Elizabeth Taylor Centenary: The Soul of Kindness

During September we will read and discuss Elizabeth Taylor’s ninth novel, The Soul of Kindness. The description on the back cover reads:

The soul of kindness was what Flora believed herself to be, and made almost everyone else believe. Tall, blond, and as beautiful as a Botticelli girl, she appeared to have everything under control -- her household, her baby, her husband Richard; her all-too-loyal friend Meg; Meg's brother Kit, who has always adored Flora; and Patrick, the novelist and domestic pet. Only the painter, Liz, refuses to become a worshipper at the shrine. In this novel, Elizabeth Taylor gives us a study of deception, all the more telling for the deceptively gentle way in which it unfolds. The varied characters are delicately drawn; the irony is light as a feather; but only the Floras of this world will close the book without understanding more clearly the disease of self-love.

This book may have marked a turning point in Taylor’s career. Nicola Beauman is critical of it in her biography, saying “It is in this novel more than in any of her others that she suffered from being forced, according to the conventions of English and American publishing, to spin things out to seventy or eighty thousand words.” She also notes that both Taylor and Barbara Pym found it difficult to adapt their work to changing society in the 1960s. Taylor was suddenly seen as old-fashioned.

Well, no matter -- we’re all Taylor fans here, right? Here are a couple of interesting tidbits to keep in mind as you’re reading: is Flora a later, female version of Vinny from A Game of Hide and Seek? Does she remind you at all of Rosamond Vincy from Middlemarch?

Let’s hear your thoughts on The Soul of Kindness ...

I am looking forward to hosting this. I have been preparing some posts for the next couple of weeks or so, I read the book last week, and have held my review back until the start of Sept. I will also be doing a little old giveaway on Saturday for a copy of this book.

So hope some of you will pop along and visit me on my blog
http://heavenali.wordpress.com/

I am a third of the way through The Soul of Kindness. Philip Hensher's comparson of Flora to the eponymous Emma strikes me as apt although I doubt Flora will have the redemptive moment of insight that Emma has. At the moment however, Flora is as charmingly exasperating as Emma.

Just finished. Ouch! :-)

My first post for this blog host is up - just an outline and schedule for the month

http://heavenali.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/elizabeth-taylor-centenary-reading-the...

Later today I'm posting an introduction for people who don't know ET - and there's a giveaway too of the book for people in Europe only I'm afraid.

And now the second post of today is up too - including that giveaway.

http://heavenali.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/allow-me-to-introduce-you-to-elizabeth...

Hmm. I read The Soul of Kindness two years ago and it left me completely cold. I couldn't summon up any interest in the characters or story at all. But over the last year I've learnt to really love Taylor and think I might appreciate it this time.

I will definitely make a start but if I don't seem to be getting on any better this time around, will abandon!

>1 lauralkeet: Laura,

This book may have marked a turning point in Taylor’s career. Nicola Beauman is critical of it in her biography, saying “It is in this novel more than in any of her others that she suffered from being forced, according to the conventions of English and American publishing, to spin things out to seventy or eighty thousand words.” She also notes that both Taylor and Barbara Pym found it difficult to adapt their work to changing society in the 1960s. Taylor was suddenly seen as old-fashioned.

I must disagree with Beauman on this point. I have read three other Taylor novels thus far: Angel, The Wedding Group, and A Game of Hide and Seek. I thought it a far better book than Taylor's much touted Angel. If Taylor was forced to lengthen this novel, the effort certainly does not show. I can imagine she like Pym had difficulty adapting her work to society in the 1960s, but then so much of the literature of the 1960s strikes me as forced - too much posturing, clumsy handling of the social politics of the period, etc. The public ( or perhaps the publishing industry's perception of what the public wanted) may have wounded Pym by its rejection of her novels, but she didn't capitulate. When artists start thinking in terms of marketing to an audience rather than improving their craft, the artist is finished in my opinion.

Excellent posts, Ali! The soul of kindness was my first ET and it did make me want to read more, so I hope it has the same effect on the recipient of your copy. I will be rereading the novel later this month, and look forward to everone's comments.

In chapter 8 (page 89 in my Dial edition), a Virago connection embellished with Taylor's wit:

He did not quite like to get out his briefcase and set to work again on Christmas morning, so he looked about for a book to read. No newspapers; no market prices. Mrs Secretan was reading Elizabeth and her German Garden -- 'for the umpteenth time,' she said. 'Such a beautiful book. How much one would have liked to have known her.'

Richard thought that for his part he would have tried to run a mile in the other direction, if such a risk had risen.

>10 lauralkeet: Laura,

Quite a few books or authors are mentioned in The Soul of Kindness. It might be fun to make a list and discuss the significance (ouch - sounds like a really bad undergraduate exam question) ... but still ...

And other favorite quotations anyone?

There are quite a number of literary refs in The Soul of Kindness aren't there? I noticed Elizabeth and her German Garden, and Meg tells Flora she is talking like Isabella Thorpe (Northanger Abbey) and of course Flora has no idea what Meg means. There are refrences to Virginia Woolf, Robert Liddell, Bernard Shaw and Henrey James's The Princess Casamassima - also I noted there's a Mrs Austen working in the post office : )

I will be posting my review later today after work, and it will not contain spoilers.

My review post is up now : )

http://heavenali.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/elizabeth-taylor-centenary-the-soul-of...

I finished and reviewed the book; you can find my review on the book page. I don't completely agree with Beauman's point either, but I do think the book is stronger on character than plot.

I daren't start my reread of SofK yet or I know I'll never finish Rose Tremain's 450 page Music and Silence for book group meeting. Once 20th Sept. has come and gone I can pick up ET and get going...

It's been over 20 years since I read this book and I can't take the time to re-read it. I do remember that I adored it, mainly because I had a Flora in my life at the time. My response to her was part Meg, part Liz. It remains my second favorite Taylor and I am astounded that some people thought it one of her weaker novels.

By the way everyone - noone has so far claimed the copy I was giving away - it seems I literally can't give it away. So if anyone would like it - shout - no matter where in the world you are.

Goodness, gracious, everyone is galloping through SoK which I have barely opened yet, while trying to clear off some unfinished books that have gotten a bit mouldy.

Thank you for hosting, Ali, your blog is v. enjoyable.

I'm struggling with this one, despite Ali's lovely posts. I've decided to take a break for a week and go back to it.

#19 thank you : ) there's still plenty of time to read it - it's only the 8th of Sept.

My latest post about Elizabeth and Jane is up now.

http://heavenali.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/elizabeth-taylor-centenary-elizabeth-a...

And I really enjoyed reading it - thank you for doing that, Ali!

Lovely post about two of my favourite authors, Ali!

Great post Ali - very thought provoking!

week 3's post is up now - thinking about the various relationships in The Soul of Kindness

http://heavenali.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/elizabeth-taylor-centenary-the-soul-of...

Just finished this last night - not sure about it to be honest and I shall be reviewing at some point this weekend.

Ended up quite annoyed with Flora!!!!!!!

Review now up and I think your latest post Ali is spot on about the relationships in the book - very perceptive.

Here is my review:

http://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/virago-volumes-the-soul-...

Not my favourite Taylor so far, I have to say, though it's not a bad book - her prose is too good for that!

Heavens, I finished SoK a week or two ago and forgot to paste up a link to my review.

review

I've finally got round to reviewing the book! It's here ... http://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/book-reviews-26/ Sorry, I'm on a teeny tiny laptop in the sitting room, having A Cold and waiting for my new phone to be delivered, at which point I can retire to my boudoir, will paste the review in here when on a more conducive PC!

I've just finished rereading this. It was the first Taylor I read, and I enjoyed it both then and now. Like Karen, I do wish that Flora had been left to face the consequences of her meddling and suffer a bit, rather than being reassured by everyone that no, it wasn't her fault, nothing is, because she's so wonderful - but I think that Taylor's point is to show that Flora is the way she is at least in part because those around her let her be. (I also wished that her baby had been a boy, just to spite her!) As usual, the supporting characters are marvellous, from the cringeworthy Miss Follet with her imaginary lovers, to the unhappy domestic paragon Mrs Lodge who longs for the open spaces and bird life of the countryside. What struck me more on my second reading was the relationship between Richard and his mother-in-law, which provides one of the book's most satisfying plot lines.

My final post is up - just to round things off.

http://heavenali.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/elizabeth-taylor-centenary-the-soul-of...

Excellent post, Ali. I agree that the ending Taylor chose is both more realistic and stronger than a tearful promise to change. And I do think that this crisis will make some of those around her stand up to Flora a bit more in the future, so perhaps some gradual change will occur. It's pretty clear at the end that Meg is really only going through the motions of forgiveness, and I like to think that she will remain skeptical in her dealings with Flora.

I have to say that I disagree with Nicola Beauman, who found this novel to have suffered from being "forced" to meet the required word count. To me it didn't feel padded or stretched thin and I enjoyed the interweaving plot lines which examined all the characters' various connections with each other.

Yes, I didn't find it padded or flabby at all. And I've loved your hosting month, Ali - thanks for doing that!

Here's another literary allusion that passes Flora by:

Ba came to tea that afternoon and was told the dreadful news.
"Just birds, birds," Flora said in a plaintive, mystified voice.
"Babbling of green fields," said Ba.
"No, just birds," Flora said again.

I began Soul of Kindness last evening and am quite enjoying it. Nothing feels or seems forced or stretched to me. I am loving getting to know these characters, both the main and secondary ones. I hope I enjoy it as much the whole way through.
I have found all of your comments to be quite enlightening.

I love, love, loved this book. I can't wait to read it again.