Reading the 20th Century discussion

Some of us have been discussing Rosamond Lehmann and the possibility of a Buddy Read of one of her novels, perhaps in January?

I have never read anything by her before, although I can see there is a biography by Selina Hastings: Rosamond Lehmann: A Life which is always a good sign.

So, does anyone have a favourite novel they would like to suggest? As far as I can see, this is a full list of her novels:

Novels
Dusty Answer (1927)
A Note in Music (1930)
Invitation to the Waltz (1932)
The Weather in the Streets (1936)
The Ballad and the Source (1944)
The Gipsy's Baby (1946)
The Echoing Grove (1953)
A Sea-Grape Tree (1976)

On kindle, and, therefore, probably easiest for most of us to get hold of are:

Invitation to the Waltz
The Echoing Grove
The Weather in the Streets
Dusty Answer
A Sea-Grape Tree
A Note in Music

That means only a couple of them are not available on kindle, in the UK at least:

The Ballad and the Source (1944)
The Gipsy's Baby (1946)

I have not read any Lehmann. I have Invitation to the Waltz and The Weather in the Streets (Weather is a sequel to Invitation 10 years on)

So I would be interested in a Buddy Read of Invitation to the Waltz.

Invitation to the Waltz does seem to be the book that is mentioned the most often. I would be happy with that.

Invitation to the Waltz

On her seventeenth birthday, Olivia Curtis receives: a diary for her innermost thoughts, a china ornament, a ten-shilling note and a roll of flame-coloured silk for her first ball dress. She anticipates the dance, the greatest and most terrifying event of her life so far, with uncertainty and excitement. For her pretty sister Kate, it is sure to be a triumph, but what will it be for shy, awkward Olivia?

Rosamond Lehmann, one of the best-loved writers of the twentieth century, perfectly captures the emotions of a girl poised on the threshold of womanhood.

Our first buddy read for 2019?

Another author linked to the Bloomsbury Set and to Girton College:

Rosamond Nina Lehmann was born in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, as the second daughter of Rudolph Lehmann and his wife Alice Davis, a New Englander. Her father Rudolph Chambers Lehmann was a liberal MP, and editor of the Daily News. John Lehmann (1907-1989) was her brother; one of her two sisters was the famous actress Beatrix Lehmann.

In 1919 she went to Girton College, University of Cambridge to read English Literature, an unusual thing for a woman to do at that time. In December 1923 she married Leslie Runciman (later 2nd Viscount Runciman of Doxford) (1900-1989), and the couple went to live in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was an unhappy marriage, and they separated in 1927 and were divorced later that year.

In 1927, Lehmann published her first novel, Dusty Answer, to great critical and popular acclaim. The novel's heroine, Judith, is attracted to both men and women, and interacts with fairly openly gay and lesbian characters during her years at Cambridge. The novel was a succès de scandale. Though none of her later novels were as successful as her first, Lehmann went on to publish six more novels, a play (No More Music, 1939), a collection of short stories (The Gypsy's Baby & Other Stories, 1946), a spiritual autobiography (The Swan in the Evening, 1967), and a photographic memoir of her friends (Rosamond Lehmann's Album, 1985), many of whom were famous Bloomsbury figures such as Leonard and Virginia Woolf, Carrington, and Lytton Strachey. She also translated two French novels into English: Jacques Lemarchand's Genevieve (1948) and Jean Cocteau's Children of the Game (1955). Her novels include A Note in Music (1930), Invitation to the Waltz (1932), The Weather in the Streets (1936), The Ballad and the Source (1944), The Echoing Grove (1953), and A Sea-Grape Tree (1976).

In 1928, Lehmann married Wogan Philipps, an artist. They had two children, a son Hugo (1929-1999) and a daughter Sarah or Sally (1934-1958), but the marriage quickly fell apart during the late Thirties with her Communist husband leaving to take part in the Spanish Civil War. During World War II she helped edit and contributed to New Writing, a periodical edited by her brother. She had an affair with Goronwy Rees and then a "very public affair" for nine years (1941-1950) with the married Cecil Day-Lewis, who eventually left her for his second wife.

Her 1953 novel The Echoing Grove was made into the 2002 film Heart of Me, with Helena Bonham Carter as the main character, Dinah. Her book The Ballad and the Source depicts an unhappy marriage from the point of view of a child, and has been compared to Henry James' What Maisie Knew.

The Swan in the Evening (1967) is an autobiography which Lehmann described as her "last testament". In it, she intimately describes the emotions she felt at the birth of her daughter Sally, and also when Sally died abruptly of poliomyelitis at the age of 23 (or 24) in 1958 while in Jakarta. She never recovered from Sally's death. Lehmann claimed to have had some psychic experiences, documented in Moments of Truth.

Lehmann was awarded the CBE in 1982 and died at Clareville Grove, London on 12 March 1990, aged 89.

The only one by Lehmann that I've read so far is The Echoing Grove, about 10 years ago now, which I enjoyed - I would be interested to read more by her, so would be happy to join in on a buddy read.

I also have a Virago reprint of Rumour Of Heaven by her sister, Beatrix Lehmann, who was a successful stage actress - hopefully this will spur me on to read this one too and see how they compare!

Excellent to hear, Judy. Shall I pencil in Invitation to the Waltz for January then? Our very first Buddy Read of 2019!

Sounds good to me!

Susan wrote: "Excellent to hear, Judy. Shall I pencil in Invitation to the Waltz for January then? Our very first Buddy Read of 2019!"

Thank you for this, Susan. It's the very one I would have asked for!

I *love* Lehmann - my favourite is Dusty Answer, followed by The Weather in the Streets - it's not strictly necessary to read Invitation to the Waltz first but the contrast in mood and emotion in the two is masterfully done. I've also read The Echoing Grove. I'm definitely in for a buddy read.

Is anyone else here a fan of Antonia White - in my mind I think of her, Lehmann and Elizabeth Bowen together.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Is anyone else here a fan of Antonia White - in my mind of think of her, Lehmann and Elizabeth Bowen together. "

Thank you for this. I already had White's Strangers on my list, but have now also added Frost in May.

Ah, her Frost in May quartet is sublime - though, oddly, the first book, titled Frost in May, is my least favourite. The later three books are so courageous and quietly harrowing.

I already have Invitation to the Waltz so that works for me.

I really like the Frost in May quartet too. I think The Sugar House is the one which made the strongest impression on me.

I have read Frost in May, but not the rest of the quartet. I would like to read the whole quartet, possibly after Lehmann, who I am very excited to read. Especially in such nice company :)

Beyond the Glass, the 4th book, is the one which left me emotionally shattered - but yes, The Sugar House is powerful too. They're all brilliant - yes, yes, yes, to a buddy read {doing a happy book-dance}

Frost in May by Antonia White is the first, followed by:

The Lost Traveller

The Sugar House

Beyond the Glass

I love how we go off on tangents in this group! Maybe we could also have an Antonia White thread?

Yes, good idea, Elizabeth. One book does lead to another, doesn't it?

Susan wrote: "One book does lead to another, doesn't it?"

It's one of the things I like best about GR - being in the company of readers who have read and loved books/authors I haven't yet read.

I absolutely agree, Elizabeth.

I have Invitation to the Waltz and The Weather in the Streets on my Kindle. Have not read anything by Lehman before so I would have interest in a buddy read.

I have ordered Invitation to the Waltz.

Hurrah! OK, Waltz is a definite for January. I need to get myself a copy now :)

I have now finished Invitation to the Waltz and am keen to embark on The Weather in the Streets

Having read the introduction to Invitation, I was interested to read that she had an affair with Cecil Day Lewis. Under his pseudonym, Nicholas Blake, Cecil Day-Lewis, wrote one of my favourite Golden Age detective series - the Nigel Strangeways books. Apparently, he wrote them for money and, like many great writers of his generation, was a little embarrassed by them, but they are very good and also a great reflection of the era. For example, in we find Nigel Strangeways working at the Ministry of Morale, a place also based on real life, as Day-Lewis worked at the Ministry of Information during the war. , meanwhile, gives a wonderful view of pre-WWII holiday camps, The joys of a sink with hot and cold running water, ping-pong and other such luxuries, lead the main character to wonder whether such innovative entertainment will lead visitors to become dissatisfied with life when they return home!

Anyway, love with did, apparently, run smoothly for Cecil and Rosamond and he left her for a younger woman (the old, old story...) and devastated her. Like Elizabeth Bowen, I note that a lot of her problems were seen as those of rich women, with nothing 'real' to complain about. Like Bowen, Rosamond came from a fairly wealthy background and had marital affairs, which did not end well. Nancy Mitford also had similar experiences, linking these women more and more in my mind.

I am fascinated to read more by Lehmann and would also like to read the Selina Hastings biography at some point.

I've also finished Waltz, and loved it all over again - my review is here: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1796586303 - looking forward to the discussion.

I'm also keen to go onto Weather, Susan, while this is fresh in my mind.

I knew Lehmann had had an affair with a famous writer but am not sure I knew it was Day-Lewis - thanks!

In my head, I think of her alongside Bowen, Antonia White and Rebecca West, but had never mentally filed her with Mitford, for some reason. The book that made me fall in love with her writing is Dusty Answer.

I'm so happy you loved this, Susan, and hope others do, too :))

I was going to open up the buddy reads tomorrow but, as there's already an appetite for discussion, I'll do it now.

I was listening to the Backlisted episode for The Tortoise and the Hare and noted, with interest, that it was Rosamond Lehmann who recommended the novel to the woman who ran Virago.