Other Fiction Tarkington, Booth: The Two Vanrevels (Illustrated). v1, 06 March 2012

[GrannyGrump]

First published in 1902. The book begins:

"It was long ago in the days when men sighed when they fell in love; when people danced by candle and lamp, and did dance, too, instead of solemnly gliding about; in that mellow time so long ago, when the young were romantic and summer was roses and wine, old Carewe brought his lovely daughter home from the convent to wreck the hearts of the youth of Rouen..."

This is a story of romance, of love and hatred, comedy and tragedy, social customs, politics, human nature — all lightly seasoned with wit and humor. Tarkington takes us back in history to Rouen, Indiana in 1845, several months before the beginning of the Mexican-American war. Betty Carewe, daughter of Rouen's most wealthy and powerful citizen, meets two young men who are both attracted to her (as is every unattached male in town). Handsome Tom Vanrevel is a brilliant lawyer; Crailey Gray, his business partner and best friend, is the beloved town scamp and acknowledged lady-killer. As a newcomer, she confuses their identities; Crailey takes advantage of the situation to pose as Tom and continue his flirtation. Her father's hatred of Vanrevel ensures she will keep the relationship secret in order to protect "Tom". But how long can the secrecy stay intact?

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book, you can feel Tarkington beginning to really hit his stride as a novelist. The segment about the newly formed Volunteer Fire Brigade facing their first big fire is, all by itself, worth the price of admission.

Seven full-page illustrations by Henry Hutt. Drop-caps (not supported on all readers, and may appear as large initial letters). I proofed it carefully, but may have missed some errors, let me know if you find any. And of course, if I have errors in coding, do let me know.

I hope you enjoy it.

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