The Edwardians was written by Vita Sackville West as a sort of joke, one she kept Virginia Woolf updated on through her letters whilst writing it. Published by the Hogarth Press in 1930 it was an instant success, although was not taken very seriously by its author – and in later years she apparently disliked hearing it praised. In her superb introduction to this edition, Victoria Glendinning explains why the publication of Woolf’s Orlando – which had flattered and excited Vita – was the inspiration for The Edwardians in which Vita exploits “the lavish, feudal, traditional world of her Edwardian childhood at Knole”.
For me reading The Edwardians was doubly interesting having only read Orlando a couple of weeks ago. Chevron – the large, country estate in The Edwardians – is very much Knole, and there is a great feeling of autobiographical reminiscences in the novel. So many small incidents which can only have come from life – horse drawn buses, house parties, seating plans and house guest names in small slits on the outside of bedroom doors – meticulously, and knowingly organised, and the Christmas tree ceremony, the handing out of gifts to tenants children. This novel is clearly a critique of this feudal, aristocratic society into which Vita was born; there is also an acknowledgement that their charmed existence is slowly coming to an end. This is a world of privilege and duty and old world feudalism, but it is also a world of selfish hypocrisy, snobbery and class divisions.
As The Edwardians opens in 1905 Sebastian is the nineteen year old heir to the Chevron estate, following the death of his father, he is already Duke, and until he is twenty-one his widowed mother, Lucy, the Duchess carefully controls the world of Chevron and its entertainments. As the Duchess prepares for another large, weekend house party, she glances over the table seating plan, making what adjustments she feels necessary. Bedrooms are allocated with a tactfully unspoken acknowledgement of who is sleeping with whom. These aristocratic people keep one another’s secrets beautifully, allowing no breath of scandal to seep outside their closed world. Sebastian loves Chevron, yet there is much of the glittering society of which he is part that he despises. Sebastian’s sister Viola is just sixteen and already scornful of their inheritance.
At the house party is Leonard Anquetil – an explorer – whose recent celebrity like status has opened this closed society to him. One night – up on the roof of Chevron, Anquetil talks frankly to Sebastian about the traditions and inequalities of his class – and urges him to accompany him on his next adventure.
“There is another danger which you can scarcely hope to escape. It is the weight of the past. Not only will you esteem material objects because they are old — I am not superficial enough to reproach you for so harmless a weakness — but, more banefully, you will venerate ideas and institutions because they have remained for a long time in force; for so long a time as to appear to you absolute and unalterable. That is real atrophy of the soul. You inherit your code ready-made. That waxwork figure labelled Gentleman will be forever mopping and mowing at you… You will never wonder why you pursue a certain course of behaviour; you will pursue it because it is the thing to do. And the past is to blame for all this; inheritance, tradition, upbringing; your nurse, your father, your tutor, your public school, Chevron, your ancestors, all the gamut. Even should you try to break loose it will be in vain… though you may wobble in your orbit, you can never escape from it.”
Sebastian is tempted, he feels Anquetil understands him, but he also feels he can’t abandon Chevron and its traditions. Another of the party is the society beauty Lady Sylvia Roehampton – a friend of Sebastian’s mother, she casts her roving eye over the handsome young duke and sets about beginning a heady affair with him, while the whole of society whispers about them, her poor husband remains clueless. When Lady Roehampton’s husband is later made aware of their relationship he issues an ultimatum, which ultimately separates the lovers and leaves Sebastian bitter and hurt.
After his relationship with Sylvia ends, Sebastian throws himself into a cynical and soulless existence. Seeking entertainments Sebastian becomes something of a notorious young man about town. His mother wants him to marry appropriately and settle down to life at Chevron. He meets a young doctor and his wife Teresa, Teresa Spedding a silly middle-class young woman, is very impressed with his aristocratic background – Sebastian thinks he can capitalise on her fascination with aristocratic society and persuade her into an affair. However – the moralities of the middle classes – are not those of the aristocracy it would seem.
“He had tried the most fashionable society, and he had tried the middle-class, and in both his plunging spirit had got stuck in the glue of convention and hypocrisy.”
The novel ends with the coronation of George V – and the end of the Edwardian era, and also sees the return of Leonard Anquetil between expeditions. It is Anquetil who is destined to open up to both Sebastian and his modern thinking younger sister the possibilities of another world.
This novel is hugely readable and paints a fantastic portrait of a kind of lifestyle long gone now. It’s hard not to see VSW and her family in these characters, but even for those who know nothing about VSW, her family and her lovers, this is still a very good read indeed.
This sounds great, a unique window onto the era, whatever its author may have thought of it.
Absolutely, it really is.
I like the sound of this book. The setting you describe reminds me a little bit of Brideshead Revisited, which also depicts the struggle between tradition and change. I have Orlando on my reading list; I think I’ll add The Edwardians to it and make sure I read both close together.
I’m so glad that I read this so soon after Orlando.
I’ve read Orlando a long time ago but this is still sitting on my piles. Someone suggested this when I was looking for books in which house play a central role.
It sounds like it has a lot more to offer. I have a newer edition. I’m not sure whether it has an introduction.
Vita was famously concerned with houses first Knole and later Sissinghurst and her love of her family home does come across although not as strongly as in The Heir which is just wonderful and very poignant.
I think I must have read this book many, many years ago as your review is ringing a bell with me. I hadn’t appreciated the link between this book and Woolf’s Orlando. Great review, Ali.
Thank you. It was great reading it after Orlando.
This sounds lovely; and maybe it’s almost the story before The Heir, which I adored.
I adored The Heir too, definitely one I will revisit one day.
Lovely review Ali – the book sounds very readable and the links to Vita’s family are intriguing. Luckily I have this on Mount TBR! 🙂
Thank you, it does give us a few clues to what life for the adults around her might have been when VSW was a child.
I have just finished Behind The Mask The Life of Vita S-W by Mathew Denison so this is just the one for me. Luckily I have the Virago edition on the shelf – recently found in a charity bookshop. Thanks for the review.
I expect Behind the Mask was a fascinating book wasn’t it?
Yes, well worth a read. I think you’d enjoy it.
Sounds great – and I loved the hat in the last photo!
Yes I wouldn’t mind a hat like that 😉
What a great review! I love Vita Sackville-West and have read most of her fiction. Now I am starting on her garden books. But I would love to reread The Edwardians, and thank you for reminding me of it. I didn’t know of the connection with Orlando.
Thank you. VSW was a wonderful gardener apparently.
Apparently?? Definitely – her last 6 or so books were all about gardening and her name was synonymous with the gardens at Sissinghurst. Indeed, this is how I first got to know about Vita.
Excellent review. I have never read Vita Sackville-West, primarily because I am always kind of scared of Virginia Woolf, so kind of skepticism by association. But this review and my sister’s recommendation of All Passion Spent, makes me think, I should read her, regardless of her association with Woolf!
Her writing style is very different to Virginia Woolf, much more conventional. I would also recommend All Passion Spent which I am planning to reread one day.
[…] Ali happened to have this to read at around the same time, and her review is here. […]