Friday, August 29, 2008

Literary Style: Elizabeth Bowen


If Anna had fought against Portia’s coming, she knew how to give her defeat style. . . . Portia arrived as black as a little crow, in heavy mourning chosen by her aunt—back from the East in time to take charge of things. Anna explained at once that mourning not only did not bring the dead back but did nobody good. She got a cheque from Thomas, took Portia shopping round London and bought her frocks, hats, coats, blue, grey, red, jaunty and trim.


--from Elizabeth Bowen's superb novel, The Death of the Heart

5 comments:

WendyB said...

"Hat by Hitchcock."

Miss Cavendish said...

Absolutely! Totally Hitchcockian.

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

I've read E. Bowen but not the novel you mentioned. Time to revisit her. Thanks!
~Tessa

Elizabeth said...

I guess I have some reading to do.

Miss Cavendish said...

Tessa and enc--do read this novel. It's a wonderfully rich, thoughtful book.