Folly
by Susan Minot
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An upper-class Boston woman struggles through a life constrained by duty in this "dazzling" historical novel by a prize-winning author (Chicago Tribune).Born into an affluent New England family at the turn of the twentieth century, Lillian Eliot engages in the coming-of-age rituals traditional of her social status. But when she meets Walter Vail, a charming and spontaneous New Yorker, her world is opened to new possibilities. As the Great War erupts, Walter leaves for Europe and marries show more another woman, and Lillian marries Gilbert Finch, an innocuous bachelor within her social circle. As the years pass, Lillian acquiesces to a life devoid of passion until, one day, Walter returns.
In the tradition of Edith Wharton and E.M. Forster, Susan Minot brings to vivid life the world of the early twentieth century and the story of a woman searching for love despite society's constraints.
This ebook features a new illustrated biography of Susan Minot, including artwork by the author and rare documents and photos from her personal collection.
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Member Reviews
I had a hard time getting into this book, even though I typically like settings from the past. I wanted more to happen--maybe I'm turning into one of those plot-driven people. The language was nice, however.
Slow and steady the reader watches Lilian as Lilian, herself, watches her life and her loves---her confusions and mistakes, wondering how she will feel about her life as she lives it now and in the future.
This book really wasn't fabulous or anything, but something about it has really made it stick out in my memory over time. I am really drawn to this period.
I love this book. My favorite line, "Looking into his eyes, she believed in treasure." Maybe that's right--I may have the gender of the pronouns reversed. I think it's Minot's best.
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Author Information

22+ Works 3,019 Members
Susan Minot, Novelist Susan Minot was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Manchester-by-the-Sea. She studied writing and painting at Brown University and received an MFA in writing from Columbia University. She published short stories in Grand Street and The New Yorker, which led to an offer for a novel. Minot has also been a Greenpeace show more activist, a carpenter and a bookseller. Minot's first novel, "Monkeys," took nine stories about the Vincent family and combined them to make up the semi-autobiographical novel. It won the Prix Femina Etranger in France in 1987. The Vincent's are a New England family of seven children, a Catholic mother and a Brahmin background father. The story covers twelve years of their lives and tells of a tragic accident that alters their lives. Her second novel, "Lust & Other Stories," is a collection about artists and journalists living in New York City. It examines the relations between men and women in their twenties and thirties, and the difficulty they have coming together and breaking apart. "Folly" takes place in Boston, during the 1920's to 1930's, and tells the story of a woman with a strict Brahmin background having the choice of a husband being the determining factor of her life. "Evening" is the story of Ann Lord on her deathbed. She relives a weekend love affair with Harris Arden, the greatest love of her life, in great detail, while her children stand by her believing her mind is blank. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Gallimard, Folio (2896)
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1992
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- Members
- 226
- Popularity
- 144,070
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.44)
- Languages
- English, French, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 12
- ASINs
- 5




























































