Karen and Simon’s #1936club starts today, and as always I am delighted to join with some interesting reads. Together and Apart by Margaret Kennedy is the first of three 1936 books I hope to review this week – but whether I manage to do so is another matter. It was easily my favourite of the books I read in March and reminded me what a brilliant writer Margaret Kennedy was.
The subject matter of this novel may not sound especially compelling initially, but Margaret Kennedy captivates her reader instantly. The story centres around the breakdown of an upper middle class marriage and how it affects the couple’s children, wider family and friends.
The couple in question are Betsy and Alec Canning, they have been married for some years and have three children. When Betsy married Alec, he had been a perfectly respectable civil servant and Betsy had been quite content with the life that brought with it. Only, Alec is now a fairly well-known librettist, one half of a very successful writing partnership. Their lives have changed, and so has Alec. Betsy is no longer content, despite the wealth that her husband’s success has brought them.
“It was day to lie on the beach and hear the lazy mew of a gull, the indolent flop of a wave, and see the horizon lost in a shimmering haze; not a day to think and scheme and bustle, but just to lie in the sun, and lie in the sun, and go into the sea, and feel cool water on warm flesh, and come out, and feel the hot sun on cool flesh, and lie dreaming until time came back with the shadows. Outside the house it was that sort of day. But not inside, where so much had to be done. In every room a clock was ticking. Do this! Do that! Hurry! Make up your mind! So that she never dared to stop, not for a minute.”
As the novel opens, it is summer and the family are living in their beautiful Welsh coastal summer house. From here Betsy writes a letter to her mother who is holidaying abroad. She thinks, that if she can explain herself fully her mother will understand and lend her, her full support. However, Mrs Hewitt doesn’t react as Betsy expects, pausing only long enough to send a telegram urging her daughter to do nothing final – she races home. Arriving back in the UK, and before travelling to Wales Mrs Hewitt calls in on Alec’s mother Mrs Canning – where poor Mrs Hewitt in a state of almost nervous collapse is taken ill. Mrs Canning travels to Wales in her stead determined to put a stop to any talk of divorce.
In Wales Alec is already starting to wonder whether a divorce isn’t going to be all too much trouble. The affair he has been having and which Betsy knew something about is over – he thinks perhaps he can talk Betsy around.
“A divorce seemed to be very like a marriage in many ways; relations would be hurt unless they were warned of it beforehand. But it was too soon to write about that, and he could not think of anything else to say. So he gave up the idea, and wrote instead to one or two people who had asked for his autograph. Then he went on to the terrace to smoke a last pipe.”
The children Kenneth, Eliza and Daphne are happy on the nearby beach with no idea of what’s in the air. Kenneth at about fifteen has a school friend staying, Mark is a couple of years older and Kenneth idolises him. Betsy is busy being irritated by the Blochs a Jewish refugee family who Alec has allowed to stay in a cottage in the grounds and is glad of the help of Joy Benson, a beautiful young woman who has spent her last few summers as a sort of mother’s help when the Canning family are in Wales. When Mrs Canning snr arrives, Betsy almost immediately leaves to be with her own mother in a London nursing home. Her relationship with her mother-in-law has often been prickly and is almost glad of the excuse to get away. Mrs Canning is sure her presence in the house will smooth everything out – but of course it transpires that her interference only makes things worse.
An added complication is that Joy has been harbouring feelings for Alec for some time – when she hears rumours of divorce talks from the Bloch’s she starts to wonder where she might be able to fit in. Alec is weak and a pretty young woman easily turns his head, it becomes clear to Alec that he must leave and in her infatuation Joy leaves with him. Alec leaving with Joy unleashes a terrible scandal – the pair are spotted together at the local railway station. Poor Kenneth takes things particularly badly, always rather ashamed of his father he is primed to instantly take his mother’s side. She can do no wrong in his eyes, and he has a huge argument with Eliza when he thinks that his sister isn’t as fully supportive of their mother as he is. Eliza is more torn than Kenneth, she wants a relationship with her father too, she was always his favourite.
Sides are taken by the Cannings friends and family, Alec’s painted as the villain, and his life is the one most affected in the early days. However, it soon transpires that Betsy is seriously considering re-marriage with a titled cousin who has loved her from afar for years. Max St Mullins is a funny little man, who people often find ridiculous but he is kind, generous and adores Betsy. Betsy’s supporters are rocked just a little when they hear that a marriage with Max might be on the cards. The only one really happy at the idea is Betsy’s youngest child Daphne who rather likes the idea of a Lord as a step-father. Everyone it seems has an opinion, and letters fly between these interested parties for months. Meanwhile everyone must get used to a new way of living.
Margaret Kennedy writes about the disintegration of this family beautifully with great understanding. The stories of the elder two children pulled between their parents is especially well done. Even in the 21st century where divorces are ten a penny, I think we can appreciate how whenever a breakdown like this occurs it ends up involving many other people – and its effects are felt for long afterwards.
Was the novel published in 1936?
Well yes, which is why I reviewed it for the 1936 club.
That does sound like a good one (I love the cover, too), carefully taking into consideration all the different perspectives. Well done for getting your 1936 Club going in such a timely fashion, too – as usual I have left it till the week itself to read the books …
Ha yes, well I was only accidentally organised. I read this in March not knowing it was from 1936, then came to review it and realising what year it was first published, decided to hold my review back till this week. Both my next two 1936 books were quite quick reads but still need reviewing.
I have this story waiting on my shelf and I’m glad to know that it’s a good one. I read The Ladies of Lyndon this year and have just bought her wartime memoir, too. I do enjoy her writing.
Oh yes The Ladies of Lyndon was good too. I really must get a copy of the wartime memoir too.
It’s great to hear more about this novel after our brief discussion of it last week. I think I can see why Jane recommended it to me, back in the days when she was championing Kennedy’s work, as the themes definitely appeal. What strikes me most about your description of the book is how timeless these emotions seem. As you say in your conclusion, the context surrounding marital breakdowns has changed the 1930s, but the personal impact remains largely the same, especially where children are concerned…
I think you would probably really like this one Jacqui. I think the themes are definitely still relevant, perhaps more so. Kennedy is such a good writer, I must read more by her soon.
I hadn’t realised Margaret Kennedy had a book published in 1936, otherwise I might have tried to read it myself for the club week! I’ve loved most of the other books I’ve read by her. I’m glad you thought this was a good one.
I only discovered that this was from 1936 after I had read it, so held off reviewing it for a week or so. I have loved everything that I have read by her.
This sounds very good based on your excellent review.
It was excellent, I really loved it.
This promises to be another amazing week – so many wonderful authors at work in this year.
I know, 1936 has proved to be a wonderful year for interesting books.
Lovely post, Ali – and what a great choice for 1936! Kennedy writes wonderfully and it sounds as if this is a really good study of a marriage coming apart. One of the things I love about older novels is how they give us an insight into attitudes of the past and this one certainly seems to. Although attitudes may have changed, I think the pain and disruption of a break up hasn’t, so this is still very relevant.
Yes, that’s exactly why I like vintage novels too, that glimpse of lives, attitudes etc from an earlier time. This one is still largely relevant because a family breakdown will always be poignant and disruptive.
Such a good post about this novel! Kennedy is such an interesting example of a novelist who basically fell out of sight. I’ve read a handful of her novels and they are all good but also somehow (for me) a bit hard to get a handle on, especially The Constant Nymph.
Thank you, I thought The Constant Nymph was great. I think Margaret Kennedy is hard to categorise, if someone asks me what her writing is like or which writers she is similar to, I don’t really know how to answer. I think she is good at writing about largish upper middle class families who are a bit bohemian and have a few added complications.
This sounds so wonderful. It never stops amazing me how very many authors I have never heard of. Thank you for introducing me to her.
She is a really good writer, I have read several and highly recommend her.
Lovely and thoughtful review. I have read this, but, even reading your review, I remember nothing at all about the experience! That has started to happen more often…
I think that happens to all of us who read a fair bit. I suppose the story has little real drama in it that you might remember, yet it is a really compelling read.
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I’m sure I’ve said this before but, while I’ve really enjoyed the couple of books of hers that I’ve read, I’ve not explored as much as I’d like to. And of course your reading of them only makes me more eager to do so.
I think Margaret Kennedy is an excellent writer, I have another of her books waiting and this one has made me keen to get to it too.
I agree she’s hard to categorise. Bohemian with complexity is pretty good. Also I think being one of the first women to go to University (Somerville) and reading History has a part to play. Some of the novels start off as one thing and turn into another; Troy
Chimneys has a heavy realist framing of old letters and found documents, but turns into a character study; Lucy Charmichael begins with two young women about to marry, referencing Jane Austen, but turns into a discussion of the role of the Arts in society. All so different from one another!
Lucy Charmichael is one I haven’t read, it’s sounds interesting.
I loved it. There are some really interesting questions and character studies, and a happy ending. She was one of my favourite writers in the 80s when you could still get mid C20 hardbacks in second hand shops, but somehow I never read it then. It was an Andy Miller recommendation a year or two ago.