On New Books by Favorite Authors, such as "The Wren, The Wren," by Anne Enright

Like many readers, I am always excited when I see that one of my favorite authors has a new, or very recent, book out. I usually make a note, and as soon as possible, either put the title on my local library's waiting list, or buy the book. Of course I can't be absolutely sure that because the author is a favorite, I will like every book she or he has written. A quick glance at reviews generally gives me a good idea of whether I want to read the book or not; usually I do want to read it, and look forward to it with great anticipation. Lately I have been fortunate to note that a lovely outpouring of several books in this category have appeared: new books by authors I admire/enjoy, with whom I often have a long history. The most recent of these is "The Wren, The Wren," (Norton, 2023) by the wonderful Irish writer Anne Enright, whose novel "The Gathering" (2007) first drew me to her work. The current very woman-centered novel, "The Wren, The Wren," focuses on three generations of women, but the women, and the story, are always somewhat overshadowed by the family patriarch, a famous Irish poet who generally focuses on what is best for himself. The characters are vivid, their relationships perceptively portrayed; the author's psychological insights are sharp and clear; the writing is distinctive and compelling; and readers are reminded of the great gift this writer is to us.

"Faith Fox," and Other Fiction by Jane Gardam

Jane Gardam is the kind of author, somewhat well-known but not famous, at least in the United States (the Baltimore Sun opines that "Jane Gardam has been a secret too well kept from American readers"), that a reader who discovers her is knocked over by her originality, astringent tone, and incisiveness. Her most famous books are a trilogy of novels ("Old Filth," "The Man in the Wooden Hat," and "Last Friends") that is set in British colonial and then postcolonial locales, such as, in particular, Hong Kong. The stories travel back and forth in the history of the main characters. The books focus on the British expatriates who served in various capacities in the countries of the British Empire, including their individual histories before such service and their years of reminiscences afterward. The main characters are Edward Feathers, his wife Betty, and her secret lover Terry Veneering. Each of the three books focuses on one of these three characters, but all three circle around the same events from their various perspectives. The characters and plot are of great interest, and even more so in the context of this fraught colonial enterprise. (This latter is perhaps of particular personal interest to me, since my childhood was spent as an expat in the barely postcolonial period in India.) All of this is to say that after reading this trilogy some years ago, I read a few more of Gardam's novels (see my posts of 3/8/10, 6/3/12, 6/22/13, 9/19/14, 1/8/18), always with great interest and admiration. I have just read her 1996 novel, "Faith Fox" (Carroll and Graf), which its front flap calls a comedy of manners. I agree that it is, but it is more than that. The characters are expertly portrayed, and the story is full of humor, yes, but also pathos. I don't feel that this novel quite compares with the brilliance and depth of the (published slightly later) "Old Filth" trilogy, but the intentions of the author for the two books were clearly different. I highly recommend all of Gardam's books that I have read, including "Faith Fox," but the "Old Filth" novels are the pinnacle of her brilliant writing.

"Old Lovegood Girls," by Gail Godwin

"Old Lovegood Girls" is the most recent novel by one of my favorite writers (see my posts of 6/7/13, 8/22/15, and, very recently, 9/15/24, although these represent only some of the Godwin books I have read). The title refers to the young women at a somewhat posh, traditional, and yet, in a low-key and "proper" way, feminist women's junior college in 1958, and follows the intertwined and complicated stories, over a period of decades, of two of these young women who become friends, as well as the related stories of other students of faculty members, of family members, and of lovers and spouses. The novel addresses questions of women's friendship, social class, family, romances, marriages and other life events. There are also some secrets and surprises, some of which are life-changing. I am drawn to stories of women's friendships, and Godwin, as always, shows her knowledge of human psychology, especially women's psychology. As with all her books, this novel is beautifully written, compelling, and revelatory.