The year before last (Boyle) 225

I have to admit to struggling somewhat - I have a whole stack of VMCs, probably around 30, but none of them are calling me. It feels like I have read a lot of duds recently, but scrolling down through the recent posts here I know that is not true. You can't get lost in Cape Town was vivid, Peking Picnic was another good Ann Bridge, if not quite as good as Illyrian Spring.

So my feeling when reading The year before last by Kay Boyle was, what if all of the VMCs I have left are like this? Not bad exactly, but just not books which captivate me. I will persevere anyway as I want to try to read as much of the piles as I can before I move house in less than 4 weeks time. It was my second Kay Boyle novel for VVV, although I don't remember much about Plagued by the nightingale - in fact, I just posted a teaser as I didn't really feel like writing about it.

Set on the French Riviera at the beginning of the twentieth century, it follows Hannah and Martin. The book starts with Hannah leaving her husband to join Martin, who is her editor, and it follows their love affair which is complicated by Martin's aunt, Eve, who is very possessive.

I just couldn't muster up much interest in either the plot or the characters I'm afraid.

Just published once in an original green edition which I own. I don't even like the cover art especially.

Plagued by the nightingale (Boyle) 47

I'm using the Teaser Tuesday format to blog about this book:

"The feeling of relinquishment in here was foul as a rat-trap and stiff and relentless there like a dried bouquet. This is what becomes of idleness, she thought in anger. She wanted the whole summer back again to make it all anew. Why am I having these bunches of old lavender, these dried knots of garlic infecting the thoughts I have? Why this chop suey mess of uncertainty in me?"

Written originally in 1930, this was published by Virago in 1981, and the same cover has been used for two different editions. I own the earlier one (top)