Post by tintin on Aug 19, 2013 13:15:21 GMT 1
I am slightly nervous in reviewing a book by someone regarded as a bit of a giant in the world of the horse and a distinguished figure in litearature generally and even more nervous in the fact that I intend to give it an indifferent review.
That is not, however, to say that “Market Harborough” is in any way a bad book, but the review is an honest one and intended to be helpful to the reader.
The book is difficult to review for several reasons, not least because it was written in 1861 and literary tastes and styles have changed a great deal. Secondly the book is “literature” in the sense that Dickens, Jane Austen or Arnold Bennett is and I am not a literary type.
The book is not an easy read nowadays, although it almost certainly was when published. You have to really concentrate because it is very heavy in its use of mid-Victorian slang. Imagine if you will someone today writing a book in “textspeak” and someone 150 years later attempting to read it.
The story itself is comparatively straightforward. Mr Sawyer, a bachelor and keen horseman, decides to hunt in the shires for a season rather than with the provincial pack he usually follows. He is accompanied by his string of horses, groom Isaac and a stable boy who, like Tarzan’s protégé in the films, known by no other name than “boy”.
This is a very descriptive novel. In my opinion a very slender fish of narrative struggles heroically to swim through a raging torrent of descriptive verbiage.
The book follows the hunting season of gentlemen of independent means who live to hunt. Some gentlemen, however, have more independent means than others. By chance Mr Sawyer meets up with a gentleman of very great independent means “The Honourable Crasher” at the tailors, then on the train and later when lost in the fog hacking to the meet. The two become friends.
There are quite a lot of other characters, but the most significant and memorable are Mr Tiptop, the Honourable Crasher’s dandyish groom, and Miss Dove, the hunting daughter of the Reverend Dove a hunting parson.
Mr Sawyer becomes infatuated with Miss Dove and spends and rides recklessly in an attempt to impress her. Eventually he breaks his collar bone by foolishly taking part in a steeple chase and she marries him. I did not take to Miss Dove and by this time mildly disliked her. However, once she is married I loathed her. She only hunted to get a husband and once one was secured sold her lovely chestnut hunter and all Mr Sawyer’s horses . Miss Dove is very manipulative, and not in a good way.I sense Mr Sawyers independent means will struggle throughout the marriage and he will always be the one to blame.
Whyte Melville has a negative view of women, although he describes a lot of their behaviour disturbingly accurately. I think he regards a man as happier on his own, but he regards the view as enchanting, but best regarded from a distance.
I found the book depressing – a man strives, literally at peril of his neck, to achieve his dream, which in the end is probably not worth having.
Describing a hunt, like a ball, a battle or a football match, is very difficult. I don’t think Whyte Melville does this well, he seems to be pressing well known buttons of recall on the part of his readers than striving for any vivid word picture. Other writers – Pat Smythe, the sisters and especially Jane MacIlvaine – do it so much better, especially for those of us lacking experience. In some ways the torrent of words obscures the view.
One frightening aspect of the book is the huge amount of food and drink consumed. The feats of horsemanship essayed while the protagonists were almost certainly half cut, and probably suffering from dyspepsia into the bargain do not bear seriously thinking about. They do manage a serious accident due to drink driving.
Whyte Melville himself was known as a friend to horses and I think some of the rather hit and miss equitation in here is intended as a bit of a warning.
Only for the seriously literary, or the very serious hunting fan. If you like “Great Expectations” and read the Hunting Directory for light relief you will enjoy this.
That is not, however, to say that “Market Harborough” is in any way a bad book, but the review is an honest one and intended to be helpful to the reader.
The book is difficult to review for several reasons, not least because it was written in 1861 and literary tastes and styles have changed a great deal. Secondly the book is “literature” in the sense that Dickens, Jane Austen or Arnold Bennett is and I am not a literary type.
The book is not an easy read nowadays, although it almost certainly was when published. You have to really concentrate because it is very heavy in its use of mid-Victorian slang. Imagine if you will someone today writing a book in “textspeak” and someone 150 years later attempting to read it.
The story itself is comparatively straightforward. Mr Sawyer, a bachelor and keen horseman, decides to hunt in the shires for a season rather than with the provincial pack he usually follows. He is accompanied by his string of horses, groom Isaac and a stable boy who, like Tarzan’s protégé in the films, known by no other name than “boy”.
This is a very descriptive novel. In my opinion a very slender fish of narrative struggles heroically to swim through a raging torrent of descriptive verbiage.
The book follows the hunting season of gentlemen of independent means who live to hunt. Some gentlemen, however, have more independent means than others. By chance Mr Sawyer meets up with a gentleman of very great independent means “The Honourable Crasher” at the tailors, then on the train and later when lost in the fog hacking to the meet. The two become friends.
There are quite a lot of other characters, but the most significant and memorable are Mr Tiptop, the Honourable Crasher’s dandyish groom, and Miss Dove, the hunting daughter of the Reverend Dove a hunting parson.
Mr Sawyer becomes infatuated with Miss Dove and spends and rides recklessly in an attempt to impress her. Eventually he breaks his collar bone by foolishly taking part in a steeple chase and she marries him. I did not take to Miss Dove and by this time mildly disliked her. However, once she is married I loathed her. She only hunted to get a husband and once one was secured sold her lovely chestnut hunter and all Mr Sawyer’s horses . Miss Dove is very manipulative, and not in a good way.I sense Mr Sawyers independent means will struggle throughout the marriage and he will always be the one to blame.
Whyte Melville has a negative view of women, although he describes a lot of their behaviour disturbingly accurately. I think he regards a man as happier on his own, but he regards the view as enchanting, but best regarded from a distance.
I found the book depressing – a man strives, literally at peril of his neck, to achieve his dream, which in the end is probably not worth having.
Describing a hunt, like a ball, a battle or a football match, is very difficult. I don’t think Whyte Melville does this well, he seems to be pressing well known buttons of recall on the part of his readers than striving for any vivid word picture. Other writers – Pat Smythe, the sisters and especially Jane MacIlvaine – do it so much better, especially for those of us lacking experience. In some ways the torrent of words obscures the view.
One frightening aspect of the book is the huge amount of food and drink consumed. The feats of horsemanship essayed while the protagonists were almost certainly half cut, and probably suffering from dyspepsia into the bargain do not bear seriously thinking about. They do manage a serious accident due to drink driving.
Whyte Melville himself was known as a friend to horses and I think some of the rather hit and miss equitation in here is intended as a bit of a warning.
Only for the seriously literary, or the very serious hunting fan. If you like “Great Expectations” and read the Hunting Directory for light relief you will enjoy this.