檚 life, a bit like an unfinished painting.
There鈥檚 not too much to say about this one because all of the goodness comes from the subtleties of the interactions between the different characters. It鈥檚 not a fast-paced novel, although it does feel like one if you鈥檙e able to get the Agatha Christie signature edition, which is a beautiful artefact in its own right.
I can understand why people don鈥檛 read the Westmacott books, but I do think that they鈥檙e worth giving a try, especially if you鈥檙e a fan of more introspective fiction that holds up a mirror to the reader and sees if they鈥檙e found wanting. It鈥檚 like literary fiction, except easier to read. And yes, there鈥檚 a little romance there. It鈥檚 just not the overriding premise, with it factoring in instead in the same way that love generally plays a part in life.
So would I recommend this one? Well, it depends. To a general reader, probably not. To an Agatha Christie fan, though, it鈥檚 definitely worth giving at least one of her Westmacott novels a go, and this is as good a book to pick up as any of them. It鈥檚 also just the right length, lasting for just long enough to stop it from getting dull. So yeah.
October 17, 2023
The ending of this book had me in a daze, I was mind blown!!!!! It was so mysterious, I still have questions and yet it answered just enough of the questions to know what happened!! I want to know more about our narrator Larraby - like a portrait painter who can't paint anymore? Intriguing.
Loved the image of the Gun Man throughout the narrative.
I started reading this not realizing it was largely based off Christie's life and then started realizing it as I was reading. It definitely felt very personal and Christie's most thorough examination of a character. Larraby described Celia as someone who lives " by the inner vision" and I think that is a good way to describe Christie too.
What jumped out at me, among many other things, about Celia's narrative is the unique creativity of her mother which was obviously passed down to Celia/Agatha and also that this time period really put women in shitty situations where they literally knew nothing about married life, real life, employment skills, etc, so they were completely at the mercy of whatever dude they married. You see this Celia, her naivety is her biggest issue, but also kind of tied into her imagination/"inner vision". Her mother and grandmother try to warn her about "the men" but she doesn't listen.
I thought Christie's depiction of Dermot (Archie character) was interesting because it wasn't like he was total trash all the time, but there were subtle flaws here and there that showed his real character. He felt like a real person because you could see how it was not obvious at all times that he was a jerk deep down.
ANYWAY shoutout to Agatha Christie for finding happiness in her second marriage and becoming so wildly successful with her books that the only reason anyone even remembers her first husband is because of her.... 鉁娾湂
Loved the image of the Gun Man throughout the narrative.
I started reading this not realizing it was largely based off Christie's life and then started realizing it as I was reading. It definitely felt very personal and Christie's most thorough examination of a character. Larraby described Celia as someone who lives " by the inner vision" and I think that is a good way to describe Christie too.
What jumped out at me, among many other things, about Celia's narrative is the unique creativity of her mother which was obviously passed down to Celia/Agatha and also that this time period really put women in shitty situations where they literally knew nothing about married life, real life, employment skills, etc, so they were completely at the mercy of whatever dude they married. You see this Celia, her naivety is her biggest issue, but also kind of tied into her imagination/"inner vision". Her mother and grandmother try to warn her about "the men" but she doesn't listen.
I thought Christie's depiction of Dermot (Archie character) was interesting because it wasn't like he was total trash all the time, but there were subtle flaws here and there that showed his real character. He felt like a real person because you could see how it was not obvious at all times that he was a jerk deep down.
ANYWAY shoutout to Agatha Christie for finding happiness in her second marriage and becoming so wildly successful with her books that the only reason anyone even remembers her first husband is because of her.... 鉁娾湂
March 24, 2019
Very interesting basis for a book--the story is written by a painter who attempts to create a "portrait" of a subject. The subject is a woman named Celia and the story basically follows the story of her life. I really liked the themes that came out through Celia's naivety and almost childish understanding of people in conjunction with the nightmare of the "Gun Man." The final realization about who the Gun Man really is was quite thought-provoking!
Also, really think about the person you're going to marry, people!! That seems to be a common theme in the Mary Westmacott's--can't help but think it's Christie's way of thinking about her own first marriage.
Also, really think about the person you're going to marry, people!! That seems to be a common theme in the Mary Westmacott's--can't help but think it's Christie's way of thinking about her own first marriage.
July 3, 2020
What a wonderful book on which to complete my love affair with Agatha Christie. I鈥檝e finally read them all. A bittersweet event!
Was this autobiographical? We鈥檒l never know. I have read her life story and there seems to be a lot of similarities. She was a very complicated woman.
Again, I was floored by her crude, distasteful references to Jews and African-Americans. It is appalling even though it was written in 1934.
Was this autobiographical? We鈥檒l never know. I have read her life story and there seems to be a lot of similarities. She was a very complicated woman.
Again, I was floored by her crude, distasteful references to Jews and African-Americans. It is appalling even though it was written in 1934.
March 21, 2023
My first novel by Agatha Christie that's written under her Westmacott pen name. And what a novel it is!
It takes place in First WW era England and tells the life story of a woman, from childhood to adulthood. The characters the author creates and describes are astoundingly complex and sophisticated, original yet somehow familiar. I've had my gripes about her character writing before - the shallow, throwaway characters that occupy many of her other novels - but this is next level. You can feel Christie's mastery in this, her raw talent for capturing scenes and people, and effortlessly making them come to life. If I didn't know any better, I'd think this novel almost autobiographical.
While this type of fiction is definitely not my usual fare, I thoroughly enjoyed this. The Queen of Crime is full of surprises after all.
It takes place in First WW era England and tells the life story of a woman, from childhood to adulthood. The characters the author creates and describes are astoundingly complex and sophisticated, original yet somehow familiar. I've had my gripes about her character writing before - the shallow, throwaway characters that occupy many of her other novels - but this is next level. You can feel Christie's mastery in this, her raw talent for capturing scenes and people, and effortlessly making them come to life. If I didn't know any better, I'd think this novel almost autobiographical.
While this type of fiction is definitely not my usual fare, I thoroughly enjoyed this. The Queen of Crime is full of surprises after all.
May 6, 2022
Unfinished Portrait follows a woman named Celia from childhood to her late 30s, and apparently it's a good reflection of Agatha Christie herself. I definitely prefer her crime/mystery novels since they have a stronger plot, but this wasn't bad for a slower book outside of her normal genre.
The blatant racism (multiple n-words and all) was jarring. I guess that's to be expected in a book written by a wealthy white English woman in the 1930s, but it still feels gross to read.
The blatant racism (multiple n-words and all) was jarring. I guess that's to be expected in a book written by a wealthy white English woman in the 1930s, but it still feels gross to read.
September 7, 2020
This 1934 novel is an elegiac, intensely moving chronicle of the life of a young woman in England from the 1890s to the 1930s. It thus has the same chronological parameters as Christie鈥檚 former work of 鈥榬omantic鈥� fiction, Giant鈥檚 Bread, but it is quite different in its primary focus.
Writing several decades before the development of the feminist movement, this work is a searing portrayal of the limited boundaries within which existence for a woman was proscribed at that time.
The men in Celia鈥檚 life: her father John, her brother Cyril, and eventually even her husband Dermot all move in circles far removed from anything that really touches her psyche. Conversely, it is with her mother Miriam and also her grandmother that Celia finds the closest sense of interpersonal contact and affirmation of her persona. And what they have to tell her is brutally frank and essentially descriptive of the woman鈥檚 role as second class citizens.
Grannie tells Celia that in her day women did not touch doorknobs: it was thought to spoil the shape of their hands. A cook Sarah who has been with them for over a decade, is discovered after her death to have been supporting an illegitimate daughter. Her mother had to dismiss a maid whom she saw put a hand on her husband鈥檚 hand even though he appeared to have not even noticed. Her mother advises Celia against pressing her wish for a second child on her husband, as it was not his wish and might cost her his affections. She tells her not to ever leave her husband for too long a time since 鈥榓 man forgets鈥�. During the Great War, Celia's life is like that of other women in that 'the war ... is the destiny of one person'. Men make the world. Women are defined by their relationship to these men.
The men in the book seem to be at best indifferent, and at worst so egotistically obsessed with their own pleasure as to be downright hurtful. Whether by premature death, extreme aloofness masking essential disapproval or outright selfcenteredness, they never show any sincere sense of empathy for Celia. Her husband gives her the injunction: Don鈥檛 ever grow less beautiful. Tom, the husband of her friend Ellie, runs away with a woman he met on a boat trip he was taking with his wife. When another woman stirs a man鈥檚 fancy, he forces his wife to divorce him.
Celia鈥檚 fair looks and Scandinavian complexion seem to lend themselves to her dreamlike, fairy tale imagination. She loves her mother鈥檚 home, with its long stretch of a green lawn and its massive beech tree. She invents a cluster of imaginary girls and develops lives for each of them. This eventually leads to her becoming a writer, an activity which her husband quite brutally criticizes since it doesn鈥檛 accord with his practical, cut and dried focus on the everyday world. He loves playing golf, an activity from which Celia is largely excluded. Her romanticism vs. his prosaic outlook, which one would think could complement each other in their marriage, end up driving an irreparable wedge between them since unlike his wife, Dermot cannot give credence to any expression of emotion.
The melodramatic events which conclude the story twist at the heartstrings of any sympathetic reader. Yet they are secondary to the day-to-day details of Celia鈥檚 life from her infancy to her middle-aged womanhood which fill the majority of the novel. These cumulatively describe a life frustrated again and again by prevailing social expectations of women. I for one found this story truly heartbreaking.
Recommended.
Writing several decades before the development of the feminist movement, this work is a searing portrayal of the limited boundaries within which existence for a woman was proscribed at that time.
The men in Celia鈥檚 life: her father John, her brother Cyril, and eventually even her husband Dermot all move in circles far removed from anything that really touches her psyche. Conversely, it is with her mother Miriam and also her grandmother that Celia finds the closest sense of interpersonal contact and affirmation of her persona. And what they have to tell her is brutally frank and essentially descriptive of the woman鈥檚 role as second class citizens.
Grannie tells Celia that in her day women did not touch doorknobs: it was thought to spoil the shape of their hands. A cook Sarah who has been with them for over a decade, is discovered after her death to have been supporting an illegitimate daughter. Her mother had to dismiss a maid whom she saw put a hand on her husband鈥檚 hand even though he appeared to have not even noticed. Her mother advises Celia against pressing her wish for a second child on her husband, as it was not his wish and might cost her his affections. She tells her not to ever leave her husband for too long a time since 鈥榓 man forgets鈥�. During the Great War, Celia's life is like that of other women in that 'the war ... is the destiny of one person'. Men make the world. Women are defined by their relationship to these men.
The men in the book seem to be at best indifferent, and at worst so egotistically obsessed with their own pleasure as to be downright hurtful. Whether by premature death, extreme aloofness masking essential disapproval or outright selfcenteredness, they never show any sincere sense of empathy for Celia. Her husband gives her the injunction: Don鈥檛 ever grow less beautiful. Tom, the husband of her friend Ellie, runs away with a woman he met on a boat trip he was taking with his wife. When another woman stirs a man鈥檚 fancy, he forces his wife to divorce him.
Celia鈥檚 fair looks and Scandinavian complexion seem to lend themselves to her dreamlike, fairy tale imagination. She loves her mother鈥檚 home, with its long stretch of a green lawn and its massive beech tree. She invents a cluster of imaginary girls and develops lives for each of them. This eventually leads to her becoming a writer, an activity which her husband quite brutally criticizes since it doesn鈥檛 accord with his practical, cut and dried focus on the everyday world. He loves playing golf, an activity from which Celia is largely excluded. Her romanticism vs. his prosaic outlook, which one would think could complement each other in their marriage, end up driving an irreparable wedge between them since unlike his wife, Dermot cannot give credence to any expression of emotion.
The melodramatic events which conclude the story twist at the heartstrings of any sympathetic reader. Yet they are secondary to the day-to-day details of Celia鈥檚 life from her infancy to her middle-aged womanhood which fill the majority of the novel. These cumulatively describe a life frustrated again and again by prevailing social expectations of women. I for one found this story truly heartbreaking.
Recommended.
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