A review by lexarobinson
Summer Will Show by Sylvia Townsend Warner

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Enjoyable, and a novel extremely ahead of its time in terms of its lesbian representation. Sophia Willoughby embodies character development, going from a prim and proper English landowner in a loveless, heterosexual marriage, to a revolutionary, penniless lesbian in Paris, and Warner pulls off the change expertly. Warner considers several controversial topics in this novel (LGBT rights, misogyny, patriarchy, racism, colonialism) and manages to set up well-developed stances on all of them. The ending plot twist is unexpected and so sudden it's possible to miss it entirely, forcing you back: Warner's style is clever and tricky, but the book is a highly recommended read.
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