Thoughts On A Recent Anti-Climax

Posted by goodthinkingbatgirl on June 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

This entry is edited from my journal notes about this book, so please forgive any elements of incoherence or lack of articulation…

I recently read The Go-Between by LP Hartley. It is one on-going story but there are many small things that unfold along the way. To an extent it feels like Virginia [Woolf]‘s haze but with some gig lamps slowly coming into focus – more and more as the novel progresses. Though it is told in retrospect by Leo when he is an adult, he narrates from the point of view he had at the time, that of a twelve year old boy. So, as certain things do not make complete sense to him because he is not able to see all facets of the situation, we cannot either, and so we only see and understand what he sees and understands. We may understand some things earlier than he does but thru his eyes we still cannot know the whole situation, and that is why the story unfolds so slowly. This is of course the case with the central events of the messages passed between Marian and Ted – we realise they are love notes long before he finds out. We may also guess that the only reason Lord Trimingham comes to stay is to become engaged to Marian – and that the reason for this is that Marian’s family may continue to live in the house (thru the generations) while the Trimighams retain ownership. It is to bring the two families together, rather than anything to do with love, though it appears Lord T has some affection for Marian, though she appears to love Ted.

The whole point of the story is really Leo’s awakening to the adult world as he begins to understand how and why adults really behave as they do. Reading from an adult perspective, it is strange and interesting to see how limited and at the same time how perfectly sensible a child’s perspective is of things, in keeping with those limitations.

Warning – PLOT SPOILERS!

Once I finished The Go-Between (after two weeks-ish) I was grateful for it. The ending was not as shocking as it was intended to be – the story had begun to drag on so much that it was obvious that Marian and Ted’s affair was to be discovered in some way and that Leo would most likely blame himself. Ted’s suicide was not expected but there was no way that he and Marian could have stayed together so whatever the outcome it was bound to be tragic. The epilogue was fitting but not especially revealing or unexpected. Obviously it would not have necessarily been the case in 1953 (the date of publication), but I feel I have read many of the components of the story in many other forms. Also the book did not come together as I expected it to from the opening. The revelation of memory seemed to promise a much more exciting story, something more like a thriller – perhaps that is why it seemed somewhat anticlimactic. If the intention had been clearer then the events, completion and execution of the novel would have been more satisfying.

So… read it if you want to. There’s a film adaptation from the 70s that, according to my mother, is really good. Well, I hope it’s at least better than the book!

I have since read a few short stories by Daphne du Maurier (whom I adore adore ADORE), and that really was a welcome change. I read Don’t Look Now, Not After Midnight and A Borderline Case. They were all fantastic, though I’m not sure I have completely unravelled Not After Midnight. Now I just need to watch the film version of Don’t Look Now – in daylight and not alone…

Happy reading!

Batgirl.xx.

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