November

by Janet Hobhouse

Through Janet Hobhouse's third novel we follow Zachariah Quine, who at the age of forty - deserted by both his wife and his ambitions as a musician - flees New York City and its fragmented, bohemian lives, seeking to "crawl back into the camp of the human tribe." His destination is London, where he stays with his expatriate brother and his "English" family - and meets Anne, whom his brother describes as "a walking disaster, alcoholic, manic-depressive, accident-prone, kleptomaniac, just what you need right now." She crystallizes everything he yearns for, caught as he is between regret and desire, with only the illusion of freedom to sustain him.

November is about the nature of love and loss, and the difficulties of making new ties when the old ones still hurt. Janet Hobhouse redefines our notions of freedom, change and escape, and examines the wariness with which all but the very young are bound to carry through life, in a narrative of clear and affecting power.

Genres: Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 1986

Reviews

[Abigaëlle Perrault · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I picked up this book in one of those 'communal' libraries at a tube station. I was curious to how this story would unfold and I never say no to a free book.
It was okay. I didn't dislike it but I felt the pace was a bit intriguing/weird to follow. It was a small novel about grown adults with families, married or divorced, navigating their conception of happiness but not much happened to be honest.

[Rich Gamble · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hobhouse has a reputation amongst those who would even remember her to have produced some patchy novels. I made it through her first Dancing in the Dark because despite its flaws she preented many interesting ideas about marriage, homosexuality, moral boundaries and attempted to address some of the cultural shifts during the 80s. Where this book failed is thats its about not much and just makes you want to sleep instead of reading it.. Also the lead character is a man without a country which according to my friend Art is a sure sign of a bad novel..this is the second time the phrase has rung true!

[Matt Suder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mid-80s Boomer navel-gazing. Sorry figuring out your post-divorce, apparently independently wealthy, unemployed composer, globe trotting life sucks dude.