Consequences by E.M. Delafield

Yesterday, I finished reading Consequences by E.M. Delafield, published in 1919. She wrote the more well-known Diary of a Provincial Lady which is (on the surface, at least) an amusing novel. Not so Consequences. It is the story of Alex, an upper-middle class girl growing up in late Victorian London, who constantly fails to live up to the demands of her family and class. She isn't a feisty character who stands up for herself and forges a life for herself. She is the opposite. A sad, misunderstood girl, who never finds someone who will care for her, and this dooms her to ongoing misery...

(I do get sick of the feisty heroine, especially in historical fiction, where the writer can't let go of her/his 21st century perspective and allow their character to be of their time in more than their clothes.)

It sounds so depressing, doesn't it. It is. I couldn't stop reading it, and I sobbed yesterday as it became increasingly obvious what Alex's fate would be. The tragedy of it is really how she tries to make sense of her life, and how she interacts with other people, just make things worse. She is both innocent and culpable.

I did think at one stage that she would be admitted to a mental hospital. I sort of hoped that would have helped in some way!

You can buy the book in paperback from Persephone. Or read it for free on Project Gutenberg.