TEST
The hero of Ms. Marvelle’s latest is in the very first chapter in the book, crashed into by an omnibus on a busy New York street. When he wakes, he’s an amnesiac, unable to remember anything about himself or his life. He can remember bits and pieces from what turns out to be his favorite book as a child, Robinson Crusoe, and takes the name of Defoe’s protagonist as his own. Ms. Marvelle’s Robinson’s fate is joined, not to a man named for a day of the week, but with a woman named for a state: a Mrs. Georgia Wilder. I recall struggling to finish — at age 15 – Mr. Defoe’s novel. Forever and a Day wasn’t quite as taxing, but it, too, was a trial to read.
The book is divided into three sections and ends with an epilogue; all three core components were wearisome in different ways. The first part of the tale is downright baffling. As the novel begins, Georgia is hurrying home to her tenement in Five Points when she spots a fine looking gent walking her way. He’s tall, dark-haired, handsome, and clearly very wealthy. She inadvertently stumbles into him and he immediately, politely, propositions her. Georgia, despite finding him quite the dish, declines. Their initial encounter is somewhat incomprehensible. He’s quite insistent that she join him at his hotel for coffee and I hadn’t any idea why. Ms. Marvelle doesn’t describe Georgia in any detail other than to point out she’s Irish, red-headed, and poor. I wondered what it was about her that so entranced this unnamed British toff. Then, suddenly and melodramatically, Georgia’s purse is nicked by a pickpocket; her Brit – as she thinks of him – takes off after the thief, and while in pursuit, is run over by a bus. Georgia has him taken to a hospital – she feels responsible for his injury – where for nine days, he lies in a coma. When he wakes, he recalls nothing of his life before that moment. No one has claimed him and, unable to think of a better alternative, Georgia takes him home with her. Within a day and a half of living with Georgia – and after having crude sex with her in the public hallway of her apartment building – Robinson, as he and Georgia have come to call him, is in love. He’s not just in love, he’s sure that nothing in life has ever been or could ever be as important to him as being with this woman he’s just met while he’s suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Georgia, for her part, falls in love as well, but she’s convinced such a dazzling, well-heeled, kindhearted, upper-class gentleman will, once he regains his memory and his life, leave the likes of her behind. Their few days together, supplemented with heaps of history about 1830s New York, comprises the first part of this book. At its end, Robinson has indeed reclaimed his memory, his father has come to claim him, and in a hurried and awkward ending, all parties involved must make painful choices.
Part two is set in London and explores, in great detail, Robinson’s – who’s actually named Roderick – past. Robinson/Roderick has quite the history (much of it the stuff of overwrought soap operas), all of which makes his obsession with Georgia harder to grasp and even less likely to end well. Additionally, there’s an exasperatingly under-explained mystery in this novel, involving Robinson/Roderick’s dead mother’s missing brother and his possibly murderous family. Part two of this novel is so focused on the past that the present day love story between Georgia and Robinson/Roderick – already one that didn’t resonate with me – is just about abandoned.
The last part of the novel – excluding the de rigueur epilogue — centers again on the courtship between Georgia and Robinson/Roderick. Georgia, with unexpected help from Robinson/Roderick’s father, has remade herself, and now it is Robinson/Roderick who must be worthy of her. Throughout the entire story, Robinson/Roderick has remained sure Georgia is his destiny. Georgia has remade herself, given up her past – all for him – and yet the two find reasons to stay apart. I found this asinine. At every point, the relationship between the two is described as epic and yet it never seemed such to me. Ms. Marvelle is adamant the two share a singular and profound love – I never believed her.
In the epilogue of the novel – which is witty and has by far the best writing in the book – all obstacles have been overcome and the love Ms. Marvelle asserts was there has led to an upper-class happy ending. I was just happy the book had ended. I didn’t enjoy reading Forever and a Day. I thought the romance unsympathetic and the writing disjointed. I can’t recommend it.
However, there are parts of Forever and a Day I did admire. Ms. Marvelle’s descriptions of Georgia’s working-class New York are meticulous and fascinating. Each chapter starts with an erudite quotation culled from pre-20th century works and I enjoyed trying to piece together the reasoning behind the placement of the oft obscure quotes. I suspect the mystery of Robinson/Roderick’s vanished uncle may be, when better explored, interesting. Moreover, in a realm saturated with historicals limited to the same constricted contexts, Ms. Marvelle earned my respect for exploring arenas rarely plumbed in the genre. These elements, however, did not make up for the disappointment of the rest of the book.
Grade: C
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 14/03/12
Publication Date: 2012/01
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.