Gillian Traherne and her mother Phoebe lead a remote existence in their grey, stone house on the Welsh borders. Gillian is a loner, an eccentric poet in her thirties, who has a difficult relationship with her very different mother: a well-known and expert gardener. Into their strange and secluded world, described with beautifully observed detail, come strangers from London to disrupt life as Gillian knows it. But with the joy of the love that she is to discover, will also come the pain and suffering of experience and the stark realities of the adult world.
The Hours of the Night
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'A delightful and - in the best sense - serious novel' Penelope Fitzgerald 'A memorable achievement' Valerie Grove, Daily Express 'Gee writes with startling freshness' The Times 'A complex story, beautifully told' Mail on Sunday
About the Author
Sue Gee is an associate lecturer in Writing and Publishing Studies at Middlesex University. She lives in London with her Polish partner and their son.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By R. L. Smith
Format:Paperback
This novel is much better than its cover would suggest. The title, too, doesn't do it justice. It is one of those special books that take you into their own world, and you become wholly immersed in the sounds, smells, tastes of the place and time. The characters are fully rounded, and their dilemmas all too real. The different views of the world are depicted with a light sensitive touch, so we understand each person in turn, and each earns his or her share of sympathy. One critic compares Sue Gee with 'early Iris Murdoch'. In many ways, I think this book is better than most of Murdoch's novels. Here we have real people, in a real world. The poetry and religion which are woven in (along with the music) are fully part of this world - one which stays with me after the novel is finished.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By idlewriter
Format:Paperback
This was the first of Sue Gee's novels I had read; I immediately found and read all her others, all of which were enjoyable and compelling. This, though, her most recent, I thought by far the best. It's set on the Welsh borders and is notable for its evocation of the landscape, the seasons and the rigours of rural life. The main characters all live in or near a small village: Nesta, widowed in her early thirties; Edward, whose homosexual relationship with Rowland seems unlikely to flourish in this rural setting; Phoebe and her eccentric daughter Gillian, a poet; Phil, the young musician who befriends Nesta. The relationships are cleverly interconnected in a way that builds up all sorts of tensions. This is equally true of Sue Gee's earlier novels, but this one marks a change in her style, and a new confidence. THE HOURS OF THE NIGHT is completely engrossing and has some quite marvellous description, for example the scene where Edward, presiding over his first lambing, finds a ewe with a stillborn lamb. I look forward to Sue Gee's next novel.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I believe this is probably the best Sue Gee book. To call it a story does not do it justice it is far more than that. It gets inside all the main characters especially Gillian who has led such a sheltered life. The discriptions of the countryside are truly magnificent. In the words of an English teacher I have worked with Sue Gee uses the best possible words in the best possible order. I am not going to say much about the story line - everyone should read it and find out for themselves. If you appreciate the English language well written then this is the book for you. It is one of those books that you cannot put down but you do not want it to end. It provoked such an interest in me that I looked up some of Thomas Traherne's poetry. They are beautiful too. I have now read this book twice and I shall now go back and reread some more of Sue Gee's. I wish I could find more authors like her.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as her other books
DisappointingI cant think of anything welse to say about it except I did finish it- I usually do not finish books I dont like
Published 24 days ago by Kathryn Bates
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging and different
I really loved this book. In truth not a lot really happens but the writing and emotions depicted were wonderfully compelling. Read more
Published 4 months ago by JS
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hours of Night Sue Gee
A wonderful, lyrical book. Gee's love of nature shines through in her brilliantly observed description of the passing seasons. Life-affirming.
Published 7 months ago by Georgie Hale
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poetry and Passion
A very original, highly memorable novel set on the Welsh borders. As in her later novel set in this part of the UK, 'The Mysteries of Glass', Gee's descriptions of landscape are... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kate Hopkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hours of the Night
An excellent novel and one to be recommended for the story writing and style. This author was unknown to me previously. Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by Mrs. W. B. Taylor
1.0 out of 5 stars
The hours of the night Sue Gee
There is little doubt that Sue Gee writes memorably about farming and the art of gardening. Her characters are memorable if lacking in substance. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2008 by L. J. Newland
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Hours of The Night
This is a beautifully written book, with many layers. The descriptions of the changing seasons and the countryside in general are particularly evocative. Read more
Published on 30 April 2008 by gerty guinea
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lyrical and moving account of four seasons
I picked this book up on a whim, liking the blurb on the back. It is one of the best analyses of country life that I have ever read in fiction. Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2006 by Star_Sea
4.0 out of 5 stars
Magical Storytelling
A friend left this book behind when she holidayed with me and it was the first by Sue Gee I had read. it certainly won't be the last. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2005 by Eunice Gray
3.0 out of 5 stars
read it for the landscape
I bought this for the location, and was not disappointed. The author has a deft and sensitive descriptive ability. Read more
Published on 3 Oct 2000
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