Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym
"Quartet in Autumn" is a novel by Barbara Pym that explores the lives of four London coworkers in their sixties, delving into themes such as aging, loneliness, and the complexities of human relationships. The characters include Edwin Braithwaite, a widower who seeks solace in church activities; Norman, a disillusioned man with a disdain for modernity; Letty Crowe, a fashion-conscious woman with a long-standing friendship; and Marcia Ivory, a meticulous single woman grappling with her health issues. Each character navigates their own routines and social interactions, often reflecting on their pasts and contemplating their futures.
As they approach retirement, their relationships evolve, culminating in significant changes when one of them, Marcia, passes away. This event acts as a catalyst for the remaining characters, prompting them to reassess their lives and connections. Pym's writing is noted for its keen observations and subtle humor, providing a poignant yet often lighthearted examination of the nuances of friendship and the inevitability of change in later life. The novel invites readers to reflect on the challenges and joys of aging, making it a relatable exploration for those interested in social issues and the human condition.
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Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym
First published: 1977
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Comedy of manners
Time of plot: 1970’s
Locale: London
Principal characters
Edwin Braithwaite , an office clerkNorman , an office workerLetty Crowe , an office workerMarcia Ivory , an office workerMarjorie , Letty’s longtime friendFather Gellibrand , a parish Anglican priestDavid Lydell , Marjorie’s vicarJanice Brabner , a volunteer social workerMrs. Pope , Letty’s landladyKen , Norman’s brother-in-lawD. G. Strong , Marcia’s surgeon
The Story:
Four London coworkers in their sixties live quiet lives. Edwin Braithwaite, the only one of the quartet who had ever married, lives alone in Clapham Common in a semidetached house. His wife, Phyllis, had died, and his married daughter lives in another part of England, near Eastbourne.
Edwin devotes his free time to visiting churches. He is not particularly religious or even spiritual; rather, he enjoys the routine that the church calendar imposes. He serves on his local parochial church council and as master of ceremonies (an undefined position) of his parish church. Though he enjoys the company of his parish priest, Father Gellibrand, their conversation is limited to ecclesiastical subjects.
Norman, Edwin’s coworker, rents a room in a house in Kilburn Park. His sister had married a man named Ken, a driving instructor. Edwin’s sister dies, leaving Ken as Norman’s only relative. The two have nothing in common. Norman hates cars so much that the sight of a damaged automobile delights him. He also dislikes the young, complains about inflation, and takes a dim view of life generally.
Sharing an office with Edwin and Norman are the fashion-conscious Letty Crowe and the fastidious Marcia Ivory. Letty was born in Malvern in 1914. In the late 1920’s, she had moved to London to take a secretarial course and had met a woman named Marjorie, with whom she has remained in touch for more than forty years. Marjorie had married Brian, now deceased; she had tried to pair Letty with Brian’s friend Stephen, but nothing came of this effort.
Letty now rents a room in the house of Miss Embrey, who has two other boarders: Marya from Hungary and Miss Alice Spurgeon. Letty is the only one of the office quartet who has traveled abroad extensively, taking her vacations with Marjorie. Letty expects to move into Marjorie’s country cottage when she retires, but that plan goes awry when Marjorie becomes engaged to her local vicar, David Lydell.
Marcia lives alone in a semidetached house. She has had a mastectomy and had developed an infatuation with her surgeon, D. G. Strong. She even had traveled twice, just to look at his house. Fastidious about certain matters, Marcia maintains a collection of empty plastic bags arranged by size, and in her garden shed she keeps about one hundred empty United Dairy milk bottles, which she dusts periodically. The presence among the bottles of a County Dairies container, brought to her (full) by Letty, troubles Marcia deeply, until Marcia returns it to her coworker. Marcia, however, never dusts her furniture, and a hairball that her now-dead cat, Snowy, had coughed up long ago remains on the bedspread. A volunteer social worker, Janice Brabner, repeatedly visits and tries to lure Marcia to the social center, but Marcia rebuffs Janice.
One evening Miss Embrey invites her three boarders for coffee to announce that she has sold the house to Mr. Olatunde, a Nigerian priest; the tenants may remain if they choose. Letty is not certain whether she should move, but she finds the Olatundes and their parishioners, who hold services in the house, noisy. Though the men in the office think that Marcia should rent Letty a room, neither woman finds the prospect appealing. Edwin turns to the women of his church. Mrs. Pope, who lives in West Hampstead, agrees to take Letty as a boarder. Norman, in his typically pessimistic way, wonders how Letty will cope if Mrs. Pope, who is in her eighties, falls and needs assistance.
Letty and Marcia retire. To fill the time, Letty vainly tries to read serious books about the social sciences but finds them tedious. She then involves herself in church activities, which are not always satisfying. Her invitation to lunch with Marcia goes unanswered; then Marjorie comes to town to shop for her trousseau, and she wants to get together. Marjorie suggests that Letty move into a retirement home in Marjorie’s village, a plan that displeases Letty. Eventually, she visits the place and notes that the director, Beth Doughty, serves all the vicar’s favorite foods.
Despite Norman’s objections, Edwin arranges a reunion lunch with the women. Norman unkindly remarks that Letty has gained weight, and that Marcia has not. Though Marcia’s cupboards are filled with cans of food, she rarely opens any of the cans. At lunch with her former coworkers she orders only a cheese salad, and she barely touches that. She has stopped caring for her hair, and she appears oddly dressed at the luncheon. When the others ask about her recent activities, she remains secretive. In fact, there is little to report.
Norman visits Marcia at her house, but the two do not exchange words. Janice returns to the house just as Edwin and Father Gellibrand are visiting. The three find Marcia slumped over her kitchen table. The ambulance ride to the hospital fulfills one of Marcia’s lifelong ambitions. Her weight upon admission is eighty-four pounds. During her brief hospitalization, Edwin brings her flowers, writing on the card that the flowers are from all three of her former office mates, though Letty has not contributed anything and Norman has begrudgingly given only fifty pence. Edwin also tells the receptionist that he is Marcia’s next of kin. Marcia soon dies.
After Marcia’s death, the drab lives of the others change. She had left her house to Norman, though he decides to sell it; the money gives him new options. Marjorie’s vicar, David, leaves her for Beth; now Marjorie wants Letty to share her cottage. However, Letty is not certain she wants to leave London. She does take a day trip to see Marjorie, taking Edwin and Norman with her. There remains a slim hope that romance may still bloom.
Bibliography
Allen, Orphia Jane. Barbara Pym: Writing a Life. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1994. An extremely useful volume for both beginning students and advanced scholars. Part 1 discusses Pym’s life and work, part 2 analyzes her novels, part 3 examines different critical approaches to her work and presents a bibliographical essay, and part 4 provides a comprehensive primary and secondary bibliography.
Donato, Deborah. Reading Barbara Pym. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2005. Offers close readings of four of Pym’s novels: Quartet in Autumn, Some Tame Gazelle (1950), Excellent Women (1952), and Jane and Prudence (1953). Pays particular attention to Pym’s language.
Lenckos, Frauke Elisabeth, and Ellen J. Miller, eds. “All This Reading”: The Literary World of Barbara Pym. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003. A collection of essays that examines the roles of reading and libraries in Pym’s work, including discussions of individual novels and of Pym’s literary reputation. Includes an annotated bibliography of Pym criticism published from 1982 through 1998.
Nardin, Jane. Barbara Pym. Boston: Twayne, 1985. Provides an excellent introduction to Pym’s life and career, noting the origins and development of her themes, character types, and style. Includes a chronology, notes, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and an index.
Rossen, Janice, ed. Independent Women: The Function of Gender in the Novels of Barbara Pym. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. A collection of ten essays that considers Pym’s craftsmanship, the literary influences on her work, and her special use of language. The contributors use biographical, historical, and feminist approaches to explore Pym’s unique creative process as it relates to events in her life. Includes notes and an index.
Salwak, Dale. Barbara Pym: A Reference Guide. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1991. A comprehensive chronologically arranged bibliography of writings about Pym for the period 1950 to 1990. Dated but still useful.
Wyatt-Brown, Anne M. Barbara Pym: A Critical Biography. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1992. Combines psychological and literary methodologies to assess Pym’s life and works. Wyatt-Brown looks at Pym’s diaries, letters, and manuscripts to show how she translated her experiences and observations into fiction.