Customer Reviews

FROST IN MAY (Virago Modern Classics)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you have not read "Frost in May" you are in for a real delight; this semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of young Fernanda (Nanda) who is sent to a convent boarding school in the years just before WWI. She is "unpicked and remade" in the mold of a well-bred, well-educated Catholic young lady. However, Nanda is never quite one of the group; her father is a convert to the faith and middle-class. Most of the students are daughters of old Catholic gentry and Nanda feels the subtle discrimintation.

Yet Nanda loves the hermetic routine, her companions and the age-old routine of the school. She begins to feel very at home, and excels her studies when she makes a terrible mistake.

The sensitive treatment of a young girl's feelings and attitudes, the recreation of the rarified atmosphere of a convent in pre-war England make this book a fine piece of literature. Antonia White wrote 3 more novels, all semi-biographical and then a few other short works. She was afflicted by writer's block and her output is slim, which is a shame. She was a tremendously talented writer, and every word is crafted perfectly.

Since I first read this book at the age of twelve, it has continued to both delight me and reduce me to tears each of the many times I have picked it up. It appeals to people of all ages and truly allows the reader to enter into the mind of Nanda. It is a must for anyone who can empathise with Nanda's oppression, to whatever degree, and I see no reason why anyone should fail to enjoy this beautifully structured, smoothly flowing 'calm amd factual record of the slow death of a soul', to use the words of Selina Hastings. It only disappoints me that this novel remains so little-known.

I have read Frost in May more than 20 times and each time I get more from it. It is moving, funny and tragic all at once. I disagree that it is all about Catholicism, it is also about the breaking down of a child's will and about how Nanda has to accept control by the 'school' (or the religion) and her father. There are 3 more books which follow on from this although Nanda becomes Clara. All are worth a read although I think Frost in May is Antonia White's finest.

first read novel in 1939. Rereading it now, still find it as good as it was 72 years ago. Still have original Penguin copy.

I was really surprised by the one-star review. Of course there's a lot of detail about Catholic life. The book is set in the intense, often brutal world of a convent school. Those details, and some very well-drawn characters, make it real. I found Nanda's adjustment to her new life fascinating. A lovely, sad, escapist read.

Frost in May is the first Virago Modern Classic that was ever reprinted. It follows the four-year school career of Nanda (short for Fernanda) March, a girl both meek and rebellious at the same time. She enters the Convent of the Five Wounds at the age of nine (and, according to the blurb on the back of the book, in 1908), staying there until her ignominious disgrace at the age of thirteen. Nanda becomes very familiar with life at the convent school, taking for granted most of what goes on.

A good deal of the novel deals with the breaking down of the girls' wills, so that, as the nuns claim, they can build character. But does this method really work? This, I think, is an underlying theme of the book, and one that White writes about particularly well. The author talks endlessly about all the rules that are imposed upon the girls at school, governing everything from what they can read to who they can be friends with. And many of the rules make no sense to outsiders; as Mrs. March says about exemptions, "exemption from what?" So there's a certain amount of underhanded satire at work here.

I didn't like this book as much as I was prepared to, but I did enjoy it. Antonia White was a great writer, but she infuses her story with too much Catholicism. That's not to say that the tone of this book is overtly religious; I simply didn't care for the stories that were told. They especially slowed down the plot. So if you're like ma and aren't particularly religious, you might dislike these parts of the novel. I think I might have enjoyed them more if I'd had a Catholic upbringing.

However, White depicts really well the rigidity of convent life, highlighting (and sometimes making fun of) the nonsensical strictures the nuns imposed upon the students. Apart from the religious bits, the plot moves along very well, and the ending is just as devastating as promised--all the more so because what Nanda does wouldn't have been considered so bad in a normal school.

I found the beginning of this book really absorbing, and I couldn't stop reading it. Antonia White's writing style is fluid and easy to read. But then toward the end of the book, I found myself occasionally losing interest. I would recommend it, however, and I did like it a lot. It's a very interesting portrait of Nanda, who is a very likeable character.

this book was recommended to me a few years ago, and i'm so thankful for the suggestion! i just read it, and what a marvelous book!

it tells the story of a young girl who is sent to a catholic school in england in 1908. it's fascinating to read about her conversion and eventual questioning of catholicism. i haven't read such frightening sermons since james joyce's portrait of an artist as a young man.

the book is fluid, suspenseful and utterly readable. antonia white's narration is gutwrenchingly believable. the book is the first in series of white's 4 semi-autobiographical novels. i cannot wait to read the others.

i strongly suggest you read this book; i think you'll be delighted!

I ordered this book because it was required in one of my son's classes and the school bookstore prices were exorbitant. The prices here were much cheaper than the school book store prices. I ordered several books for the same reason in this same order and they all arrived quickly and in great condition.

This book drew me in immediately and promised a very interesting plot. However, towards the middle end, it slowed down and kept talking about the same ideas over and over. I got the point of oppression the first few examples. This would have been forgivable had it not been for such a weak plot. It is a slow and uncertain climax with a very disappointing resolution. The style of writing is very readable, yet not simplistic and boring. For this reason it deserves three stars, but the plot left a lot to be desired. It was rather obvious that this book was quasi-autobiographical. A good read if you don't expect much in the way of story resolution.