In A Land Of Plenty
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
In a small town in the middle of England, the aftermath of the Second World War brings change. For ambitious industrialist Charles Freeman, it offers new opportunities and marriage to Mary. He buys the big house on the hill and nails his aspirations to the future.
In quick succession, three sons and a daughter bring life to the big house and, with it, the seeds of family joy and tragedy. As the children grow and struggle with the hazards of adulthood, Charles' business expands in direct proportion to his girth and becomes a symbol of the town's fortunes as Britain claws its way back from the grey austerity of wartime Britain.
As times change, so do the family's fortunes. Their stories create a generous epic, an extraordinarily rich and plangent hymn to the transformation of middle England over the past fifty years. At its heart is a diverse and persuasive cast of loveable and odious characters attempting to contend with the restrictions of their generation. This is the story of our lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
There are moments when Pears's talent shines as brightly as it did in his debut, In the Place of Falling Leaves, but this big novel lacks the binding gravity required to unify its satellite plots and characters. The family chronicle, which spans 40 years, begins in 1952, when, days before their wedding, Charles and Mary Freeman purchase a mansion on a hill above a small English mill town. Soon, their home is filled with children (Simon, James, Robert and Alice); servants and their children; relatives and friends. Like the crowded house, the narrative is in constant commotion but lacks a cohesive order. Eventually, however, the novel focuses on James and his adolescent desire to seek a place in the world amidst increasing alienation from his family. These tensions culminate in an enraged encounter and complete estrangement. As James involves himself in new experiences, he nurtures a consuming interest in photography, which allows him to develop a sense of place in the community. The story returns frequently to the mansion, which maintains a tight hold on the rest of the family. A movie theater in town, owned by his cousin Zoe, is also important in maintaining James's limited contact with his family. In his descriptions of the ordinary events in James's life, Pears beautifully evokes a young man's search for a home. In the end, James does find that place: in a fulfilling relationship with a woman, through his photography and, finally, in a reunion with his family. Pears is a fine, thoughtful writer, but this novel's loose construction mutes the impact of some genuinely powerful work.
