Rosamond Lehmann's

suffered greatly, as second novels so often do, from the

of her

(1927). It remains the least-known of her novels, and the least appreciated. The plot revolves around a sextet of characters, two unhappily married couples, generally referred to as “middle-aged” although only in their thirties, and two younger visitors to their northern town, a sophisticated brother and sister. No dramatic events unfold, but by the end of the novel when the visitors leave, a glimmer of hope is perceptible within both marriages.

Despite, or possibly because of, having been chosen as the monthly choice of the recently established (and still controversial) Book Society, the novel was not universally well received. Harold Nicolson was among the few

597 words

Citation: Pollard, Wendy. "A Note in Music". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 May 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7070, accessed 26 November 2024.]