The Houses in Between

by Howard Spring

In this book we follow the life of Sarah Rainborough from age 3 in 1851 to the end of her life in 1948. In the opening chapter Sarah is taken to Britain’s *Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace where she catches a glimpse of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Throughout the novel Spring gives his readers the opportunity to share Sarah’s perspective on English history which for Sarah from age 3 on is somehow magically, metaphorically, reflected on the glass windows of the Crystal Palace. As a matter of fact, we learn in the author’s foreword that the title of this book comes from an old music hall song with the words, “You could see the Crystal Palace if it wasn’t for the houses in between.”

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, British Literature

576 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

HOWARD SPRING was an immensely popular and successful writer, who enjoyed a large following of readers from the 1940s to the 1960s; and though, since his death in 1965, he has become rather neglected, his books are still worth seeking out for their terrific storytelling and the quality of the writing. He was certainly painstaking and professional in his approach. Every morning he would shut himself in his study and write one thousand words, steadily building up to novels of around one hundred and fifty thousand words. He rarely made major alterations to his writings (all completed with a dip-in pen!).
Howard Spring started out as a journalist, but from 1934 produced a series of best-selling novels, the most successful of which were My Son My Son and Fame is the Spur.
He was born in Cardiff in 1889 in humble circumstances, one of nine children and the son of a jobbing gardener who died while Howard was still at school. He left school at the age of 12 to begin work as an errand boy, later becoming an office boy at a firm of accountants in Cardiff Docks, and then a messenger at the South Wales Daily News. Spring was keen to train as a reporter, and was largely self-taught --he spent his leisure time learning shorthand and taking evening classes, where he studied English, French, Latin, mathematics and history. He mastered English grammar by studying a book on the subject by William Cobbett.
He worked his way up to become a reporter on the South Wales Daily News, and then in 1911 he joined the Yorkshire Observer in Bradford. By 1915 he was on the Manchester Guardian –proof that he was a young man with much talent. Soon afterwards he was called up for the Army Service Corps, where he served as a shorthand typist. After the war, he returned to the paper in Manchester and worked as a reporter on a paper that allowed journalists to write and express themselves. In 1931, after reporting on a political meeting at which Lord Beaverbrook was the speaker, Beaverbrook was so impressed by Spring's piece (he described the man as ‘a pedlar of dreams’) that he arranged for Spring to be offered a post with the Evening Standard in London, where he eventually became a book reviewer –a successor to Arnold Bennett and J.B. Priestley.
At the same time, Spring was developing his ambition to become a full-time writer. He thought he could do a lot better than many of the so-called authors whose books he was asked to review! His first book, Darkie and Co, came out in 1932 (in this period he wrote a number of children’s books for his sons), followed by his first novel, Shabby Tiger (September 1934) and a sequel, Rachel Rosing (1935).
His first major success came in February 1938 with My Son, My Son (originally titled O Absalom, but, happily, changed when William Faulkner used a similar title in the United States), and in 1939 he was able to move to Cornwall to become a full-time writer (he and his wife, Marion, eventually settled at The White Cottage in Fenwick Road, where they remained for the rest of their married life). In 1940, his best-known work, Fame is the Spur, the story of a Labour leader's rise to power, was published. This is without doubt a superb novel, and probably the one book by Spring that is still being read more than 40 years after his death.
During the war years Spring wrote two other novels, Hard Facts (1944) and Dunkerley's (1946), and, subsequently he published There is No Armour (1948), The Houses in Between (1951), A Sunset Touch (1953), These Lovers Fled Away (1955), Time and the Hour (1957), All The Day Long (1959) and I Met a Lady (1961). Spring also produced three volumes of autobiography--Heaven Lies About Us (1939), In the Meantime (1942); and And Another Thing (1946)—which were later published in one volume as The Autobiography (1972). His last book was Winds of the Day (1964).
It is relevant to note that many of his books had Manchester settings, which led to him being referred to as ‘The Manchester Man’, and

Reviews

[Dorcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth Howard Spring book I've read so far (feels like more than that since they're so chunky) and it's my favorite. Basically, the novel follows the life of Sarah from age 3 on her visit to the Crystal Palace with her parents to see the Queen, to her death at age 99, the last living of her generation. 

But it's so much more. Lives are not lived in a vacuum, and Sarah's life intertwines with many and varied people over some major global events (Queen Victoria's complete reign, The Indian Mutiny, The Crimea, The Boer War, WW1, and finally WW2) Its fascinating to see how all these characters interlock, rising and falling over the generations.

And Howard Spring is a master with his pen. This is truly a book to savor. I read it over a spread of two weeks and looked forward to every minute when I could relax and pick it up again.

But keep in mind, this is not a book of action and HAPPENINGS. It's a book about real life, real people, their joys and tragedies, one day at a time. I love it.

CONTENT:

Suitable for all readers

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

We always regret when a good book reaches its end. This is one of them! I should explore the remaining books by this author.

3* Fame is the Spur (1940)
4* The Houses in Between (1957)
TR All the Day Long (1959)
TR #1. Heaven Lies About Us (1939, 1940)
TR #2. In the Meantime (1942)
TR #3. And Another Thing... (1946)
TR Time and the Hour (1957)
TR I met a Lady (1961)

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. At first I wasn't convinced a male author could write through the eyes of a female but I think Howard Spring really did an excellent job, a female author may have made the book more romantic maybe. This book has everything, including enough deaths to give Les Mis a run for its money. I didn't read the prologue until after I had finished the book and I'm glad for that as it didn't ruin the ending for me. It was a very sad day for me when I did complete the book, I was very tempted to start reading from the beginning again. Why is there no adaptation? Can imagine it being similar to the Forsyte Saga.

[Jani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this novel, which I stumbled upon at the bottom of a bag full of rejected "antique" books. I thought I'd give it a chance and I'm glad I did. Fitting comfortably into the Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) genre, this is an engaging, often unexpectedly funny, glimpse into the life of a young, upper class, girl in Victorian England. So far we've had comedy, romance, tragedy, adventure, and action. This is an intriguing, intimate look at a historic period during which societies, conventions, and lives were undergoing tremendous upheaval.

[Asmaa_mk · Rating 4 out of 5]

الرواية حلوة و ممتعة تحجي عن طفلة صغيرة عاشت ٩ عقود من الزمن و كأنما عاشتهة متفرجة و شاهدة ع حياة كل الداير مدايرهة و همة ينولدون و يموتون و ينجحون و يفشلون .. الشي الوحيد الي معجبني هو التعمق بقصص الشخصيات الجانبية و ذكر تفاصيل مچنت مهتمة انو اعرفهة .. بس برأيي هالرواية تستحق القراءة و مع انو هي جزأيين بس ابد محسيت بملل و چنت مستمتعة بيهة جدا 💚

[Raquel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book in my college library stacks at the end of my freshman year finals in 1965, when I was ready to read something for pleasure instead of studies. I fell in love with it, and have re-read it at least four or five times since then. it may be dated as others on Goodreads have said, but it paints an incredible picture of Victorian life and all the lessons learned in a well-lived life. Very nostalgic, sometimes sad, but also uplifting. It's definitely worth reading!

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in the process of cleaning up bookshelves. This is one of those books that sticks with you. And one that will always be on my shelf. Random moments pass, and I recall a passage or idea from this book. It’s a worthy read, to me, about human relationships, family bonds, social responsibility, caring for others, and class systems.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather rambling story of a woman's life from the Great Exhibition to just after WWII. Many linked stories, some very interesting, some not. Quite dated now, not one of his best, but readable - very evocative descriptive passages here and there.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Spring was a terrific writer whose novels were invariably very readable and absorbing. This was a very enjoyable read --a nostalgic experience, for I first discovered this novel many years ago, in the mid to late 1950s I think, and it was good to find that it is still as readable as it was then.

[Tina Naples · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so many years since I read all that Howard Spring wrote that I really must now find time to go back and re-read the rest of them. Such a good storyteller.

[ruv · Rating 3 out of 5]

took me monthsss to finish. whole book equals to the mc's life.

[Carolyn Agosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Howard Spring, but it will not be the last. I enjoy historical fiction, particularly family sagas, and this fits right in with that. The synopsis others have given is well-enough, but I would add that if you're a fan of Galsworthy, R.F. Delderfield, or Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, you will enjoy this book. The voice of the main character, Sarah Undridge, from age 3 to 97, covering the last half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th, is so 'right', so believable, that you wish you had the chance to meet the old girl. And to visit Tresant, the country home where much of her life took place. The period encompasses so much change that is fascinating to read. My own grandmother lived from 1903 to 1989 and saw a great deal of change in her lifetime, change I was able to monitor at least through the medium of photographs, showing her as a little girl with ringlets and white muslin ruffles up through her old age in pantsuits, enormous '80's eyeglasses and sensible running shoes with Velcro closures. At any rate, the book is HIGHLY enjoyable and I plan to search out more of Howard Spring's books. By the way, the copy I read was a 1954 hardbound version, which made the reading even more enjoyable.

[Paul Adler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book based of the life of Sarah Unridge who lives to be 99. The story based on her biography. Set between the years of 1848 to 1947 events such as the opening of the Crystal Palace, the Death of Prince Albert the Diamond Jubilee and death of Queen Victoria the Boer War and 2 world wars are events looked at through her eyes. The book is set in both Cornwall and London. A lot of her friends and family die before her. This is a great book for anyone interested in past events through fictional eyes. A great read. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading, I think for the fourth time; still love the range of colourful characters, the well-plotted story-telling, the detailed descriptions of lush countryside and harsh East End, and the author's constant concern for the fragility of human happiness and the sorrow which is always lurking, even at what seem like the happiest moments in our lives.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember where I recent read about Howard Spring. But I'm so glad I did. My Son, My Son was pretty good, but this was wonderful. Sarah is an incredible character and Howard Spring must have been a remarkable person.

[Soothing Rays · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and interesting book. History is brought alive through the story of a girl from her infancy to old age.Her growth and changes in history parallel each other as the story unfolds.

[Michelle Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic telling of a woman’s life from Victorian age.

[Jannah Ibraheem · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t like this series, nor did it really appeal to me, even though I truly love the Victorian era. It left me quite disappointed.

[Carrie Carteret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful family saga based on a woman's life spanning the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, and set in London and Cornwall. The title comes from a music hall song which Spring remembered mentioning the Crystal Palace (though the lyrics as recorded mention other non-visible sites, but not the Crystal Palace). This symbol of peace and progress which was the protagonists's earliest memory is a recurring motif as the century darkens.

Some of the characters in this novel are more believable than others, but Howard Spring is a fantastic storyteller who can deliver a plot and involve the reader in the lives of new players with economy and verve. This is how he despatches one minor character, Henry Grimshaw, who has just bought a house in St John's Wood, complete with pond and marble statue:

"Here Captain Grimshaw and his still attractive but childless Annie might have been happy together for a long time had not the railway-investment bug bitten him deeply. He was a man with neither sense nor experience in financial affairs, and the marble lady looked down with faultless modesty and unconcern, while the goldfish nibbled the hairs of his ears and moustache during the few hours that passed before he was lifted out of the pond at seven o'clock on a sleety winter morning."

[eLwYcKe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living somewhere in between the houses of Dickens and Merchant Ivory, so there’s grime to offset all the port and brocade.
I don’t understand why this isn’t a more celebrated work.
Our heroine Sarah Undridge has 99 years of incident, humorous, romantic and tragic, enough for any devotee of fictional biography.
I suppose it is on the sentimental side, but some passages I found deeply affecting and heartfelt, particularly the wastes of war. Then a character like Sally Gaylord and her utter rejection of her inherited wealth in favour of poverty and endless self sacrifice stretched the bounds of credibility a bit too far for me.
But, this is melodrama and it’s been lovely walking with Sarah and getting lost for a while in a world long gone.

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dear friend of mine recently passed away. His wife, knowing we shared many interests, told me to come by the house and pick up some books. "My children will throw them away when I’m gone; they don’t read."

While I was browsing his shelves she took a book from one of her own and said, "This author writes as he should! You get lost in his books." It was the way she said it that stayed with me, and later I decided to buy My Son, My Son. Not from her, as she would not sell it. I opened the first page the day the book arrived, out of curiosity; I had no intention of starting it then, as my reading list was already long. A few minutes later I was no longer standing, and two weeks on I had finished it.

Since then three more books have found their way into my collection, and I face a delightful dilemma: give in to the temptation to read them straight away, or resist and save them for later. So far, it seems highly likely I will fail the Stanford marshmallow experiment.