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These Lovers Fled Away
483 pages
- GenresFiction
512 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
6 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Howard Spring
64 books35 followersHOWARD 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 8, 2015
4.5 Stars
I feel like I've lived about a dozen lives since I started this book. What an epic family saga! While roughly 50 years are covered in this story, don't expect major happenings. Events such as WW1 are passed over in only a page or two, while the results thereof (one character having lost both legs) is the focus of another couple hundred pages.
The main character is Chad. We see him as a child running wild on the Cornish coast. We see him struggling to find a purpose in life while his comrades all become important men (an atomic scientist, a poet, and a politician). We see him long for Rose, his soul's desire (whom two of his friends posses) while he marries another out of loneliness. We see him and his friends join the war, come back different men and see the many directions life takes them and their descendants.
What I'm trying to say is, this is a character study. And there are a lot of characters. So its wonderful for reaching inside the psyche of so many lives and feeling like you've been a part of it all. So much is there, so much time and life experience is covered, every thread is tied and yet...yet I feel like there's something missing. I don't feel like I totally connected to the main character. It may simply be a case of too many cherries on the trifle, I don't know.
But it's good. Its very good; a story to savor.
Bottom Line: Wonderfully engrossing read, a mere half star off from being perfect.
CONTENT:
SEX: Some touching, but sex is offscreen. Some characters live together without marrying and there is a blase attitude about this. Talk of marital dissatisfaction and one character goes with a prostitute. (Not shown)
VIOLENCE: Very mild, one or two fisticuffs as children.
PROFANITY: D, H, B
Recommended Reading Audience: NA and A
I feel like I've lived about a dozen lives since I started this book. What an epic family saga! While roughly 50 years are covered in this story, don't expect major happenings. Events such as WW1 are passed over in only a page or two, while the results thereof (one character having lost both legs) is the focus of another couple hundred pages.
The main character is Chad. We see him as a child running wild on the Cornish coast. We see him struggling to find a purpose in life while his comrades all become important men (an atomic scientist, a poet, and a politician). We see him long for Rose, his soul's desire (whom two of his friends posses) while he marries another out of loneliness. We see him and his friends join the war, come back different men and see the many directions life takes them and their descendants.
What I'm trying to say is, this is a character study. And there are a lot of characters. So its wonderful for reaching inside the psyche of so many lives and feeling like you've been a part of it all. So much is there, so much time and life experience is covered, every thread is tied and yet...yet I feel like there's something missing. I don't feel like I totally connected to the main character. It may simply be a case of too many cherries on the trifle, I don't know.
But it's good. Its very good; a story to savor.
Bottom Line: Wonderfully engrossing read, a mere half star off from being perfect.
CONTENT:
SEX: Some touching, but sex is offscreen. Some characters live together without marrying and there is a blase attitude about this. Talk of marital dissatisfaction and one character goes with a prostitute. (Not shown)
VIOLENCE: Very mild, one or two fisticuffs as children.
PROFANITY: D, H, B
Recommended Reading Audience: NA and A
April 22, 2013
I love this book and have read it often - such a charmed childhood such gentle and kind people! It borders on family saga but all of them are people you enjoy being in company with.
I've read almost all of Mr Spring's books (I am only missing out on 2 of the 3 children's books) and this is one I go back to time and again. Major historical events are reflected from an entirely personal, individual point of view and are none the worse for the treatment
Spoil yourself - you can still find a reasonable hard back copy in the right charity shop
I've read almost all of Mr Spring's books (I am only missing out on 2 of the 3 children's books) and this is one I go back to time and again. Major historical events are reflected from an entirely personal, individual point of view and are none the worse for the treatment
Spoil yourself - you can still find a reasonable hard back copy in the right charity shop
November 20, 2015
A terribly old-fashioned saga, told from the perspective of a slightly obtuse, blithely sexist fellow who somehow grows up to become a handsome and brilliant playwright. I feel like I should have found it more objectionable, particularly the way he treats his first wife. (Within the world of the book, though, it's okay because she's not very bright and truly will never be one of us.) Despite all that,I found it almost totally enjoyable, with beautiful descriptions of the natural world and surprisingly frequent and effective humor. I'd like to read more by Howard Spring.
March 7, 2025
A book that captured my imagination with its scope and the variety of characters. A saga, yes, even a family saga, as many folks here call each other Aunt and Uncle, even if not related by blood. I greatly enjoyed the settings, also, from Cornwall by the sea, up to the Yorkshire dales, and then the metropolis of London, all with their unique feel and residents. Moseying through time, often slowly, the narrator and his chums of boyhood showed only vague signs of the men and women they were to become. Yet I became attached easily to him and his earliest crush, Rose, cheering their successes and despairing over their rough times. I recommend this for its breadth of wisdom and the observances of nature.
September 29, 2010
What a lovely book! I am going to seek out more by this author. I loved Chad, the main character - his kindness and understanding of his nature and the nature of those he loved were amazing. As a matter of fact, I loved most of the characters in this book.
December 13, 2023
A book my wife convinced me to read. It is an excellent story, well told, by a gifted writer. I still find myself thinking about scenes and passages in this book. It may sound like a cliched romance novel, but it is not.
August 10, 2025
Interesting. Boring. Families. History. Much of interest. Much dragging on. I made it through, but am not sure why I bothered. Wouldn't recommend it although many of the characters and situations were interesting.
July 12, 2021
British family story follows Maria and her intertwining relationships.
August 3, 2012
Another good book by Howard Spring, but not as good as The Houses in Between.
January 4, 2019
Wonderful novel and well worth reading by a talented novelist.
March 8, 2016
A wonderfully engrossing read. Well written, with some beautifully descriptive prose covering a by-gone era in which you become totally immersed. A jewel on my bookshelf.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews