A story of pride, tragedy, and family ties. Despite Richard Grenville's claim that politics and one's private life should be kept separate (during a fA story of pride, tragedy, and family ties. Despite Richard Grenville's claim that politics and one's private life should be kept separate (during a falling out with Robin Harris), the story shows that that isn't at all possible. One's private life is always wholly enmeshed in the political. One's sense of political loyalty, family, and belonging to a place (or perhaps in Gartred's case, the lack of it) always ties oneself to a side, voluntarily or involuntarily. There is a sense that people are all pawns with no real "freedom." One can only work with what little he/she is left with. And it isn't just war that deprives people of their freedom and happiness. The character of Honor Harris, for example, and the events surrounding her engagement to Richard Grenville show that the whims of others (Gartred) can do as much to destroy lives. There are also characters that certain Grenvilles have abused to the point of self-destruction by preying on their dependencies - Kit Harris, Robin Harris, and Dick Grenville, to name a few.
I find that Daphne du Maurier has told a tale in a way that many authors of historical fiction fail to do. How does one weave fact into fiction in such a way that even things that sometimes just functions as a backdrop to the more personal story become as important as the characters themselves? The beauty of Cornwall, the mystery of Menabilly, the premonition of tragedy, the stench of war, the enchantment of love - all of this as seen through the narration of Honor Harris, are shown through a veil of wistfulness and resignation.
It is not easy (maybe even possible) to like any main character in this novel at all. Nearly everyone is proud and self-serving (with the self by extension a particular political cause or one's family), despite the fact that they all long for peace, love, and happiness with their loved ones. Misery begets misery. Although there is great effort on Honor's part to never act the part of a vengeful woman full of resentment, her sense of self-preservation will always tell her to love Richard Grenville but also to keep him at arm's length in order to protect herself from his character. Personal redemption is not a thing that is ever sought in this story and Honor Harris does her best to love Richard Grenville "honorably".
Merged review:
A story of pride, tragedy, and family ties. Despite Richard Grenville's claim that politics and one's private life should be kept separate (during a falling out with Robin Harris), the story shows that that isn't at all possible. One's private life is always wholly enmeshed in the political. One's sense of political loyalty, family, and belonging to a place (or perhaps in Gartred's case, the lack of it) always ties oneself to a side, voluntarily or involuntarily. There is a sense that people are all pawns with no real "freedom." One can only work with what little he/she is left with. And it isn't just war that deprives people of their freedom and happiness. The character of Honor Harris, for example, and the events surrounding her engagement to Richard Grenville show that the whims of others (Gartred) can do as much to destroy lives. There are also characters that certain Grenvilles have abused to the point of self-destruction by preying on their dependencies - Kit Harris, Robin Harris, and Dick Grenville, to name a few.
I find that Daphne du Maurier has told a tale in a way that many authors of historical fiction fail to do. How does one weave fact into fiction in such a way that even things that sometimes just functions as a backdrop to the more personal story become as important as the characters themselves? The beauty of Cornwall, the mystery of Menabilly, the premonition of tragedy, the stench of war, the enchantment of love - all of this as seen through the narration of Honor Harris, are shown through a veil of wistfulness and resignation.
It is not easy (maybe even possible) to like any main character in this novel at all. Nearly everyone is proud and self-serving (with the self by extension a particular political cause or one's family), despite the fact that they all long for peace, love, and happiness with their loved ones. Misery begets misery. Although there is great effort on Honor's part to never act the part of a vengeful woman full of resentment, her sense of self-preservation will always tell her to love Richard Grenville but also to keep him at arm's length in order to protect herself from his character. Personal redemption is not a thing that is ever sought in this story and Honor Harris does her best to love Richard Grenville "honorably"....more
Read this in one sitting. Feels a lot like a reflection of my own impulses, and rarely does anything capture this particular self-effacing ennui this Read this in one sitting. Feels a lot like a reflection of my own impulses, and rarely does anything capture this particular self-effacing ennui this well (and this ironically)....more
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