The Quincunx

I have read 'The Quincunx' that was written by Charles Palliser. It was very interesting, so I would like to write its review. If you haven't read it yet, I would recommend you not to read under this. And you should read 'The Quincunx' as soon as possible.

Well, its main story is interesting very much. There are five families, Huffam, Mompesson, Maliphant, Palphramond, and Clothier in this story. That five families' fifth generations' persons compose the details of the story. Everything is caused by the will of Jeoffrey Huffam.

This story has a lot of plots, and they are intricate complicatedly. A reader doesn't have time to feel the complication of the plots individually, because the next plot comes soon. Every plot goes around the will about the succession to property. There are full of suspenseful mysteries anywhere recently. I thought that the succession of property wasn't enough as a motive to murder before. But I changed my mind, after I had finished it. If its main character John boy and his mother Mary hadn't been a heir, they could have spent an easier simple life.

The entailed heir to property is not common in recent Japan, so I tried to search for its details in order to understand more. But I couldn't get enough explanation, because it wasn't a current law. The author's writing was enough to understand the fate of John boy, though.

Two episodes in the story were very impressive for me. One of them was about Henrietta. After David shot a gun against Henry, she shouted to take her with David. Although of course she made a misunderstanding about David's marriage, she did it along her true mind. I would like to applause to her shouting. Henrietta is the only woman who could become a heroine of the story, but nobody loves her. Even John boy doesn't love her. The author wrote about it very cool, and it moved me very much.

The other episode was about Edward, or Bob. The author described about him the following; 'He was above middle height and quite handsome, though his features bore a somewhat spoiled and petulant cast and he had an air about him of feeling rather hard done by and owing the world a grudge in consequence.'

Although I had known that there were persons like him, I had no idea why they were so. And they always surprised me. The author showed me those persons' character clearly. I haven't understood yet why they were unhappy, but I wouldn't be surprised by them any more.

Charles Palliser is often compared to Charles Dickens. Obviously their writings have common points. But when I had been reading this story, I was reminded of 'Angela's Ashes' that was written by Frank McCourt. Both of Mary and Angela were very unhappy in the terrible poverty. They both didn't have any skill or talent, and I might be like them. So I'm scared of poverty.

In the story, some mysteries haven't become clear finally. I wonder if Mary and Martin loved each other at least once. I think that Martin might have been Henry who hadn't died. Just after Martine died, Mary's serious unhappiness has started really, though. Anyway, the author's analysis about its characters is very cool, and I like it very much.

I have an e-mail friend who is a Dutchman Wim, and he recommended me to read 'The Quincunx' on his e-mail. Sometimes he did the same thing, and every book was interesting very much. His first recommendation was 'Battlefield Earth', though I enjoyed it. But I think that 'The Quincunx' is the best novel of his favorites, so far. A Dutchman and a Japanese woman talk in English about an English novel. Although you might think that it is strange, we both enjoy talking about our common favorite books.

If you have an interesting book, send me e-mail about it, please.

(2001,11,24)