Literary Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym

[sun surfer]

'This is the story of four people in late middle-age - Edwin, Norman, Letty and Marcia - whose chief point of contact is that they work in the same office and they suffer the same problem - loneliness. Lovingly, poignantly, satirically and with much humor, Pym conducts us through their small lives and the facade they erect to defend themselves against the outside world. There is nevertheless an obstinate optimism in her characters, allowing them in their different ways to win through to a kind of hope. Barbara Pym’s sensitive wit and artistry are at their most sparkling in Quartet in Autumn.'

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There are two phases of discussion. The first begins immediately and may contain conversations about anything pre-completion of the selection including reading progress, section thoughts, outside info, etc. The second begins on the 1st and also includes anything post-completion. These are recommended to help us discuss things in a similar timeframe but anyone can discuss any part or aspect at any time.


This is the MR Literary Club selection for October 2020. Everyone is welcome so feel free to start or join in the conversation at any time; the more the merrier!

[sun surfer]

It seems there isn't an audiobook of this, so this will be the first ebook version of a selection I've read for the club in many months. I'm actually excited for that as mentioned before I've been bogged down in one ebook for a long time - and still working on it! - so this will be a nice change of pace. Also, I have a new ereader (the Boox Poke 2 Colour, my first new ereader in over I think half a decade) and this will be the first full book I read on it.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

It seems there isn't an audiobook of this, so this will be the first ebook version of a selection I've read for the club in many months. I'm actually excited for that as mentioned before I've been bogged down in one ebook for a long time - and still working on it! - so this will be a nice change of pace. Also, I have a new ereader (the Boox Poke 2 Colour, my first new ereader in over I think half a decade) and this will be the first full book I read on it.

I'm actually on hold for the original 1977 printing at my local library. It was that or the large print edition. No ebook edition option for me. But I am looking forward to it nonetheless.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

It seems there isn't an audiobook of this, so this will be the first ebook version of a selection I've read for the club in many months. I'm actually excited for that as mentioned before I've been bogged down in one ebook for a long time - and still working on it! - so this will be a nice change of pace. Also, I have a new ereader (the Boox Poke 2 Colour, my first new ereader in over I think half a decade) and this will be the first full book I read on it.

I didn’t think to check the audiobook for availability. My library doesn’t have the ebook or paperback available so I will have to purchase this one. Hope you enjoy your new ereader! That’s exciting!

[AnotherCat]

I'm at around the 90% mark with this book and while it is not the type of book I would normally aim myself at to read I am enjoying this one. Was a good choice.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Glad to hear it! I just purchased it over the weekend and will be starting later this week. I have never read anything by Pym before.

[astrangerhere]

I read about half of the novel in one sitting last night. Like Anothercat, I would not have typically picked this up to read, but I am really enjoying it.

[astrangerhere]

I have made a good many notes and will post my thoughts later. However, I can say confidently that this book will be in my top 10 this year. So glad to have read it.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I’m happy you enjoyed it. I have read about 20% now and should finish this week.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I finished the book this weekend, and I am ready to discuss. I enjoyed the book. The characters grew on me as I read. Often we highlight the first line of a book, but the last line of this book was great. I liked the positivity of the final statement. I also liked the wry sense of humor of Pym.

[sun surfer]

October ended up being pretty busy for me so I haven't completed it yet but it seems like a quick enough read to finish. I'm glad it looks like you all enjoyed it.

[astrangerhere]

I took quite a few notes as I was reading because I had to return this to the library. But the first thing I wanted to point out was how much I really liked the tertiary characters. I liked them more as who they were rather than as who the characters perceived them to be.

• Dr. Strong might have had one of my absolute favorite moments in the book when the lavender water that Marcia is wearing, transports him back to childhood in the middle of his consult.
• The longsuffering Joyce Brabner who is a volunteer (!) social worker who just keeps beating her head against the bricks of Marcia's stubbornness. I felt at once that Pym was trying to convey she was doing all that was within her power to do, but also that she should have been doing more.
• Mrs. Pope was just a HOOT. She could have jumped out of literally any 70s show set in a village with a vicarage. She is the consummate church busy body and charity raiser - as long as you don't want to put the charity leavings in her house. But when she took in Letty, it was almost as if she had taken in a charity leaving. She was also such an interesting offset to the other religious figures in the book (the African Christian, Father G, David Lydell, and Edwin himself).
• I don't even know where to start with Majorie and David Lydell. Even though they were both unpleasant characters, they did not feel villainous or out of place.

I'll save the rest of my scribblings until others have gotten to weigh in.

[sun surfer]

I finished up the book a few days ago and really enjoyed it. It had such an atmosphere and aura of time and place. I took some notes as well that I'll get to in another post.

astrangerhere, your observations are interesting to think on. I'll just speak on one at the moment- I had first begun to read your post when I was mid-through the book and stopped after seeing, "Dr. Strong might have had one of my absolute favorite moments" and thinking too big a spoiler might follow. Now I see it wasn't but it's funny I spent the book wondering what big thing Dr. Strong would do (especially since he was only talked about for most of the book). I agree though that I really liked that moment, especially as it humanised him from the fantasy Marcia had of him as well as the reality that he may have been responsible for previous neglect in her case.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

[LIST][*]The longsuffering Joyce Brabner who is a volunteer (!) social worker who just keeps beating her head against the bricks of Marcia's stubbornness. I felt at once that Pym was trying to convey she was doing all that was within her power to do, but also that she should have been doing more.

I wonder if Pym was speaking to the ultimate mismatch of Joyce and Marcia, or even of most anyone in a position like Joyce's against a force like Marcia. It seems there was a scene (or maybe I'm misremembering, lol) of the last meeting where Joyce and Marcia spoke. Marcia's appearance was so drastic that I do think Joyce could have passed it up the chain of command, or whatever her next step would've been.

It also begs the question of whether Marcia was deathly sick from anorexia or some other mental disorder, or a return of the cancer. What do the rest of you think? Did it seem obvious to you, or was it as vague as I feel it was?

She obviously relished the attention and 'special status' from her cancer and surgery (especially from Dr. Strong). I could see that combined with the loss of her mother, and always eating lightly beforehand anyway, producing a strange onset of anorexia to not only take control but also to produce her own new sickness to keep attention on her (after all, Dr. Strong didn't even see her on the check up scene in the book). Also, there weren't any signs of pain that a recurrence of cancer would probably entail. So, in my mind I feel like she died of severe malnutrition that even a hospital stay couldn't fix.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I wonder if Pym was speaking to the ultimate mismatch of Joyce and Marcia, or even of most anyone in a position like Joyce's against a force like Marcia. It seems there was a scene (or maybe I'm misremembering, lol) of the last meeting where Joyce and Marcia spoke. Marcia's appearance was so drastic that I do think Joyce could have passed it up the chain of command, or whatever her next step would've been.

It also begs the question of whether Marcia was deathly sick from anorexia or some other mental disorder, or a return of the cancer. What do the rest of you think? Did it seem obvious to you, or was it as vague as I feel it was?

She obviously relished the attention and 'special status' from her cancer and surgery (especially from Dr. Strong). I could see that combined with the loss of her mother, and always eating lightly beforehand anyway, producing a strange onset of anorexia to not only take control but also to produce her own new sickness to keep attention on her (after all, Dr. Strong didn't even see her on the check up scene in the book). Also, there weren't any signs of pain that a recurrence of cancer would probably entail. So, in my mind I feel like she died of severe malnutrition that even a hospital stay couldn't fix.

I hadn’t thought about the cancer returning being a cause of Marcia’s weight loss. Yet I also don’t think it was really anorexia. She seems more unaware or forgetful about not eating than intentional about it. Her shrinking size is symbolic of her shrinking world after retirement. She isn’t getting nourishment from the world either. She is increasing isolated. She doesn’t want to socialize with her past colleagues. Her character appears to get more disheveled in outward physical appearance.