Offshore, Human Voices, The Beginning of Spring (Everyman's Library)

Offshore is only about 130 pages long. For the first 80 pages, there was little to make me want to turn the page other than I finish what I start. It is a story of the lives of people living on river barges on the Thames. On one barge lived Richard who loved the river but his wife did not so she left him. On another barge lived Nenna who loved the river but her husband did not and refused to live with her. It was too predictable that Richard and Nenna would end up together, although that will occur after the novel ends. Nenna's husband is left on the barge floating out to sea in a drunken stupor. The reader is left to guess if he lives or dies. On another barge, a man was storing stolen goods. His only role was to assault Richard landing Richard in the hospital. The only contribution this event made to the novel was to delay Richard and Nenna getting together and perhaps to suggest the seedier side of living on river barges. We never find out what eventually happens to the thief. Heinrich was thrown in for no purpose other than to give Nenna's daughters more to say and do in the story. I could not connect with any of the characters. There was no point to some characters and who knows what eventually happened to others. This is the first novel I have read by PF and I was very disappointed. Human Voices was a little better, enough to raise may initial rating from one star to two. I thought the title was appropriate and I did find it occasionally amusing. Perhaps a comment on the dust cover best describes it..."deadpan English comedy and surreal farce". Beginning of Spring was without a doubt the best of these three novels. I truly enjoyed it. Had I written a review of this novella by itself, I would have given it four stars but, unfortunately, as a trilogy, the other two novels drag the whole volume down. I have, however, upped my rating from two stars to three based solely on the strength of Beginning of Spring.

Penelope Fitzgerald is a "writer's writer." She's a master of making story content out of story context, and that takes phenomenal mastery. She started writing her novels at a time when she had vast life experience from which to draw, and it shows. BTW: Any description of sensual or violent acts never reaches a gratuitous level, it just flows with the story she's telling.

Book arrived a little late. Book was just as advertised, in pristine condition. Very pleased! Thank you.

The author deserves to be better known in the US. Her novels are short, but exquisitely written. They are profound, human, and focused on dramas that are only too real, yet traced in the books without fanfare or preaching.

Three excellent short novels that you will come back to many times over the years, nicely printed and hardbound in the standard Everyman's format.

Didn't live up to the hype. Very wordy, to the point of being "over-written".

Thus far I have only read OFFSHORE. It is a first class novel.

funny, poignant stories

Three outstanding books published in one volume. Fitzgerald's work shines - concise, pellucid prose, with a keen eye for human foibles. She has the rare gift of being able to reveal without being didactic. Wryly witty, too. I enjoyed them all and commend them to anyone who admires writing of the highest calibre.

Three FITZGERALD novels in one volume such good reads. All her novels are so different but all written in precise proseAnd gentle deadpan humour. If you have never read a Fitzgerald novel then start today-you will not be disappointed !Pamelabourne.Hi Jane Liz