In 1930s England, an encounter on a train leads to an illicit affair, in this novel of "spare, poetic prose" by the author of Invitation to the Waltz (Joyce Carol Oates). Just ten years ago, Olivia Curtis attended her first dance. Now she is divorced and living with her cousin in London. When she gets a call notifying her that her father is gravely ill, she makes preparations to return to Tulverton, in the English countryside--and on the railway journey home, she runs into Rollo Spencer, her girlhood crush. He and Olivia once shared a fleeting, magical moment on a moonlit terrace that she has never forgotten. Now, fate has thrown them together again, and in spite of the fact that Rollo is married, they embark on a clandestine affair. The Weather in the Streets charts the tempestuous course of Olivia and Rollo's forbidden relationship, from the first throes of passion through the toll of their deception on Olivia as she confronts the harsh reality of being the other woman. A novel ahead of its time that touched on a variety of taboo subjects, it is an enduring classic by an author who "has always written brilliantly of women in love" (Margaret Drabble).
Rosamond Lehmann's _The Weather in the Streets_ is a sequel to her earlier book, _Invitation to the Waltz_. Here, Olivia, who in _Invitation to the Waltz_ was a nervous debutante, is now older, though perhaps not much wiser; separated from her husband, she falls in love with the married brother of an old friend and embarks upon a tempestuous affair. Compared to its predecessor, _The Weather in the Streets_ is darker, but more powerful and more complex. Olivia's inner monologues are brilliantly done, and Lehmann even slips into the first person for one section of the book, though the change is so unobtrusive that I almost didn't notice it. Of all of the writers I've read, Lehmann is one of the best at getting into her character's thoughts and showing us their experiences and emotions honestly and directly.
Lyrical review
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
I have just written an essay on this book for Birkbeck College. I think it is a truly wonderful book. Lyrical, sad, moving. It is written and set in 1930's London and I can imagine so much of the scenery. Not (underlined) that I can remember 1930's London, just my imigination and looking at old photos. I have tried to find out more about RL, but I have not been able to discover very much. Just tantalising bits. Is is a lovely book and I reccommend it. Avis Judd
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