Customer Reviews

Lady and the Unicorn

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The Lady and the Unicorn is complex tapestry, its threads made up of many different colours, literally and figuratively. As usual with Rumer Godden, the story spins along with complex characters and plot-lines, providing a surface layer under which lie deeper observations of human nature and relationships. In this tale, she describes with powerful sharpness and perception the conflicts of being Anglo-Indian in Calcutta during the latter days of the Raj. In addition she creates a romantic mystery, caught up with the traditions of the original 15th century Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. The period setting is carefully drawn with meticulous details of description, and specific linguistic nuances drawn through conversations. The run-down dancing academy reflects Rumer Godden's own experience when she herself ran a dancing school in Calcutta in her younger days. This book is one of Rumer's earliest novels and it is a great pity it is so difficult now to find. This novel established her special style, her playing with time lines and her understanding of her characters who are such real human beings with all the follies and foibles, weaknesses and strengths making them so alive.
I so enjoyed this book, borrowed from a library more than 20 years ago, but have never seen it since.