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Isabel Constance Clarke

Autor/a de Haworth Parsonage

49 obres 68 Membres 4 Ressenyes

Sobre l'autor

Obres de Isabel Constance Clarke

Haworth Parsonage (1900) 8 exemplars
Shelley and Byron (1970) 3 exemplars
Strangers of Rome (1928) 3 exemplars
Whose Name is Legion (1969) 2 exemplars
Carina (1923) 2 exemplars
Prisoners' years 2 exemplars
Quiet village 2 exemplars
Euphemia, a novel 1 exemplars
The story of Selma 1 exemplars

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Gènere
female
Nacionalitat
England, UK

Membres

Ressenyes

This book highlights the hatred between Christians and Catholics in the early part of the twentieth century. Carina is an author living in Rome. After her sister dies she returns to England where she meets Jim Mallory, an older widower who falls in love with her. To marry her, he must promise to raise any children in the Catholic faith. He accepts the decree and they are married. But his son by his first wife, wants to be a Catholic, too, and Jim is infuriated.

It was difficult to like Jim at all. He was a very demanding character--but for the time period it is appropriate. Sadly, his hatred of the Catholic faith is also part of the time period. Yet, I found it an intriguing story. Carina was a rather independent woman of her time and as an author she had a considerable amount of fame.

I found the story a very worthwhile historical piece.
… (més)
 
Marcat
penelopemarzec | Oct 1, 2020 |
I have had this book on my list of things to check out for a while. The book itself was published in 1919. The reason for my interest is that my Great Grandmother had the surname of Elstone and lived in Hampshire before moving to Surrey. The family though had spent about 200 years in the same area, where the boundaries of Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire meet.

By chance about 10 years ago we were driving from Exeter to North Devon and drove through a hamlet with the name of Elstone. Brief research revealed that the Elstone's in this part of Devon had links to the paper making industry, as did my Elstone in the Sussex & Hampshire area. So I was immediately intrigued.

This book eventually made it to the top of my pile and I stepped into reading it. I made sure I had a notebook as I wasn't completely convinced that this was a novel. Perhaps there might be a grain of non fiction?

The first scenes are set on the Downs in the County of Sussex. Lady Cynthia Elstone is looking out and makes a visual comparison to her native Devon. Meanwhile, her husband who she married 28 years previous and is unwell and dying. Sir Simon requests that his wife call for the priest in the Shawhurst and Cynthia refuses. The family are not Catholic hence the refusal. Meanwhile, her daughter, Irene, nicknamed Ernie overhears the conversation and asks her brother Luttrell to go and fetch the priest. He does and despite all the general confusion and anger from Cynthia, Simon Elstone converts to Catholicism on his deathbed.

The eldest son, called Ivo does not play a very prominent role in the book which is surprising for the time. There is real anger of the religious conversion and the daughter Irene returns to school complete with a hidden rosary and as I read through the pages it is clear that she is turning her religious mind.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It was refreshing to read and I had to keep remembering that this book was written before women achieved the vote here in the UK. I was surprised by the anti Catholic feeling at this time. I feel sure that this is a novel, but I can not help wondering why the author chose the name of Elstone and who and what provided the inspiration behind the plot.
… (més)
 
Marcat
AnglersRest | Feb 3, 2013 |
2175 Whose Name Is Legion, by Isabel C. Clarke (read 23 Dec 1988) This is a 1919 novel by an author who wrote many short stories which I read and enjoyed in my youth. This book tells of an upper class English woman who marries Ralph Mellish, about twenty years older than her and who lives in North Africa. There is a saintly Jesuit, Father Benedict,who fights spiritualists, and much evil directed by an evil professor. Pamela hates the luxurious house her husband has in Africa, but when she becomes a Catholic she is strengthened to fight evil. This is not good writing--lurid, simplistic, mechanistic. But it took me back to that good Catholic fiction which played such an important role in shaping the deepest feelings of my youth. I enjoyed the book.… (més)
½
 
Marcat
Schmerguls | Jul 5, 2008 |
2191 Haworth Parsonage: A Picture of the Bronte Family, by Isabel C. Clarke (read 27 Feb 1989) I read this book because when I was young I read many short stories by Clarke in Catholic magazines like Extension and appreciated them. This book is footnoteless and without a bibliography, but it reads very well and I enjoyed it--the story is an astounding one. This book has naught good to say of Patrick Bronte (the father) and only bad to say of Branwell (the brother) and spends little time on the amazing childhood. But it is well-done, and I liked the staunch Catholicism of Clarke deprecating Charlotte Bronte's prejudice. This book has been a great reminder of the drama of the Bronte lives. How I would love to go to Haworth!… (més)
 
Marcat
Schmerguls | Jun 30, 2008 |

Premis

Estadístiques

Obres
49
Membres
68
Popularitat
#253,411
Valoració
4.1
Ressenyes
4
ISBN
8

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