Lost in the Stacks: Plagued by the Nightingale

It's not often that I come across a Virago Modern Classic on my library's shelves, but that distinct green spine always pops out at me when I'm scanning rows of books for something that looks interesting.  Is Kay Boyle much read these days?  I don't know if I've ever come across her work as I make the the book blog rounds (which of course is not to say she isn't out there somewhere, as maybe I'm just not seeing her).  I've long had a couple of her books on my shelves but unsurprisingly I've not read them yet.  From what little I've read about Boyle she appears to be one of those authors who was successful and well known in her day but has since fallen into disfavor.  I always feel a little bad for those authors and a little curious about them as well.  If Virago saw fit to publish her books, I think she must be worth a look and read.

I believe she is known for her short stories more than her novels (I own her Fifty Short Stories), but I brought home her second book, Plagued by the Nightingale (her first was a collection of stories).  Boyle was born in St. Paul, Minnesota but her first marriage was to a Frenchman so she lived in France for quite a few years.  She remained in France much longer than her marriage lasted and was part of that expatriate group that included Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams.  When she returned to the States in 1941 she began a distinguished academic career and still managed to write something like thirty books in a variety of forms--from short stories to novels to essays to poetry.

This story has an unusual plot--a young American girl marries a Frenchman and lives with his tight knit family in a Breton village.  She discovers that the an inherited bone disease taints the family.  The disease infects not just the body but the soul as well.  Then she meets another man, healthy, young and handsome and is faced with a choice, and I'm sure you already suspect what that choice is.  I think I'm making this sound awfully melodramatic (and maybe it is?).  Boyle, however, has written the introduction to this edition, and it seems that looking back over a lifetime at this early work (the introduction was written in 1980), perhaps she had second thoughts over this creation.

"Once any work of mine is in print, I find re-reading it a painful operation--an operation performed without anaesthetic, and very difficult to bear.  As long as a poem, a story, a novel, has not been committed to publication, revisions and revivifications can be made.  But to examine a piece of my writing with the knowledge that is is too late to save it from its failings, its inaccuracies, is close to tragedy.  Perhaps the one way to deal with this unhappy situation is to look upon one's published work as though it were the writings of another author: and indeed it was another, much younger writer who wrote Plagued by the Nightingale over fifty years ago."

But she doesn't entirely dismiss it either.  "But in fairness, I can say of the book that it is one of the many records of a young woman's troubled search for old landmarks by which we choose the way we must go."  To me this sounds very appealing and makes me think she is an author worth exploring even if she is no longer in vogue.

Comments

[Eva]

I LOVE that cover! And the plot sounds intriguing: I'm good with a little midcentury melodrama. P)

[Danielle]

Eva--Isn't it a gorgeous cover illustration? It caught my eye, too and I had to take it with me. The painting is called 'Portrait of a Young Woman' by Meredith Frampton and it resides in the Tate Gallery. And the story sounds pretty good, too! :)

[Kathy]

It's amazing to me how many authors from the past have written so much, been popular in their time, and then disappeared from our awareness. I wonder which of the modern day authors will stand the test of time? This sounds like an interesting story and she sounds like an author worth getting to know.

[Danielle]

Kathy--I read that Kay Boyle had been very popular but a scathing review by a literary critic back in the day meant the beginning of the decline for her work. Its a little sad, but that doesn't stop me from picking up one of her books in any case and deciding for myself.

[Caroline]

It does sound a bit melodramatic but I cannot imagine that Virago publishes anything that isn't somehow worth reading.
It also makes me sad and curious to know an author was once read but is not anymore.
I received my second Molly Keane today and it isn't green. Many recent ones are not green. Do you know why? If it's a very new book it could be because they do not call it a Virago classic but how about Molly Keane?

[Danielle]

Caroline--I don't think of Virago as ever having published fluffy books, so I am sure this is a worthwhile read. Are the other Viragos you have with a black cover/background and spine? If that's the case they were likely printed in the US. I think Dial Press at one time published them over here and they have the black covers rather than green. I'm pretty sure all of Molly Keane's books are Virago Modern Classics--I think the newer editions may have different colored spines and the cover is usually an old photo that covers the entire front of the book--there is usually an apple present in the upper corner though. Some of mine are like that. It's interesting seeing how the Viragos changed over time--I do wish they would bring back the green covers, though.

[Dorothy W.]

I have a book by Kay Boyle, Year Before Last, but I haven't read it yet. I'm very curious about her! She had some fabulous friends, I see, and her academic career is intriguing. It will be interesting to pick up her book finally, whenever I am actually able to do it.

[litlove]

I've heard of Kay Boyle, and good things,too. But I've certainly never seen a book by her in any bookshop in the UK. I'm not so good myself with stories about disease, although it sounds like that's just the precondition for the moral dilemma that will take centre stage. I'd be very interested to know what you make of her writing, Danielle.

Oh and for unknown reasons I'm having trouble accessing your previous post (I think it's our connection that's dodgy today) but I wanted to say that it's a lovely picture!

[catharina]

Never heard of Katherine Boyle I'm afraid, heard of Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound but not yet read either,albeit I came across Pound's name a lot in the first hundred pages of Now All Roads Lead to France. As Boyle is not to be found in any library here you possibly have inspired me to find out more about Ezra Pound instead :) Another day of reading coming for you?! Happy Reading!

[Danielle]

Dorothy--She is an interesting person and it sounds like she had an interesting life--I'm also curious about her works. I think I have a copy of Year Before Last, too!
Litlove--I've become a little squeamish myself, but hopefully she's not overly descriptive about it. I'm glad to know you've heard good things about her--that bodes well. And sorry about not being able to get to the previous post--it could also be a Typepad thing!
Catharina--It sounds like she may be hard to get ahold of in Europe these days. The books by her I own are either used or that I bought years ago. I am also, however, interested in that expatriate community that is so famous--so many artists and writers to discover. I don't know much about Ezra Pound, though I think he was a controversial figure? I've got in my usual weekend reading (not as much as I'd like), but I do hope to have more time tomorrow. I'm close to finishing a few very good books. Happy reading, too!

[BuriedInPrint]

I've collected several of her books and have yet to read one of them either; isn't it funny how, at a certain point, just having a considerable number of books by a certain author almost makes it harder to start reading them...I mean, what if you then discovered you didn't like them at all...you'd feel more than a little silly having put all that energy into gathering! ;)

[Stefanie]

I've never heard of Kay Boyle before and to think she was born in St. Paul! She sounds like an interesting person and this sounds like a good book. I will have to check my library sometime to see is they have this and any of her other work.

[Danielle]

BuriedinPrint--Maybe *that's* my problem! :) If I read one book first decided I really liked her and then started collecting books it would probably be a little wiser! Oh well, I like the idea of her stories--does that work? (And hopefully will like the real thing, too). But glad I'm not alone in buying her books.
Stefanie--There've been a number of famous writers from St Paul, haven't there? You'll have to check her out now--I bet your library will have something by her. Maybe I should start with a few short stories--sometimes that's the best place to start with a new author.