Susan Minot’s prose is characterised by the kind of quietly restrained precision which has long been my favourite writing style. Of the three novels I’ve read by her, Evening is my favourite.
Ann Lord lies dying in her New England house, surrounded by her children, slipping in and out of the past and the present, halfway between dream and delirium. Fragmented memories of her three marriages, some half-remembered others more vivid than her fading life, catch her attention but it is a single love affair with a young man she met at her best friend’s wedding that haunts her. Harris Arden is dashing, ardent and, it slowly emerges, engaged to marry someone else. Minot delicately reveals the tragic events of their single night together and the full extent of the shadow it’s cast.
Sadly, it seems Evening‘s no longer in print in the UK but no doubt second hand copies can be tracked down online
What about you, any blasts from the past you’d like to share?
You can find more posts like this here.
Discover more from A Life in Books
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
This looks my kind of book too. I’ll have to track it down, as the library has , for once, let me down. A quick trawl on Google reveals it’s widely available second hand though. So. Do I need to add to That Pile?
I think you do. But I would say that, wouldn’t I! It’s quite slim if that helps.
Tempted then.
Oh, go on…
I haven’t heard of this author at all, but your description of her style makes me think I’d really enjoy her. I will look out for this!
I think she’d suit you.
New author to me, but it sounds great!
Highly recommend her writing, Cathy.
I’ve only ever read her story collection Why I Don’t Write, which was fine but didn’t wow me. This synopsis does entice me, though. I’ll seek it out secondhand.
I’ve not read any of her short stories although I’d assumed I’d enjoy them given her writing style.
I’ve considered this one a few times over the years but worried it might be a little more “airport fiction” (although I suppose the fact that it’s a moth and not a butterfly should have offered a broader hint, now that I think about it).
Although, covers can be deceptive! She’s definitely worth reading.