Uncle Paul: Welcome to the Nightmare Summer Holiday
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Uncle Paul: Welcome to the Nightmare Summer Holiday
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Description
Meg and Isabel were just girls when "Uncle Paul" married their older half-sister, Mildred, and he soon vanished from their lives upon his exposure as a bigamist and a murderer. Fifteen years later, Uncle Paul is about to be released from prison, and all three sisters are seized with dread at the prospect of his return. Their family holiday at the seaside village where Mildred and Uncle Paul once honeymooned becomes the setting for a tense drama of suspicion, betrayal, and revenge.
In this Waterstones Thriller of the Month, as recommended on BBC Radio 4's Open Book, one family's skeletons emerge on a 1950s seaside summer holiday in this classic mystery from 'Britain's Patricia Highsmith' and the 'grandmother of psycho-domestic noir' ( Sunday Times )It has a similar feel to some of Elizabeth Taylor's novels, set in the 50s. I was reminded of The Sleeping Beauty (1953) which also has a south coast seaside setting. There is an odd referral to - The Sleeping Beauty, in Fremlin's novel which happens to be a sort of peep-show on the pier - a sleeping snake! But, gradually, the ominous and sinister start to encroach further eek, the cobra in Meg's bedroom! though we're kept hovering between knowing whether there is material danger stalking the sisters or whether it's just paranoia. It all comes to a glorious climax which is, arguably, more 'psychological' than some of Fremlin's later books.
Having read, “The Hours Before Dawn,” Celia Fremlin’s debut, I was keen to read more by her. This, her second novel, was published in 1959 and how glad I am that I have discovered her. Definitely, Celia Fremlin is my discovery of the year and I am so pleased that her work has been reissued by Faber Finds. This novel begins with Meg receiving a telegram for her sister, asking her to come and help. Meg has a sister, Isabel, plus an older, half-sister, Mildred, who looked after her, after her mother’s death. Mildred has a difficult relationship with husband, Hubert, and has done one of her flits, rushing off to Isabel. The problem is that Isabel, who has two young sons, is currently on a caravan holiday at the seaside, with second husband, Philip. With two sisters full of neuroses and issues, Meg sees no other option but to go and sort out their problems. Yes, that cover art totally caught my eye :O) That and the fact that Waterstone’s Books of the Month can sometimes have some lovely gems. That’s how I discovered The Enchanted April.In this Waterstones Thriller of the Month, as recommended on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, one family’s skeletons emerge on a 1950s seaside summer holiday in this classic mystery from ‘Britain’s Patricia Highsmith’ and the ‘grandmother of psycho-domestic noir’ ( Sunday Times ) Fremlin was an advocate of assisted suicide and euthanasia. In a newspaper interview she admitted to assisting four people to die.[1] In 1983 civil proceedings were brought against her as one of the five members of the EXIT Executive committee which had published “A Guide to Self Deliverance” , but the court refused to declare the booklet unlawful. The unflappable and almost pathologically competent Meg is summoned from London by a telegram from Isabel, her slightly older sister. Arriving at Southcliffe, the quintessential British seaside town where Isabel, her two sons and her new husband, when he can get away from the office anyway, are holidaying at a slightly run-down caravan park, Meg finds her sister in an even more harried state than normal. Once reunited with the nervous, jumpy, Isabel, Meg finds it is a worse situation than she imagined. Fifteen years ago, Mildred discovered that her husband, Meg and Isabel’s, ‘Uncle Paul,’ was not who he seemed and he went to prison. Now, Mildred is convinced that he is out and about to extract his revenge….
Still, as with many authors I like, even a so-so Fremlin is better than a lot of books. I didn't figure out who the culprit was, which was nice, but I also wasn't driven to keep reading as I was withe The Hours Before Dawn and The Jealous One, which is why it took me 2 months to read. Still, nice evocation of a seaside holiday, one much darker than R. C. Sherriff's lovely book, The Fortnight in September! There are some fantastically well-drawn observations, particularly around the child characters. There is Cedric the know-it-all, Peter who insists on everyone who goes up and down the caravan steps paying tribute to 'Sharkey' and Johnny, cheerily oblivious to the tension around him. Even the desperately unravelling Isabel is beautifully caught. As before, some of the dialogue and characters still feel eerily relevant. Still, there are other moments which prove that the past truly is another country where things are done differently. If you like Agatha Christie and/or Patricia Highsmith, you will enjoy this book very much. If you are looking for an Enid Blyton-esque read, maybe not so much!In Uncle Paul, Fremlin – who has been dubbed ‘the grandmother of psycho-domestic noir’ – showcases her exceptional ability to craft a truly gripping psychological thriller. With its suspenseful narrative, well-developed characters and thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche, it’s an undeservedly forgotten classic of the genre that is certainly worthy of rediscovery.
- Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
- EAN: 764486781913
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