📚'Rather Dated' June: Margaret Kennedy's 'The Feast'📚

[MotherofPearl]

Link to main thread:

📚The Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' Book Group - All welcome to join📚 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/whatweree_reading/4624300-the-mumsnet-rather-dated-book-group-all-welcome-to-join

The chauffeur was Bruce. It looked as though he was going to turn out alright in the end.

Yes, that’s it, Bruce, thanks. And he saw the light, didn’t he, when she kidnapped Hebe and took her to her awful friends and let her get drunk….

Yes, that was a wake-up call for him. That was an ugly episode, wasn't it. Poor Hebe.

That felt very modern to me too, the Hebe at the drunken party episode. Really venal. @Terpsichore , well I didn’t think he was French, which is why I was so surprised when the actor spoke!

I’m out of step with everyone else as I didn’t really enjoy this. I struggled to get into it - so many characters to keep track of and it changed viewpoint so often there wasn’t long to get to know a character before it was on to another one. I wouldn’t have spotted the seven deadly sins metaphor at all if I hadn’t already been aware of it from the introduction. Perhaps because there were so many characters I didn’t really like any of them and therefore didn’t really care which of them survived and which didn’t. I also found the ending very abrupt - so much build up to the cliff collapse and then it’s over in a matter of pages and I was left feeling a bit ‘oh, is that it?’.

It’s a shame as I loved the premise (I had already bought this way before it was suggested as a Rather Dated read) but this isn’t one I’ll be rereading.

But that's good. It would be a boring world if we all liked and disliked the same things.

I found the book hugely enjoyable and surprisingly modern in its depiction of relationships. If I hadn't known it was published in 1949 I would have believed it was a contemporary novel set in the post-war period. I enjoyed all the historical details - I had to look up Eno's Fruit Salts and was amazed to find they still exist! As with many of the other "rather dated" books the depiction of changing class dynamics was an interesting aspect.

I loved the premise of the novel and the suspense it created not knowing who was going to survive. I am actually quite glad I didn't spot the seven deadly sins premise while I was reading it, because that would have taken the suspense away! Although clever, I actually didn't think the premise added much to the book. It reminded me a bit of Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, where the author was inspired to write a book involving a particular historical incident, and actually it ended up feeling quite tangential to the story she was telling (trying not to include spoilers for those who haven't read that one!).

I thought the author did a great job developing the characters and making us interested in them. Often I find these sorts of novels with multiple points-of-view a bit irritating, because there's usually a few characters I find tedious and others who I want to hear more from. That wasn't the case here. It probably helped that the chapters were fairly short.

Yes, I agree that the multiple points of view worked when it often doesn't. Mr. Paley's diary entries were good too, particularly the mention of his nightmare which became more and more ominous and foreshadowed his death.

I agree about the multiple points of view. They allowed you real insight into each character. As you say Fuzzy, Mr Paley's diary entries were very revealing, and the Miss Ellis sections were great at exposing her awful bitterness and self-justifications.

Just thinking about this book again.

I found the character of Lady Gifford the most disturbing. The revelation about the tape worm.... reminds me of Hilare Belloc or Struwwelpeter; Grotesque

I raced through this - was also quite startled by the contrast between post-war social context (the hours that poor girl worked!, people trapped in marriages that a quick early divorce would have fixed) and contemporary themes - Bruce and Ana, who is the used and who is the user? Hebe being kidnapped, lusted over, got drunk. Very ready for whatever comes next.

@tobee
I guessed it was a tapeworm quite early on! Yuck.

This has been one of my favourites from this book group - just overall a well constructed book. If the reader being told at the beginning what happens to the hotel gave the whole thing a more darker foreboding edge. I did get confused by all the characters at first but eventually they all came into focus. Weird with the parents driving themselves down by car and putting their children on the train!

@BadSpellaSpellaSpella that reminded me of all the posh parents flying business while their children fly economy.

I've just finished this and really enjoyed it. I found it a bit of a slow burner at the start but raced through the second half. So many awful characters particularly Mrs Cove and Lady Gifford. But I thought the redemption curves of Mrs Paley and Angie, and to a lesser extent Bruce, Mrs Siddal and even the Siddal boys were very well done. I would have liked a bit more on the ending, it did finish very abruptly. I also looked up Eno's Fruit Salts @IceandIndigo

I'll definitely be recommending this to friends.

My first job, aged 15, was in a pharmacy. I definitely remember selling Eno’s Fruit Salts, along with Bile Beans and Sanatogen tonic wine. We also had olive oil in three different size medicinal bottles.

it’s not just the books that are Rather Dated!

I had trouble working out people's ages - eg Duff .
Also seems strange in these books from the past that there is little condemnation of people's behaviour. Nowadays we'd be demanding an intervention from SS over Mrs Cove's behaviour ( I know there was no SS to speak of in those days but she was left to get on with it). Anna's party - in a small community everyone would know of any goings on. Also Bruce killed a cyclist - but thinking about this the prison sentence in those days was probably life, if not hanging - so perhaps he can be forgiven for being deceptive.
Mr Siddal hiding all mail and paperwork ?? Very odd but no one commented much.
Did it not matter then if someone didn't conform. Just accepted?

Hi Rather Dated ladies, is this group still active? What are you reading at the moment?

@CatSighs yes we are, come over to the main thread here! The current book is The Messaline of the Suburbs and there will be a discussion thread for that soon.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4624300-the-mumsnet-rather-dated-book-group-all-welcome-to-join?page=10&reply=132536533

Thank you @ChessieFL , I'll hop over there then.

I'm very late to the party but have only just read this and I absolutely loved it and found it gripping from start to finish. I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I was very happy that Nancibel made it!

Also keep thinking about this...Mr Siddal (I think) had a theory he expounded on about the innocent saving the damned which is what happened; those who accepted the children's invitation were saved. I'm going to have to go back and reread!

Glad you enjoyed it @Buttalapasta. It remains one of my favourites from the Rather Dated bookclub reads. I found it absolutely compelling.