Set in England before and during the Second World War -- tick. Upper class, eccentric characters -- tick. (Extra points for the eccentrics being an extended family of cousins.) Ruminations on love, loyalty, secrets, loss and betrayal -- tick. Bring it on!
This is definitely an adult books, despite featuring a class of young adults, and one child, Sophy. I've never read anything by Mary Wesley before, and she is one of those inspiring authors who wasn't published until she was seventy! This is quite a sexy book, but in unexpected ways. The F word is tossed around, but the seemingly sophisticated Calypso doesn't recognise an erection when it first.. er...comes to hand. Uncle Richard creepily puts his hand up little girls' skirts, but everyone shrugs, oh dear, and tries to keep potential victims out of his way. This book has the ring of authenticity, and surely must be at least partly based on Wesley's own memories of the war.
I enjoyed the structure of this novel, which has the main characters gathering for a funeral fifty years later, so we can see what has happened to them in the meantime -- often as a result of the events of the war. Relationships shift and twist, collide and explode in unexpected ways.
The Camomile Lawn was made into a mini-series in 1991, starring Jennifer Ehle in her first role. (Jennifer memorably went on to star as Lizzie Bennett in the iconic TV version of Pride and Prejudice.) The TV adaptation also starred Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington, a couple of my favourite actors (though not at all how I pictured their characters). I wonder if it's still available anywhere?
Even if I can't find it, The Camomile Lawn was a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable read. And now I have to hunt down all the Mary Wesley noels I can find.
The mini-series was absolutely huge at the time! In fact, television went a bit mad for Mary Wesley adaptions; at about the same time they did Jumping The Queue and Harnessing Peacocks. I suppose her books are very televisual - lots of sex, risque storylines, eccentric but easily recognisable characters. Her books were everywhere as well, they have that combination of being easy to read but also well-regarded by critics.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure The Camomile Lawn must be available on DVD somewhere.
I'm amazed I've never come across the TV adaptation as it's very much my cup of tea -- I loved Love in a Cold Climate and Brideshead Revisited -- now that I think about it, I may have been travelling at around that time and missed it for that reason. I'm sure I'll be able to find it somewhere, nothing is lost these days!
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