Ah, The Re-Discovery Of Youthful Pleasures!!!!!!!!!!

      

        Double the pleasure, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

         When I was young, in my teens and twenties, I just adored what I called the "saga books." Many
of these were the big, epic length novels of, say, James Michener, (whose "Hawaii" and "The Source" are still the best of the bunch), M.M. Kaye (of "The Far Pavilions") and my personal favorite as pictured doubly above--Susan Howatch.  She had a very interesting career.    Now in her 70s, she started out very young writing Gothic type mysteries for the beauty parlor set, then graduated to a quintet of novels, which were twentieth century variations on the 19th Century novel, meaning they had a twentieth century sensibility to them, in that, while not out and out explicit, sexual activity that was not even touched upon in the 19th century was at least hinted at, and then some, in the Howatch novels. But she never went over the top, like Jackie Collins.

          Of these books, the two I cherished the most were her earliest--"Penmarric" and "Cashelmara." Both were the names of estates--one in England, one in Ireland, and each novel dealt with the fictitious family members who owned each respective estate, down through the generations.

            I hadn't thought of Howatch in years (though she was always tucked away in the recesses of my memory) and, several weeks back, while in my neighborhood, I came across a copy of the above, as pictured, from a street book vendor.  I had owned this very volume years before, but over the years, and several moves, it got lost.  So, as it fairly leapt  out at me from the table, I purchased it, wondering if I were to read it again after what must have been a good 30 years--would it still hold up????? It is so disappointing when you return to something you once cherished, and it does NOT hold up!!!!!!!!!!!

             But, girls, let me tell you, "Cashelmara" did.  For all of its 672 pages, I was spellbound.  It told of Ireland, of New York, of Edward, Sarah, Patrick, Maxwell Drummond, and Ned, whose "Revenge" I rooted for!!!!!!!!!  My eyes flew over the printed pages "like buttah," and I returned to that blissful state when books of this kind were abundant; today's readers wouldn't be able to handle the scope of period detail, characterization and other aspects of scope that marked this epic saga.

              When I finished "Cashelmara" over the weekend, it was with the sorrow that there was not more.  My only hope is if I find a nice used copy of "Penmarric;" I would love to read that again, as I recall that being the better of the two books.  But I had no problem this time with Cashelmara.

                Susan Howatch moved on from this type of writing to a series of novels dealing with the Anglican Church.  I am sure she was influenced, to a degree, by Trollope, and, out of loyalty, I tried the first one (the title of which I cannot recall) but it did nothing for me, I never finished it, and that was that.

                  But, girls of my age, I urge you to read "Cashelmara," which will transport you to our youthful past.  And those younger, I urge you to read it to discover what it was like when an author's latest work of fiction was a major event awaited by all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                   And don't give me that crap about Stephanie Myer, darlings!!!!!!!!!!  Stephanie March, yes, but NOT Stephanie Myer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!