Monday, January 7, 2013

No Fond Return of Love

Finished No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym. It deals more with single ladies of a certain age than clergymen this time, although we do see several members of the cloth throughout. Pym herself makes a cameo appearance. Also, one of the characters, scanning a bookshelf sees the title Some Tame Gazelle. Several characters from A Glass of Blessings appear as tourists and are thought to be more like people from a novel than "real" people.

I have to say that of the seven Pym novels I've read, this is my least favorite. The sad, pathetic stalking of the handsome married Aylwin Forbes by Dulcie and Viola seemed not only relentless, but pointless. When Aylwin becomes smitten with Ducie's niece, things just became painful. Pym certainly is adept at portraying the sadness of solitary lives.

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