They Knew Mr. Knight by Dorothy Whipple

Had it not been for the orange peel, none of it might ever have happened.  Call it fate, or maybe even destiny, but when Thomas Blake stopped wealthy financier Lawrence Knight from slipping and falling, his life and that of his family changed course, though it's hard to say if it was for the better.  Of course the other part of the equation is a life filled with discontent, which only fuels the fire.  For Thomas it comes in the form of dissatisfaction in his work, an engineering firm that was once owned by his father, but now is run by someone else and where he finds himself only a common employee. 

Having read two other novels by Dorothy Whipple I shouldn't be at all surprised, but I found They Knew Mr. Knight an engaging story that was hard to put down.  Who would have thought a story about financial loss and gain and all the pains and pleasures that accompany it would be so entertaining.  Although it was written in 1934, only a few details would need to be changed to make it as contemporary and fresh as a novel written today about current financial woes.

The Blakes are not a particularly unhappy family, at least no more so than any other middle class family making ends meet.  That doesn't mean they don't have problems.  Thomas works hard as an engineer, leaving early every day.  Celia takes care of the house and her family and works in her garden.  Three school age children--two daughters and a son round things out.

"Since the War, almost a decade now, the Blakes had been, like a happy country, without history.  They had lived in the Grove, holding together.  The growing children were dependent on their parents; their parents were bound to each other by affection and interests which were perhaps made mutual by lack of money.  Thomas could not afford a car, a club, or golf; he therefore spent his spare time with his family."

There are two things that burden Thomas, however--the loss of the family firm, which he believes rightly should belong to him, and a layabout brother who isn't able to hold down a steady job and provide for their mother and sister, all of whom are unappreciative of Thomas's endeavors.  Thus it falls to Thomas pick up the slack on top of caring for his wife and children.  And so the seeds of real discontent are sewn.

Lawrence Knight is a well known man in their small town.  He's a man who makes and loses fortunes yet always comes out on top, a savvy businessman who is not afraid to take risks that more often than not pay off, and pay off big.  A chance encounter with Knight in a railway station and a lucky save by Thomas is just the meeting he needs to make Knight take notice.  Just a little advice on how to get the Works back into his own hands, and Thomas knows he can make a success of it.   Knight takes an instant liking to Thomas and the two men begin a friendship that eventually will extend to their families.  A little advice, a little cash backing and some serious scrimping means Thomas is able to buy back the firm his father owned, and he does make a success of it.  It becomes so successful as a matter of fact that the family is able to move to increasingly larger homes with servants and an idle lifestyle.   Idle for Celia perhaps, but Thomas finds he's away from his family more than ever in order to keep the business going. 

It's a fine line Thomas walks, however.  He must appease Knight and keep his lifestyle afloat, which means he finds himself deeper and deeper in debt.  It's not hard for him to make easy cash off speculations on the stock market, but only with Knight's help.  We all know what's going to happen, though.  The bubble gets bigger and bigger, but eventually it's going to burst.  And Mr Knight will tire of his pet project that is Thomas Blake, and like a house of card that has no real foundation everything is going to come tumbling down. 

So the story follows the rising fortunes of the Blakes over the course of a number of years and their subsequent fall from the moneyed class.  The children leave school and in some cases make bad choices in love and relationships.  Elder daughter Freda is a proud and foolish girl and takes for her example Mrs Knight who is herself a frivolous and unhappy woman.  Freda moves in more privileged circles yet never feels their equal.  Douglas likewise falls for a protégé of Mr Knight's who proves to be of uncertain morals.  Only young Ruth seems to come through fairly unscathed.   And Thomas and Celia?  I think they both realize in the end that money doesn't buy happiness, though don't worry, in Whipple's very able hands the story never descends into mere clichédom.

Dorothy Whipple once again turns a shrewd eye on the foibles and shortcomings of her characters and once again they fall from grace, learn from their mistakes and find a sense of redemption by story's end (well, some of them anyway--the ones you care most about).  Her cast of characters are always well defined and developed no matter what mistakes they may make.  With every new Whipple novel I read I seem to find a new favorite, so compulsively readable are her stories.  They are never mere entertainments, though entertaining they are, but show a surprising depth and weight.  Three novels read, two more on my shelves yet to be read, and hopefully Persephone Books will continue reissuing her books until they are all once again in print.

Comments

[Merilyn]

I too couldn't put this one down. This was my second Dorothy Whipple the first being the Priory which I also loved. I have her other Peresphone ones sitting waiting to read. I have not found another person here who has heared of her or Peresphone books.As for finding second hand copies I live in hope.

[Danielle]

Merilyn--I've read Someone at a Distance and Greenhaven along with this one so far, but I plan on reading more, too. I think I will read The Priory next, though won't start it for a little while. I'm surprised you've not come across other Persephone fans--though I hadn't heard of them until I started blogging. None of my local reading friends are familiar with them either. I did luck out and find one of the Persephone Classics at a library sale, which I had to snap up, and another blogger was doing some weeding and passed along a used copy of another Persephone. Otherwise they are not to be found used here either. But like you, I always hope I will come across some treasure. I have too many unread Persephones, so no new orders for a while now!

[Ellen]

This is the only Dorothy Whipple book I have read so far, but I loved it. I've got 'Someone at a Distance' on my TBR pile, I'm saving that for the Christmas vacation.

[litlove]

Oh Oh I love Dorothy Whipple! I don't have this one but I see I need to get it. She is such a compelling writer. Wonderful review, Danielle!

[Darlene]

Oh, Danielle, it has been too long since my last Whipple experience! Your wonderful review has me wanting to run upstairs and pull this off my bookshelf but a couple of titles from my tbr shelf must be dealt with first.

[BuriedInPrint]

This was my first Dorothy Whipple novel; I've had another on my pile for most of the summer now, but I know that everything else will need to sit once I start it, so it's been waiting for the "right time for a Whipple" whilst I juggle library duedates (I know you know what that's like!).

[Caroline]

I just visited the Persephone homepage and saw their alluring subscriptions. I haven't read Dorothy Whipple but I will have to. Someone at a Distance seems to be the one that tempts me most.

[Stefanie]

Wow, this sounds really good. I wish you would stop reading such good books Danielle, I'm not sure how much more of this my TBR pile can take!

[iliana]

This does sound like a book that could easily take place in modern day. So glad you are enjoying discovering Dorothy Whipple. I haven't gotten around to her yet but I've got a Persephone copy waiting for me.

[Dorothy W.]

This sounds really good! I'll have to try Whipple one of these days. Is she someone who appears in used bookstores now and then? I'd love to come across a book of hers that way. It would be great if Persephone would reissue all her books.

[Rachel]

I knew you would love this! It's brilliant, isn't it? I love how each of her books manage to go off in directions that you don't expect from the start, and how consistently interesting and engrossing and wonderful they are. You have so much more joy to come! The Priory is another meaty family saga. And They Were Sisters...

[Liz F]

I haven't read this one yet although I am about to start They Were Sisters - I have a very old copy from the library which must have a whole stock of Whipples (except The Priory, oh and Greenbanks which is almost impossible to get here without spending a fortune so I suspect I wont get round to reading that for a while!)
I find that I have to be in the mood to start one of her books but once I am started it is impossible to put down!

[Danielle]

Ellen--Someone at a Distance was my first Whipple book and I thought it very well done. Although I was looking forward to this one, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. She knows how to pull you into her characters' lives.
Litlove--I'd like to read the rest of her novels--every one I read I seem to like more than the last. I'm so glad Persephone brought her back into print!
Darlene--It's nice to have a Dorothy Whipple novel (unread) on hand, isn't it. I have The Priory (which I think I will read next) and High Wages to look forward to still.
BuriedinPrint--This was a chunky one to start with! Once you get into her stories it is hard to put them down. And yes, I know all about those pesky due dates. That is usually what throws off my regular reading--knowing something I really want to read needs to go back to the library soon.
Caroline--I would love to be on Persephones automatic/subscription plan. It would be so nice to know a new one was coming once a month. I have a little pile of them, however, so I need to read those first before accumulating more. I really liked Someone at a Distance and I believe it is considered her best work, too--that's the one I started with.
Stefanie--Temptations, temptations. I usually read blog posts with pen in hand! You'll have to read a Whipple novel sometime--I think you might like her!
Iliana--It's nice to have one on hand for when you are in the mood. I've really enjoyed the books I've read by her and plan on reading more. I can see why she is such a popular Persephone author.
Dorothy--I've heard from someone that they are going to publish them all--I do hope they do as her earlier novels are really hard to find--even through the library system. You should try her sometime. And I think the Persephone Classics (the books with the color covers that are a bit cheaper and are also sold in the US) might be something you'll find in a used bookstore. I found one at a library sale! You'll have to keep on the look out--though those gray covers are certainly distinctive.
Rachel--I see certain threads running through her stories, but they really are all different. I wasn't sure I would like this as much as the other two I read, but it quickly became an engrossing read and now I can't wait to start another. I might have to see if I can find They Were Sisters at the library now...
Liz--I really lucked out finding a copy of Greenbanks to read. Strange to think she is a British writer and you can't find her, but I did here in the US. At least there are plenty of others to read in the interim and who knows, maybe it will be reissued eventually. They Were Sisters sounds really good, too. After I read this I wanted to take a break from her work, but I'm sure it won't be long until I am in the mood for more.