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Original poster

So, Chesil Beach ... what dyou think?

33 replies

Bink · 18/04/2007 20:22

I think it's quite good.
I think it (rather gently) breaks new ground, but at same time isn't trying to be anything more than a Novella (haven't seen that term in a while).

I also like that it seems to me a sort of oblique "answer" - or re-thinking - of The French Lieutenant's Woman. I wonder if it is, on purpose, at all? As it makes a nicely thoughtful riposte to the posturingy bits of John Fowles.

Separately: anyone seen any nice side-zipped narrow-legged linen trousers anywhere?

OP posts:
Kbear · 18/09/2007 09:51

I went there for me 'olidays! It is big and stony.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 18/09/2007 09:46

The reasons I thought it were threefold. First father wouldn't be physically affectionate to her in public, but was to her sister. Secondly, they did all those overnight boat trips together and third the frigid thing (even if not frigid she certainly could have used a bit of therapy I thought). In the end, though, I decided (perhaps mistakenly) that she would have been more sexually awakened had she been abused, so it was a red herring.

Agree Sophable that the argument was fantastically realistic - the mad escalation every time each was wounded.

Agree too Pennies that she was more interesting and I thought more sympathetic, though dh somewhat typically preferred him and thought she was crackers.

Pennies · 17/09/2007 10:44

I didn't pick up on the frigid thing either, as she began to get into it all.

I enjoyed it alot but also felt that the story could have given a little more focus to the progression of her life as well as I found her the more interesting character. It was almost as if there's a sequel out the desperate to be written.

Heathcliffscathy · 17/09/2007 10:36

really justine??? didn't occur to me....

what I loved (and I did love it) was the way he totally captures the escalation of an argument into a life changing moment....it has changed the way I argue with dh as we both read it and agreed that the need to be right overriding everything was totally destructive...that you get to a place where you're just lashing out and feeling hurt and the stakes are raised and raised and you don't actually mean any of it.

also, she wasn't frigid (there was a point where his touching her started to turn her on...) wasn't the thing that their mutual ignorance and the hideous misinformation they both had about what sexuality was meant that they had very little hope of any kind of satisfaction....isn't this the story of an infinite number of beginnings of marriages in the past (and undoubtedly in some places in the present?).

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 17/09/2007 10:27

At one point I thought her Dad abused her - hence the frigid stuff but I decided not in the end... what did you think?

Hathor · 18/04/2007 21:34

Oh the book, I thought you wanted to know about the beach. Dur

MrsMuddle · 18/04/2007 21:29

I read an excerpt from it in the guarian a couple of weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it. I like his stuff. Is it only out in hardback still?

luciemule · 18/04/2007 21:05

Ref the trousers - check out Boden - they usually have side zip linen ones.

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