Real People

I've read and loved most of Alison Lurie's books (my favourite is Foreign Affairs, but her academic writing on children's literature is also worth a read) but this one had passed me by. It's one of her earlier works and formative; some of the network of interrelated characters that populate all her fiction and bind them together appear here. It's also rather disappointing. She set a high standard for herself later on.

Although Alison Luire an American and a Professor Emerita at Cornell she's an anglophile like the (thinly-disguised) protagonist of Foreign Affairs, and a thoroughly British writer in style; more like a feminist Kingsley Amis than most American writers. I believe she lives in her beloved London these days; she's still with show more us at 92 but I don't think she's written anything for quite a long time now. show less

I've read and loved most of Alison Lurie's books (my favourite is Foreign Affairs, but her academic writing on children's literature is also worth a read) but this one had passed me by. It's one of her earlier works and formative; some of the network of interrelated characters that populate all her fiction and bind them together appear here. It's also rather disappointing. She set a high standard for herself later on.

Although Alison Luire an American and a Professor Emerita at Cornell she's an anglophile like the (thinly-disguised) protagonist of Foreign Affairs, and a thoroughly British writer in style; more like a feminist Kingsley Amis than most American writers. I believe she lives in her beloved London these days; she's still with show more us at 92 but I don't think she's written anything for quite a long time now. show less

Alison Lurie is an author I've been meaning to read for years. I picked this one to try first from the three Lurie books Darren had on his bookshelves because it was (a) the shortest (nothing's worse than feeling you ought to give an author more of a chance when the long book you've picked up begins to bore you) and (b) it's written in the first person (which I generally find an easier and faster read). I needn't have worried really because I enjoyed both the story and the writing and will be going back to Darren's shelves for another Lurie to read. It's the kind of book where nothing much happens in the book, but something happens all the same. Written in the form of Janet Belle Smith's diary during a few days spent at Illyria, a kind show more of artist's retreat; the characters really came to life for me. I think the book dates from the late sixties but apart from a few time related references (eg characters having grown up during the depression) it didn't seem at all dated. show less

A typically sharp, convincing and insightful look at people - in this case, artists and writers on a retreat - and why they do the things they do.

“Real People” by Alison Lurie is a patchwork: the narrative switches between dialog (reporting actual conversations) and musings on these. In 146 pages Lurie examines two weeks shared at an artists retreat. As readers we follow Janet, a moderately successful writer, who reports on events, conversations, conflicts (pausing sometimes to remind herself to “use that” in a future story).
[My pick of the best line in the book? “For protection from the sun he had tied under his chin an oversized straw hat such as Mexican book ends wear.”]

Fun, good read.