I've enjoyed everything I've read by Margaret Drabble, but this novel felt a little limp to me. As children, Ailsa and Humphrey play by the sea in the north of England. They meet as young adults and become deeply connected, only to definitively separate soon after. Some forty years later they reconnect near the same seaside spot, this time to accept honorary degrees from a nearby university. As always, Drabble draws interesting characters who are very much products of their acutely analyzed time, and it's always interesting to read about them. Much of the energy of the novel is directed at the anticipation of Ailsa and Humphrey's reunion rather than their actual interaction, which is perhaps what was missing for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment