"The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.
L.P. Hartley's moving exploration of a young boy's loss of innocence The Go-Between 'The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there' When one long, hot summer, young Leo is staying with a school-friend at Brandham Hall, he begins to act as a messenger between Ted, the farmer, and Marian, the beautiful young woman up at the hall. He becomes drawn deeper and deeper into their dangerous game of deceit and desire, until his role brings him to a shocking and premature revelation. |
Leslie Poles Hartley (1895-1972) was born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, and educated at Harrow and Balliol College, Oxford. His first book, Night Fears (1924) was a collection of short stories; but it was not until the publication of Eustace and Hilda (1947), which won the James Tait Black prize, that Hartley gained widespread recognition as an author. His other novels include The Go-Between (1953), which was adapted into an internationally-successful film starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates, and The Hireling (1957), the film version of which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Bookworms thoughts:
Yvonne: Chose it because on the shelf. Never read. Liked opening quote. Really enjoyed. Lead character a bit annoying with his obessioins with temperature etc. Got absorbed with period descriptions. Felt the shooting at the end was forced. Touching relationship with his mother and Mrs Maudsley. Not a brilliant book but glad I read it. 7/10
Ceri: Really enjoyed. Sets the scene of the impending chatasrophe really well. Lots of go-betweens - M & T, M & Lord T, Holdiay & School, Home & Brandon, Real World & Celestial, Leo & Marcus. Leo the outsider. Enjoyed most the style of conversation. Ending did not live up to the rest of the book 8/10
Tony: Struck by the obsessions of Leo. Was Marian the poisonous plant - Belladonna. Well written and a reminder of an era that's best over. Probably won't read again. Found schoolboy talk irritating 7/10
John: Seen both films and enjoyed them but glad to read the book. Fascinated by the symbolism - temperature, zodiac, angels & fallen angels, Garden of Eden. Belladonna, horse called "Wild Oats". Was Marian to blame? Trimmingham says, women are never to blame, but at the end Marian seems to dismiss the past out of guilt - a female spider at the centre of a web . 9/10
Nick: Did not read the book but enjoyed the recent BBC adaption.
Yvonne: Chose it because on the shelf. Never read. Liked opening quote. Really enjoyed. Lead character a bit annoying with his obessioins with temperature etc. Got absorbed with period descriptions. Felt the shooting at the end was forced. Touching relationship with his mother and Mrs Maudsley. Not a brilliant book but glad I read it. 7/10
Ceri: Really enjoyed. Sets the scene of the impending chatasrophe really well. Lots of go-betweens - M & T, M & Lord T, Holdiay & School, Home & Brandon, Real World & Celestial, Leo & Marcus. Leo the outsider. Enjoyed most the style of conversation. Ending did not live up to the rest of the book 8/10
Tony: Struck by the obsessions of Leo. Was Marian the poisonous plant - Belladonna. Well written and a reminder of an era that's best over. Probably won't read again. Found schoolboy talk irritating 7/10
John: Seen both films and enjoyed them but glad to read the book. Fascinated by the symbolism - temperature, zodiac, angels & fallen angels, Garden of Eden. Belladonna, horse called "Wild Oats". Was Marian to blame? Trimmingham says, women are never to blame, but at the end Marian seems to dismiss the past out of guilt - a female spider at the centre of a web . 9/10
Nick: Did not read the book but enjoyed the recent BBC adaption.