Quartet in Autumn
Barbara Pym
1977
5/5 stars
"But at least it made one realise that life still held infinite possibilities for change."
Edwin, Norman, Letty, and Marcia are coworkers in an office, all four nearing retirement age. The women retire at the same time, and as is to be expected, the dynamics of the relationships between the four alter as their individual lives change.
To read the description of the plot, it doesn't seem likely that it would be an interesting book, and yet, it is engrossing. The story appears to be just a gentle character study, but underneath it is witty, wry, poignant, sad, and, in the end, triumphantly hopeful. Pym's characters and situations are believable and alive, and this book, as a whole, is exceptional.
Barbara Pym1977
5/5 stars
"But at least it made one realise that life still held infinite possibilities for change."
Edwin, Norman, Letty, and Marcia are coworkers in an office, all four nearing retirement age. The women retire at the same time, and as is to be expected, the dynamics of the relationships between the four alter as their individual lives change.
To read the description of the plot, it doesn't seem likely that it would be an interesting book, and yet, it is engrossing. The story appears to be just a gentle character study, but underneath it is witty, wry, poignant, sad, and, in the end, triumphantly hopeful. Pym's characters and situations are believable and alive, and this book, as a whole, is exceptional.
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