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The marriage of Edward Feathers and Betty as seen through the eyes of Edwards friend and Betty's lover Terry Veneering.
User reviews
LibraryThing member japaul22
This is the last novel in a three novel set that explores the life of an aging group of friends/colleagues that were British lawyers that worked in Hong Kong. This last novel explores the point of view of Veneering, Fiscal-Smith, and Dulcie. I found it the least focused of the three and the least
I really like the first novel in this trilogy, [Old Filth]. It is funny and interesting with great characters. But I have to say that while I appreciated the idea of the next two, to explore the same group of characters and events from alternate points of view, I didn't find them very successful. In this last book particularly, I didn't find quite enough tying it to the other books and it didn't answer some of the questions that I most cared about having answered.
Overall, I loved the idea for this series, but I would have been just fine simply reading the first book, which is really great, and leaving it at that.
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compelling. I really like the first novel in this trilogy, [Old Filth]. It is funny and interesting with great characters. But I have to say that while I appreciated the idea of the next two, to explore the same group of characters and events from alternate points of view, I didn't find them very successful. In this last book particularly, I didn't find quite enough tying it to the other books and it didn't answer some of the questions that I most cared about having answered.
Overall, I loved the idea for this series, but I would have been just fine simply reading the first book, which is really great, and leaving it at that.
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LibraryThing member Y2Ash
Note: This is a 2.5-2.7 review.
Last Friends is the final installment of the Old Filth Trilogy. Technically, Last Friends has been summarized as Terry Veneering's story. I expected it to be in the vein of the last two novels, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, that were about Old Filth and his
However, Veneering doesn't dominate this book. The bits and pieces of his story that Gardam does give about him is very interesting but a bit weird in that Gardam way. That may be because of the cultural and time difference. However, the two people who do dominate are Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith.
I'm probably the only one who forgot who exactly these people are and why they were important. But thank goodness, Gardam reminded me profusely. These people were the Last Friends the title refers to. I had originally thought it refer to Old Filth and Veneering's tentative friendship they developed later in life.
The problem with having Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith as focal points is that they weren't very interesting. They came off as sad and pathetic. Maybe that was the point. They were the last ones left and that premise is bleak. I was never a big fan of this trilogy. I always thought that it was either over hyped or that I was missing the point.
However, I did identify more with Last Friends than with the others. That sense of longing and lost and unpredictability that comes when you're the only one that remains was palpable. Dulcie compulsively writing to Fiscal-Smith after he abruptly leaves was heartbreaking. He wasn't the best person but he was the only other one who knew what she was going through.
Last Friends is the final installment of the Old Filth Trilogy. Technically, Last Friends has been summarized as Terry Veneering's story. I expected it to be in the vein of the last two novels, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, that were about Old Filth and his
Show More
adulterous wife Betty. The two subjects dominated their respective novels and were comprehensive and unflattering especially, in my opinion, of Betty.However, Veneering doesn't dominate this book. The bits and pieces of his story that Gardam does give about him is very interesting but a bit weird in that Gardam way. That may be because of the cultural and time difference. However, the two people who do dominate are Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith.
I'm probably the only one who forgot who exactly these people are and why they were important. But thank goodness, Gardam reminded me profusely. These people were the Last Friends the title refers to. I had originally thought it refer to Old Filth and Veneering's tentative friendship they developed later in life.
The problem with having Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith as focal points is that they weren't very interesting. They came off as sad and pathetic. Maybe that was the point. They were the last ones left and that premise is bleak. I was never a big fan of this trilogy. I always thought that it was either over hyped or that I was missing the point.
However, I did identify more with Last Friends than with the others. That sense of longing and lost and unpredictability that comes when you're the only one that remains was palpable. Dulcie compulsively writing to Fiscal-Smith after he abruptly leaves was heartbreaking. He wasn't the best person but he was the only other one who knew what she was going through.
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LibraryThing member streamsong
This is the story of Terry Veneering , the third member of a triangle of intricately woven relationships, which included Edward Feathers and his wife Betty.
Although the three came together in the Far East and Veneering, like Feathers, was a lawyer, Veneering's backstory is surprising and totally
Unlike the others, Veneering's childhood was one of poverty. He was the son of a coal seller and a well-educated Russian acrobat (gossip said a spy) who was paralyzed in a fall at the circus. Veneering's is also the story of the devastating bombings during World War II's London Blitz; of his neighborhood destroyed, parents killed and children evacuated on transports to keep them safe in Canada, only to have the ships torpedoed en route.
It's told with wit and humor – and also a bit of sadness at the isolation of aging, since the phrase 'last friends' refers to those friends remaining when all the others have passed on.
Excellent read! 4.3 stars. Now I want to re-read the entire trilogy.
Although the three came together in the Far East and Veneering, like Feathers, was a lawyer, Veneering's backstory is surprising and totally
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different from the other two's upper class backgrounds. Unlike the others, Veneering's childhood was one of poverty. He was the son of a coal seller and a well-educated Russian acrobat (gossip said a spy) who was paralyzed in a fall at the circus. Veneering's is also the story of the devastating bombings during World War II's London Blitz; of his neighborhood destroyed, parents killed and children evacuated on transports to keep them safe in Canada, only to have the ships torpedoed en route.
It's told with wit and humor – and also a bit of sadness at the isolation of aging, since the phrase 'last friends' refers to those friends remaining when all the others have passed on.
Excellent read! 4.3 stars. Now I want to re-read the entire trilogy.
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LibraryThing member stringcat3
Look- if you are an Old Filth fan you can't pass this up. I'm just hoping that Jane Gardam repents the trilogy and gives us more (hey, Douglas Adams' Universe trilogy was, what, six volumes?). The Adventures of Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith would rival Burns and Allen. What about writing more about
Not as rich as Old Filth (how could it be?) and a cut below Man in The Wooden Hat (has ANYONE figured out the significance of that title? If so, please share!). As a previous LT reviewer said, too much 'i dotting' and that may be true, but also some hilarious scenes, e.g., Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith in the church. I got a bit tired of dwelling on Veneering's childhood. Would have liked more on his life as a young man and rising lawyer cum judge, most of which happens off-stage and is shared through V's musings. I still feel that V is not as well defined as was Old Filth, mainly because we're missing all those years, especially those of HIS marriage.
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Veneering's wife and son? Harry was a great character. Just sayin, Jane.Not as rich as Old Filth (how could it be?) and a cut below Man in The Wooden Hat (has ANYONE figured out the significance of that title? If so, please share!). As a previous LT reviewer said, too much 'i dotting' and that may be true, but also some hilarious scenes, e.g., Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith in the church. I got a bit tired of dwelling on Veneering's childhood. Would have liked more on his life as a young man and rising lawyer cum judge, most of which happens off-stage and is shared through V's musings. I still feel that V is not as well defined as was Old Filth, mainly because we're missing all those years, especially those of HIS marriage.
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LibraryThing member bostonbibliophile
Very satisfying conclusion to the Old Filth series, focusing on Terry Veneering, Filth's rival and Betty's lover. I loved the ending given for minor character Fiscal-Smith (we finally learn his first name!) and the details of Veneering's story. I think this book needs to be read last, though you
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can read the first two in either order. Gardam is a wonderful writer, so subtle and funny and exacting in her choices. The whole series is just great and this book brings it all around to a very nice end. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cariola
This third book in Gardam's Old Filth trilogy is fun, yet not quite as good as the first two installments. Edward and Betty Feathers and Terry Veneering have passed on, and the story continues with the lesser characters in the series, most prominently Fiscal Smith and Dulcie, widow of Pastry
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Willie, the judge who was Betty's godfather. Much of the novel is flashback telling Terry Veneering's past as the son of an impoverished mother and an Odessan circus performer who ends up making it good. Recommended for fans of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Y2Ash
Note: This is a 2.5-2.7 review.
Last Friends is the final installment of the Old Filth Trilogy. Technically, Last Friends has been summarized as Terry Veneering's story. I expected it to be in the vein of the last two novels, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, that were about Old Filth and his
However, Veneering doesn't dominate this book. The bits and pieces of his story that Gardam does give about him is very interesting but a bit weird in that Gardam way. That may be because of the cultural and time difference. However, the two people who do dominate are Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith.
I'm probably the only one who forgot who exactly these people are and why they were important. But thank goodness, Gardam reminded me profusely. These people were the Last Friends the title refers to. I had originally thought it refer to Old Filth and Veneering's tentative friendship they developed later in life.
The problem with having Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith as focal points is that they weren't very interesting. They came off as sad and pathetic. Maybe that was the point. They were the last ones left and that premise is bleak. I was never a big fan of this trilogy. I always thought that it was either over hyped or that I was missing the point.
However, I did identify more with Last Friends than with the others. That sense of longing and lost and unpredictability that comes when you're the only one that remains was palpable. Dulcie compulsively writing to Fiscal-Smith after he abruptly leaves was heartbreaking. He wasn't the best person but he was the only other one who knew what she was going through.
Last Friends is the final installment of the Old Filth Trilogy. Technically, Last Friends has been summarized as Terry Veneering's story. I expected it to be in the vein of the last two novels, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, that were about Old Filth and his
Show More
adulterous wife Betty. The two subjects dominated their respective novels and were comprehensive and unflattering especially, in my opinion, of Betty.However, Veneering doesn't dominate this book. The bits and pieces of his story that Gardam does give about him is very interesting but a bit weird in that Gardam way. That may be because of the cultural and time difference. However, the two people who do dominate are Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith.
I'm probably the only one who forgot who exactly these people are and why they were important. But thank goodness, Gardam reminded me profusely. These people were the Last Friends the title refers to. I had originally thought it refer to Old Filth and Veneering's tentative friendship they developed later in life.
The problem with having Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith as focal points is that they weren't very interesting. They came off as sad and pathetic. Maybe that was the point. They were the last ones left and that premise is bleak. I was never a big fan of this trilogy. I always thought that it was either over hyped or that I was missing the point.
However, I did identify more with Last Friends than with the others. That sense of longing and lost and unpredictability that comes when you're the only one that remains was palpable. Dulcie compulsively writing to Fiscal-Smith after he abruptly leaves was heartbreaking. He wasn't the best person but he was the only other one who knew what she was going through.
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LibraryThing member Y2Ash
Note: This is a 2.5-2.7 review.
Last Friends is the final installment of the Old Filth Trilogy. Technically, Last Friends has been summarized as Terry Veneering's story. I expected it to be in the vein of the last two novels, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, that were about Old Filth and his
However, Veneering doesn't dominate this book. The bits and pieces of his story that Gardam does give about him is very interesting but a bit weird in that Gardam way. That may be because of the cultural and time difference. However, the two people who do dominate are Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith.
I'm probably the only one who forgot who exactly these people are and why they were important. But thank goodness, Gardam reminded me profusely. These people were the Last Friends the title refers to. I had originally thought it refer to Old Filth and Veneering's tentative friendship they developed later in life.
The problem with having Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith as focal points is that they weren't very interesting. They came off as sad and pathetic. Maybe that was the point. They were the last ones left and that premise is bleak. I was never a big fan of this trilogy. I always thought that it was either over hyped or that I was missing the point.
However, I did identify more with Last Friends than with the others. That sense of longing and lost and unpredictability that comes when you're the only one that remains was palpable. Dulcie compulsively writing to Fiscal-Smith after he abruptly leaves was heartbreaking. He wasn't the best person but he was the only other one who knew what she was going through.
Last Friends is the final installment of the Old Filth Trilogy. Technically, Last Friends has been summarized as Terry Veneering's story. I expected it to be in the vein of the last two novels, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, that were about Old Filth and his
Show More
adulterous wife Betty. The two subjects dominated their respective novels and were comprehensive and unflattering especially, in my opinion, of Betty.However, Veneering doesn't dominate this book. The bits and pieces of his story that Gardam does give about him is very interesting but a bit weird in that Gardam way. That may be because of the cultural and time difference. However, the two people who do dominate are Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith.
I'm probably the only one who forgot who exactly these people are and why they were important. But thank goodness, Gardam reminded me profusely. These people were the Last Friends the title refers to. I had originally thought it refer to Old Filth and Veneering's tentative friendship they developed later in life.
The problem with having Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith as focal points is that they weren't very interesting. They came off as sad and pathetic. Maybe that was the point. They were the last ones left and that premise is bleak. I was never a big fan of this trilogy. I always thought that it was either over hyped or that I was missing the point.
However, I did identify more with Last Friends than with the others. That sense of longing and lost and unpredictability that comes when you're the only one that remains was palpable. Dulcie compulsively writing to Fiscal-Smith after he abruptly leaves was heartbreaking. He wasn't the best person but he was the only other one who knew what she was going through.
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LibraryThing member otterley
The third of the books about Old Filth - and probably Jane Gardam's last novel. This one provides a sharp and elliptical perspective on the lives of its protagonists - the precocious and fortunate Terry Veneering, born into poverty and exiting in wealth, somewhat randomly acquired, and never enough
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to fill the gap where love should have been- with his rival Edward Feathers, and wife Betty, appearing as photographs and bit parts from the side. The book is, again, a mediation on age - its dignities and indignities, resolutions and mistakes. 'And so they made their way to the resurrection' - fitting passing words for a deceptively sharp and talented write Show Less
LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
Late in the day, Jane Gardam has returned to some last, best friends — the redoubtable Sir Edward Feathers (known to all as ‘Old Filth’), Terry Veneering (Sir Edwards’ nemesis in court), the ever dull Fiscal-Smith, the dim but faithful Dulcie, and there flitting on the edges, the sylph-like
Ostensibly focused on the early life of Veneering (a name from Dickens that gets gifted to the young Terry Veratski), there is as much here about Fiscal-Smith (who had a very early connection with Terry) as there is about Dulcie and even about the new family of bustling, friendly outsiders who have taken over Terry’s former house in the Dorset village of Donhead St. Ague. Indeed village life might easily be the subject, its ebbs and flows, and the sense we are given that even in the far east in the days of empire, at least for a certain class, life was very much as close and familiar and whispering as any English village back Home.
The writing is a touch uneven, but at its best, as for example when Gardam catches the tincture of fear that invades Dulcie’s aging mind as she considers that she may be not all there, it is very haunting. Indeed it is just such moments throughout the Old Filth collection of novels and stories that I would say warrant the acclaim that Gardam has sometimes accrued. She has a wonderfully airy but hesitant technique that paints her scene in watercolours without a background wash. Almost everything in such a style is inferred, gently alluded to, then challenged or reversed by contrasting memories. It is, I imagine, no easy thing to accomplish. And so, despite some mild reservations, gently recommended.
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Isobel. Everyone it seems is over 80 and past it. Some, such as Terry, Edward, and Edward’s wife Betty have passed on. And all that remains are the interminable memorial services and the gradual slipping away of one’s memories and self.Ostensibly focused on the early life of Veneering (a name from Dickens that gets gifted to the young Terry Veratski), there is as much here about Fiscal-Smith (who had a very early connection with Terry) as there is about Dulcie and even about the new family of bustling, friendly outsiders who have taken over Terry’s former house in the Dorset village of Donhead St. Ague. Indeed village life might easily be the subject, its ebbs and flows, and the sense we are given that even in the far east in the days of empire, at least for a certain class, life was very much as close and familiar and whispering as any English village back Home.
The writing is a touch uneven, but at its best, as for example when Gardam catches the tincture of fear that invades Dulcie’s aging mind as she considers that she may be not all there, it is very haunting. Indeed it is just such moments throughout the Old Filth collection of novels and stories that I would say warrant the acclaim that Gardam has sometimes accrued. She has a wonderfully airy but hesitant technique that paints her scene in watercolours without a background wash. Almost everything in such a style is inferred, gently alluded to, then challenged or reversed by contrasting memories. It is, I imagine, no easy thing to accomplish. And so, despite some mild reservations, gently recommended.
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LibraryThing member lucybrown
Last Friends rounds out The Old Filth trilogy quite nicely. It was a bit straining for so many characters to keep stumbling upon old acquaintances or acquaintances of acquaintances, but that seems to be ever the case with English novels from Dickens to A. Powell. Gardam doesn't clear up every
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mystery which is good; too tidy a final package would have seemed contrived. Terry Vennering's origins prove to interesting with a vague sordidness which has a certain charm. He proves to be neither as louche or as much the cad he seemed to be. Show Less
LibraryThing member lucybrown
Last Friends rounds out The Old Filth trilogy quite nicely. It was a bit straining for so many characters to keep stumbling upon old acquaintances or acquaintances of acquaintances, but that seems to be ever the case with English novels from Dickens to A. Powell. Gardam doesn't clear up every
Show More
mystery which is good; too tidy a final package would have seemed contrived. Terry Vennering's origins prove to interesting with a vague sordidness which has a certain charm. He proves to be neither as louche or as much the cad he seemed to be. Show Less
LibraryThing member lucybrown
Last Friends rounds out The Old Filth trilogy quite nicely. It was a bit straining for so many characters to keep stumbling upon old acquaintances or acquaintances of acquaintances, but that seems to be ever the case with English novels from Dickens to A. Powell. Gardam doesn't clear up every
Show More
mystery which is good; too tidy a final package would have seemed contrived. Terry Vennering's origins prove to interesting with a vague sordidness which has a certain charm. He proves to be neither as louche or as much the cad he seemed to be. Show Less
LibraryThing member pgchuis
Very disappointing. I only finished this because I had enjoyed the first two in the series and wanted to have read the full set. There was very little of Edward and Betty and lots of characters we had barely heard of/didn't care about, like Dulcie and Fiscal-Smith. The story of Veneering's early
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boyhood went on far too long and then the mystery of his marriage to Elsie was not touched on at all. Isobel remained shadowy and inconsistent. I think I liked sulky Susan the most... Show Less
LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
This is the third volume to the Old Filth series. The first one, "Old Filth" was primarily about Edward Feathers, whose nickname was Old Filth (Failed in London, Try Hong Kong). "The Man in the Wooden Hat" was about Betty Feathers, Old Filth's wife. "Last Friends" is Terrance Veneering's story; he
In this book we find out about where Veneering came from and how he went into law. The son of a coal seller and a Cossack, his curious and unknown past becomes known. He rises to the top of his profession and is an equal contender for the number one spot against Old Filth. The competition is extreme.
The life of Fiscal-Smith and Pasty Willie's wife are revealed. More characters that are woven into the fabric of the Feathers' lives.
These books tell of the rise and brilliance of these peoples' lives and their later years when they are no longer in the limelight. Of how the friendships change, and adversaries become the last friends they have.
The characters become real, and I found myself thinking about them and their lives.
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was Old Filth's rival in the courts and quietly in romance.In this book we find out about where Veneering came from and how he went into law. The son of a coal seller and a Cossack, his curious and unknown past becomes known. He rises to the top of his profession and is an equal contender for the number one spot against Old Filth. The competition is extreme.
The life of Fiscal-Smith and Pasty Willie's wife are revealed. More characters that are woven into the fabric of the Feathers' lives.
These books tell of the rise and brilliance of these peoples' lives and their later years when they are no longer in the limelight. Of how the friendships change, and adversaries become the last friends they have.
The characters become real, and I found myself thinking about them and their lives.
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LibraryThing member quondame
In her usual hypnotic prose Gardam sketches in the last side of the triangle, and we find out some of Veneering's past, but again nothing much between 30-70. Yes, what happens in the first decades of life is immensely important to you, but what you do between 30-70 is most of what is important to
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the world, what makes your mark on the world (Mozart and mathematical geniuses excepted). Dulci and Fiscal-Smith don't bear much weight, and looking over a summary of [Old Filth] makes it clear how little is in this book. Jane Gardam gives us the youth and old age of her protagonists, so salad and cheese, but I'd feel more satisfied with a good pudding and a slab of meat. Show Less
LibraryThing member Eye_Gee
Through the reminiscences of a heretofore minor character, this book provided missing pieces of the backgrounds of Old Filth, Betty and Veneering. And I liked it but not as much as the prior two books. I love Gardam's prose but sometimes I wish she would slow down a bit so I could absorb all that's
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going on. There is still much more I'd like to know about Isobel, and the man in the wooden hat, and Veneering's parents, and Sir...it seems we've just scratched the surface of this world. I wish there were more books yet to come in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Laura1124
I loved this trilogy. Read them one after the other in almost no time and I cannot believe novels of so few words can convey so much so vividly. I think I will do a very rare thing and read them again.
LibraryThing member spiralsheep
44/2020. I read this from the library to decide whether I wanted to order Fight of the Maidens by the same author. I liked the writing style. The contents were occasionally oblique, and I didn't find any of the characters especially interesting (they're the leftovers from Old Filth's cast), but as
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this is the third novel in a trilogy and I haven't read the first two it would be unfair to judge too harshly. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vivl
A melancholic but loving and satisfying end to a brilliant trilogy. This has been described as the story from Veneering's point of view, following on from Old Filth from Sir Edward Feathers' and The Man in the Wooden Hat from that of Betty Feathers née Macintosh's, but that is overly-simplistic.
All these lives are so beautifully drawn, as were those in the first two books. I devoured this trilogy with relish and there remains the short stories exploring the same 'universe' for me to look forward to. Not just yet, though. My belly is replete.
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Appended to the framework of Veneering's story hang those of Fiscal-Smith, an oft-mentioned but generally disregarded legal associate, and Dulcie of Privilege Hill, widow of ex-legal kingpin (and Betty Macintosh's Godfather), 'Pastry' Willy.All these lives are so beautifully drawn, as were those in the first two books. I devoured this trilogy with relish and there remains the short stories exploring the same 'universe' for me to look forward to. Not just yet, though. My belly is replete.
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LibraryThing member CarltonC
The third book in the loose “Old Filth” trilogy returns with more of the same beautiful writing, looking back at the life of Terence Veneering with recollections from peripheral characters in the previous books of Fiscal-Smith and Dulcie Williams, as well as Terry himself.
The three books,
The books are often funny, nostalgic without being sentimental and beautifully written. This third book is perhaps least well structured, perhaps because some of the book revisits scenes from previous books, but from a different character’s perspective. But there are wonderful set pieces and the chapters step lightly in time and place from 1930’s working class England, to Malta, Hong Kong and back to retired professionals at the beginning of the twenty first century.
I didn’t recognise all of the Dickensian references, not having read Our Mutual Friend, but the Bleak House references were delightful.
And Gardam is still able to surprise in this final book, even if the coincidences are worthy of Dickens, and although it is all fiction, it is rather wonderful, warm and magical fun.
The three books,
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which are best read sequentially, cover Britain’s withdrawal from Imperial ambitions in the twentieth century by looking at the lives of a love triangle of sorts, Edward Feathers (Old Filth of the first book), his wife Elizabeth (Betty) Macintosh (central character of The Man in the Wooden Hat) and Terence Veneering (Old Filth’s professional and romantic adversary).The books are often funny, nostalgic without being sentimental and beautifully written. This third book is perhaps least well structured, perhaps because some of the book revisits scenes from previous books, but from a different character’s perspective. But there are wonderful set pieces and the chapters step lightly in time and place from 1930’s working class England, to Malta, Hong Kong and back to retired professionals at the beginning of the twenty first century.
I didn’t recognise all of the Dickensian references, not having read Our Mutual Friend, but the Bleak House references were delightful.
And Gardam is still able to surprise in this final book, even if the coincidences are worthy of Dickens, and although it is all fiction, it is rather wonderful, warm and magical fun.
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LibraryThing member thorold
Last friends moves the perspective to Feathers's rival, Sir Terry Veneering, and to another barrister who has played rather a minor role in the story up to now, Fiscal-Smith. It turns out that whilst everyone else is a Child of Empire, these two rather anomalously grew up in a Catherine Cookson
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novel. Somehow, the plunge into back-to-backs, flat caps, coal-carts and gleaning on the beach didn't feel quite right in the light of the rest of the story (although I'm sure Gardam, who grew up in the North-East in the thirties herself, is well-qualified to write about it). But the real interest of this one is not so much that additional background as the investigation into the way old age and the ticking of the clock pressures you to change the way you handle your relations with contemporaries and younger people. Resentments, secrets and passions are still there, but can you afford to let them get between you and the last few people who have any understanding of the things you have lived through? Show Less
LibraryThing member Laura400
Last Friends is a wonderful book by a graceful writer. The third volume of a trilogy, it happily lives up to the prior two installments.
As a whole, the trilogy portrays a love triangle among three characters, with each volume focusing on one of them. It also shows us British society passing out of
It is a classic novel, modern but with open nods to Dickens and Hardy. And as in Dickens, it seems Gardam has no unimportant characters. In this volume especially, the minor characters are in many ways more vivid than the major ones. The bit players become the heart of this last story, as the last friends who remain.
Gardam's light but sure touch is remarkable; she makes it all seem easy. This is highly recommended.
As a whole, the trilogy portrays a love triangle among three characters, with each volume focusing on one of them. It also shows us British society passing out of
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the age of colonialism and into the modern world. The conventions and class constrictions of the past stultified or harmed all of the characters, yet, even so, the last friends remaining can't help mourning that mythologized past, just as they bemoan the absence of china tea cups on modern trains.It is a classic novel, modern but with open nods to Dickens and Hardy. And as in Dickens, it seems Gardam has no unimportant characters. In this volume especially, the minor characters are in many ways more vivid than the major ones. The bit players become the heart of this last story, as the last friends who remain.
Gardam's light but sure touch is remarkable; she makes it all seem easy. This is highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member fmclellan
I don't quite know what to make of this book. It's brilliant, as all Jane Gardam novels are; it's complex, perhaps overly so. In the end I thought it was too much work, alas.
Awards
Writers' Prize (Shortlist — 2014)