Losing out on a promotion to her ex lover, Hilary Mansell, a talented doctor, moves to a rural hospital. She is unchallenged, but the routine and long hours dull her disappointment and soothe her hurt pride. When Julian Fleming is admitted with a serious head injury, Hilary's skill and quick thinking save his life, and after his recovery he seeks her out. Julian is handsome, intelligent and a decade younger than Hilary, and although at first she resists his advances, she cannot help falling in love with him. Although a gifted actor, Julian denies himself the career he longs for, and she senses that beneath his charm and humour something is holding him back. Before long, it becomes clear that his overbearing mother makes all the decisions in his life, and she doesn't approve of his ambitions - or of Hilary - at all. 'A wonderful writer' A. N. Wilson, Daily Telegraph'
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Return to Night A Virago Modern Classic
von Mary Renault
Losing out on a promotion to her ex lover, Hilary Mansell, a talented doctor, moves to a rural hospital. She is unchallenged, but the routine and long hours dull her disappointment and soothe her hurt pride. When Julian Fleming is admitted with a serious head injury, Hilary's skill and quick thinking save his life, and after his recovery he seeks her out. Julian is handsome, intelligent and a decade younger than Hilary, and although at first she resists his advances, she cannot help falling in love with him. Although a gifted actor, Julian denies himself the career he longs for, and she senses that beneath his charm and humour something is holding him back. Before long, it becomes clear that his overbearing mother makes all the decisions in his life, and she doesn't approve of his ambitions - or of Hilary - at all. 'A wonderful writer' A. N. Wilson, Daily Telegraph'
Aktuelle Rezensionen(1)
Rezension von kenI was reading Mary Renault's wikipedia page, and one criticism I read about her was, in a word, her internalized misogyny and especially her depiction of mothers. About her presentation of women in general, and in particular Hilary Mansell's character, Renault writes them a little standoffish, maybe even to the point of callousness. Renault makes these quips about women that makes it seem like she doesn't think too highly of them. This is another romance with an age gap. My sibling noticed the pattern (after I presented my harsher book review of [b:Love|56536047|Love|Elizabeth von Arnim|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609728977l/56536047._SY75_.jpg|1449690]), and what was the fascination with age gap stories lately? Especially because the people around me seem to vilify it immediately, and understandably so. I just think it's fascinating, and what better way to explore that which fascinates, short of going through it myself, than reading about it? Especially if the woman is the much older one. <i>Return to Night</i> was less about the emotional vampirism the old does to the young, since Hilary, if anything, finds Julian's energy exhausting. This narrative and the approach was more Freudian, I found. As with most Renault novels that I enjoy (I've tried to read [b:The Mask of Apollo|360437|The Mask of Apollo|Mary Renault|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391209550l/360437._SY75_.jpg|563594] but for some reason it didn't appeal to me; I might try again), <i>Return to Night</i> is filled with whiplash, subtleties that force one to read deeply and actively, and turns of phrase that just take one's breath away. I love it – not every minute of it, because I found the climax to the ending was a bit muddled; the added backstory of Julian's mother felt unnecessary unless it was designed to paint Mrs Fleming in a more callous light (in which case, it was effective. But, again, almost unnecessary). The title, <i>Return to Night</i> might be an allusion to the final scene. Literally about the night, but also a hint of the return to the primordial, since the chapter begins with Hilary assisting a birth, and ends with the "resisting cry of birth". Overall, this novel is enriching, rich with literary references, intertextuality, and allusions. One notes the deep influence of Greek history and myth in Renault's work.