The final work, unpublished and in fact undiscovered until after
his death, of a superb Welsh writer (1903-78) known for his novels
(The Withered Root, 1927), colorful autobiography (Print of a
Hare's Foot, 1969), and stories (The Chosen One, 1967). The tale
here is a relentless character study, set in the village of Bedd
Einion and focused on the gradual changes that overtake Rhonwen, a
middle-aged woman who, having discovered her jaunty husband's
persistent infidelity, impulsively pushes him off a cliff and
pretends ignorance of his death. Davies then analyzes what becomes
of Rhonwen as she arranges for her Adda's funeral and claims his
insurance money, takes up drinking and smoking, and indulges in a
spendthrift life so alluring that it leads her into ever stranger
actions and their consequences. These latter are dominated by the
ghostly figure of a menacing red-homed ram ("Sometimes he did not
appear as a visual presence at all, only as an invisible assertion
lurking deep in the caverns of her mind, or as an odour pervading
whatever meaningless dream she had"). It's a brilliant symbol,
embodying Rhonwen's guilt, her fear of judgment, and the moral
impasse to which her crime brings her (her attempts to confess are
met only with compassionate disbelief). Davies's portrayal of rural
Wales is pleasingly spare and stark, and he casts Rhonwen's
confusion into high relief by contrasting her inwardness and
taciturnity with the comparatively voluble personalities of other
people whom she deceives and manipulates: Dan "Insurance" Evans,
the agent whom she briefly thinks of marrying; the stern and
devoutly Christian Mrs. Pyle-Williams, who had hoped to buy
Rhonwen's house; and especially her husband's mistress Eirene, a
distracted child-woman who's eternally weeping because of her
malformed tear ducts (another expertly used symbol). Despite a
surprisingly abrupt ending, and inconclusive internal evidence
suggesting Davies may have left the novel unfinished, this is a
vivid and unusual story - and a fine introduction, as it happens,
to the work of a very substantial writer. (Kirkus Reviews)
After discovering that her husband is having an affair, Rhonwen
reacts murderously, but guilt haunts her in the form of a ram with
red horns and she is pushed to the point of madness until she makes
a new life for herself and confronts her husband's mistress.
General
Imprint: |
Seren Books
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
September 1996 |
Authors: |
Rhys Davies
|
Dimensions: |
220 x 136 x 13mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
168 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-85411-165-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
1-85411-165-5 |
Barcode: |
9781854111654 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!