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A review by emma_probett
Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair, Francine Prose
3.0
"When she remembered how she used to love it she felt that she had done something cruel and iniquitous, but necessary to the soul."
Beginning with the birth of Harriet and ending with her death, this novel enacts in fifteen chapters the uncomfortable transition from Victorian values to the early C20th. Harriet's entire life is constructed around "behaving beautifully" and following her parent's moral code, the punishment being their disappointment; as a result, Harriet is exalted every time she practises self-restraint and self-sacrifice. Although she always intends on her actions doing the best possible good, she ignores the plethora of negative effects that come with repression and compromise.
The first half of this book I found very compelling but as Harriet ages (just after the middle-aged mark) and her personal concerns drop away, so did my interest. Predominantly because it isn't replaced with any real concern or reflection after this point, which is definitely in keeping with Sinclair's motivation and artistic expectations of the novel, but I felt it left something lacking.
Beginning with the birth of Harriet and ending with her death, this novel enacts in fifteen chapters the uncomfortable transition from Victorian values to the early C20th. Harriet's entire life is constructed around "behaving beautifully" and following her parent's moral code, the punishment being their disappointment; as a result, Harriet is exalted every time she practises self-restraint and self-sacrifice. Although she always intends on her actions doing the best possible good, she ignores the plethora of negative effects that come with repression and compromise.
The first half of this book I found very compelling but as Harriet ages (just after the middle-aged mark) and her personal concerns drop away, so did my interest. Predominantly because it isn't replaced with any real concern or reflection after this point, which is definitely in keeping with Sinclair's motivation and artistic expectations of the novel, but I felt it left something lacking.