Theodor Fontane
Steerforth Press
27 April 2027
240
eBook - PDF
Classics
ARC via Edelweiss
On holiday at a fashionable German spa, young civil engineer Herr von Gordon meets Colonel von St Arnaud and his younger wife, the beautiful Cécile. He is drawn to this elegant and melancholy woman, who seems to hold herself at a distance from her husband. As von Gordon and the married pair tour local attractions and enjoy the scenery of the Harz Mountains, he finds himself ever more fascinated by Cécile – and by the mystery surrounding her past. Why is she so much younger than her husband? Why is he simultaneously so solicitous and so cold towards her? Why do the Colonel’s former colleagues avoid him? Why is Cécile simultaneously so elegant and so ignorant?
As Gordon and Cécile grow closer, her husband’s jealousy, the gossip of polite society, and the secrets of the past converge. When they meet again in Berlin society, the attraction between the two young people will have tragic consequences for all. History repeats itself, culminating a duel when the truth of Cécile’s past finally comes to light.
Cécile was a slow-paced, thoughtful story. The pacing may be too slow at times for a modern audience, but I quite enjoyed the plodding exploration of place and character where we slowly got to know more about the people and their backgrounds as they meandered through countryside and town. The story allowed both a psychological journey and a commentary of social expectations of the time. I was particularly taken with Fontane's sympathetic portrayal of Cécile, who was a beautifully realised and rounded character in her own right, not only as seen through the eyes of the male characters. In the end I am giving this book 4 stars. I liked it a lot, but it didn't have quite the magic of Effi Briest for me and the slow pace will perhaps put off some readers.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment