Customer Reviews

Last of the Old Guard

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Louis Auchincloss is best known for his writings of a more genteel age, usually focusing on the early part of the twentieth century.

And he sticks to that formula in "Last of the Old Guard," a bittersweet little novel about the lifelong friendship between two very dissimilar lawyers. Along the way he addresses the many troubles and trials that they face -- as husbands, fathers and lawyers -- but the whole story is seen as a wistful flashback.

With the death of his parter Ernest Saunders, Adrian Suydam looks back on their intertwined lives -- born and educated in privileged surroundings, they met and became fast friends in college. And upon graduating, each man married a very different wife and joined forces in a law firm of their own -- which soon became a legendary force in Old New York.

But Ernest's devotion to his firm left him incapable of devoting much love to anyone, except the idolized son tragically killed in World War I. With his softer heart, Adrian tries to navigate many problems -- his wife's dislike of Ernest, treacherous associates, flaky daughters, and a rapidly changing society. But his friendship with Ernest holds out against everything.

There aren't a lot of stories about fraternal love between friends -- Auchincloss acidly observes that usually such friendships are interpreted as being about sex. But he does a good job with that difficult subject, revealing gradually how the "old guard" world of Gilded Age New York has changed over time -- both in good and bad ways.

Auchincloss also has the dignified, slightly distant prose of that bygone age. It's full of refined dialogue and reflection -- even the death of a beloved child is handled with a grave dignity. And since this style doesn't lend itself well to character development, many chapters are seen through letters, memos and other papers that Adrian reads after Ernest's death.

Framing the partners' friendship are plenty of signs of the changing times (female lawyers), as well as ethical dilemmas that mark their way -- both large (the immigrant steel-workers and their rotten treatment) and small (the divorce of Ernest's immature ne'er-do-well daughter from a blatantly unfaithful husband... who happens to work for Ernest).

The one thing that stuck out was the constant name-dropping of Theodore Roosevelt. I'm not sure why -- he had little bearing on the book -- but it became rather disruptive.

But the bond between Adrian and Ernest is handled well, with delicacy and no theatrical gestures. They fit together well because they're complete opposites that complement each other, while also sharing mutual respect and trust. And although Ernest's self-admitted chilliness towards others can make him seem like a jerk at times, the final meeting with Adrian is deeply poignant.

"Last of the Old Guard" is a glimpse into the lives of two very dissimilar men from a very different age -- and after his disastrous previous novel, Louis Auchincloss recaptures a bittersweet magic.

This is the last book that Auchincloss published before his death. It is a classic Auchincloss novel. If you like classic Auchincloss, then you will like Last of the Old Guard. It has all of the signature features of the best of Auchincloss: Fine prose, strong characterization, insight into the rich and high-born upper-class New Yorkers of the early 20th century. Of course, there is no violence, overt sex, indeed hardly any events at all. It is the story of the friendship and legal partnership of Adrian Suydam and Ernest Saunders. I won't attempt to summarize this novel as other reviewers have done that quite well.

I just want to make a few of points that have been unmentioned by other reviewers. 1. Last of the Old Guard is not a novel in the sense of having a plot and developing suspense or recounting connected events. It is more of an historical biography (fictional of course) or series of vignettes in the lives of Suydam and Saunders. It is a character study of the two successful lawyers. 2. Auchincloss interjects quite a bit of political commentary which seems extraordinarily contemporary. The idea is that things haven't really changed that much since 1905 or 1920. I wonder how much he is projecting contemporary political concerns and attitudes back into his characters. 3. An interesting historical note is that the Suydam family is not fictional. They were one of the leading, most wealthy, and prominent New York families (and perhaps still are for all I know). Search "Walter Lispenard Suydam" on Google. A very sad and tragic story also comes up that can be pieced together from New York Times articles from 1911 and 1912. (Briefly: In 1911 The young wife, also very aristocratic, of a scion of the Suydam family ran off with the plumber's son. They killed themselves in a New York hotel shortly thereafter.) I wonder why and how Auchincloss chose the name "Adrian Suydam" for his fictional narrator. This leads me to wonder just how fictional Last of the Old Guard is. I suspect not very.

As a rule, I am not interested in the writing of lawyers or writing about lawyers, but I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. It felt so 'personal' that I wondered how much of the author's life was intertwined into it. That's the mark of good fiction. The story felt so 'real' I often felt like the author was in a chair next to me, telling the tale.

Auchincloss knows the subject which he speaks, he's one of the last of the faded "WASP" elite that pretty much now only a memory in NY society. The only thing I found wanting, was the seeming lack of self reflection of some of the more self destructive tendencies of that elite, including a naive misguided altruism and misplaced trust.

I almost wanted to ask the character, is it now a better place for us? and will the 'new elite' be as kind? So far the answer is a resounding no. But to ask would be to mis-understand the book; It's a story of a character, not a society.

Auchincloss is splendid as always! He never has a word out of place, his every book is a perfect little package.

Prolific novelist Louis Auchincloss' new novel is titled Last of the Old Guard. On these pages, protagonist Adrian Suydam reflects wistfully on his life and that of his recently deceased law partner, Ernest Saunders. Set at the end of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, Auchincloss presents with a formal detachment the relationships and behavior of those times. While the primary relationship is that between two life-long friends and law partners, other relationships are also critical to the novel: husbands and wives; fathers and children; and employers and employees. This brief glimpse into another time provides a striking contrast to modern times. Last of the Old Guard conveys the sense of responsibility, formality, manners and expectations of a time that has passed, but dimensions of personal character and integrity that survive and can thrive in any era. Reading Last of the Old Guard is like visiting a museum and coming away with impressions about other times and places. Readers who want to visit an old New York will find pleasure on these pages.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)