A House With Four Rooms

by Rumer Godden

The novelist recalls her return to England from India after World War II, her marriage and conversion to Catholicism, and her literary success, in the second volume of her memoirs

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, India, Biography Memoir, British Literature, Autobiography

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Margaret Rumer Godden was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Rumer Godden's fiction novels can often be enjoyable unto the sublime. Reading the non-fiction memoirs? They are interesting in the moves and constant changes but not in the same class of reading enjoyment for me. And the outlets that enabled her to keep writing instead of "getting a job" as so many seemed to insist! Kudos for that era as she stuck to her guns and moved away to London or where ever she could write for money instead of keeping tight with her parents after her divorce. Every day writing for hours at specific periods too. She was completely structured to do that and with ink and flowing fountain pen in longhand.

And I absolutely do agree with her comments about how books written on typewriters (what would she think of digital tech keyboard) have way too many words because it is too "easy" with not enough contemplation for the timing process.

This is her second memoir of her post 1945 years. It includes most of her movie deals and her second marriage, and the outcomes and situations of her offspring.

IMHO, she was far, far more selfish than the myriad of her novels would lead you to believe. In her actual life, she liked what she liked and housework, cooking were nil - a servant less life was NOT her thing and she admits it. Anything that was a distraction from her writing time, other than those tiny doggies- effected move and change to something else and somewhere else. Thus the multiple boarding school habits for more than a decade with her girls switching boarding schools to day schools again. I can't help but notice in the memoirs that the school issue at play in every case for change is always the school's fault. LOL!

Her coming to a religion and her independence as a core threaded through the whole and seem intrinsically sincere. Some of her fiction novels are classics and superb children and cultural studies fare. This was an autobiography to give you a glance to how she achieved the excellent product and her latter years in England and Scotland.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd memoir from Rumer Godden and follows her life after "A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep". Rumer is now a divorced woman who has left India and has returned to England determined to raise her two daughters and become a successful writer. This work would inspire any woman rebuilding her life, post-divorce. She ultimately does just that while finding God, spiritual fulfillment, a new love, a successful career as a writer for adult and children and a passion for homes and gardens. To be read and re-read.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely preferred her first memoir, 'A Time to Dance, no Time to Weep'. This second one did not feel as vibrant or focused and, in places, I felt that stuff was being added in to fill out the required number of pages. I still enjoyed it though I did feel she shied away from discussing her feelings about husband's illness and death though perhaps that was - understandably - taboo for her. I loved the insights she provided regarding her writing and her life as a successful writer. The accounts of her visit to America and of her work with director Jean Renoir were fascinating.

[Margaret Gipson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing read, and I ended up skimming. I was interested in her time as a single mother writing in the potting shed, and also in her conversion later in life, but while I understand being a private person, I get the feeling that Rumer Godden is a bit too intensely private to write a compelling memoir.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must-read for any Rumer Godden fan, though in my opinion not as gripping as the first memoir, A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep. Four Rooms starts with Rumer's permanent return to England, and follows her through her new life as a divorced mother of two young children, working to support them with her pen.

Lots of name-dropping as Ms. Godden's books increasingly grow in popularity and she starts to move in exalted literary and film-making circles; while not terribly offensive this occasionally feels a bit gratuitous. But it was the reality of her life; she did truly gain the high stature her celebrity friends and compatriots suggest, and those circles became her natural habitat, so to pretend she was still a simple soul in a country cottage would be misleading.

She describes her courtship by her second husband, and her difficulties in emotionally committing to a second marriage after the long disaster of her first tragic marital experience. The second relationship had its ups and downs but Godden's description of James' final years and death is poignantly sorrowful, if briefly referred to. I certainly got the feeling that her love and grief was sincere.

Interesting glimpses into the backgrounds of many of the novels from The River onwards, plus her growing stature as a children's writer and advocate for literacy which was a major interest in her later years.

All in all an interesting and extremely readable memoir by a gifted and memorable writer. I do believe she was often her own harshest critic, though she bridled at some negative comments from reviwers on the "slightness" of some of her books.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a friend, I ordered A House With Four Rooms because of her praise but also because as a child I loved Miss Happiness and Miss Flower and The Mousewife. I would recommend this memoir for anyone interested in women authors of the time period, or anyone who enjoys Godden's books (or the films made from her books) who'd like a glimpse behind the scenes of their creation.

Also, I think any fans of Kathleen Thompson Norris' memoir or non-fiction writing would love this book. Rumer out-Kathleens Kathleen in the name-dropping, aren't-we-merry-without-any-money,(don't mind the servants) descriptions of life in sunny rooms on three continents. With lots of smoked salmon, unwanted (but correctly made) tea, and 33 Pekingnese.

[Eileen Sainsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having re-read Rumer Godden's first part of her autobiography, A time to dance no time to weep, I just had to read this second part. Although I was a bit disappointed in some ways, because she. omits parts of her life story, I was nevertheless fascinated by her experiences, and at the end of the book I was left feeling rather desolate and sad that there would be no more to follow. Most of her books are based on her own experiences, though, so in a way her biography. She remains one of my favourite authors, although I guess she would not appeal to young people today.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Godden's lovely memoir fills and extends her fiction and tells the reader where the fiction and the life are inextricably and irrevocably intertwined. I began my love affair with all things Godden very early on and it remains strong through multiple readings and long years when I let the works languish on the shelf.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A House with Four Rooms is Rumer Godden's memoir of the last part of her writing life, that included moving from Asia to England, the end of her first marriage, single parent life while writing, fame-fame-fame, books-turned-into-movies, adding a husband to the mix, lots of homes, and more and more books.

Rumer Godden is one of my favorite authors, and I'm a devoted fan, so this book was nothing but joy for me. It dismays me how many of my well-read friends have no idea of her work. . .it's powerful in a delicate way, full of a poetry all its own. Full of sensual description, all things flowery, gardens and tea loaded trays in the 'civilised' settings, and wild promise in the natural ones. She begins her life with an indifference to religion and all things spiritual until she starts to ponder the many gods and stories of Hindu and East Asian belief systems, and finally upon her return to London finds the Catholic faith to be the one she can embrace as she faces her final life's task (to give it up). She was thoroughly beguiled by nuns, the ideals establishing them and paradigms presented through their many differences and basic similarities.

Rumer Godden wrote of nuns in a number of her books:

"Why do you want to write this book?" Ben had asked at its outset. "Don't tell me you're religious," I, added to Siegfried, was nearly too much for Ben. "Why?" he had demanded, and my writing self, which is the more truthful, had answered, "Because nuns are dramatic. Theirs is the greatest love story in the world."
I still think it is.

She starts this book with the Indian proverb about four rooms. She finishes with it as well, confirming how it has fit her life as a model of balance and calm in the wild wind that is life on this earth. Only through a steady application of attention to one's inner rooms of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual concerns can one be truly ready to finally leave the beauty of this realm for another.

4 stars for the book; all the stars for Rumer.

[Janis Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gruelling struggles of her earlier memoir have now given way to the sunny uplands of England, where Rumer Godden reaps rewards for her prolific writing and gains literary respect in the U.K. and the States.

I found it absorbing watching her progress and hearing her tales of encounters with famous people of her day and to go with her on her travels to France, India and the US.

She has a library named after her in the States and she describes a fascinating visit to the home of Emily Dickinson.

She never seems to settle long in one place but before she eventually moves to Scotland to be nearer family, she lives in the famous Lamb House in Rye.

She has a wealth of anecdotes about its previous residents, EF Benson and Henry James as well as her own time there.

I found it fascinating that she undertook visits to schools and libraries with two young trainee actors to spread the love of poetry to young people and to read about her successes on this front.


I’m not sure there are other authors whose biographies could stretch to two engaging volumes.



To hear Rumer Godden’s voice, go to BBC Sounds and look up her episode of Desert Island DIscs.

[Jessica Sacks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is beautiful as one would expect; the narrative inspires envy... And I would start with her novels, her perfect children's books and the first volume of her memoir. What can you do - the story of a successful writer being successful and writing, however many her other achievements may be and however well she remembers all the floral displays and Persian carpets along the way - will never be quite as gripping as the adversity she lived through to get there.
I got a lot from this, though. The immense value she places on the aesthetic and on culture for its own sake - and on taking very seriously the need to offer these authentically to children - is inspiring as well as enviable. I was able to find the film, The River, which she describes the making of, and the televisation of The Doll's House, both online, which was satisfying. Especially spying her (I'm almost sure) in the stills of The Doll's House.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second of Godden’s memoirs, completed in her 70th year sings with life. Typically, I blast through books like a locomotive, but this one commanded a slower pace, with time to contemplate and savour the words and the story of this extraordinary writer’s life. Her near mysticism with respect to her having converted to Catholicism was less powerful than that of her discovering the home of Emily Dickinson. Godden had found love, had many homes, and a truly astonishing success in turning several of her novels into films with the genius of Renoir (son of the artist) as director and producer. There are moments when the list of contacts and names felt tiresome, but this book is about her life. It is a real gem in the world of memoir.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as her earlier memoir. It felt a bit haphazard and all over the place. What I love about her writing is it's direct, carefully edited, carefully chosen wording and writing. This didn't have that and even felt a bit at times like a string of name-dropping. Very unlike anything else I've read of hers. I did enjoy hearing "insider" details about the making of The River into a movie and her writing of This House of Brede as I recently had been through both. Overall, though, a bit disappointing.

[Cathy Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumer Godden is an amazing woman, let alone writer. Her journey is one that all young people/ all ages really, should read or at least know about. Realize what your truth is and follow it, but own it. Take care of those in your realm, but do what’s right for yourself too and don’t whine, just do. If it’s what you have to do or want to do, just do and do it the best you can. Loved it, bought the book. Will probably give it as Christmas gifts. Inspirational.

[Renetta Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know half of the names of the people talked about in this book but still really enjoyed the story and learned much from it. What an amazing woman I feel, to have written so much, I have gained some tips for myself as I, too, am keen to write but realise I do not have much discipline. Beautiful descriptions of the places Rumer Godden has lived and visited and the relationships she had with others and writing. Truly inspirational.

[Rudy Seifert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2

[Gill Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful biographical account of a fascinating life well lived. This is a book I read annually.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much material repeated from the earlier volume, too much name dropping.

[William Howcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful follow on to Time for Dance. Her sister aided my mother in Calcutta after the birth of my brother Jasper.

[Christine Goodnough · Rating 4 out of 5]

The autobiography of a very interesting writer who led a fascinating life. Even minute details of decor and such are interesting the way she describes them.

[Treasure Island Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes a memoir good? You cannot judge by whether or not you would make the life choices the writer has made. The writing has to grab you and hold on. This one grabbed me.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumer Golden is one of my favorite writers so I was glad to find this autobiography. While I enjoyed it, I must admit to just skimming some of the pages that went into the minute details on the sets of movies that were made from her books. I think I would rather read a biography written by an objective viewpoint. After reading this book I felt that I did not really know the author behind the books and maybe that is how she wanted it.

[Sarah McCraw Crow]

Loved this meandering second memoir from Rumer Godden, first published in the late 80s. Full review to come.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent memoir by a writer previously unknown to me. Godden is a British writer who writes novels and children's books. The book was organized around the houses where she had lived, including family with her and the books she wrote at each home. Pictures of the homes added interest. I love homes with names (not a suburban practice). Her vocabulary was extensive, so lots of new words to look up. The title of the book came from an Indian proverb that teaches that everyone is a house with four rooms: a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us try to live in one room most of the time, but 'unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.'

I thought she was very wise as she aged and was widowed to move to Scotland. "I must do this while I am still not too old to adjust. I have seen too many people clinging on to a house thay can no longer manage. I need to be near (children)."

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a bit nervous when picking up a biography or autobiography of a writer I enjoy. Sometimes I don't want the strangers I love to be too human! However, I felt brave this past summer and embarked on Rumer Godden's two volume autobiography. I found it difficult to put down. Like all of us, her life IS a story, and she is a wonderful story-teller. Human frailty and triumph did not collide, but seemed to work together through her most unusual life. I was disappointed when it was over.

[Pippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this quite hard going, though bits of it were interesting. I only managed to get hold of the first volume of her autobiography, which looks more interesting, after reading this one (in fact it's still on its way. :) ) She's a very reserved character, but I think she had a passionate nature that - perhaps typically for the time - she tried to hide. Her novels are beautifully crafted, but she is too good a secret keeper to write a good autobiography.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumer Godden is an amazing woman with a very interesting life. This is her second memoir, I believe. I haven't read the first one, but this one starts with her return to England after her divorce in India.

[Zsuzsa Szokolyai · Rating 5 out of 5]

A House With Four Rooms is an autobiographical text about Rumer Godden's childhood and then her married life in India. It is a very interesting book about life in India when it was under the British.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of Rumer Godden's autobiography. Not as gripping as the first. . . this one is about friends and houses and dogs and a grown life.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always liked Rumer Godden's novels and so I enjoyed this second memoir of her later years. I don't imagine it would much interest anyone not familiar with her writing, however.