Friday, August 2, 2019

Olivia Manning's School For Love

"F-e-e-l-iks!"
Felix is an orphan, dropped off with Miss Bohun, a very distant relative, in Jerusalem, in the winter of 1944-5. His father was a war casualty, and his mother died of typhoid in Baghdad, and transport back to England is still impossible, so Miss Bohun is the only option. Felix must be in his mid-teens, but he's young for his age, and his understanding of just who is this Miss Bohun is wildly and hilariously mistaken.

Miss Bohun runs a rooming house and so long as Felix can pay, she's willing to take in this relative. Miss Bohun is forever finagling her boarders, and feeling put upon for having to do it, but for a while Felix has a home. The other inmates of Miss Bohun's house provide his company and that most particularly includes Faro, a Siamese cat.

How did Olivia Manning become obscure, even for five minutes, much less years? The world is cruel. I've now read the six volumes of her Fortunes of War series and this and she strikes me as an incredibly brilliant writer. Funny and observant and touching all at once. As far as I'm concerned one of the best of the New York Review Books rediscoveries. (Up there with Patrick Leigh Fermor and The Long Ships.)

Does Felix finally come to understand the monstrous Miss Bohun? Is she really as monstrous as all that? (Oh, pretty much...) Is his name destiny? Well, read it: it's short, and for me it served as the perfect chaser after reading the weighty tomes of Under The Volcano and The Death of Virgil and before starting Moby Dick. Highly recommended.

A book that actually came from my #20booksofsummer list!




6 comments:

  1. Sounds so good! I will put it on the list. The NYRB re-prints are pretty neat. I love how various niche publishers endevour to uncover those neglected authors. Many people believe that a classic is made by the test of time, but seriously, some of what stays in print is sheer LUCK. Look at Moby Dick. We wouldn't consider it a classic now were it not for that graduate student's rediscovery of it.

    P.S. I loved The Long Ships too. It was so funny!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is so often just sheer luck, isn't it? Makes you wonder what great things you're missing.

      The Long Ships is so much fun!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. My library actually has a copy of this book! I'm so excited to be able to give this author a try.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's definitely a fun one. Hope you enjoy it!

      Delete
  3. I think I could be completely happy if I only had New York Review Books to read. This looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me, too! Though it would mean I couldn't be reading Moby Dick.

      Delete