The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen: a review

Sometimes I’ll be reading a book and realise that I’m retaining very little of it as I’m going along. That’s usually when I try to find an audiobook, so I can read and listen at the same time. With this, I couldn’t find myself an audiobook, so I was stuck using the text-to-speech function on my Kindle. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked well enough.

 

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen is a coming of age novel set during the Irish war for independence. It’s a rather Austen-esque novel, focussing on the domestic life of the characters in the Danielstown country house, all the while there is the backdrop of the horrors of war and colonialization.

            I personally didn’t enjoy this book all that much, but like I said, it’s very reminiscent of Jane Austen’s work, and I’ve never particularly got on with her stuff. I generally prefer not to read about the upper classes when they’re the central focus. So, it’s not that this book is bad, it’s just not to my taste.

            There are things that I do appreciate though. For example, I love the scene during the dance where Gerald and Lois are stood outside in the cold, trying to admit their feelings. There’s a real intimacy to that scene, and there’s a feeling like the world has stopped existing outside of that small moment, and it’s incredibly beautiful. 

 

While I didn’t hugely enjoy this book, I certainly know the audience for this book, and just how much they’d enjoy it. I’ve already recommended this to someone who I know loves Pride and Prejudice, and I would say that, if that’s the sort of book you enjoy, then this is the novel for you.