Unusually I’m reviewing two books in one post – something I don’t think I have ever done before. Partly, this is an attempt to catch up at least a tiny bit and partly, because the second of the books is poetry – which I find so much harder to write about. Thematically the books work together well, focussing as they do, though in different ways on WW2 and I was actually reading them side by side for at least part of the time.
Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald is the seventh of her nine novels that I have read – though it is seven years since I last read her at all. I’ve no idea why I had waited so long – this novel must surely be one of her best. Atmospheric, funny and hugely readable, due in no small part to the wonderfully vivid characters, Fitzgerald’s world is immediately relatable.
“As an institution that could not tell a lie, they were unique in the contrivances of gods and men since the Oracle of Delphi. As office managers, they were no more than adequate, but now, as autumn approached, with the exiles crowded awkwardly into their new sections, they were broadcasting in the strictest sense of the word, scattering human voices into the darkness of Europe, in the certainty that more than half must be lost, some for the rook, some for the crow, for the sake of a few that made their mark. And everyone who worked there, bitterly complaining about the short-sightedness of their colleagues, the vanity of the news readers, the remoteness of the Controllers and the restrictive nature of the canteen’s one teaspoon, felt a certain pride which they had no way to express, either then or since.”
London during the early years of World War two – and the men and women who make their living in Broadcasting House are committed to recording and sharing the voices and experiences of wartime Britain. Their mission always to tell the truth on air. The war has brought changes for all of them, with blackouts, bombs falling, and a dormitory set up in the concert hall for those working late. As the war progresses, little anxieties creep in, as the professional interests of different departments clash. The BBC have decided that truth must never be sacrificed for the sake of consolation – that people must know exactly what is happening in the war, must have all the information they require. There is a fabulous set piece when a French general arrives at Broadcasting House to address Britain – it very nearly leads to disaster.
Sam Brooks the RPD spends very long hours at Broadcasting House, barely leaving it. He likes to confide his worries to the young female assistants he surrounds himself with, pushing plates of cheese sandwiches under their noses as he talks. Annie and Lise are two recent recruits finding their way in the confusing world of broadcasting. Lise spends a lot of time talking about her French boyfriend. Needing somewhere to live she is briefly befriended by Vi – a more experienced member of the team and is taken home to lodge with Vi’s family. Lise seems like a troubled young woman, and drifts in and out of BH, appearing and disappearing without word.
“‘All my energies are concentrated, and always have been, and always will be, on one thing, the recording of sound and of the human voice. That doesn’t make for an easy life, you understand.’”
There is no doubt that Sam is a perfectionist, his work an obsession. Jeff Haggard is the DPP – he and Sam have been working together for more than a decade. Whenever Sam gets himself into a bit of a fix it’s generally Jeff who has to sort him out – they make a pretty good team. Both men have marital difficulties in their fairly recent past – acknowledged briefly though not talked about. Sam takes new girl Annie under his wing, the daughter of a piano tuner from Birmingham, Sam wants to teach her all he knows about sound and is more than a bit non plussed when she corrects him on a matter of pitch.
Fitzgerald was writing from her own experience of working for the BBC during the war, and that comes across strongly in the atmosphere she reproduces here.
Virginia Graham’s volume of world war two poems Consider the Years turned out to be a wonderful companion to Human Voices. Originally, I began reading it for the Persephone readathon a few weeks ago – only reading half of it during that weekend, I continued to dip in and out throughout the following week.
These war poems are thoroughly delightful, many of them loosely structured they are in fact written in a variety of styles. Arranged chronologically by the year they were written; they allow us to see the changing nature of war. Virginia Graham uses her poetry to chronicle her war – and her poetry is, suggests Anne Harvey, writing the preface to this edition, quite close to that of Betjeman.
There is a narrative to many of the poems which one could quite easily see as mini short stories. We have debutantes at a country hunt ball, air raids over Bristol, wartime food, soldiers on leave, the changed atmosphere of everyday life, so many aspects in fact of life during wartime.
One of my favourite poems from 1939 is Somewhere in England – in which I can really imagine people harking back to happier times, when there was less urgency in their daily routines.
“Somewhere there must be women reading books,
and talking of chicken rissoles to their cooks;But every time I try to read The Grapes of Wrath
I am sent forth
On some occupation
Apparently immensely vital to the nation.
(‘Somewhere in England’)”
I don’t read much poetry these days, but this one was a real treat. Virginia Graham is warm and humorous, her social commentary witty and well observed. A truly fabulous little collection.
Both of these sound lovely, Ali. I’ve not always got on well with Fitzgerald but this one does appeal. And the poetry sounds wonderful – I do like my poetry but I’ve not read her before so will have to add to the wishlist! 😀
I generally enjoy Penelope Fitzgerald, though some of the books I read years ago I remember better than others. I know how much you enjoy poetry, so I think you would enjoy this collection.
The incomparable Penelope Fitzgerald! I love this book. Thank you for the giggle this morning over “…the restrictive nature of the canteen’s one teaspoon…”. Though I haven’t heard of Virginia Graham, it sounds like you had a perfect reading pairing with these two.
Ha ha, don’t all workplaces have just one teaspoon? 😉
Penelope Fitzgerald is an excellent writer. The two books worked well together, though I hadn’t planned it.
Oh, I’m so glad you liked the Fitzgerald, Ali. You’ve captured the essence to perfection in your lovely review. Fitzgerald is so good when it comes to conveying the idiosyncrasies and internal politics of these institutions. Another of her experience-based novels that works so well.
Yes, she is fantastic at exposing those inner workings of the BBC. All work places have their own brand of internal politics, the ones Fitzgerald portrayes here are fascinating because it must come from what she knew.
I haven’t read any Penelope Fitzgerald and was just looking at her titles recently and wondering, so this is very apt! I haven’t heard of Virginia Graham but I love the idea of reading poetry alongside a novel – was it a happy coincidence?
Well, the Persephone mini readathon was happening one weekend, and I started dipping into it as I finished my Monica Dickens novel. Then I started Human Voices and just continued to read the poems off and on over the next few days. I hadn’t thought about what a good pairing they made until later.
These both sound wonderful Ali. Reading that first quote you pulled reminded me how much I enjoy Penelope Fitzgerald’s close observation of the everyday – she really is astonishing.
Fitzgerald is definitely one of those writers who excel at observation. I also enjoyed the atmosphere of the novel particularly that between the BBC employees.
Human Voices was the first Penelope Fitzgerald that I read, and I loved it. The atmosphere of London at the time came through so clearly and I had quite the crush on Jeff! Mysterious, brooding, he had the traits of all my college professor crushes. I think there should be a TV or film presentation of HV. I wonder if there was actually an incident on which the episode of the French general was based. It was a crazy time, it could have happened!
Oh yes, I really liked Jeff too. I wondered the same thing about the French general incident. It would be hilarious if true.
I think I would enjoy both of these, as you’ve described them. Especially because the poetry is arranged chronologically, which would offer such a unique perspective (and we have the “advantage” of knowing how the years wend on).
Yes, I liked the chronological order of the poems, and there is always an added poignancy for things we read that were written during the war.