Rather Dated Book Club - Beryl Bainbridge's 'An Awfully Big Adventure'

[MotherofPearl]

Our April novel for RD book club was Beryl Bainbridge's 'An Awfully Big Adventure'. I finished it last night.

As I mentioned on our main thread, I really struggled with this. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it; apologies to whoever recommended it. I found it difficult to keep track of the characters or tell them apart, and this wasn't helped by the character's names - like Meredith being a man (I think of Meredith as a woman's name), or O'Hara and St. Ives being more or less interchangeable in my mind. Same with Dawn and Dotty - even now that I have finished the book I couldn't tell you anything about them. I didn't find any of the characters very sympathetic, even Stella.

The story itself didn't seem to progress at all until the very end of the book. The last section, where Stella's backstory is finally revealed, and O'Hara dies, was admittedly quite a bombshell. I wasn't quite sure if we were meant to infer that O'Hara was in fact Stella's father? The bit about ringing the speaking clock to hear her mother's voice was very sad (and the speaking clock detail was a nice 'rather dated' feature).

The other thing I found difficult was the remorseless gloominess of the setting. I live in the NW so am fairly familiar with Liverpool, and of course this was set in the immediate postwar period, but my goodness it was dreadful. Everything sounded so rundown and squalid, and the poverty alluded to by Bainbridge was quite shocking. I suppose this was also a strength of the novel, in that it gave some vivid insights into postwar Britain. It certainly wasn't an uplifting read, though I doubt that was Bainbridge's intention. I think the best word to describe the book, for me, is austere. I am not sorry I read it, but I don't think I will be rushing to read any more of her work.

I'm doing a re-read of this book because I loved it and because I suspected that I might have missed quite a lot. Within the first two pages where 'the girl' ran in the direction of the phone box I realised that I had indeed missed an important moment. The meaning behind this passage makes sense only when you've read the ending of course.

It was me who suggested it but the great thing about a book group is that everyone can feel differently! I had the opposite reaction to you, @MotherofPearl - I loved this. I’d read it before but like @CrochetGrannySquare I'd forgotten a lot.

To me, the writing was taut and elliptical and I really relished that, even if it took a while to adjust to. As I said on the other thread, I have a local connection too and in my case I could hear the rhythms of the speech in my head: it felt authentic and very funny in a bone-dry way.

It’s also a very personal novel for Bainbridge and a huge amount of it is pretty directly autobiographical. She published a memoir in 2005 which includes this: I was employed as an assistant stage manager (unpaid) at the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool. Aged 16 and lacking any academic qualifications, I was provided with a unique form of higher education. I had to choose props for the set; read up on the plays of Ibsen, Shakespeare and Ben Travers; work out the change from purchases of sausage rolls; sit in the prompt corner with the script; help out in the wardrobe department; make sure the coal-bucket in the green room was always full; coax Mr X from the betting shop and be ready at all times to procure ice packs and aspirins for Miss Y

But I admire the way how, out of that personal background, she weaves the narrative of a naive girl who plays a key role in a tragedy, without ever quite understanding what part she's playing in off-stage events. She's wrapped up in the glamour (as she sees it) and excitement of the action up on stage but too young and inexperienced to notice the real drama of the life happening around her. Yes, it's bleak and very sad but the humour kept coming to redeem it. I may be the only one who thinks this but hey ho!

I’ve finished but I’ll be back with comments when I’m somewhere with better internet, hopefully this evening!

Well, I enjoyed it but I do feel I can understand why others might not have done. The cast of characters is a bit overwhelming, and easy to muddle together, especially if you don’t read it in big chunks. Dotty, Dawn, OHara, St Ives, Meredith and Bunny … it took a while for them to separate in my mind. And BB is not an easy writer, I found I had to do lots of work to understand at times what was happening. The writing is so spare (although beautiful. I was truly admiring of her use of language. And how interesting that other readers can hear the local dialect cadences … I’m from the south and couldn’t) that sometimes I had to go back and reread to see that some thing major had happened.
The ending is shocking, so OHara was Stella’s dad and he slept with his own daughter? Is that right? Meredith being gay was never stated, but I inferred it before innocent Stella.
In terms of rather dated detail, I think it’s such a perfect example. The terrible bath, the baby coughing itself into the Infirmary, the peeling wallpaper, all done with such a light authorial touch that gave such authenticity. I read afterwards that it’s one of BBs most autobiographical novels. It’s funny too, in an understated way that reminded me a little of B Pym (who I must say I prefer. Perhaps because you don’t have to work so hard with her!). And the matter of fact way Stella’s sexual experiences, all what we would now characterise as abusive, are described is for me the most rather dated aspect of all.
My idea to read a BB, so apologies to anyone who didn’t enjoy it! But yes, it’s short, so phew.

Sadly I think the everyday acts of sexual abuse from random men were rife and completely ordinary and unremarkable for many, many women and girls at that time (that's not to say they don’t still happen, of course, just that we - I hope - feel more able to call them out….).

O'Hara being Stella's father is slipped in very cleverly; it’s a real 'blink and you miss it' detail.

On a slightly lighter note, I did keep thinking that the humour reminded me very much of Victoria Wood at times. It's something about the Northern way of phrasing.

Thank you for opening our discussion, MotherofPearl.

I found this difficult to read and struggled with it for the reasons that MotherofPearl outlined in her post. However, the ending of the book was amazing, what a bombshell. Suddenly it clicked and everything fell into place. I think it requires concentration and patience and I think a second reading is helpful to understand it.

The close observation of behind the scenes at the theatre was excellent and the description of post-war Liverpool was impressively detailed. This was the most interesting aspect of the book for me. I didn't feel a sense of connection with the characters apart from Vernon. I did feel sympathy for Stella towards the end of the book. She was naive and out of her depth, trying to be grown up but not knowing how.

I didn't enjoy it much. I found it austere and the humour didn't redeem it for me. It was very bleak and very sad. Altogether, it was a challenging but interesting read. Would I read another Bainbridge? Maybe.

I thought it was superb. Spare, efficient prose that nevertheless conjured up such a s nse of time and place and atmosphere - what a writer BB is.

The poverty and the scars of the war are hugely present - it feels like Liverpool is illuminated by 30w bulbs, shadows everywhere. Stella is a wonderful character - the passion and innocence of a young woman discovering the world, and oblivious to what is really happening.

The ending hit me like a blow to the stomach the first time I read it. Even on a third reading, it retains it's heartbreaking impact.

Mother said what she always did.

I’m another one who didn’t like it I’m afraid. I found it dull and if it hadn’t been so short I would have given up around halfway through. I just couldn’t get excited about the story or any of the characters. I think by the end I was just rushing to get it done.

I have read one other Bainbridge (the Titanic one) and didn’t love that either so I think she’s just not for me.

Really interesting mix of views on this one. It seems to have polarised the RD book group.

I can see that the prose is spare and economical, and wouldn’t dispute that BB is a talented writer. It’s just the lack of depth or detail in the characterisation that, for me, made it very difficult to connect with any of the characters, or really care what happened to them.

I’m prepared to accept that my antipathy to the book and its style is a reflection of my own limitations as a reader. Maybe I’m lazy and not willing to put the work in and want it all handed to me on a plate. Probably! I also far prefer Barbara Pym and have read all her books.

Sorry, just thought of something else. It felt like a novel devoid of anything of beauty. I don’t just mean physical beauty, but even emotional beauty. Everything felt harsh and bleak, and there didn’t seem to be any relationships based on real warmth and affection (with the possible exception of Vernon’s relationship with Stella, but even that seemed strained and pretty remote). There was no natural beauty, not even beauty in the theatre which sounded threadbare and dusty. It just left me feeling glad to escape.

I think it’s good to have a divisive book sometimes. And we can’t all agree on everything, it would be very dull otherwise! Where we part company, @MotherofPearl, is that for me the characterisation was detailed enough for me to 'see' these people and their hinterlands. I thought every little aside added more and more to each picture - and I suppose I felt a nostalgic glow having Reece's cafe, George Henry Lee, Blackler's and Owen Owen all mentioned - fond memories of the grand shops and cafes of my childhood trips to Liverpool.

(I too love Barbara Pym btw)

I don’t just mean physical beauty, but even emotional beauty.

I found that a strength - it was darkly funny and tragic, with a heavy atmosphere of damage. A bleak world in which the characters were navigating the physical, emotional and spiritual after effects of the war.

I’ve got a random tale about Beryl Bainbridge.

A late relative was pals with her as well as Ian McKellan (he was a theatrical agent and Ian was his ex). Many years ago they were going to visit his Cotswolds’ cottage when their car conked out. Apparently Gandalf had to push the car whilst BB sat giving directions.

Sounds like a Stella Street fever dream 😂

That's a really good description of it, BeaAndBen.

Usually I read and love books that are bleak, dark and despairing, so I'm trying to figure out why this one didn't work for me. I think it's because it didn't draw me in on an emotional level. I felt a bit detached from it. I was baffled by the cast and they were a blur for me too with no distinguishing features. I felt I should have taken notes!

I find myself nodding along with MotherofPearl when I read her posts.

Maybe if there had been more detail in the characterisation or a more sympathetic main character, I would have connected with it more.

The sordid elements of the story were shocking, but I would say true of its time.

I enjoyed your tale, GloomyWednesday!

Ha! That’s a good one @GloomyWednesday. I definitely can’t see Beryl being the pusher! And yes, Stella Street most certainly springs to mind 😂

I loved this book so much, read it after watching the film. Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Georgina Cates. Fantastic.

I enjoyed it. The style made a change for me - I mostly read fiction that pre-dates this. Was this spare, quite clipped style of its time, in the eighties? Or was this fresh when it came out? Wouldn't feel completely out of place in a modern novel.

Interesting to hear about the author's theatre experience. I think she gets that dead tight: theatres, even grand ones, and perhaps especially provincial places, are dusty and a bit seedy, for everyone except the audience. It's all an illusion after all. It might be a fantastic production, that is transcendent from the stalls, but the actors are just doing a job for fifteen bob a week or whatever.

The speaking clock made me think of the story of Oswald Laurence https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/blog/mind-gap-story-embankment-stations-announcement

I’m nodding along to your posts Fuzzy! We are as one on this book. 😊

Though I agree that’s quite nice to have a book that has elicited quite strong and divided opinions. And even if I didn’t love it, I still feel I learnt something from it - I found out a lot more about the world of repertory theatre, and about the devastating impact of the war. And maybe I’ve also found out a bit more about what makes a novel really ‘click’ for me, or not.

I liked the evocation of Liverpool and theatre, but like others I found it hard to care for the major characters and to distinguish between the minor ones. I think that is a flaw in the book, as a lot of bad things happen to Stella and the others but the impact is muted if you aren’t bothered about them.

I did guess that Stella was talking to the speaking clock.

I don’t think I would have read a book by Beryl Bainbridge without this thread - I’m not planning to read any more immediately, but I might try another if I find one in the Kindle deals or on holiday. I’m pleased that I have read one as I remember my DM borrowing the Queenie book from the library when I was a teen and I read the beginning but got no further.

I read this book a couple of winters ago and really loved it. I read it because I was reading about Alan Rickman’s varied roles in an article and realised I didn’t know this one at all. Very interesting go hear such varying views on it.