Have you ever read a book which you were vastly enjoying and raced towards the end yet when you got there were left wanting just a little bit more? I finally have gotten around to reading one of Hilary Mantel's novels, an earlier work, An Experiment in Love (1995). Must start slowly with her and work my way up to Cromwell, I think. Don't get me wrong, I did love the book and I suspect there is lots there to mine if I give it some thought. It is one of her middle of her career (thus far) books, so I am sure it is quite thoughtful and intentional and she is not someone I take/read lightly.
So, when in doubt look for other opinions and who better, but I have come across a review written by Margaret Atwood. I feel better that she also says at the end of her review that the one complaint might be the desire to know more. So I am not alone. But the light she sheds on the novel does make it quite worthy and solid and yes, full of good things to mine.
The story is set in the 1970s and begins in the industrial northern England where two young protagonists will be pitted against each other, friends yet not. I am sure the juxtaposition is quite intentional and the two (and their mothers) play off each other over the course of the story. Carmel is the narrator, the only daughter of middle-class, Irish-Catholic ancestry parents. And Karina of the hard to pronounce name is the daughter of immigrant parents who are survivors of some awful event in history. Karina is sturdy and eminently capable. Carmel's mother has high expectations for her yet never believes she has the abilities--at least beyond being studious. However Karina even at twelve can shop and cook and prepare tea. She can be trusted to handle money. Karina is forever being held up as the bar by which Carmel will never match.
Their mothers pair them despite neither being especially interested in befriending the other. They have this rivalry. It's almost more a rivalry of Karina and Carmel's mother. Carmel's mother wants to better well, Carmel's betters and her lessers. As Atwood notes, she both admires and despises the establishment and anyone who might be in competition with her daughter. So the two trail alongside each other through school, then to the Holy Redeemer were they must pass a test to enter. After the nuns it is off to the University of London (mostly because other young women, who are being compared to Carmel are going there) where they end up in the same women's residence hall, though not rooming together. As Carmel gets smaller and thinner and denies herself (is that the Catholic thing coming into play?) Karina gets sturdier and bigger and just 'more'. You know that something has got to give and there has to be a meltdown.
The story is both timeless and of its 1970s era. I think what I like most about it is the fact that it is a coming of age story, and I can ever get enough of those to be honest. Yet there is more to the story. The experiment in love is not exactly what you expect of a coming of age story--certainly not one with this trajectory of girls growing up and going away to school where they are likely to be looking for or will end up with spouses. I suppose there is something of that, too, but Mantel tips that on its head a bit. A story of love of mothers and daughters? Between friends and acquaintances and romantic love?
Things do come full circle, but in a way you won't expect and that will leave you with more questions than answers. There is that climactic moment and a twist that gives a shock of surprise. Although I dog eared lots of pages in the novel, I will just share a little summary of sorts from Atwood's review as she gets down to the essence.
"The playing field is England, with its bafflingly complex and minutely calibrated systems of class and status, of region and religion; the players are little girls, larger girls, young women and, looming huge over all, mothers. The weapons are clothing, schools, intelligence, friendships, insults, accents, trophy boyfriends, material possessions and food. The battle cry is 'Sauve qui peut'!
This was a good read and I am happy to have it so early in the year as it helps set the tone I want to keep on with. I'll return to her work. And maybe someday I'll give this story another read, too. It is both a keeper and one worth revisiting.