Vanessa (Herries Saga)
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Review
Fiction in glorious, sweeping measure, set against wild and beautiful scenery and crowded with fairs, balls, weddings, duels, witches, abductions, murder and romance. For those that haven't yet read Hugh Walpole there is a treat in store for you. Surely a welcome Christmas gift? (Keswick Reminder )
Walpole's hamfisted, messy and eccentric attempt at the Great Lakeland Novel still deserves to be read. The episodes - by turns gracelessly ornate and bleakly brilliant - remain strangely enthralling and memorable, their self-indulgence a guilty pleasure for the reader too. In the Herries novels, Walpole confessed, he had allowed himself to be, for the first time in his adult life, "what I really am - a little boy telling stories in the dormitory". (Times Literary Supplement )
Walpole's hamfisted, messy and eccentric attempt at the Great Lakeland Novel still deserves to be read. The episodes - by turns gracelessly ornate and bleakly brilliant - remain strangely enthralling and memorable, their self-indulgence a guilty pleasure for the reader too. In the Herries novels, Walpole confessed, he had allowed himself to be, for the first time in his adult life, "what I really am - a little boy telling stories in the dormitory". (Times Literary Supplement )
Product Description
The fourth and final volume of the Herries Chronicles, described as 'incomparably the best' in The Daily Telegraph is a love story of 'effortless brilliance' (Observer) which starts with the triumph of Judith Paris's hundredth birthday in the 1870's and then moves to the tragic disillusionment of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Set, predominantly, as before, amidst the grandeur of the lake district landscape, it tells the passionate and unforgettable story of Vanessa, Judith's Granddaughter and her n'er-do-well cousin Benjie whom she had sworn in childhood never to betray.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In a sprawling story spanning 4 generations of the Herries family, the character of Vanessa is created and brought to life in this fourth volume in the series. Hugh Walpole's delightful heroine is a vividly-drawn portrait of a spirited, honourable, loyal, warm, honest and open young woman whose strength and moral rectitude are revealed through the trials that life presents to her. The plot is largely dialogue-driven and Walpole excels at tiny detail and his description of well-rounded characters. By today's standards Vanessa is a very old-fashioned, blind-sighted character lacking in judgement when it comes to choosing her men. However, within the context of the book she is a very modern young woman of considerable charm and strength of character who makes well-intentioned choices in her life. The book is extremely long and could almost be said to be in two halves. It is well-structured, has plenty of pace to keep the action moving and is a thoroughly enjoyable read in the tradition of a 'proper story properly told'. Walpole's sympathetic exploration of human nature is one of his special talents and his handling of one of the character's descent into madness (I won't say who as it would be a 'spoiler') is masterly. It is very refreshing to read this type of novel in which the reader can become completely immersed in the plot and involved with the characters. One feels a sense of loss at the completion of the story. I have actually started this quartet with Vanessa and now can't wait to begin the other three novels in the series. I cannot recommend this novel too highly. Hugh Walpole, who in his day suffered unfair and demeaning comparisons with Henry James and Thomas Hardy, deserves to be resurrected. Vanessa in particular would make a brilliant BBC drama series.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I completely agree that Vanessa deserves to be resurrected and would make a wonderful costume drama for the BBC. Hugh Walpole is largely forgotten now, but it is hard to understand why when reading this book in which both scene and character are brilliantly depicted and which has thought provoking ideas on every page. The writing is masterly. Like the other reviewer I have started the series with this final volume and am looking forward to reading it in full.
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