An Innocent Gentleman

by Elizabeth Jolley

Henry and Muriel's life on the new estate is relatively harmonious, despite the vulgar neighbours (the Tonkettes), the Second World War and the regular Sunday visits from Muriel's mother (who believes her daughter has married far below her station).The accidental(?) appearance of Mr Hawthorne - Muriel's student - at their house one Sunday afternoon brings unexpected upheavals. Here is a man of respectable breeding, of munificent means, and someone capable of refined, intelligent conversation. Mr Hawthorne has something to offer everyone in the family, but his posting to London disturns the delicate balance of personal affairs. . .

Genres: Fiction

257 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Monica Elizabeth Jolley was an award-winning writer who settled in Western Australia in the late 1950s. She was 53 years old when her first book was published, and she went on to publish fifteen novels (including an autobiographical trilogy), four short story collections, and three non-fiction books, publishing well into her 70s and achieving significant critical acclaim. She was also a pioneer of creative writing teaching in Australia, counting many well known writers such as Tim Winton among her students. Her novels explore alienated characters and the nature of loneliness and entrapment.

Honours:
1987: Western Australian Citizen of the Year
1988: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to literature
1989: Canada/Australia Literary Award
1997: Australian Living Treasure

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd, but sort of enjoyable book, set in 2nd World War English midlands, about the relationship between a married couple and an older 'gentleman'. Written in an unusal manner. Initially referring to 'the husband' and 'the wife'. Probably lots of symbolism that I missed, and got to the end wondering what it was really about.

[Diane Tait · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book club read for me and as I used to enjoy Jolley years ago, I was looking forward to it. However I found it the writing style very irritating - so many commas!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Jolley novel, every character, every plot development, every page is what it seems, and yet not what it seems. An Innocent Gentleman seems at first such a simple story, mere domestic happenings against a backdrop of WW2 which seems remote and irrelevant. But then the oddity of events piles up, and the irony of the title provokes one puzzle after another. Who can the innocent gentleman be if it certainly isn’t Mr Hawthorn? Is anybody innocent in this complex web of relationships, seemingly played out in the dull suburbs of the Midlands? For more, and a link to an excellent professional review, see
http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200...

[Mariya]

NO