The Chateau
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:1st Mar '12
Should be back in stock very soon
Set in 1948, a young American couple travels to France, eager for adventure. However, they encounter the lingering scars of war and an unexpected reception at Chateau Beaumesnil, revealing travel's complexities.
The Chateau is set in 1948, following a young American couple who travel to France, eager to explore the beauty and culture of the country. Their excitement is palpable as they arrive, but they soon discover that the landscape and its inhabitants bear the scars of war. The couple's idealized vision of a picturesque holiday is challenged by the reality of a nation still grappling with the aftermath of conflict.
Upon their arrival at the Chateau Beaumesnil, the couple hopes for a warm welcome, but they encounter a more complex and subdued atmosphere than they anticipated. The charming facade of the chateau does not fully mask the lingering effects of the war on the local community. As they interact with the people around them, they begin to understand the deeper emotional and social struggles that define post-war France. This experience serves as a poignant reminder that travel can reveal both the beauty and the harsh realities of a place.
Maxwell, the author, is often celebrated as an unsung hero of American literature, and in The Chateau, he masterfully captures the allure and disillusionment of travel. Through the couple's journey, the narrative explores themes of expectation versus reality, the complexities of human connection, and the bittersweet nature of discovery. The story invites readers to reflect on how travel can transform our perceptions, offering insights into both the world and ourselves.
Not just a book of the year but now one of my desert island books. -- Adrian Turpin * Herald Scotland *
Delicious and dead-on... All the embarrassments and gratifications of European travel are preserved in the amber of Maxwell's much pondered, seemingly casual prose. * New Yorker *
As the voices of Austen, Turgenev and Tolstoy have survived, so will Maxwell's. There aren't many truly great writers among us. William Maxwell is one of them * The Times *
It's hard not to see it as a work of genius * Times Literary Supplement *
His gentle urbanity is a joy * Sunday Telegraph *
He combines educated intelligent and instinctive apprehension of human complexity in a way that would have earned Henry James' approval. William Maxwell is the very model of what a novelist should be * Independent on Sunday *
Reading 'The Chateau' is like meeting a very old friend with whom the conversation is always spontaneous, intimate, restorative and unpredictable... Maxwell is that rare thing, a kind writer... But what has made him so influential is his habit of interspersing his subtle accounts of character with sharp observations about human nature. * Independent *
The novel successfully depicts misunderstandings, isolation and disappointment: are they sensitive to local traditions? Are they laughing at the right jokes? Are they tipping too much? * Guardian *
Perennially endearing * Spectator *
Maxwell's achievement is to show how human relationships work in spite of the confines of history, language and nationality * Daily Telegraph *
ISBN: 9780099573623
Dimensions: 197mm x 129mm x 25mm
Weight: 292g
416 pages