By Leila Mobayen
Daily Bruin Contributor
Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Last September” is just
like Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice”
““ without the coherence and captivation of relatable
characters and a well-defined plot.
Not to say that Bowen’s work, written in 1952, is a
completely futile attempt at storytelling; it was recently made
into a major motion picture directed by Deborah Warner.
The novel is set in 1920s Ireland, amidst post-war occupation by
England, a backdrop that establishes a gravely apprehensive tone
for the duration of the tale.
Bowen successfully takes readers on a journey through several
months in the life of Lois Farquar, an orphan raised by her elderly
aunt and uncle, who sifts through the old-fashioned preconceptions
of society. She struggles to define her own balance between the
established requirements of womanhood and the sacrifices that come
with total freedom.
But the problem is not in the establishment of a young romantic
heroine.
Bowen tries too hard to take a simple statement and twist it
around with fancy wording. Instead of enhancing her writing, she
leaves the reader confused and frustrated.
Her transitions jump into conversations and scenes that do not
flow smoothly, forcing the reader at times to re-read an entire
chapter for clarification.
Once in a while, though, the author manages to strike the
perfect chord in describing a certain character or situation. For
example, during a reflective moment in the novel, Lois discovers
that, “after every turn ““ or awakening, even, from
sleep or preoccupation ““ she and these home surroundings
still further penetrated each other mutually in the discovery of a
lack.”
The author’s descriptions of Lois, her experiences with
men, and her realizations about her place in society are the
highlights of the novel, as she does a good job of accurately
portraying the naivete of young womanhood and the difficulty
experienced when that illusion is shattered.
Nevertheless, that is just about the full extent of the
novel’s strong points.
The character development is disappointing, to say the least.
The characters lack anything resembling depth and the reader never
develops any sort of emotional attachments, negative or positive,
towards any of them.
The comparison to Austen’s “Pride and
Prejudice” is a result of the novel’s recurring scenes
of tea parties with conversations regarding marriage and social
class. “The Last September,” however, lacks
Austen’s poignancy and elegance, and the Lois Farquar
character is a far cry from Elizabeth Bennett, devoid of strength,
intelligence and passion.
That being said, with a little straightening of the kinks in the
storyline, the novel has the potential to be a decent movie. If
John Banville, the film’s screenwriter, managed to muddle
through the book and tie the ends together, it is quite possible
that the film version (which was released in theaters in March)
could be well worth seeing, especially since it boasts of a long
list of experienced but low-key actors such as Maggie Smith
(“Hook,” “Sister Act”), Michael Cambon
(“Sleepy Hollow,” “The Insider”) and Fiona
Shaw (“My Left Foot,” “The Avengers”).
“The Last September,” as a book, is disappointing in
the sense that with a couple of added details and a little bit more
attention to sentence structure, it could be a beautiful novel. As
it is, however, the story is threadbare, and the ending, which is
obviously meant to be touching and powerful, instead culminates
with a sigh of relief that the book is complete and the toil is
over.
BOOK: The film version of Elizabeth Bowen’s “The
Last September,” will be available on video Aug. 8.