Persephone Books discussion

How is everyone doing on this one? I've read it before, so even though I know what happens, it's still a painful read. Here's a great post in the Persephone Forum about this book: http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/pers...

It has some great discussion questions at the end, if we want to use those. Here's one I'd like to start off with: Who is to blame for what happens? Louise? Paul? Avery? Ellen?

I'm not sure that I have ever met a more disagreeable character than Louise. I could not stand her and kept hoping she would get her comeuppance. That said, I believe they all are somewhat to blame. Not Paul so much, though. What a crew.

I loved the book, even though as you say, it was painful to read.

This was the first Persephone book I ever read, but it made me a lifelong fan of the publisher and of Dorothy Whipple. I thought everyone was a little bit responsible, but sometimes life just happens, you know? I'm not sure any of them were any happier by book's end, but were certainly wiser.

I'm looking forward to reading her other books, also.

I hadn't read this before and I wasn't expecting such a devastating story! I kept wanting to shake Ellen and say "No! No! Don't do that!" But that doesn't mean I think it was her fault exactly. She just didn't have the worldliness or the skills to handle any of it.

I agree everyone was a little bit responsible, and I'd add the daughter. Or the father-daughter relationship, anyway.

Louise was the only one who really knew what she was doing. Avery did some stupid things but Louise never seemed to do anything without careful calculation.

I loved her parents in their little town in France. With a little more detail about their lives they could have been my favourite characters, although I must have felt very involved with Ellen to have cared so much about her mistakes!

I admired Ellen for getting her life back together. I would love for her to meet someone else and get married before Avery makes his move to get her back.

There seemed to be an almost Shakespearean trajectory toward disaster as a result of bad communication and misunderstood motives.

I think Louise is largely to blame but Avery... hmmm... He says to John Bennett: "This is final. I'm not going back. I've ruined myself there with them and I'm not going back to eat humble pie for the rest of my life." I could have felt sorry for him if he had just not added the second part of his last sentence. As I heard one of my daughter's grammarly-challenged friends once say... "he showed himself."

Rosemary, I see what you mean about the father-daughter relationship. Mrs. Brockington had this insight: "...the old woman saw or thought she saw that it was the child, Anne, who was keeping her parents apart. But she said nothing."

I made a pilgrimage from the US to the Persephone bookstore a few weeks ago. I've wanted to do that for ages. Thank you to the young lady who recommended Someone at a Distance!!!

Margaret wrote: "There seemed to be an almost Shakespearean trajectory toward disaster as a result of bad communication and misunderstood motives.

I think Louise is largely to blame but Avery... hmmm... He says ..."

How many books did you buy??

Cynthia, I bought four: Few Eggs and No Oranges, The Village, The Winds of Heaven and Someone at a Distance. My smaller carry-on bag was pretty much dedicated to transporting Persephone books. I wish I could have purchased more but I knew I was on the edge of what would fit in my bag. Twelve Persephones at home happily greeted the new guys.

Margaret wrote: "Cynthia, I bought four: Few Eggs and No Oranges, The Village, The Winds of Heaven and Someone at a Distance. My smaller carry-on bag was pretty much dedicated to transporting Persephone books. I wi..."

I could see myself going to London just to buy books! Good choices. I really want to get Few Eggs.

I'm behind so will save reading your comments for when I finish. I'm enjoying how she sets the scene for the story...the collision of the happy English family with the discontented young French woman. Love the subtle character observations and understated humor, too.

I feel like boredom was a huge factor in the affair. If Louise had some kind of purpose, or other hobbies/interests, she never would have become interested in Avery.
We've discussed this in other Whipple books--she doesn't seem to have a very high opinion of men! Avery didn't play an active part in the affair, it just sort of "happened" to him. Does this seem plausible to you?
There are definitely certain kinds of men who lack ambition and just sit back and let things happen.

Here's another question from the Persephone Forum that I've been thinking about a lot...not sure if I have an answer yet!
How do you interpret the title of the novel? A fairly lofty inspiration has been suggested: ‘Spooky action at a distance’ is a phrase Einstein used in the 1930s to describe a particular notion in physics: quantum entanglements. This refers to objects being entangled at a very basic level so that if you separate the objects, even by vast distances, they still act as one object or continue to influence each other. Einstein aside, there are various ways in which various characters could be said to be ‘at a distance’ or acting ‘at a distance’ in the novel e.g. Paul’s influence on Louise from distant Amigny; distance between Avery and Ellen; Louise who feels her self to be on the outside looking into other people’s Ellen and Avery’s world.

Thanks for this, Gina. I've been wondering about the title and who was meant. I'd vote for Louise.

Loved the book too, though its been awhile. Didn't have time to retread. Has anyone out there read TEA WITH MR ROCHESTER?

I've heard wonderful things about Tea with Mr. Rochester. It's on my tbr list.

Susan wrote: "Thanks for this, Gina. I've been wondering about the title and who was meant. I'd vote for Louise."

I didn't really understand the title at all. Maybe it is the distance between husband and wife? I wonder if it is a quotation?

Nearing the end, I found this about Paul Devoisy, which makes me think he
Is a " someone at a distance" who by hurting Louise set off the events of the story and thinking about it, everyone in the book has a sort of gravitational effect on each other...

"But isn't it queer," said Germaine thoughtfully, "how everything is somehow connected?"

"It is," said Paul gravely.

There was more connected than he knew. He didn't feel he had treated Louise badly in any way. Affairs of that sort were a commonplace. They all had to end....

He had never heard of the Norths, far away in England. He would have been amazed at the suggestion that he, at such a distance, could have had anything to do with the breaking-up of that family. He had no idea that it was, in great measure, because of him that the man he had seen on the pavement in front of the Hotel de l'Ecu that afternoon had lost everything he cared about.

Oh thank you! I'm sure that must be the explanation!