William and Grace share what seems to them an ideal marriage. Both in their 50s, neither has any reason to believe that their relationship could be threatened. But when he meets the beautiful Bonnie, William begins to think the unthinkable.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"Suddenly William was able to contemplate the fact quite calmly: he would have to murder his wife." At the start of this unusual portrait of a British marriage, middle-aged William Handle is far from entertaining such wicked thoughts. For years, he has been happily married to Grace. Husband and wife each have their own satisfying occupations--William is the principal violinist of the Elmtree Quartet, and Grace is a painter--and they live comfortably in a suburb west of London. But then a new viola player--the attractive Bonnie Morse--joins William's previously all-male quartet, and William loses his head. Meanwhile, Grace is getting more and more caught up in the life of the Handles' unbalanced but charismatic young neighbor, Lucien, who visits in the mornings and rants about his domineering mother. As William's plans to rid himself of his wife progress, farce shifts into black comedy. But after a split that includes Lucien's betrayal, Grace and William reunite with a simplicity that belies the homicidal frisson previously in the air. Huth (Land Girls) shows how human destiny is shaped amid the tinkling of teacups, in this very British tale. Although Grace and William are not entirely rounded characters, they are engaging as something more than symbols of middle-class married malaise. Easy to read, but brittle around the edges, the novel gives a cool account of thwarted passion.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From Library Journal
William Handle, a violinist with a prominent string quartet, and his wife, Grace, an accomplished artist of botanical books for children, have the kind of comfortable, easy relationship that comes with a long, happy marriage. Then the disturbed but engaging young Lucien comes into Grace's life and into William's comes Bonnie, the quartet's new viola player. Grace is both attracted and repulsed by Lucien's mood swings and his strange insinuation into her routine (he pops in daily for tea), while William is besotted by Bonnie's youth and attention. He resolves to murder his "dear Grace" so that he and Bonnie can play duets forever. Fortunately, William's attempts at murder are bungled, and his efforts to woo the fair Bonnie are mistaken for musical camaraderie. He recognizes the folly of his fantasy just in time. Not only is Grace spared death, but she is also mercifully absent when Lucien goes over the edge. Huth (Land Girls) has a marvelously deft hand at character portrayal and skillfully sustains the reader's sympathy for the human condition. Light reading to be sure, but carefully crafted and thoroughly entertaining. Recommended. Susan Clifford Braun, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A long-time marriage runs into a crisis...,
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This review is from: Easy Silence (Hardcover)
First off, I admit I'm a fan of Angela Huth's books and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I wasn't dissappointed. This is a sometimes comic, sometimes poignant glimpse at the life of a couple, William and Grace, whose marriage has gotten a bit too routine. And then a lovely young musician enters the picture, a musician who happens to be joining William's music quartet,taking the place of a viola player who has resigned. William is entranced by her. Meanwhile Grace herself is not sitting alone, bereft and rejected. Although she's unaware of her husband's passions for another woman, Grace is also feeling drawn to another man. If you think this story is going to move along in predictable ways, think again - there's another horror around the corner, one this couple can't anticipate. I hope I've perked your interest in this book - I'd love to think another reader has discovered the joys of this author's writing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing,
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This review is from: Easy Silence (Hardcover)
I have loved the other Angela Huth's novels, Wives of the Fisherman, and Land Girls, and was disappointed with the gravity of this one. Am a compulsive "finisher," but had to prod myself along and found it wanting in content. She always writes beautifully about relationships but this, for me, just wasn't a very engaging story. Sorry.
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