I picked up the book in the book fair as I had heard a lot about Barbara Pym. This is her penultimate book. It is the loneliest book that I have ever read. Loneliness seeps through every pore of the book. But it is not a sad book for the story is told with just a dollop of humour. It is just lonely.
Four office workers- 2 women and 2 men- share an office. It is never made explicitly clear as to what they do. Indeed even the office seems unsure of exactly what they do. It is the 70s Britain and computers are beginning to make their presence felt. The office is clear that these four people will not be replaced. And the four are nearing their retirement. Plans have to be made. Two of them- Marcia and Edwin- have their own homes. Letty and Nicholas live in a bedsitter and thus, their position is precarious. Letty's position becomes worse when her landlady sells off her house to Nigerians and Marjorie, her old friend with whom she was planning to retire to a small cottage in the village, decides to get married. Edwin, whose hobby is to attend Church Services- indeed he makes a list of all the Church related events through the year- finds her another bedsitter. Letty moves into this place as she has nowhere else to go. This move coincides with her retirement. Letty makes plans for she knows she should never let time hang heavy in her hands. She decides to read books on Social Studies but finds them too heavy and too boring...
Meantime, Marcia too has retired. Her life moves in a different direction. Spurning everyone, becoming depressed, ultimately, she stops eating.
On her death, the remaining three find that Marcia has left her house to Nicholas on whom she had a crush long time back.
The book ends in a slightly upbeat mode. Marjorie, Letty's friend, informs her that her engagement is at an end and would she come and live with her. Letty realizes that life holds infinite possibilities. She might or might not move back. Nicholas might or might not sell the house. Marjorie might or might not find another partner. In fact, life is alright. There are so many things to look forward to.
Four office workers- 2 women and 2 men- share an office. It is never made explicitly clear as to what they do. Indeed even the office seems unsure of exactly what they do. It is the 70s Britain and computers are beginning to make their presence felt. The office is clear that these four people will not be replaced. And the four are nearing their retirement. Plans have to be made. Two of them- Marcia and Edwin- have their own homes. Letty and Nicholas live in a bedsitter and thus, their position is precarious. Letty's position becomes worse when her landlady sells off her house to Nigerians and Marjorie, her old friend with whom she was planning to retire to a small cottage in the village, decides to get married. Edwin, whose hobby is to attend Church Services- indeed he makes a list of all the Church related events through the year- finds her another bedsitter. Letty moves into this place as she has nowhere else to go. This move coincides with her retirement. Letty makes plans for she knows she should never let time hang heavy in her hands. She decides to read books on Social Studies but finds them too heavy and too boring...
Meantime, Marcia too has retired. Her life moves in a different direction. Spurning everyone, becoming depressed, ultimately, she stops eating.
On her death, the remaining three find that Marcia has left her house to Nicholas on whom she had a crush long time back.
The book ends in a slightly upbeat mode. Marjorie, Letty's friend, informs her that her engagement is at an end and would she come and live with her. Letty realizes that life holds infinite possibilities. She might or might not move back. Nicholas might or might not sell the house. Marjorie might or might not find another partner. In fact, life is alright. There are so many things to look forward to.
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