Debutantes (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

I have quite a few of Charlotte Bingham's novels on my shelves. I've very much enjoyed her more recent ones, although I've been less impressed with some of her earlier books. Still, I've picked most of them up very inexpensively at charity shops and thrift stores, and friends like to borrow them.

'Debutantes' is one of her earlier novels, and also one of the longest. At 700 pages in paperback, it's a long read. However, it's taken me over two weeks to get through it, which is considerably more than I had expected. Despite several glowing reviews on various book-selling sites, I wasn't very impressed, and had to keep picking it up deliberately to read another chapter, rather than finding myself drawn to it continually.

It's the story of three young ladies - debutantes - who are to make their first appearance at the London season, around 100 years ago. Apparently little had changed since the Regency period, another century earlier. Upper class girls were displayed in balls, presented at court in hugely expensive gowns, and hoped to catch rich - and preferably likeable - husbands.

The book is divided into four sections. The first three introduce the three girls, one at a time, in their homes, showing them in the months prior to their season in London.

The first section is a bit confusing, since it's primarily the story of a 'nouveau riche' couple and their daughter who buy a house from Lady Lanford, a rather unpleasant woman who was once the most beautiful girl in London, and who enjoys liaisons with many married men, including royalty. It's not until near the end of the first section that we're introduced to May, a stunningly beautiful girl brought up in a convent, who is to be launched into society.

The second and third sections introduce Portia and Emily, the other two debutantes. Unfortunately, I didn't find either of them memorable. One of them grows up with a bohemian and scatty aunt, and is fond of sailing; the other grows up in Ireland, and is fond of horses. They both seemed very flat, personality-wise, and although I only finished the book last night, I'd already forgotten which was which.

The final section is about the season itself, when these three girls are launched into society. There's a lot of social history that's fairly interesting, which goes into a lot more detail than - for instance - Georgette Heyer about the problems besetting these girls, such as the ridiculous nature of the court presentation. We also get a glimpse of the working classes of London, who apparently hung around just hoping for a sight of the various girls.

There's a fair bit of plot, which really could have been written in just the first and fourth section without any need for Portia and Emily. But since my preference is for character-based novels with strong emotion in places, I didn't find this particularly appealing as a novel.

I did finally make my way to the end, wondering what would happen - indeed, I gather there's a sequel to this, so if I happen to see it in a charity shop I may well buy it. But I wouldn't rate it above average.

Still, it could make good holiday reading, since it's easy enough to put down and is sufficiently light that it doesn't exercise many brain cells. It's not a bad book - just lacking characterisation.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 28th October 2008

Daughters of Eden (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

I have a growing appreciation for Charlotte Bingham's books. I have found some of them rather trite, but have thoroughly enjoyed others. I'm impressed by the different styles she manages to write, and the depth of her historical research and understanding.

'Daughters of Eden', which I found in a charity shop in the UK, opens in the late 1930s.

Poppy, the plain, shy daughter of wealthy Americans, is unexpectedly engaged to be married to a peer in the UK. Poppy is not at all sure about this, but feels that anything is better than becoming an old maid. Or so she thinks, until the marriage takes place and it becomes clear that her husband despises her. He often ignores her, and meets with parties of men to discuss what appears to be treason.

Meanwhile, Marjorie is left at a very unpleasant boarding school by a mother who is not remotely interested in her. After eight years, she is adopted by her Aunt Hester, a dour widow who gradually thaws and becomes more lovable - and who also appears to have some kind of secret life.

Then we meet Kate, the highly academic daughter of Professor Maddox, who believes that education is wasted on women. Rather than allowing his daughter to go to Oxford, he sends her to a secretarial college.

These three young women, along with hundreds of others, are selected to work in Eden House, for undercover espionage as war is declared. The novel follows their lives, those of some young men in similar work, and also those they are seeking to unmask - declared Fascists in England who want to bring the government down and sign a treaty with Hitler.

This novel was exciting and fast-paced, and presumably accurate in many respects. It gave a fascinating insight into ordinary people doing undercover work during World War II which may well have been approximately how it happened, and I found it quite a page -turner. It's not a short novel (over 500 pages) but I finished it in two days.

On the other hand, I didn't find any of the characters very sympathetic: perhaps because too many of them were followed. I could keep track of who was whom, but didn't find myself caring much about any of them.

I'm glad I read it, but doubt if I'll be reading it again as my preference is generally for character-based novels where I care about what happens to them, rather than about the various subplots as such.

Still, recommended for anyone who likes this kind of book. It was well written and very readable.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 25th July 2008

In sunshine or shadow (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

I have slightly mixed feelings about Charlotte Bingham's books. I have really enjoyed some of them, but been less impressed by others. I seem to have collected quite a few, mostly second-hand - but still have three or four unread.

So I decided to try 'In sunshine or shadow', a fairly long novel - over 500 pages, unsure what to expect.

In the early chapters, we meet the two girls who are the main protagonists of the story: Ellie and Artemis. Their circumstances are about as different as is possible: Artemis is an upper-class English girl, an only child who lives in a large estate with several servants, and grows up around horses. Ellie is a fairly poor American girl with four older brothers.

However, they both lose their mothers at a young age - Ellie's mother dies giving birth to her, and Artemis's mother dies in a riding accident - and both have fathers who give them no affection. The difference is that Artemis's father is basically selfish, although he's fond of his daughter in a vague kind of way; Ellie's father is much more passionate, and hates Ellie because he feels she killed his wife by being born. So while Artemis is mostly neglected, Ellie is beaten and verbally abused. Ellie's only friend is Patsy, the youngest of her brothers.

The book charts both these girls growing up, and inevitably they meet. It's on a ship, going from the USA to the UK after Artemis has stayed there for a while. They become friends despite such different backgrounds, and Artemis is determined that they should stick together. Yet she's an off-hand kind of person who finds it difficult to settle to anything, or make a commitment.

I didn't find myself deeply relating to either of the girls, or indeed anyone else in this novel. There are one or two amusing moments - such as the butler at Ellie's Auntie Rose's house - and a rather moving section later in the book when a child is very sick. But most of the time I didn't find my emotions particularly stirred at all.

On the other hand, I quickly got caught up in the various sub-plots of the book which are cleverly woven together. Charlotte Bingham writes well, and her characters are memorable if not deeply sympathetic. I certainly got a feel for the upper-class horse-mad family where Artemis grew up, and for the struggling Irish American community where Ellie was raised. I'm not usually very interested in war-years novels, but this one didn't have too much detail about the war itself (World War II begins towards the end of the book) - and the one unpleasant incident which is described is vital to the plot, and not too gory.

All in all, I found myself picking up 'In Sunshine or Shadow' at odd moments and reading avidly - I enjoyed it, and am determined to read the rest of my books by this author, over the next few months.

Published in 1991, this is still in print in the UK, and widely available second-hand.

Copyright © Sue's Book Reviews, 8th June 2008

Country Life (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

Charlotte Bingham's books are variable, in my view. Some are very enjoyable reads, some are less so. Her plots tend to be interesting, but her characters are rather flat.

'Country Life' is the sequel to 'Belgravia', a satirical look at life amongst the upper classes in England. It's no longer in print, but often turns up at charity shops. I mostly enjoyed Belgravia, while feeling a little overwhelmed by the characters. But I read it ten months ago, and had entirely forgotten all the people - they were not remotely memorable. It would probably have helped if I had read it more recently, even though this book can stand alone.

There's no real plot to this book, but there are a large number of sub-plots. Or, at least, ongoing situations. Jennifer, one of the stars of 'Belgravia', is reasonably happily married to Pember, although he finds her a bit trite at times due to her lower middle-class background. Georgiana, the other star, is still unmarried. She's a remarkably shallow person, caring more about her perfect appearance than anything else.

Then there's Patti, married to Lord Tisbury, whose roots are common, but who is good-hearted and friendly, and seems to attract any male who comes within sight of her. Oh and Jennifer's mother, Clarissa, a ghastly woman recently married to Andrew, who has had enough of her by about two days into the honeymoon.

The most memorable characters are Elliot and Fulton, two middle-aged gay decorators, who have slightly more character and humour than the others in the book. And there's a strange threesome, whose names I have forgotten already. And more. Far too many people for my tastes, and although I could appreciate some of the satire - and some clever writing - I found the book rather tedious, on the whole. Nothing much happens, none of the characters have much depth, and it's all a bit depressing, really.

Perhaps that was the intention, but the result, at least in my view, was an eminently forgettable book. I did not feel that it was really worth reading unless you want something very light (and are good at remembering dozens of names) that won't stretch you. 

I doubt if I'll read it again.

Belgravia (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

'Belgravia' is one of the earlier novels by Charlotte Bingham, one which I first read about seven or eight years ago and re-read recently. It primarily features two girls: Georgiana and Jenny.

Georgiana is slim, attractive, and belongs to the upper class, although her parents are very poor and her ancestral home crumbling. Jennifer is plain, overweight and middle class, and has a pushy mother who wants her daughter to marry into the upper classes. Georgiana is rather manipulative, Jenny is delightfully shy and a little naive.

Much of the novel pokes satirical fun at their friends and acquaintances, in particular Jenny's appalling mother.

But there's a more serious side to this novel too. Georgiana's childhood was spartan and unloving. Her parents ignored her and her nanny kept telling her how privileged she was. Privilege appeared to mean that she ate one piece of dry toast for tea while the 'unfortunate' children on the estate had thick buttered toast and home-baked cakes. They played games outside, she stayed indoors on her own.

Jennifer is welcomed into debutante circles, since her unattractiveness makes the other girls stand out more. Georgiana is less popular. Yet they form a surprising friendship as their lives overlap.

There are rather too many characters for my tastes, but then I'm easily confused. Some of them are very caricatured, but I suppose that makes them easier to remember. Nevertheless I thought 'Belgravia' a very readable and mostly enjoyable light novel, with considerably more depth than some chick-lit.

The moon at midnight (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

I seem to have collected quite a few of Charlotte Bingham's novels, mostly second-hand.

The moon at midnight' is set in the 1960s, and starts by introducing the various families involved in the book, at the time of the Cuban crisis. The families all live in a British fishing port called Bexham. I was two at the time of the crisis, so don't have any memory of this. But the tension in everyone's minds becomes vividly clear at the beginning of the book. We see the different ways that people are dealing with the possibility of another world war.

Charlotte Bingham has quite a gift with characters. She creates mostly realistic individuals, and clearly knows them well. She writes about them as if she's personally acquainted with them; at one point I wondered if some of them were even based on real people.

However, the problem with having such a good background in an author's mind is that it can be overwhelming for the reader. I was suddenly introduced to these people whom I had never heard of before. Then I was somehow expected to remember who they are, how they behave, and what their relationship is with everyone else.

There is a huge cast of characters, most of whom are mentioned right at the beginning. This left me completely bewildered, although thankfully there's a family tree at the start of the book, which I found myself referring to frequently.

Alongside the family saga style of writing, there's an ongoing crisis in the village of Bexham, which is under threat of commercial development. The end of the book sees a resolution to this, and is even followed by an epilogue which neatly ties up neatly all the loose ends and tells us what happens afterwards.

At first the Bexham crisis seemed to me like a red herring, yet I finally realised that the book was making an important point: it's in times of crisis that families and neighbourhoods pull together, united by a common cause. The Cuban crisis did that, the world wars - which the elders refer to frequently - did that even more, and even a minor village crisis can have a similar effect.

It's well-written, and the characters are good, even though there are too many of them and they're apparently blinkered at times. It was a pleasant enough read for someone like me who enjoys character-based books, and the ending was comfortable and tidy.

I can't say it was disappointing in any way - but it wasn't gripping, either. I had no problem putting it down and forgetting about it for a day or two. I only cared about the characters in a mild way, and have no feeling of regret having finished the book.

So, I don't know if I'll read it again. If the Cuban crisis interests you, this might be worth reading for some good background, or 1960s social history, but it wasn't really my kind of book. Still, a good enough light read.

Stardust (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

I'm rather in two minds about Charlotte Bingham's writing. I have really enjoyed some of her books, but find others trite and rather dull. Still, I often find her novels available inexpensively at second-hand shops, so I keep buying them, and enjoy the ones that do suit my tastes.

'Stardust' features the beautiful and selfish Elizabeth, and the very handsome Jerome. Both are superb actors.

Elizabeth wants Jerome, but he loves - and marries - Pippa. Elizabeth does what she can to come between them and, predictably, eventually succeeds.

On the whole I thought this was an exciting novel, set as it was in the drama/film world. It seemed authentic, and although the main characters were slightly caricatured, I could believe in them and found myself caring about them.

Well-written and fast-paced, with a satisfactory conclusion all round - much to my relief. Recommended.

Not currently in print, but often found second-hand, including online.

Change of heart (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

The author Charlotte Bingham is quite a prolific writer, in a variety of genres within the broad women's fiction category. I have very much enjoyed some of her books, but not all of them. I tend only to buy them second-hand, since I'm never entirely sure what to expect.

'Change of heart' is about Freddie, who is on a rest cure in the UK. He falls in love with Fleur, who turns out to have been a child prodigy violinist.

I thought the book was well-written and interesting, with some believable characters and a few quite moving sections. However, there was a rather odd ending which confused me. It left me wondering how much of the story was supposed to have been 'real'. I found that disappointing, so although I enjoyed most of the book I doubt if I'll read it again.

Not currently in print but often available second-hand.

Summertime (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

I have mixed feelings about Charlotte Bingham's novels. Some of them are light satire which I can't quite get into, others are deeper with more interesting characters. So I tend to pick them up second-hand, or when they're on special offer somewhere.

'Summertime' features a young woman called Trilby, who lives with her loving father and unpleasant stepmother. In free moments, she draws cartoons for the amusement of her neighbours.

When a newspaper tycoon sees and admires the cartoons, then falls in love with her, she escapes from her family - only to find that her new husband keeps her almost like a doll. She has little to do, and is unable to go out anywhere by herself.

A nervous breakdown leads to the relaxing of her security, and - inevitably - she meets someone else.

A moving book, with a dramatic climax. But I was a little disappointed that the final chapter leaves rather too many unanswered questions.

Not one I'm likely to read again. 

To hear a nightingale (by Charlotte Bingham)

(Amazon UK link)

'To hear a nightingale' is a modern novel by Charlotte Bingham.

Cassie's childhood is tragically abused, as she is brought up by a grandmother who despises her. She finds friends and some self-esteem in a convent school, and eventually falls in love with, and marries an Irish racehorse trainer.

She is blissfully happy until tragedy strikes. But gradually she picks up her life and succeeds as a woman in a man's world.

There are some very striking moments in this novel, unexpected twists in the plot, and a nicely rounded ending.