'A very good novel indeed about the fragility and also the tenacity of love' commented the Spectator recently about this 1953 novel by Dorothy Whipple, which was ignored fifty years ago because 'editors are going mad for action and passion' (as she was told by her publisher). But this last novel by a writer whose books had previously been bestsellers is outstandingly good by any standards. Apparently 'a fairly ordinary tale about the destruction of a happy marriage' yet 'it makes compulsive reading' in its description of an ordinary family ('Ellen was that unfashionable creature, a happy housewife') struck by disaster when the husband, in a moment of weak, mid-life vanity, runs off with a French girl. Dorothy Whipple is a superb stylist, with a calm intelligence in the tradition of Mrs Gaskell (both wrote in the Midlands and had similar preoccupations). 'The prose is simple, the psychology spot on' said the Telegraph, and John Sandoe Books commented: 'We have all delighted in this unjustly forgotten novel; it is well written and compelling.'
Someone at a Distance
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Book Description
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About the Author
Born in 1893 in Lancashire, England, Dorothy Whipple wrote nine extremely successful novels, two of which were made into films. She also wrote short stories and two volumes of memoirs. She died in 1966. Nina Bawden is the celebrated author of Carrie's War, Peppermint Pig, and The Witch's Daughter, among others. A number of her works have been dramatized by BBC Children's television. She currently lives in London and Nauplion, Greece.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dorothy Whipple has been one of the authors Persephone Books has been most proud to re-dsicover, and the beautifully sharp prose in this 1950s novel will alert you immediately why she's been a favorite. Yet for all that the novel is bit of a disappointment. The plot seems reminsicent of Clare Booth Luce's THE WOMEN: a noble-minded wealthy married woman loses her weak and contempible husband to the clutches of a stylish and spiteful vixen, while her daughter suffers tremendously and her friends cluck and sympathize. Some of the characters are also quite hard to take. Anne, the sickeningly adorable daughter, carries on so much when her father is caught with the French interloper, Louise, that you begin to develop a perverse delight in her unhappiness; and all the male characters are wholly two-dimensional weaklings. With the older women characters, however, Whipple seems right on the money. The heroine, Ellen, is perhaps a bit too noble but is also observed with sympathy and skill, and Louise, the clear villain, is surprisingly well-drawn too. Whipple's ability to turn a memorable phrase is also consistent throughout.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A marriage of over two decades is in danger, and the culprit seems to be the groom's own mother. "Someone at a Distance" is the story of Ellen and Avery North, a happily married couple with two children; all seems well with their life. But when Avery's mother arranges for a French girl to become a companion for him, it incites a long and confusing turmoil for everyone involved. Composed in an enthralling and realistic manner, "Someone at a Distance" is a must read story about the end of marital bliss.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Dorothy Whipple's Someone at a Distance is a very complicated novel to write about. It's the story of the Norths, a suburban couple with two teenage children. Avery North's aging mother engages a young Frenchwoman as her companion, and he develops an attachment to her that develops into an affair and later leads to divorce from his wife Ellen. This novel is a stunning book about the wide-ranging effects an affair can have on several families.
Dorothy Whipple's language is very simple. Her prose is uncomplicated, yet there's a lot of meaning behind it. Her upper-middle-class English characters are all absorbed in their own mundane lives, until the arrival of Louise literally shakes them all up. Louise is obviously not meant to be a sympathetic character (unlike Ruth in Susan Glaspell's Fidelity); and at times she devolves into the stereotypical "other woman." Much more preferable is Ellen, the sensible English housewife who finds her life shattered during the after the divorce.
It's a sad subject, yet there are some truly funny moments; the surly Miss Daley going postal on Louise is an example that comes to mind. So in the end, each of the characters get what they deserve--even Avery, towards whom I feel a bit ambivalent. I feel as though he simply sat back and let things happen to him, rather than be an active member of the cast of characters.
It's interesting that I've chosen to read this book now, so shortly after reading another Persephone title, Fidelity--it's the story of an extramarital affair as told from the conventional point of view. Despite my feelings towards Avery and Louise, I though many of the other characters were well-drawn. Whipple's description of the angst teenage Anne goes through is very real, as are the difficulties that Ellen must feel as she prepares for a life alone. After all, she's been married for twenty years, and she's never had a job or had to pay her own bills; how will she cope? It's funny, then, how Ellen ultimately finds solace in a group of elderly ladies. Like the other Whipple novel I've read, The Priory, this is not a novel in which much "happens," but it's a powerfully emotional novel. Whipple's prose is simple, as I've said, but her way with words is absolutely stellar. She really knew how to play on her readers' emotions, so that you feel invested in the lives of her characters.
Dorothy Whipple's language is very simple. Her prose is uncomplicated, yet there's a lot of meaning behind it. Her upper-middle-class English characters are all absorbed in their own mundane lives, until the arrival of Louise literally shakes them all up. Louise is obviously not meant to be a sympathetic character (unlike Ruth in Susan Glaspell's Fidelity); and at times she devolves into the stereotypical "other woman." Much more preferable is Ellen, the sensible English housewife who finds her life shattered during the after the divorce.
It's a sad subject, yet there are some truly funny moments; the surly Miss Daley going postal on Louise is an example that comes to mind. So in the end, each of the characters get what they deserve--even Avery, towards whom I feel a bit ambivalent. I feel as though he simply sat back and let things happen to him, rather than be an active member of the cast of characters.
It's interesting that I've chosen to read this book now, so shortly after reading another Persephone title, Fidelity--it's the story of an extramarital affair as told from the conventional point of view. Despite my feelings towards Avery and Louise, I though many of the other characters were well-drawn. Whipple's description of the angst teenage Anne goes through is very real, as are the difficulties that Ellen must feel as she prepares for a life alone. After all, she's been married for twenty years, and she's never had a job or had to pay her own bills; how will she cope? It's funny, then, how Ellen ultimately finds solace in a group of elderly ladies. Like the other Whipple novel I've read, The Priory, this is not a novel in which much "happens," but it's a powerfully emotional novel. Whipple's prose is simple, as I've said, but her way with words is absolutely stellar. She really knew how to play on her readers' emotions, so that you feel invested in the lives of her characters.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Someone at a Distance
It is heart warming to see a genuinely nice but wronged middle age woman rising above atrocities and rebuilding her life, relying only on her own wits and resources.
Published 3 months ago by Ophelia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Yes, it is an old story, but told in an original way. One of the best books I have read in awhile.
Published 17 months ago by kathy
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I must say that Dorothy Whipple is an undeservedly neglected writer, and we must be grateful to Persephone Books for rescuing her from obscurity. Read more
Published 17 months ago by anna
5.0 out of 5 stars
A happy marriage derailed
Dorothy Whipple's Someone at a Distance is a psychologically astute and well-written account of the happy marriage between Ellen and Avery North that becomes undone. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Marysz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dorothy Whipple has me hooked!
Loved it...This book was my introduction to The Persephone Book collection. I had just come off reading some fabulous classics, and was searching for something new to catch my... Read more
Published on May 18, 2011 by allison whitten
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful.
This is a beautifully written book, truly heartbreaking in parts, one that you will not be able to put down. Read more
Published on September 10, 2010 by Topolino
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Book
I loved reading this book. It takes you to a different era and Dorothy Whipple's insights into human character are amazing, addictive reading!!!
Published on March 18, 2010 by Michelle Crawford
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Riveting book
This book was completely engrossing. I felt as if I knew each character. They stayed with me even after finishing it and I found myself picking the book back up and rereading... Read more
Published on March 25, 2009 by Mum K
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