Customer Reviews

The Dreaming Suburb

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

 

 

I remember seeing R. L. Delderfield's novels in bookstores when I was a teenager in the 1960s, and was intrigued by their distinctive covers. But I never bought any of them at the time, and forgot about them over the decades -- until I stumbled across a bundle of them at a library book sale. This time I decided to give them a chance. And I've been richly rewarded!

"The Dreaming Suburb" is the first half of "The Avenue," which explores life in an English suburb between 1919 & 1947. This first volume follows the intertwining lives of several Avenue residents & their families, delving into their private dreams for the future, and the ways in which those dreams take totally unexpected turns. Delderfield offers us a wide range of personalities, and has the gift of making all their lives compelling, even when some of them make foolish or even amoral choices. We can always see why the characters are making those choices, and how logical those choices seem to them.

The storytelling is solid, old-fashioned narrative, with a surprisingly small amount of dialogue, as opposed to so much contemporary fiction. The comparison to Dickens isn't overblown, either -- while the eccentric detail of Dickens may be missing, the pleasure of an intricate tale of everyday life, well-told & always fascinating, is definitely abundant. The overall tone is not unlike that of watching an exceptionally good BBC mini-series unfold, episode by episode, with plenty of room for humorous & poignant asides. There's a strong, heartfelt love for a people & a way of life that's long since passed, but still worth remembering.

In short, it's what used to be called a Good Read.

I'm surprised to see so few reviews of Delderfield's books here at Amazon, since their paperback editions sold what seems like millions of copies not so long ago ... but 3 or 4 decades is a long time, especially in this faster-paced world. That's a pity, since good storytelling should never be out of style. I'm glad to see that much of this work is finally being reprinted in trade paperback, although I'm still waiting for both volumes of "The Avenue."

Meanwhile, if you should come across any of these older paperbacks at a sale or used bookstore, do yourself a favor & give them a try. You may find, as I did, that once you start reading, you've got to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. From the disparate paths of the Carver family, to the romantic sorrows of young Esme Fraser, to the astonishingly dysfunctional Friths, to the somewhat lost sisters Edith & Becky, and so much more -- it's an entire world waiting to be discovered, highly recommended!

Brilliantly paced, rich and exciting in narrative, The Dreaming Suburb, Volume I of The Avenue, is an extraordinary novel of people whose lives are intertwined in the years between the two wars...

Jim Carver - A tough, resolute war veteran, he returns from the trenches to build a better life for his family on the Avenue.

Archie Carver - Jim's oldest son, smart, ruthless, he has a quick eye for financial profits and beautiful women.

Esme Fraser - Young and handsome, he finds that no matter how much he tries, he can't escape the passion he feels for a sensual, amoral woman.

Elaine Frith - Beautiful and ruthless, she uses her charms to snare the man she thinks will give her wealth.

Ted Hartnell - Dashing, talented, he finds himself driven by the lure of the new jazz music and goes on to fame in show business.

But their lives are soon to feel the threat of Hitler, and the Nazi bombs that fall on the beautiful London street are the horrible clarion call to war. And all the hopes, dreams and lives of the people on the Avenue are forged to a fighting force to defend all that they hold dear.