Hetty Dorval by Ethel Wilson
#23 in my 2007 book challenge was Hetty Dorval, a gift from a kind friend who visited Persephone Books on her recent trip to London. Like all Persephone editions, it is a beautiful book with a dove-grey paper cover, with end pages and matching bookmark in a complementary textile pattern.
It is a slim but powerful novella of a young girl who develops a friendship with Mrs. Dorval, a woman who has a questionable past. The girl’s fascination is easy to empathize with. Her development into adulthood, and her increased understanding of human nature and behavior, contribute to a fascinating example of the coming-of-age novel. Mrs. Dorval’s sexuality is offered as proof of her bad nature; this troubled me. But the rest of her character so thoroughly completed a portrait of a self-involved, self-serving individual that it made sense in the context of the story.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:20 am
i get their catalog but i always find so many things that sound interesting, i can never settle on what to order.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
I liked Hetty Dorval, and think it’s interesting for people who like girls’ coming of age stories. I very much enjoyed Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and The Home Maker. You should call them up. The women in the office are awesome, and if you tell them what kind of things you like, they can help you pick something similiar.