a long month in a short book

I knew this scenario was familiar and then realised I’d seen the 1987 film (with C Firth and K Brannagh – still available on DVD). I enjoyed the style of writing about not very much – very relaxing. Although it was written in the 70s, he mostly captured the style of writing of the post war period (though, inevitably, brought in more sex than would have graced the page then). I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of homes – instantly recognisable to me as my Aunt’s cottage and my Grandmother’s house – extremely evocative of the times. But I’m not sure it amounted to a great deal (I could remember nothing but the wall painting premise from the film). Sure he used the metaphor of uncovering the past through the painting and the archaeology to underscore the uncovering of Moon’s and Birkin’s pasts, but it felt very slight. But I enjoyed it for all that – we don’t always want to be stimulated.