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An Imaginative Experience
A traveller on an InterCity train returning to London smells the burn of brakes as it hisses to a stop in the middle of the countryside. He sees a white-faced woman leap from the train and race to the aid of a sheep stranded on its back in a field, unable to rise. Righting it, the woman turns, and he sees her face is full of tragedy.
Considering tragedies of his own, he does not intrude, but the image lodges in his a strange but familiar despair, unable, despite itself, to ignore the desperation it recognizes in others. From these seeds Mary Wesley draws out a plot of an unforgettable of loss, of release, of a necessarily comic acceptance of fate, of love — “the imaginative experience.”
Rich in character and wit, and powerfully moving, this is a novel of the heart’s pain and deliverance.
Considering tragedies of his own, he does not intrude, but the image lodges in his a strange but familiar despair, unable, despite itself, to ignore the desperation it recognizes in others. From these seeds Mary Wesley draws out a plot of an unforgettable of loss, of release, of a necessarily comic acceptance of fate, of love — “the imaginative experience.”
Rich in character and wit, and powerfully moving, this is a novel of the heart’s pain and deliverance.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
59 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Mary Wesley
63 books181 followersMary Wesley, CBE was an English novelist. She reportedly worked in MI5 during World War II. During her career, she became one of Britain's most successful novelists, selling three million copies of her books, including 10 best-sellers in the last 20 years of her life.
She wrote three children's books, Speaking Terms and The Sixth Seal (both 1969) and Haphazard House (1983), before publishing adult fiction. Since her first adult novel was published only in 1983, when she was 71, she may be regarded as a late bloomer. The publication of Jumping the Queue in 1983 was the beginning of an intensely creative period of Wesley's life. From 1982 to 1991, she wrote and delivered seven novels. While she aged from 70 to 79 she still showed the focus and drive of a young person.
Her best known book, The Camomile Lawn, set on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, was turned into a television series, and is an account of the intertwining lives of three families in rural England during World War II. After The Camomile Lawn (1984) came Harnessing Peacocks (1985 and as TV film in 1992), The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (1986 and filmed in 1995), Not That Sort of Girl (1987), Second Fiddle (1988), A Sensible Life (1990), A Dubious Legacy (1993), An Imaginative Experience (1994) and Part of the Furniture (1997). A book about the West Country with photographer Kim Sayer, Part of the Scenery, was published in 2001. Asked why she had stopped writing fiction at the age of 84, she replied: "If you haven't got anything to say, don't say it.
From Mary Wesley
She wrote three children's books, Speaking Terms and The Sixth Seal (both 1969) and Haphazard House (1983), before publishing adult fiction. Since her first adult novel was published only in 1983, when she was 71, she may be regarded as a late bloomer. The publication of Jumping the Queue in 1983 was the beginning of an intensely creative period of Wesley's life. From 1982 to 1991, she wrote and delivered seven novels. While she aged from 70 to 79 she still showed the focus and drive of a young person.
Her best known book, The Camomile Lawn, set on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, was turned into a television series, and is an account of the intertwining lives of three families in rural England during World War II. After The Camomile Lawn (1984) came Harnessing Peacocks (1985 and as TV film in 1992), The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (1986 and filmed in 1995), Not That Sort of Girl (1987), Second Fiddle (1988), A Sensible Life (1990), A Dubious Legacy (1993), An Imaginative Experience (1994) and Part of the Furniture (1997). A book about the West Country with photographer Kim Sayer, Part of the Scenery, was published in 2001. Asked why she had stopped writing fiction at the age of 84, she replied: "If you haven't got anything to say, don't say it.
From Mary Wesley
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
October 24, 2012
Well, the first thing to say is that although the novel begins with a couple of deaths off page as it were which could have meant it was going to be another of the direly morose books my Poole bookclub appears to choose, this one managed to veer away from blood, gore, horror, despair and suicide which so many of them appear to champion and sank down into a relatively predictable amble through the woodlands of coincidence, romance, misunderstanding and satisfactory overall resolution in favour of good taste and simple happy endings.
It stopped off at little glades in the woodland to experience a bit of racism, some harmless but awkward stereotyping, some rather bizarre and racy intimacy between people too closely related for it to be 'proper' and then burst forth into the fresh Laura Ashley like freedom of summer meadows and upper middle class self satisfaction.
The plot is Julia Piper coming to terms with the death of her estranged husband and son, the vicious immorality of her horrendous mother, the opening out of her heart to friendship and then on into intimacy with an equally damaged Sylvester Wykes. His damage comes from the brutality of his callous ex-wife and the fussiness of a former secretary turned stalker. That is all the story is really but it is easy, amusing and she paints a good picture.
I have read quite a number of Wesley's books and they are easy, predictable and amusing. I am always amazed that she didn't get her first novel published until she was 70 or something because they are fun, witty and full of OTT characters and I am always surpised that they were not recognized as such before.
Her stories revolve around the same type of characters as Iris Murdoch....they all have names like Sylvester and Hamish and Giles, Julia, Christie or, and this is the character that appears in some way in all of her novels, Calypso. They all have jobs like artists, sculptors, writers and booksellers. But whilst Murdoch addresses all sorts of deep and profound 'stuff' and rams deep dialogue and philosophical reflection down your throat, Wesley's characters just cross and counter cross, chink glassses and plant flowers, have sex and fall in love.
The novels are easy to read and fairly easy to forget but the one clever thing about them is she always has a hook that you will recall from the story and thus you never quite forget even if your recall is a tad hazy. Here it is the opening scene of the sheep on its back in the field the significance of which plays and replays and deepens and fleshes out the overall tragedy but ultimately joyous life of Julia Piper.
It stopped off at little glades in the woodland to experience a bit of racism, some harmless but awkward stereotyping, some rather bizarre and racy intimacy between people too closely related for it to be 'proper' and then burst forth into the fresh Laura Ashley like freedom of summer meadows and upper middle class self satisfaction.
The plot is Julia Piper coming to terms with the death of her estranged husband and son, the vicious immorality of her horrendous mother, the opening out of her heart to friendship and then on into intimacy with an equally damaged Sylvester Wykes. His damage comes from the brutality of his callous ex-wife and the fussiness of a former secretary turned stalker. That is all the story is really but it is easy, amusing and she paints a good picture.
I have read quite a number of Wesley's books and they are easy, predictable and amusing. I am always amazed that she didn't get her first novel published until she was 70 or something because they are fun, witty and full of OTT characters and I am always surpised that they were not recognized as such before.
Her stories revolve around the same type of characters as Iris Murdoch....they all have names like Sylvester and Hamish and Giles, Julia, Christie or, and this is the character that appears in some way in all of her novels, Calypso. They all have jobs like artists, sculptors, writers and booksellers. But whilst Murdoch addresses all sorts of deep and profound 'stuff' and rams deep dialogue and philosophical reflection down your throat, Wesley's characters just cross and counter cross, chink glassses and plant flowers, have sex and fall in love.
The novels are easy to read and fairly easy to forget but the one clever thing about them is she always has a hook that you will recall from the story and thus you never quite forget even if your recall is a tad hazy. Here it is the opening scene of the sheep on its back in the field the significance of which plays and replays and deepens and fleshes out the overall tragedy but ultimately joyous life of Julia Piper.
February 16, 2022
This author began to publish novels in her 70s, and brought such a wealth of experience as well as a fresh voice that it's no wonder she has a fan base. This one describes a grieving young mother named Julia who is sunk in the depths of despair and how she saves herself. In doing so, she comes into contact with a heartbroken man who was betrayed by his wife. There are a few despicable characters in this novel (and one who was truly sickening in her depravity), but the good guys win in the end. The opening scene will probably never be forgotten by me -- Julia brings a train to an emergency stop so she can rush out and restore a fallen sheep to its feet.
January 2, 2016
Ever since reading 'The Chamomile Lawn', probably Mary Wesley's most well known book, I have actively sought out her other books. She had quite a life, and when she came to begin her career as a novelist in her seventies, there sure was a lot of life to draw upon for her story telling and her characters. Her stories centre primarily on a female, usually young, who has not had an easy road through life - orphaned, abused, depressed, pregnant. You get the picture. They are all feisty, trying to look after themselves, fight their way through the life circumstance they find themselves in. Her characters are richly and gorgeously drawn, not all of them are nice people, but the nice ones are the types of characters who gradually wriggle themselves under your skin. The baddies generally stay that way!
So this novel, first published in 1994, is just as intriguing, off beat, and finally comforting as her other novels. It centres on Julia Piper, a young woman who first draws attention to herself when she pulls the automatic brake on a train so she can dash out and rescue a sheep she has seen lying on its back in a passing field. Two people on the train take a special interest in this young woman whose face seems full of tragedy and has brought the train to a standstill - Sylvester Weekes, a publisher going through a nasty marriage break up; and Maurice Benson, ex-private detective now bird watcher, and general busy body. One has honourable intentions, and the other doesn't. From such a bizarre incident, the paths of these three inevitably cross, and the story behind Julia's sheep rescue gradually unfolds.
Betrayal features in so many of Mary Wesley's books, and it is a dominant theme here. But also of hope, overcoming the adversity of broken lives, healing, and finding new life within yourself and with others. It is typical Mary Wesley, and why I love her books so much.
So this novel, first published in 1994, is just as intriguing, off beat, and finally comforting as her other novels. It centres on Julia Piper, a young woman who first draws attention to herself when she pulls the automatic brake on a train so she can dash out and rescue a sheep she has seen lying on its back in a passing field. Two people on the train take a special interest in this young woman whose face seems full of tragedy and has brought the train to a standstill - Sylvester Weekes, a publisher going through a nasty marriage break up; and Maurice Benson, ex-private detective now bird watcher, and general busy body. One has honourable intentions, and the other doesn't. From such a bizarre incident, the paths of these three inevitably cross, and the story behind Julia's sheep rescue gradually unfolds.
Betrayal features in so many of Mary Wesley's books, and it is a dominant theme here. But also of hope, overcoming the adversity of broken lives, healing, and finding new life within yourself and with others. It is typical Mary Wesley, and why I love her books so much.
July 24, 2020
The novel opens when Julia stops a train to go and rescue a sheep. She is watched by fellow passengers including Sylvester, who is going through a messy divorce, and Maurice, a creepy ex-private detective who develops an unhealthy interest in her. Both are intrigued by her expression of haunted tragedy and wonder about the story behind her strange behaviour. Their lives start to intersect after these events when Maurice uses his skills as a detective to follow her. We find out about a very dysfunctional relationship with her Mother and a recent tragedy. Mary Wesley creates some very real characters, some loathsome, some irritating and some warm-hearted, but they are all believable, flaws and all.
It's a very simple story but was still compelling and I would have finished in one sitting if it hadn't been so late. This is the second novel of hers I've read having previously read The Camomile Lawn, I hope I don't leave it so long before reading more of hers.
It's a very simple story but was still compelling and I would have finished in one sitting if it hadn't been so late. This is the second novel of hers I've read having previously read The Camomile Lawn, I hope I don't leave it so long before reading more of hers.
July 27, 2024
I'm tempted to call this a bit of fluff, but there are deeper currents here too. A kind of nastiness that almost belongs in Fred & Rose West territory is outlined but not wallowed in. You'll see what I mean when you read it.
The opening, with a train stopped because a woman has pulled the alarm and run out to set a fallen sheep back on its feet, and two very different men fascinated by the incident, is promising enough. Someone whimsical, eccentric? Instead we slowly learn about a bereaved woman, who has lost her husband and son in a car crash. But the husband was a terrible man, abusive and drunk and perhaps even worse secrets lurk in the past. Of the two men we see in the beginning one is a literary agent and stalled novelist in the midst of a divorce. The other is a former policeman and PI who starts stalking the woman for inchoate but unsavory reasons.
It's already quite crowded, isn't it? There's a Dickensian list of other supporting characters, and they range from unpleasant bourgeoisie neighbours to a kind Indian couple who run a cornershop to a racist American senator -- a broad caricature but still relevant today -- to an avuncular cousin and an obsessive ex-secretary. No one would believe all these coincidences in a novel, the literary man remarks. The widow stumbles into a church where a warm welcome and help are offered, but stumbles out again to continue cleaning various houses and missing her son yet feeling well rid of his resemblance to the odious father, who used to make menacing blank calls to her, a tradition briefly taken up by the stalking ex-cop, who is also a birdwatcher and convivial in bars with other unlikeable men.
The woman who supports herself by cleaning houses acquires a lurcher of joy. When the unpleasant neighbours host a never-ending Christmas orgy she seeks refuge in another church but is verged out because the creature is not a Guide Dog. Meanwhile the literary man she cleans for is heading back to his home around the corner.
The last act of the book has secretary and stalker teamed up, perhaps not for good, but at least his wardrobe might improve, cleaning lady and renascent novelist exchanging catharses and a decision after much trepidation, to stay over a second time, with the prospect of Sunday mornings hearing the newspapers thudding from the mail slot and the choice not to retrieve them just yet.
The dog is a joy. The romantic arc is sudden, rapidly falters, even more rapidly falls into place. There's a bending of ends towards the resolution, but this is Wesley's universe -- Mary, not John.
The opening, with a train stopped because a woman has pulled the alarm and run out to set a fallen sheep back on its feet, and two very different men fascinated by the incident, is promising enough. Someone whimsical, eccentric? Instead we slowly learn about a bereaved woman, who has lost her husband and son in a car crash. But the husband was a terrible man, abusive and drunk and perhaps even worse secrets lurk in the past. Of the two men we see in the beginning one is a literary agent and stalled novelist in the midst of a divorce. The other is a former policeman and PI who starts stalking the woman for inchoate but unsavory reasons.
It's already quite crowded, isn't it? There's a Dickensian list of other supporting characters, and they range from unpleasant bourgeoisie neighbours to a kind Indian couple who run a cornershop to a racist American senator -- a broad caricature but still relevant today -- to an avuncular cousin and an obsessive ex-secretary. No one would believe all these coincidences in a novel, the literary man remarks. The widow stumbles into a church where a warm welcome and help are offered, but stumbles out again to continue cleaning various houses and missing her son yet feeling well rid of his resemblance to the odious father, who used to make menacing blank calls to her, a tradition briefly taken up by the stalking ex-cop, who is also a birdwatcher and convivial in bars with other unlikeable men.
The woman who supports herself by cleaning houses acquires a lurcher of joy. When the unpleasant neighbours host a never-ending Christmas orgy she seeks refuge in another church but is verged out because the creature is not a Guide Dog. Meanwhile the literary man she cleans for is heading back to his home around the corner.
The last act of the book has secretary and stalker teamed up, perhaps not for good, but at least his wardrobe might improve, cleaning lady and renascent novelist exchanging catharses and a decision after much trepidation, to stay over a second time, with the prospect of Sunday mornings hearing the newspapers thudding from the mail slot and the choice not to retrieve them just yet.
The dog is a joy. The romantic arc is sudden, rapidly falters, even more rapidly falls into place. There's a bending of ends towards the resolution, but this is Wesley's universe -- Mary, not John.
June 28, 2019
Wow. This book really should have been called An Unbearable Experience. I literally threw this book across the room before I actually threw it away, I hated it so badly. But, a day later I thought, well, maybe I'll read some reviews, see what other people thought...but I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE BOOK'S NAME, it was so forgettable! I had to Google "uptipped sheep, psycho mother" among other descriptors to find it. What a terrible title! Was she going for the oxymoronic? Unlikable characters, creepy subplots, the two main characters don't even meet until the final chapters and when they finally do, the guy is a total asshole, basically kidnapping her and projecting all his desire for connection on this broken woman who just wants to be left alone! Perhaps this is a reflection on the time period when this was written, but good lord. Reviews here describe these characters as "quirky," the story as "charming." Give me a break, what a nasty cast! The stalker/harasser/liar/assaulter/potential rapist Twitcher; the unbelievably outrageous sociopathic mother, the HORRIBLE neighbors who clearly lack any compassion, or for that matter, souls; Rebecca the psycho who our hero Sylvester doesn't seem to realize is indeed insane. The only people who are even close to real are the Patels and our heroine Julia, who really doesn't get a lot of exposition. We see her through the eyes of everybody around her, who incidentally DON'T KNOW HER. Her grief must be astounding, yet it is only touched on through her mad cleaning skills and her soft hearted adoption of the dog. But, oh my heavens, she was forced to MARRY HER RAPIST?!!!! What is this, the British Taliban? And Sylvester has known her for, what, two minutes before he's assumed the role of Knight in Shining Armor, fantasizing about coming home to tell her his troubles, how she's so perfect for him. SO MANY FACE PALMS! I can't even, with this book. I can't even.
September 7, 2020
Reading Mary Wesley is a pleasure akin to reading Elinor Lipman or Barbara Pym or Jane Austen -- here's an author with a sharp moral vision and comic instincts skillfully bringing two lonely good people together. She's perhaps a bit sharper with her villains -- they are funny but truly awful, which I enjoyed in a guilty sort of way, not wanting to believe there are that many truly terrible people in the world (though I may get there yet). I also had some issues with our heroine, who has put up with a heck of a lot in ways I couldn't quite fathom because we almost never see it happening in real time, but it does make her very sympathetic. This plot also occasionally beggars belief, which one of the characters even comments on (and it's true; real life is often wilder than what we'll consider plausible in fiction). The Southern Senator subplot is also implausible, in a way Brits often get wrong about the U.S. (not that racism isn't a thing here -- clearly, it is -- but you don't get to be a senator by putting it in writing without the slightest attempt at code language or dog whistles). So not five stars, but who cares? It's a great read.
Read
May 4, 2008I can only hope that the last copy of this book is the one that ended up in Tonga, as I wouldn't want to curse the rest of the world with it. Characters that are never developed plus plot twists that are never resolved. I only finished it waiting for things to pull together. Avoid this book.
August 29, 2016
I have read this book a few times before. In fact I have read most of Mary Wesley's books a few times! I like the simplicity of her writing style and always find her characters engaging and fully formed. I often turn to her books for a comfort read and always enjoy them again.
October 13, 2022
Everytime, I started to read this, I fell asleep. Took me ages to finish it!!!
April 6, 2010
Mary Wesley is a fresh voice in my to-be-read pile. An Imaginative Experience is one of the many books that I've inherited from the recent passing of my mother-in-law.
I enjoyed this story immensely. The opening paragraph begins a strand which runs throughout the entire book. The two primary characters are Julia, a recent widow who is grieving the loss of her little boy and Sylvester, who's in the throes of an unpleasant divorce. And then there's the obnoxious Maurice, a twitcher otherwise known as a bird-watcher. All are strangers to the other until later in the plot, and Mary Wesley tugs the reader into each of their lives.
This author has a gift for charactisation and storytelling. Every individual character soars off the page which (even for me!) makes
this a quick and pleasant read.
I'm looking forward to delving deeper into my newly acquired box of delights with an expectation/hope of finding more from Mary Wesley.
I enjoyed this story immensely. The opening paragraph begins a strand which runs throughout the entire book. The two primary characters are Julia, a recent widow who is grieving the loss of her little boy and Sylvester, who's in the throes of an unpleasant divorce. And then there's the obnoxious Maurice, a twitcher otherwise known as a bird-watcher. All are strangers to the other until later in the plot, and Mary Wesley tugs the reader into each of their lives.
This author has a gift for charactisation and storytelling. Every individual character soars off the page which (even for me!) makes
this a quick and pleasant read.
I'm looking forward to delving deeper into my newly acquired box of delights with an expectation/hope of finding more from Mary Wesley.
April 13, 2009
I seem to be caught in a British novelist vortex and I'm pretty happy about it. This book was a fun and an easy read, with a predictable outcome, but as an American reader, I found that I needed to sit up and pay attention. I was not disappointed! I LOVE the descriptive language and found myself "there" on every page. This would be a good beach read. (Too bad, this book was purchased off my library discard table...well, good for me, sad for other public library readers.)
August 5, 2014
Liked the opening bit about the sheep needing righting (I tried this once- it is not easy!) Then dull, dull, dull and when you can hardly even be bothered listening to a book whilst washing up it's time to NEVER revisit this author. That may be unfair. Anna Massey was not a good choice as the reader. Poor character voices and accents but worse ( my God!)He said blah de blah and She said... and somewhat robotic. Avoid
July 25, 2011
What a wonderful find among the books on the shelves of my vacation beach cottage. Wesley is compared to Barbara Pym, but I think her writing is richer and her characters more complex, along with the delightful story's breezy pace. Seems her books are out of print, and after returning home I immediately hit the used book stores to scour up more of her!
January 20, 2022
an enjoyable re-read
July 1, 2025
If this was a book about stalking, abuse and the psychological impacts of manipulation as well as how racist and ignorant people are I would give it 4,5 stars. And honestly that was the way I thought it was going for the first 160 pages.
“An imaginative experience” follows a woman who has just lost her abuse ex-husband and her child in an accident and a man whose wife has just left him, as their lives intersect as well as the two people who stalk them. The plot is interesting, i was on the edge of my seat the whole time and the characters are so fucked in a way only good writing can make them. It worked great in my mind as a psychological thriller that is until…
I went on to Goodreads and the genre was described as ROMANCE?!!! There’s absolutely zero romance in this book!!! Then I went unto the reviews and people describe the ending as HAPPY?!!!
The way I read the ending was that she once again ended in an abuse relationship. Sylvester the main character (and supposed love interest) screams at her, forces her to sleep in his bed even after she repeatedly says no, stalks her and forces her into a car and then they fall in love? How is this romance?!!! How is this a happy ending?!!
If you read this with the mindset of it being about abuse it’s phenomenal.. the only and very big issue it that that was not the authors or the publishers intent at all!!
“An imaginative experience” follows a woman who has just lost her abuse ex-husband and her child in an accident and a man whose wife has just left him, as their lives intersect as well as the two people who stalk them. The plot is interesting, i was on the edge of my seat the whole time and the characters are so fucked in a way only good writing can make them. It worked great in my mind as a psychological thriller that is until…
I went on to Goodreads and the genre was described as ROMANCE?!!! There’s absolutely zero romance in this book!!! Then I went unto the reviews and people describe the ending as HAPPY?!!!
The way I read the ending was that she once again ended in an abuse relationship. Sylvester the main character (and supposed love interest) screams at her, forces her to sleep in his bed even after she repeatedly says no, stalks her and forces her into a car and then they fall in love? How is this romance?!!! How is this a happy ending?!!
If you read this with the mindset of it being about abuse it’s phenomenal.. the only and very big issue it that that was not the authors or the publishers intent at all!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2025
Have read this book more than once over the years. Excellent writing.
October 26, 2021
Завязка интересная, но дальше все скатывается в обычные уэслианские клише: мать-чудовище, отец немногим лучше, безвольная бесплотная героиня, муж-абьюзер; и резкий хэппи-энд в момент попадания героини в объятия Правильного Мужчины. А злодеи продолжают гулять безнаказанными.
July 24, 2008
I'm particularly intrigued by Ms Wesley's characters crossing social classes. This is the second of her books that had a woman leave her proper social place to accept work as a menial. Ms Wesley reflects the attitudes of the era in some of her characters who believe it would be better to starve than to step down in social rank just to secure work. Julia escaped her situation by becoming a house keeper and befriending other social misfits like the Patels her local shopkeeping friends. Julia's tolerance and moral center form the eye all the other characters swirl about but only Sylvester sees.
This story was briefer with almost the feel of a snapshot into the lives of her characters. A tale of a brief period unlike other of Ms Wesley's I've read. Those covered many years of a character's life to create a plot while this delved briefly into a few intersecting lives with the impact of a short story.
I could even empathize with the moments of snobbery and other antisocial activities because no one was utterly bad, mostly immature, acting on rumor. A few were so selfish they were utterly thoughtless about others but they were still portrayed as full, if disagreeable, characters. Unpleasant, not evil, as are most hurtful interactions, they were people depicted by an author with sensibility and understanding.
The various view points and opinions of the characters, opinions often based on little or conflicting information, were well interwoven between the events to create an involved and personal plot. It is as Sylvester comments a series of connections and chance meetings.
Of particular interest to me was the inclusion of garden as retreat for spiritual rejuvenation that Julia creates for herself. Ms Wesley used the church twice but the garden was the recurrent place of personal reclaimation. Despite all life's woes an afternoon in the garden does reinstate a sense of proportion.
The church is clearly not an undivided edifice. One was open armed and welcoming but another was exclusive, sending Julia out when she sought shelter and sanctuary but brought her dog.
This story was briefer with almost the feel of a snapshot into the lives of her characters. A tale of a brief period unlike other of Ms Wesley's I've read. Those covered many years of a character's life to create a plot while this delved briefly into a few intersecting lives with the impact of a short story.
I could even empathize with the moments of snobbery and other antisocial activities because no one was utterly bad, mostly immature, acting on rumor. A few were so selfish they were utterly thoughtless about others but they were still portrayed as full, if disagreeable, characters. Unpleasant, not evil, as are most hurtful interactions, they were people depicted by an author with sensibility and understanding.
The various view points and opinions of the characters, opinions often based on little or conflicting information, were well interwoven between the events to create an involved and personal plot. It is as Sylvester comments a series of connections and chance meetings.
Of particular interest to me was the inclusion of garden as retreat for spiritual rejuvenation that Julia creates for herself. Ms Wesley used the church twice but the garden was the recurrent place of personal reclaimation. Despite all life's woes an afternoon in the garden does reinstate a sense of proportion.
The church is clearly not an undivided edifice. One was open armed and welcoming but another was exclusive, sending Julia out when she sought shelter and sanctuary but brought her dog.
October 6, 2010
A train is abruptly halted and a woman runs out to rescue a sheep on its back. 2 men watch from the train, one bemused, one eager to find out why she did it and who she is.
The book follows the lives of these 3 individuals, their past and their present. One of the men becomes obsessed with finding out everything about the woman, and doffs an investigative hat as he finds information about her through her mother,neighbors and friends by pretending to be a friend of her ex-husband.
She tries to forget a tragedy but is not ready to forgive herself. She throws herself into her work, not realizing that she's being stalked.
The other man is learning to live on his own again while waiting for his divorce to be finalized. His ex-secretary tries to insinuate herself into his life with some hilarious results.
Random acts bring them together again, under different circumstances and with interesting results. Hamish Grant and Calypso from previous Wesley books make cameo appearances.
A most delightful jaunt through London and the English countryside.
The book follows the lives of these 3 individuals, their past and their present. One of the men becomes obsessed with finding out everything about the woman, and doffs an investigative hat as he finds information about her through her mother,neighbors and friends by pretending to be a friend of her ex-husband.
She tries to forget a tragedy but is not ready to forgive herself. She throws herself into her work, not realizing that she's being stalked.
The other man is learning to live on his own again while waiting for his divorce to be finalized. His ex-secretary tries to insinuate herself into his life with some hilarious results.
Random acts bring them together again, under different circumstances and with interesting results. Hamish Grant and Calypso from previous Wesley books make cameo appearances.
A most delightful jaunt through London and the English countryside.
March 23, 2009
Picked up as part of my avoiding something a little further down my reading list (I'll leave anyone who is interested enough to research that one) and devoured in one go because it was, as anticipated, so easy to read.
A grieving Julia stops a train to rescue a sheep thus unwittingly incurring the sympathy of Sylvester and, as a consequence of that, the animosity of Maurice. The subsequent entangling of their lives and revelations of Julia's troubled past lead to the inevitable happy ending in a story that, while hardly deep and sometimes predictable, remains entertaining annd (just about) credible.
A grieving Julia stops a train to rescue a sheep thus unwittingly incurring the sympathy of Sylvester and, as a consequence of that, the animosity of Maurice. The subsequent entangling of their lives and revelations of Julia's troubled past lead to the inevitable happy ending in a story that, while hardly deep and sometimes predictable, remains entertaining annd (just about) credible.
August 2, 2011
It's years since I have read any Mary Wesley and there is a similarity with Ian McEwan in this novel - the ramifications of one relatively minor incident on the lives of a number of people.
An enjoyable novel
An enjoyable novel
May 30, 2012
If there is such a thing as "typical" Mary Wesley, this book is. The threads between the protagonists are practically invisible at first, then slowly are woven into a clear and very human pattern. There's a darkness, but also both light and hope.
January 30, 2009
I found this on Sandra's bookshelf and liked it.
March 21, 2012
Wonderful Wesley,Sylvester very Colin Firth !
November 30, 2014
After reading 'The Camomile Lawn' I expected more of this novel. It was disappointing to say the least.
May 24, 2017
Quirky novel featuring some unusual relationships. Felt as if it might be a bit autobiographical. Author started writing novels in her 70s, and apparently she had had quite a life to that point.
October 5, 2017
Love Mary Wesley!
August 21, 2020
A woman suffering from a devastating tragedy gets on with her life.
February 4, 2021
Well written but I didn't enjoy it as much as her other books. There were too many unrealistic coincidences in it for my liking.
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