The Feast (1950)

by Margaret Kennedy

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
282	11	94,251	(4.16)	29
This summer holiday vintage classic exploring the mystery of a buried Cornish hotel invites us to solve the puzzle as detectives: perfect for Agatha Christie fans, with a dash of Richard Osman ...'I am loving it!' Nigella Lawson'Hilarious and perceptive ... Perfect.' Daily Mail'Entertaining, beautifully written, and profound.' Tracy Chevalier'Tense, touching, human, dire, and funny ... A feast indeed.' Elizabeth Bowen'Kennedy is not only a romantic but an anarchist.' Anita Brookner'Oh boy, what a treat; wonderfully sharp and funny ... Page-turningly good!' Lissa Evans'So full of pleasure that you could be forgiven for not seeing how clever it is.' Cathy Rentzenbrink (foreword)Cornwall, Midsummer 1947. Pendizack Manor Hotel is buried in the rubble of a collapsed cliff. Seven guests have perished, but is it murder, and what brought this strange assembly together for a moonlit feast before this Act of God - or Man? Over the week before the landslide, we meet the hotel guests in all their eccentric glory: and as friendships form and romances blossom, sins are revealed, and the cliff cracks widen ..Reader Reviews:'One of the best books I have ever read ... Viva Ms. Kennedy, you were truly marvellous!' ***'The best book I've ever read. Yes, I know that's a big statement! Kennedy is quickly becoming my all-time favorite author ... A first-rate literary genius.' *'This is bar none, one of the best books I have ever read.' *'Offers us the chance to solve a very unusual kind of mystery ... An unexpectedly engaging literary game.' 'A magnificent rediscovery ... Kennedy's masterpiece is a searing and unflinching look at postwar England ... Elegantly and tartly written, this smart and haunting novel offers one of the most unforgettable endings ... A brilliant and moving literary feast to be enjoyed without any moderation! *'I'm longing to read this again! Clever Kennedy! Is it a thriller? Is it a morality play or an exploration of divine justice? Or is it a family/village saga and maybe even a romance? ... Terrifically readable with a marvellous cast.' *'Such a good idea, and brilliantly executed ... I was unable to stop reading, absorbed completely in the company of the motley group. It's almost like you're eavesdropping on them. After finishing it, I find myself still thinking about it ... A fabulous read.' *'One of my favorite kinds of books: a forgotten treasure..' ***.… (more)

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In [The Feast], a large cast of characters gathers at a Cornish seaside hotel. There are two families with young kids, a childless couple, the resort owners with their adult children, a single woman author and her secretary/lover, and the couple women who work at the hotel. It took me quite some time to sort out this big cast of characters. Eventually, I started to realize that there were pretty clear indications of who in the house is good and who is bad - there isn't a lot of grey area. At the end of the book, the cliff that forms the backdrop of the hotel collapses dramatically. Many of the characters are together and safe at a "feast" given by the children. Those who remain behind in the hotel are in trouble!

There are several dramatic scenes in the book and a couple very unpleasant characters. I thought the premise was clever, but it's also set up sort of as a fable/moral story and some of the characters were just a bit too obviously there to prove a point or a specific sin. But, I did enjoy reading this and kept reaching for it over other books. (

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japaul22 | May 15, 2024 |

It's the summer of 1947 and we are in Cornwall on the coast in a small cliff-side inn. We know from the opening pages that the cliff collapses on the inn, and people die. As the story goes back to the week before the collapse, we meet the owners, the staff, the guests, and their families, as they go about their day-to-day activities. As the week progresses we are left to wonder who will die and who, if anyone, will live. Of course, some of the characters are "nice" and kind, and we sympathize with them, maybe even love them. And some are selfish, mean, even evil. Maybe we are hoping they will be the ones to die. And there are the children. Some are little demons, some spoiled brats, some adorable angels. One of the interesting things about the characters is that some of the characters are said to represent the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Pride, Envy, Sloth, Wrath, Lechery, and Covetness. I had fun puzzling who was which sin.

Beyond the wonderful characters the book presents us with, it gives us a very good feel for what it was like to live in England in the aftermath of the World War II. It's still "austerity" Britain, and rationing is in full effect.

I really enjoyed this book and would like to read more by this author.

4 stars (

)

arubabookwoman | Dec 30, 2023 |

In post-WWII England the Pendizack Manor Hotel holds a cast of characters, there for a seaside vacation, each with their own past and agenda for the future. The hotel sits at the base of a cliff in Cornwall. A mine has recently floated into a cave and exploded, weakening the cliff. At the beginning we know the cliff will collapse on the hotel, but not who dies or survives.

The bulk of the story follows the guests, owners and staff. Relationships develop, character is revealed, plans are made. There’s going to be a feast on the cliff with all participants in costume, children and adults. Some will remain behind at the hotel for various reasons. This is when the cliff will collapse.

Originally published in 1950, parts of the book sound like they could have been written today:
“All the politicians have taken to talking as if they were God’s Head Prefects. Look how they quote the bible at us! Look how they insult anyone who disagrees with them!”

“He was a Liberal – the kind of Liberal which turns pink in blue surroundings and lilac at any murmur from Moscow.” (

)

Hagelstein | Jun 6, 2023 |

The Feast by Margaret Kennedy is an intelligent, literary novel being re-release by McNally Editions. Originally published in 1949, this very highly recommended novel is a morality play covering the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth. Set at the Pendizack Manor Hotel at the seaside in Cornwall in the summer of 1947, readers will know from the start that a cliff will destroy the the hotel and only sixteen survive the collapse. Before we know who survives, we are introduced to the guests, the family that runs the inn and their staff.

As a character driven novel, The Feast excels as both a character study and a morality story. The focus is on the characters, their actions, integrity, and true nature. It is a pleasure to read and discover such a delightful, thoughtful, and memorable novel. It is quite clear why The Feast was re-released for a new generation of readers. This would be a perfect summer vacation read.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of McNally Editions via Edleweiss.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/05/the-feast.html (

)

SheTreadsSoftly | May 30, 2023 |

Re-read, 2021: An allegory masquerading as domestic drama, building suspense and unease until the unforgettable conclusion. The seven deadly sins are all present and accounted for... but something's coming... (

)

Alishadt | Feb 25, 2023 |

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thingScore 75

EXCERPT: There is readily imagined symbolism here, and more than a suggestion of comparison with The Bridge of San Luis Rey. But there is a tenuous thread of good, and now here, now there, a softening influence emerges, ultimately to bring part of the group together for ""the feast"" .... A haunting sort of story.

added by eowynfaramir | editKirkus Reviews

▾Other authors

» Add other authors

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Kennedy, Margaret	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Kirkhov, Sigrid	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Löfroth, Curt	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Løvland, Hedda	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Monrad, Knut	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Moppès, Denise Van	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Rentzenbrink, Cathy	Introduction	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Publisher Series

Gallimard, Folio (7253)

▾Awards and Honors

Distinctions

New York Times bestseller (Fiction – 1950)

Notable Lists

Top 10 books set in Cornwall

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Canonical title

The Feast

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1950

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

To Margot Street

First words

In September, 1947, the Reverend Gerald Seddon, of St. Frideswide, Hoxton, paid his annual visit to the Reverend Samuel Bott, of St. Sody, North Cornwall.

Quotations

Last words

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Margaret Kennedy

▾Book descriptions

This summer holiday vintage classic exploring the mystery of a buried Cornish hotel invites us to solve the puzzle as detectives: perfect for Agatha Christie fans, with a dash of Richard Osman ...'I am loving it!' Nigella Lawson'Hilarious and perceptive ... Perfect.' Daily Mail'Entertaining, beautifully written, and profound.' Tracy Chevalier'Tense, touching, human, dire, and funny ... A feast indeed.' Elizabeth Bowen'Kennedy is not only a romantic but an anarchist.' Anita Brookner'Oh boy, what a treat; wonderfully sharp and funny ... Page-turningly good!' Lissa Evans'So full of pleasure that you could be forgiven for not seeing how clever it is.' Cathy Rentzenbrink (foreword)Cornwall, Midsummer 1947. Pendizack Manor Hotel is buried in the rubble of a collapsed cliff. Seven guests have perished, but is it murder, and what brought this strange assembly together for a moonlit feast before this Act of God - or Man? Over the week before the landslide, we meet the hotel guests in all their eccentric glory: and as friendships form and romances blossom, sins are revealed, and the cliff cracks widen ..Reader Reviews:'One of the best books I have ever read ... Viva Ms. Kennedy, you were truly marvellous!' *****'The best book I've ever read. Yes, I know that's a big statement! Kennedy is quickly becoming my all-time favorite author ... A first-rate literary genius.' *****'This is bar none, one of the best books I have ever read.' *****'Offers us the chance to solve a very unusual kind of mystery ... An unexpectedly engaging literary game.' ****'A magnificent rediscovery ... Kennedy's masterpiece is a searing and unflinching look at postwar England ... Elegantly and tartly written, this smart and haunting novel offers one of the most unforgettable endings ... A brilliant and moving literary feast to be enjoyed without any moderation! *****'I'm longing to read this again! Clever Kennedy! Is it a thriller? Is it a morality play or an exploration of divine justice? Or is it a family/village saga and maybe even a romance? ... Terrifically readable with a marvellous cast.' *****'Such a good idea, and brilliantly executed ... I was unable to stop reading, absorbed completely in the company of the motley group. It's almost like you're eavesdropping on them. After finishing it, I find myself still thinking about it ... A fabulous read.' *****'One of my favorite kinds of books: a forgotten treasure..' *****.

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from the dust jacket:
In the first few pages of Margaret Kennedy's The Feast her reader will discover the disaster that brings death to some of the people in the book, and makes life possible for many others. It is not the disaster that enchains the reader, but the characters as they march toward it.
No such completely realized characters have appeared in Miss Kennedy's work since The Constant Nymph was published in the twenties. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EXCERPT from Curtis Brown website page on The Feast:
The germ of the idea for The Feast - Margaret Kennedy’s ninth novel and perhaps her most ingenious - came to the author in 1937 when she and a social gathering of literary friends were discussing the Medieval Masque of the Seven Deadly Sins. The talk turned excitedly to the notion that a collection of stories might be fashioned from seven different authors, each re-imagining one of the Sins through the medium of a modern-day character. That notion fell away, but something more considerable stayed in Margaret Kennedy’s mind over the next ten years, and so she conceived of a story that would gather the Sins all under the roof of a Cornish seaside hotel managed by the unhappy wife of Sloth ...

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