Life Class
Life Class
Marriage to a fascinating young woman becomes fraught when painter Edward Ruffey takes his new wife on a belated honeymoon to Java. On the slopes of Mount Bromo they encounter the enigmatic John Ridinghouse - a figure from Annette’s past who will come to obsess Ruffey. The voyage that develops is - like Ruffey’s paintings - one of discovery. Jealousy, a hilariously egotistical misogynist philosopher and eerie Javanese spirits will all play a part
Reviews
'‘Somebody – God, perhaps – is grooming Monique Charlesworth as the next Muriel Spark. Improving on her strong debut in The Glass House, she shows herself unnervingly assured at the deft interweaving of comic and philosophical observations: the hallmark of Spark’s writing at its best … Miss Charlesworth succeeds in reaching the heart while being brutally funny; no mean gift.’
— Patrick Gale, Daily Telegraph
'‘The daring of the theme is evidence of Monique Charlesworth’s ambition. Her mastery of structure is proof of her talent. The story ranges widely in space, time and mood, but it never loses coherence. … The book is naturally shapely; it gives the impression of having been conceived as a whole, while yet remaining an act of discovery. It is a very good novel. Monique Charlesworth is undoubtedly a novelist who has arrived.’
— Allan Massie, The Scotsman
'‘Life Class by Monique Charlesworth is the author’s second novel, and a most intriguing one, too. It is original, highly intelligent, well-constructed …’
— Nicholas Best, Financial Times
‘‘Monique Charlesworth’s first novel, The Glass House, was highly acclaimed for its unusual qualities and the brilliance of its Hamburg setting. … Here clearly is a writer to follow, gifted with the urge and talent to explore, a high sense of style and spurts of grim humour. It is a book to read again and savour.’
— Christopher Wordsworth, The Guardian