By Leila Mobayen
Daily Bruin Contributor
Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Last September” is just like Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice” – without the coherence and captivation of relatable characters and a well-defined plot.
Not to say that Bowen’s work, written in 1952, is a completely futile attempt at storytelling; it was recently made into a major motion picture directed by Deborah Warner.
The novel is set in 1920s Ireland, amidst post-war occupation by England, a backdrop that establishes a gravely apprehensive tone for the duration of the tale.
Bowen successfully takes readers on a journey through several months in the life of Lois Farquar, an orphan raised by her elderly aunt and uncle, who sifts through the old-fashioned preconceptions of society. She struggles to define her own balance between the established requirements of womanhood and the sacrifices that come with total freedom.
But the problem is not in the establishment of a young romantic heroine.
Bowen tries too hard to take a simple statement and twist it around with fancy wording. Instead of enhancing her writing, she leaves the reader confused and frustrated.
Her transitions jump into conversations and scenes that do not flow smoothly, forcing the reader at times to re-read an entire chapter for clarification.
Once in a while, though, the author manages to strike the perfect chord in describing a certain character or situation. For example, during a reflective moment in the novel, Lois discovers that, “after every turn – or awakening, even, from sleep or preoccupation – she and these home surroundings still further penetrated each other mutually in the discovery of a lack.”
The author’s descriptions of Lois, her experiences with men, and her realizations about her place in society are the highlights of the novel, as she does a good job of accurately portraying the naivete of young womanhood and the difficulty experienced when that illusion is shattered.
Nevertheless, that is just about the full extent of the novel’s strong points.
The character development is disappointing, to say the least. The characters lack anything resembling depth and the reader never develops any sort of emotional attachments, negative or positive, towards any of them.
The comparison to Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is a result of the novel’s recurring scenes of tea parties with conversations regarding marriage and social class. “The Last September,” however, lacks Austen’s poignancy and elegance, and the Lois Farquar character is a far cry from Elizabeth Bennett, devoid of strength, intelligence and passion.
That being said, with a little straightening of the kinks in the storyline, the novel has the potential to be a decent movie. If John Banville, the film’s screenwriter, managed to muddle through the book and tie the ends together, it is quite possible that the film version (which was released in theaters in March) could be well worth seeing, especially since it boasts of a long list of experienced but low-key actors such as Maggie Smith (“Hook,” “Sister Act”), Michael Cambon (“Sleepy Hollow,” “The Insider”) and Fiona Shaw (“My Left Foot,” “The Avengers”).
“The Last September,” as a book, is disappointing in the sense that with a couple of added details and a little bit more attention to sentence structure, it could be a beautiful novel. As it is, however, the story is threadbare, and the ending, which is obviously meant to be touching and powerful, instead culminates with a sigh of relief that the book is complete and the toil is over.
BOOK: The film version of Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Last September,” will be available on video Aug. 8.