This is one of the most memorable books I have read. It centres on a late middle-aged couple, poet and painter, whose relationship is based on the everyday rituals of their life. Though their lives are outwardly quiet and solitary, their inner lives pulse with intense emotion. Their "relatedness" is threatened when Arthur is approached by a younger woman to father her child. From then on in, every single word counts whether it is a description of the rolling Somerset countryside or an investigation of their innermost feelings. As the interloper jolts into their lives, we see how each character reacts to the unfolding events. Both the characters and situation are eccentric providing a surprising seam of humour.
The language throughout is highly poetic and the approach perceptive. Love, rejection, companionship are the themes. Running along side them is a focus on simple things, the making of food, the life of the garden, making us value them anew.
