Harriet Hume

A rather odd, G.K. Chesterton-ish fable about an ambitious politician who is in love with a concert pianist who lives in an idyllic fairy-tale garden in Kensington. She loves him as well, but they can't live together because she has the inconvenient gift of reading his thoughts. His rise and fall are charted, with more than a hint of satire, through their encounters at crucial moments. As you would expect, it's elegant and beautifully economical in style, and often very funny, but it's a bit puzzling to work out what it's for. West's idea seems to be to develop (it's hard to tell whether seriously or flippantly) a theory that people are most attracted by their opposites in life, and to show that this can only work out in a kind of fairy show more reality, but not in the real world. Arnold and Harriet seem to be expressing stereotypically male and female characteristics as well — Arnold is driven by the need for worldly success and recognition; Harriet is restricted by physical limitations (her hands are too small, her eyesight is weak) and seems to care more about music than about her own career as a performer. So maybe it's also meant as a fable about relations between men and women. show less

In my ongoing quest to read good books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list I sometimes find one that does not live up to my expectations. This is one such book. I was interested in it because of the author. Rebecca West lived and wrote in the early 20th century and was an exceptional woman for that time as she had an affair with H. G. Wells and bore him a son. It seemed to me that a woman who was that outside the bounds of convention would have something interesting to say. Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind when I was reading it (I was on vacation in Florida) but this book just didn’t grab me.
The subtitle for this book is “A London Fantasy” and perhaps that is part of the problem because I am still wrestling show more with whether I like fantasy. Harriet Hume is a pianist who has an affair with a bright young man of aspirations, Arnold Condorex. As a result of their connection Harriet is able to read Arnold’s mind. In the first chapter she learns that Arnold is looking for a wife who will further his political aspirations. This leads to a quarrel and they do not meet again for six years. At that time Arnold is not married but is considering a young woman of means and prestige. Harriet reads this in his mind and predicts that they will have a splendid wedding but that his bride will be dull-witted. Their third meeting takes place some more years later when Arnold has achieved political success and is considering taking part in a revolt to overturn the leadership of his party (presumably the Tories). Harriet, of course, discerns his “guilt and shame, and treachery” and her comments lead Arnold to hate her. In their fourth meeting Harriet comes to Arnold’s house late at night to warn him against an investment scheme he is considering. Arnold desperately needs funds to satisfy his debtors and he goes ahead with the result that he is ruined politically as well as financially. The final chapter is the most fantastical of the lot as it takes place after death.
I imagine at the time this was written (1929) it would have seemed more relevant, especially to readers in London. I must confess that I kept seeing Senator Duffy in my mind as I read the descriptions of Arnold and his downfall so it is still relevant in those terms. Also, people more familiar with London than I am would, no doubt, enjoy the descriptions of the streets, buildings and parks. show less

What a weird book!

I have so many questions. Is Harriet real? Is she a person, angel, ghost, or figment of Arnold's imagination?

Is Arnold the person we read about--up and coming statesman yada yada--or is he an unreliable narrator? Is this all a dream or some such? Can Harriet really read his mind or does she just use context clues? Doe she guess and understands his personality?

This book was not a fun read, the writing is very much dated and felt slow. But it would be a great book to discuss with a book club.

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It SEEMS like Arnold commits suicide with his gun near the end of the book, due to his being caught in the Mondh scheme and his growing debts as a man of no significant background. Are the weird 30 or so pages show more of him running through the streets his dying thoughts while sitting at his desk? Is the Harriet he is going to spend eternity with the same Harriet we meet in the book, or is he just imagining his eternity as how he wished he had spent his life in the first place? show less

Fascinating book, but a little difficult to describe. The book is about two characters: beautiful, sensitive pianist Harriet, and her beau/antagonist/"opposite," Arnold. Harriet and Arnold meet up throughout the passing years; their meetings separated by several years, perhaps decades.

I started off thinking that the book was a romance; then maybe a political commentary, then an allegory. Now I think it's a combination of all of them. Plus a good smattering of tribute tothe city of London. According to "1001 Books," "this 'London Fantasy'--as the novel was subtitled--was written, West claimed, to find out why it was that she loved London."

The book read a little slow in parts for me, usually when Arnold was carrying on extensive show more monologues. The character of Harriet, however, is completely charming and beautiful.

I'd read this one again (I already dipped back into the beginning of the book). If you don't mind a little vagueness, I think you'd like this book. show less

I really enjoyed "Harriet Hume: A London fantasy." As this isn't considered one of Rebecca West's best novels, I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Harriet is a young woman with a strange connection with her lover Arnold Condorex -- she can see into his mind and knows what he is thinking and hiding from even himself. She pops up into his life at critical moments and shakes his world.

I really liked the build up of the story and West's use of language and the landscape. This was a fun read.

Man, this is a weird one, one I don’t quite know how to describe; and maybe it went over my head a bit too much! This novel tells the story of the relationship between two people: the free-spirited musician Harriet, who lives in a lopsided house in London, and her lover, Arnold, a politician The story takes their relationship/friendship through many years, at which they meet up periodically.

This was a very, very slow read for me, and one I didn’t enjoy very much. Part of my problem with this book was Rebecca West’s writing style; the only way I can describe it is bizarre! For example: “But the governess had turned her gaze on them, and had on seeing the marks of deep emotion on the faces made a long leap through the ether to show more some universe thickly upholstered with seductions.” (p. 106). At times, West’s prose style makes no sense, so much so that I had to go back and re-read bits and pieces here and there.

I enjoyed West’s characters; part of the charm of this odd couple is that they are so different. But Arnold is so clinical and detached that I really didn’t like him after a while; and Harriet was so flaky that I got frustrated with her. Also, the dialogue isn’t all that believable; these characters talk as though they come from a different time period, which makes this book quirky and charming, but I got tired of it quickly. I get the whole allegory bit about this novel, but it was a little too deep for me. This is the first book by Rebecca West I’ve read, and it might just be my last; I just didn’t care for this novel. show less

This is a rather odd little book about an ambitious politician who rises from obscure beginnings and his "opposite," an intuitive pianist who reads his mind. I have mixed feelings about the book. It strikes me as an allegorical parable of the struggle of the Mind vs. the Spirit. It started out quite delightfully, and as I was reading it, I thought it would take on more Jungian aspects rather like Hesse's Steppenwolf, but it never got much beyond the self-involved internal rantings of the protagonist, Arnold Condorex, whom I really disliked by the end of the book. It's the first book by West that I have read, and I'm not sure I'll seek out others any time soon.