[CTD]∎ Libro Gratis The Slaves of Solitude New York Review Books Classics Patrick Hamilton David Lodge Books

The Slaves of Solitude New York Review Books Classics Patrick Hamilton David Lodge Books

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The Slaves of Solitude New York Review Books Classics Patrick Hamilton David Lodge Books

This is my first encounter with Patrick Hamilton, a "forgotten" master much lauded by members of the literati, and it's a quietly stunning masterpiece of English life off the battlefields of World War II. Which isn't to say it's without considerable turbulence. In a genteel rooming house in a rather smart London suburb much like Henley-on-Thames, an assortment of unmarried, middle-aged to elderly boarders are sitting out the big war, engaged in their own unavoidable little war. The chief antagonists are the heroine of the piece, Miss Roach, an intelligent, sensitive but naive almost-spinster who works in a London publishing house, and Mr. Thwaites, a sadistic bully dressed up as an old-fashioned "gentleman," whose favorite pastime is making Miss Roach feel as miserable as he can. Integral to the gathering, cloistered storm are a boozy but irresistible American lieutenant, a semi-retired music hall comic who sees all but says nothing, and assorted onlookers to the fray, which is by turns shocking and extremely funny. Hamilton deftly gives each character full due; the dialogue is razor-keen as anything by Pinter; and the novel's understanding of a thoroughly decent, lonely woman with little to look forward to in life is masterful and ultimately very moving. British novelists of a later generation, Barbara Pym and Jane Gardam come to mind. But Patrick Hamilton may be unsurpassed in the subtle and sympathetic savagery he brings to this under the radar, very human war within the larger cataclysm, just outside his lens.


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The Slaves of Solitude New York Review Books Classics Patrick Hamilton David Lodge Books Reviews

The e-edition of this book needs a lot of editing--words run together, garbled, etc. If you push on through that, the reward is nice prose, a clue about manners of the time, and a plot that centers around the rising tensions between two single ladies approaching middle age, one of English descent and the other of German. The two live in a boarding house outside of London during the early years of WWII, and both receive attention from a loutish American lieutenant. The more decent one (your guess) prevails in the feud (if not in love) after receiving an inheritance from her last known relation. The story ends with her spending a grand day as a guest at one of London's finest resort hotels. I probably am not in the target demographic, but a NYTimes writer recommended it.
When I started this novel I didn't realise just how much I would enjoy it and come to caring about the very genteel and restrained Miss Roach. Centered around the inhabitants of a boarding house during the Blitz of the second world war it's a wonderful character study of the inhabitants who reside there. The story is mainly told through the eyes of the spinisterish Miss Roach and her battles with two of the residents, the bully Mr Thwaites and the very manipulative German woman Vicki.

This was a gentler read than my usual fare but was a wonderful read. There are the descriptions of the time period, the blackouts, the rationing, civilian life in war time. However it's the marvellous descriptions of the inhabitants of the boarding house that really draws you into the story. A wonderful read.
In this wonderful novel about residents of a rooming house in the London suburbs during World War II, Patrick Hamilton draws a touching and often humorous portrait of the lonely people who fled London during the Blitz and attempted to continue their lives away from the threat of Nazi bombs.
Miss Roach, a timid, middle-aged spinster is the protagonist of this story and one can easily pity her while simultaneously admiring her. She is bullied daily by Mr. Thwaite, another resident of the house and has only superficial relationships with the other boarders. Things appear to change when she begins a relationship with an American Lieutenant who regularly takes her out for drinks and necking and who gives her the impression that he longs to marry her and take her back to the States when the war is over. Complications arise when Miss Roach's supposed friend, German immigrant, Vicki Kugelmann moves into the house.
This novel, filled with much drunken revelry, psychological insight and humor is, in my opinion, Hamilton's best.
I have to admit I haven't read anything by Patrick Hamilton before, but I will be seeking other books by him since reading The Slaves of Solitude.
What a delightful read! The characters, especially that of the unlikely heroine, Miss Roach are so true to form they fairly bounce off the pages.
Set almost entirely in a staid boarding house in a small village outside of London during the war, this book is as real as you'll get.
You'll be rooting for Miss Roach for all your worth.
She's very British in that she's very polite and long suffering, but wait till she gets her morals questioned by Vicki, the German girl who's lived in Britain for a great part of her life and is indeed a British citizen. But there is a war going on between Germany and Great Britain and Miss Roach isn't going to stand by and listen to any mention of 'understanding' of Nazi Germany with it's 'filthy' goings on!
Miss Roach is the wrong side of thirty and a former school mistress who's had her share of bullying but she has her cut off point.
The boarding house bully, Mr Thwaites is a great character. A nasty piece of works who delights in tormenting Miss Roach and expressing his loud and obnoxious opinion throughout the dining room, where 'you could hear a pin drop'.
However, Miss Roach, in her quiet and subtle way, has the last say and the ending is satisfying and wonderful!
Read this book and be charmed. If you love British literature with a bevy of wonderful characters, you do not want to pass on this one.
Highly recommended!
This is my first encounter with Patrick Hamilton, a "forgotten" master much lauded by members of the literati, and it's a quietly stunning masterpiece of English life off the battlefields of World War II. Which isn't to say it's without considerable turbulence. In a genteel rooming house in a rather smart London suburb much like Henley-on-Thames, an assortment of unmarried, middle-aged to elderly boarders are sitting out the big war, engaged in their own unavoidable little war. The chief antagonists are the heroine of the piece, Miss Roach, an intelligent, sensitive but naive almost-spinster who works in a London publishing house, and Mr. Thwaites, a sadistic bully dressed up as an old-fashioned "gentleman," whose favorite pastime is making Miss Roach feel as miserable as he can. Integral to the gathering, cloistered storm are a boozy but irresistible American lieutenant, a semi-retired music hall comic who sees all but says nothing, and assorted onlookers to the fray, which is by turns shocking and extremely funny. Hamilton deftly gives each character full due; the dialogue is razor-keen as anything by Pinter; and the novel's understanding of a thoroughly decent, lonely woman with little to look forward to in life is masterful and ultimately very moving. British novelists of a later generation, Barbara Pym and Jane Gardam come to mind. But Patrick Hamilton may be unsurpassed in the subtle and sympathetic savagery he brings to this under the radar, very human war within the larger cataclysm, just outside his lens.