R.C. Sherriff’s The Fortnight in September (1931)
By the sea with the Stevenses
I’m a playwright who writes about twentieth-century novels and other literary/theatrical matters. Subscribe to The Essence of the Thing with your email address to have my newsletter delivered to your inbox. It’s free.
The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff.
This was recommended to me by Matthew Poxon; I’d missed the recommendation by Kazuo Ishiguro during the first lockdown.
An ordinary family from South London goes to Bognor for a fortnight in September.
That’s it.
It has so many qualities – for one, it’s so insightful on plans: the good things in life happen in and around our plans; the things we plan never quite live up to our expectations or hopes; yet there’s nothing more upsetting than upset plans.
It’s the most beautiful novel. Quietly devastating.
That’s it.
I have only just subscribed and was flicking through your past posts when ths caught my eye..I picked this book up last week, I do like this writer. Have you written about his similar work, Greengates? I loved that one