Customer Reviews

Casting Off (Cazalet Chronicle)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fourth and final volume of "The Cazalet Chronicle" brings to a satisfying conclusion the story of this much-extended English family. Taking place in the aftermath of World War II, each family member grapples with the rationing, food and housing shortages, and other deprivations the English endured. Marriages break apart and new unions are formed, pregnancy shatters the life of one cousin while another eagerly anticipates motherhood, new careers are begun, family rifts pit brother against brother, and old loves are rekindled as the Cazalets head into the future. Elizabeth Jane Howard writes the intimate details of their lives with a warmth,humor, and passion that is almost magical.

This was, I think, the most touching book of the Cazalet series. After the war their situations are not automatically better, but slowly things begin to improve for some of the Cazalets. Clary and Polly fall in love, Rupert and Zoe try to rediscover each other, and Louise makes peace with her past and takes control of her life.

For those in the United States who are having a hard time finding this book (as I did) I suggest you try W. H. Smith On-line. I ordered it from them and it took about a month to arrive from England (cost was about 10 pounds).

I can't believe this book is out of stock! The end of volume 3 of the Cazalet chronicles leaves you yearning for the final volume (Howard has slowing been increasing the emotional tension with each volume)--and now I'm left in limbo indefinitely! Can't you get some word from the publisher?

The Second World War has ended, but "normal" eludes most of England and, in particular, the Cazalet family and assorted family retainers, servants, etc. Communication between family members reaches a new low, families break apart and regroup, and faith appears as a real issue. Teddy acquires an American bride of the worst type, Louise sheds a famous husband, Villy becomes the odd one out, Polly does not seek but still finds, Angela travels to the U.S. to marry, Christopher becomes his own man, and Neville is utterly charming in his hideously truthful way. Crawling into the covers of this book gives the reader a real sense of the present emerging. The recorded version sounds magnificent, the dialogue is so skillful that I'd love to listen to the books too. And, having read all four books, must we end it here?

I enjoyed these four novels about the Cazalet family. It was very interesting to be able to observe how England changed from the years before World War II to the period after it, going from a calm self-absorption and a reliance on live-in help to everyone listening to news bulletins and servants being almost impossible to get. Rather strange, though, I thought, that so many of the marriages were between young women and middle-aged men. And virtually everyone having an affair -- is this realism, or just overuse of a good technique for revealing character? And I thought Clary's choice of a husband implausible.

But in general the books were very believable. I was interested in all the characters and moved by their experiences. They have been absorbed into my mind just as if they were real people. Major virtues of these books are the atmosphere of English culture of the time, and the subtle character development. An unfortunate minor distraction in this book, unlike the three other volumes, were editing errors, for instance characters starting the paragraph with the wrong name, or Christopher's pet Oliver being a cat for ages and then suddenly on p. 478 being a dog!

Superb, superb, superb! I can't praise the four volumes in this series highly enough. They are beautifully written, emotionally intense books that you will enjoy if you are interested in history, family sagas, English novels, or psychological portraits. I'll never forget the section where Polly cleans out her mother's room. Heartrending and written with great insight. Please, Ms. Howard, don't let "Casting Off" be the last!

this book should be reprinted, because I plan to read volumes 2, 3 and I should be able to read Volume 4! This makes me very angry! Please reprint this book.

I, too, have been left hanging and am eagerly awaiting this last book, as I know it too will receive a five star rating from me. I can recommend both the books and the tapes in this series to be among the best. Keep writing, Ms. Howard!

This book had me hoping that this wasn't the end of the line. I wanted the series to go on and on as the Jalna series did.