The Party by Tessa Hadley

GENRE - Coming of age, historical fiction, novella.

FIRST PUBLISHED - 31/10/2024

PUBLISHED BY - 

Jonathan Cape, London

THEMES - 

Coming of age, status, post-war Britain, social class, society, relationships, parents, romance, parties, youth, marriage, patriarchy, male vs female.

PLOT - 

The setting is post-war Bristol. It's winter time, and sisters, Moira and Evelyn go to a party at a dockside pub where they meet the equally sophisticated and irritating, Paul and Sinden. Sinden later invites them to Paul's mansion which he shares with his brother and sister. Evelyn is reluctant but agrees to go for Moira, who is eager to show off her design work and make an impression. The party ends in an unexpected way for the sisters and they leave a little differently to how they arrived.

MY REFLECTIONS - 

This is the kind of book that may feel as if nothing much is happening plot wise, however, emotionally, psychologically, a lot is going on. Fans of Virginia Woolf's writing style might like this novella. It may also appeal to readers who like the social conflicts and status differences within The Great Gatsby. It may also appeal to slow burn, lit-fic lovers.

The characters of the sisters are well developed, and the other characters, atmosphere and surroundings are easy to picture due to the  mood and tone of the writing, which emanates contrasting vibes of post-war gloom and glamour, seen through the eyes of two expectant young women, eager to spread their wings and find themselves. There is an air of repression throughout, particularly in the form of patriarchal dominance, which is as frustrating as it is attractive to Moira and Evelyn. It is furthermore subtly paralleled with the regowth that followed the second world war. The writing provides the reader with a glimpse of what life might have been like for a middle class girl in post-war Britain. 

It's difficult to say too much without spoiling the book for other readers, but there is a slight sense of foreboding from early on. The whole atmosphere of this book is  like being handed the most beautifully wrapped present, from someone  you're not sure about, and having gone through the possibilities of what it could be, once opened, the feelings of anticipation were more appealing than the revelation. This seems to be the way Evelyn and Moira  feel after 'the party'.  However, there is something valuable to be gained from their experience.