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A review by gwalt118
September by Rosamunde Pilcher
5.0
September was the last of Pilcher's "Big Four" that I read. It almost took the top spot as my favorite, but Winter Solstice is staying in that spot. Nevertheless, my goodness. What an absolute gem of a novel. I honestly don't even know where to begin.
The feelings of these characters are almost palpable. I was particularly drawn to the women in this novel, especially Virginia. I enjoyed witnessing her evolution as a wife, as a mother, and especially as a woman. There is an element of suspense in this novel that drives the plot forward, unlike any of the other "Big Four." The suspense revolves around two aspects of the plot - Lottie's mental illness and the state of numerous marriages and love interests.
Lottie's mental illness is portrayed in troubling ways at times, and I had to remind myself that this book was published in 1990 and the story takes place in the 1980s (I think - perhaps earlier). I enjoyed the marriage / love interest angles more than I thought I would. Edmund & Virginia, for all their faults, are my favorite couple.
Thematically, I saw echoes of the work of Kate Chopin - an author who I believe is severely underrated and not discussed nearly enough. This novel is about, among many other things, women who are struggling to make decisions. I became particularly attached to the choices of Pandora and Virginia, who act as foils to each other throughout the novel. I won't say anymore for fear of giving something away, but if you like this themes of this nature, I think you'd enjoy this novel.
I am forever jealous of everyone who gets to experience Pilcher's "Big Four" for the first time, but I will also be a lifelong re-reader of these extraordinary novels.
What a joy it was to read September in September.
The feelings of these characters are almost palpable. I was particularly drawn to the women in this novel, especially Virginia. I enjoyed witnessing her evolution as a wife, as a mother, and especially as a woman. There is an element of suspense in this novel that drives the plot forward, unlike any of the other "Big Four." The suspense revolves around two aspects of the plot - Lottie's mental illness and the state of numerous marriages and love interests.
Lottie's mental illness is portrayed in troubling ways at times, and I had to remind myself that this book was published in 1990 and the story takes place in the 1980s (I think - perhaps earlier). I enjoyed the marriage / love interest angles more than I thought I would. Edmund & Virginia, for all their faults, are my favorite couple.
Thematically, I saw echoes of the work of Kate Chopin - an author who I believe is severely underrated and not discussed nearly enough. This novel is about, among many other things, women who are struggling to make decisions. I became particularly attached to the choices of Pandora and Virginia, who act as foils to each other throughout the novel. I won't say anymore for fear of giving something away, but if you like this themes of this nature, I think you'd enjoy this novel.
I am forever jealous of everyone who gets to experience Pilcher's "Big Four" for the first time, but I will also be a lifelong re-reader of these extraordinary novels.
What a joy it was to read September in September.