ASPECTS OF LOVE [Paperback]

David Garnett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 1990

A young boy, a beautiful actress, an elderly aristocrat - troubled desire and tangled emotions flowering against the glowing backgrounds of Southern France, Italy and Paris, in perilous defiance of the barriers of age. Such are the 'aspects of love' in this passionate and unforgettable novel upon which Andrew Lloyd Webber based his musical.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Garnett's (1892-1981) frothy romantic diversion, first published in England in 1955, is a graceful tale of Oedipal tensions, shared secrets, violent shocks and theatricality. Recently expelled from school, Alexis, a hotheaded young Englishman, has enlisted in the army. He takes as his lover beautiful, bitchy French actress Rose Vibert, but she ditches him to marry his uncle, baronet-poet Sir George Dillingham. Many years later, the Dillinghams' 13-year-old daughter Jenny falls madly for Alexis; Rose, meanwhile, beds a 20-year-old in a menage a trois. Jealousies and passions wax and wane as we hop from Paris to Venice to French wine country, yet the story, for all its psychological nuances, does not rise much above the level of melodrama. An Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the novel is scheduled to open in New York next April. Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Exquisite evocations of Venice, Paris and the French countryside." - Observer


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Vintage (May 12, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679730427
• ISBN-13: 978-0679730422
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Simply Outdated., October 25, 2008

By 

Jennifer L. Gordon "Bridget Jones, Esq." (Aberdeen, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ASPECTS OF LOVE (Paperback)

This is not a novel for everyone.

Garnett's novel is somewhat outdated in its style, the writing is at times quaint, despite the subject matter.

Aspects of Love, the novel which inspired the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, follows the coming of age of Alexis, a young soldier in love with an actress, Rose. Alexis' pursuit of Rose becomes intertwined with his uncle, her daugther, his uncle's lover, Rose's lover, and an assortment of other bit players. The book was originally released in Britain in 1955, and is, to a great extent, something like the "Desperate Housewives" of the time; it requires a scorecard to keep up with who is sleeping with whom on any given page.

Despite all the astonishing pairings (especially given the time it was released), it's not a particularly good book. The writing is somewhat weak, the plot beyond the romantic intrigue is shoddy, and if you knew the musical first (which most people reading the novel today do), you miss the music. The descriptions of the countryside are lovely, but the novel just can't quite make up for being an outdated melodrama with an unlikely racy streak.