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In a Summer Season

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 194 ratings · 28 reviews

Kate Heron, a wealthy, charming widow, has married a man ten years her junior, the attractive and feckless Dermot. Their special love arms them against the disapproval of conservative friends and neighbors—until the return of Kate's old friend Charles, intelligent, kind, and now widowed with a beautiful daughter. At first Kate watches happily as the two families are drawn...more

Paperback, 224 pages

Published April 1st 2006 by Virago UK (first published January 28th 1961)

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The First Folio of Shakespeare, 1623 by Doug Moston

With a Merry Heart by Janet L. Gillespie

Common Reader Catalog May 2003 Part I

5th out of 100 books — 1 voter

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Aug 02, 2012 Ali rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this novel when I first read it, and I still love it now having re-read it for the Librarything readalong of Elizabeth Taylor, and the beginning of All Virago all August. I had remembered it very well though, so the ending (which I’ll say no more about) is much less dramatic when one knows what’s coming.
In Kate we have a typical Elizabeth Taylor character - one of the especially likeable ones who I imagine is very like Elizabeth Taylor was herself. Kate is a middle aged woman with two c...more I loved this novel when I first read it, and I still love it now having re-read it for the Librarything readalong of Elizabeth Taylor, and the beginning of All Virago all August. I had remembered it very well though, so the ending (which I’ll say no more about) is much less dramatic when one knows what’s coming.
In Kate we have a typical Elizabeth Taylor character - one of the especially likeable ones who I imagine is very like Elizabeth Taylor was herself. Kate is a middle aged woman with two children Tom, a young man working for his grandfather, and Louisa who is still at school. Widowed from Alan, with whom she shared a love of Henry James, she then married Dermot ten years her junior. Dermot - hard drinking, given to sudden rages is suspected by some of having married Kate for her money – has no job. His mother Edwina – another marvellous character - is interfering in her attempts to find something for him to do. Sharing their home in the country is Aunt Ethel with her cello, and her dog. Ethel writes to her friend Gertrude long letters about the various domestic dramas, and contemplates what they refer to as the “physical side” – of Kate and Dermot’s relationship, which she obviously doesn’t quite approve of or understand. Home from school for the holidays Louisa develops an affection for the local curate, while her older brother plays fast and loose with Ignazia. Alongside the family is Mrs Meacock, who cooks American meals, and in her spare time compiles her anthology ‘Five thousand and one witty and humorous sayings’ I do love how Elizabeth Taylor invests such time and detail in her minor characters. They help to make her worlds complete and real.
The tension between characters builds slowly and perfectly, in this wonderfully domestic novel that has surprisingly sexual undertones. As the summer begins Kate prepares for the return of her best friend’s widower Charles and his daughter Araminta. Charles has never met Dermot, and Kate aware of Dermot’s deficiencies is nervous. Charles shares Kate’s love of Henry James’ novel The Spoils of Poynton, and there is a wonderfully excruciating scene where Charles makes reference to the novel in a private joke about someone and Dermot mistakes the name of a character of the novel for that of a real person. Araminta meanwhile is enormously changed from her time abroad, tall slender and beautiful she begins to drive poor Tom mad as she picks her way barefoot across the lawn her dress becoming soaked from the sprinkler. Like the title suggests, summer is ever present in this novel, the beginning of summer, the heat of the height of the season, windows open to let in the warm air, illicit seeming picnics, then as the season comes to a close preparing for the new school term. The climatic ending to this novel is perfectly balanced with the quiet tension that comes before it.
The people of Elizabeth Taylor novels are very English, they have tea at the proper time, and go to London to have their hair done, send their children away to school and have someone else cook the family dinner. Yet it is impossible not to understand them, their hopes, fears, and secret longings. Elizabeth Taylor understands her characters absolutely.
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Dec 19, 2012 Nicole Hale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-fiction, review

I discovered Taylor because of the Virago publications, and this is the second I have read from her. In this book, we spend time with a family that has reestablished a tentative calm after the death of the husband/father of the household. Kate, the widow, has fallen in love and remarried Dermot, an aimless man much younger than herself. Her son, Tom, surprised her by bonding with her new husband, and she isn't always happy about the outcome of their close relationship. Kate's daughter, on the ot...more I discovered Taylor because of the Virago publications, and this is the second I have read from her. In this book, we spend time with a family that has reestablished a tentative calm after the death of the husband/father of the household. Kate, the widow, has fallen in love and remarried Dermot, an aimless man much younger than herself. Her son, Tom, surprised her by bonding with her new husband, and she isn't always happy about the outcome of their close relationship. Kate's daughter, on the other hand, is not pleased. Louisa resents her mother and Dermot; her mother for not acting her age and creating a scandal, and Dermot for taking her father's place. The family is rounded out by Aunt Ethel, their spinster aunt who lives on Kate's generosity.

The novel presents a complex insight into family and love. Despite all the fractures in the relationships amongst the members of this household, they are still people who care about each other. Kate is fully aware of Dermot's weaknesses, and yet she forgives him, and even acknowledges to herself that she would make the same decision to marry him all over again. Louisa truly cares for her mom, even if she is angry with her, and wants to be babied and wants to assert independence at the same time. Ethel is full of secret judgement and gossip, but always delivered with deference and true love for the family members she watches. She is aware of her position, a bit of a martyr, and yet rather sweet, too. Tom is probably the most distant, as he is obsessed with his own love tangles and doesn't care much about the antics of his family, on the surface; at the end of the novel, when a serious crisis occurs, his concern for his mother surfaces. In summation, these people love each other and spar together, have problems and yet are still united as a family.

The plot is not driven by action so much as it is by character development. Louisa is infatuated with a local priest. Kate and Dermot live for their love, but circle warily around issues that strain their relationship, such as their age difference, or Dermot's entrepreneur ideas that are supposed to earn money but always fail, or Dermot's mom who is pressuring Dermot to get a real job and accusing Kate of ruining him. Tom leaves his playboy ways when he falls hopelessly in love with Araminta. Araminta is a daughter of an old friend of the family, Charles Thornton. Kate was best friends with his wife, Dorothea, until she died. Charles and his daughter have been away since the death. Their return marks a transition point in the novel, emphasized by the novel's format, divided in two sections - the second part is called "The Return of the Thorntons". The first part sets up the dynamics of the family, and the second shows the strain and change that is ushered in by interactions with two new players in their world, Charles and Araminta.

Kate is drawn to Charles, because they are old friends, because he knew her husband, because she loved his wife. She is both refreshed and alarmed by the nostalgic memories he evokes. Dermot is alarmed, too. He is jealous of Charles, and resents their shared memories. Also, he is keenly aware of the discrepancy between him and Kate when Charles is around. Not just his age, but also his education and his cultural knowledge. Meanwhile, Tom is having his own life upheavals, as he falls in love with Araminta. For the first time, Tom is not the one in charge; Araminta is cool and distant, and even when she makes love to him, he still feels like he doesn't fully have her with him. Tom struggles, Louisa returns to school, and Kate and Dermot's relationship slowly deteriorates, while Ethel observes.

The characters are fantastic in this novel. Such complex people with flaws, all of whom I could relate to (well, by the end of the novel I was out of patience with Dermot and out of sympathy, too). Little action occurs, except for the crisis at the end of the book, but the story never drags because of the interactions between the characters and their evolution. The themes of love and change, of age, and of family are worked out with subtlety and beauty. I love the ending, despite the sorrow involved. Kate is a fantastic woman - not perfect, admittedly, but still fantastic - and I was pleased that a great part of the narrative revolved around her. Taylor is a craftsmith with words, painting beautiful images and developing dialogue that is real and pregnant with meaning. I enjoyed this book, it was a pleasant read that reminded me of sunny afternoons. I missed some of the tension that I found in the first book I read by her, A View of the Harbour, but still appreciated all of its charms. I am grateful to the Virago press for introducing me to this author, and look forward to perusing more of her work. (less)

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Sep 18, 2011 Suzie Grogan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I have recently discovered Elizabeth Taylor - her acute observations of middle class 50's and 60's England are both entertaining and emotionally affecting.

She is much neglected. Anyone who enjoys Barbara Pym, Anita Brookner or even Jane Austen will find a lot to admire in this book. Hardly plot-driven, it is however a story of one summer in the life of a woman who has somewhat lost her way in the wake of the death of her first husband, quickly marrying a much younger man.

The ending is surprisin...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Sonia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I shall start by answering the question that everyone who has seen me reading the book has asked. No, it is not ‘THE’ Elizabeth Taylor. It was written by Elizabeth Taylor the novelist (obviously) who was lived 1912-1975 and wrote a number of books and short stories.

In A Summer Season was first published in 1961 I believe (I have loaned the book to my mate, so don’t have it to hand to refer to!) but to be honest, unless you knew that, I think you’d be hard-placed to date it, as there are barely a...more I shall start by answering the question that everyone who has seen me reading the book has asked. No, it is not ‘THE’ Elizabeth Taylor. It was written by Elizabeth Taylor the novelist (obviously) who was lived 1912-1975 and wrote a number of books and short stories.

In A Summer Season was first published in 1961 I believe (I have loaned the book to my mate, so don’t have it to hand to refer to!) but to be honest, unless you knew that, I think you’d be hard-placed to date it, as there are barely any external references used within the book, and the subject matter could almost date anywhere from the 40s onwards!

The book is a snapshot of the life of a rural upper-middle class family during one summer. Kate was a widow, but has remarried and her new husband of one year is scandalously a whole 10 years older than her! We start with her visiting her new mother-in-law and then visiting the hairdresser who suggests ‘a colour wash’. The rest of the family include her husband Dermot – a rather fickle, lazy type; her elderly Aunt Ethel who lives with them and is obsessed with whether Kate’s second marriage will fail; her 21 year old son Tom who is learning the family business and is a bit of a heart-breaker; her 16 year old daughter Louisa who is infatuated with the local young curate.

Nothing much happens during the majority of the book, but as I said, it’s a fabulous snapshot of times gone by – especially about prejudices and social expectations. Even in the first paragraph, Kate mentions the fact that ‘…one of Edwina’s ‘foreign girls’ opened the door.” There is also a wonderful dinner, attended by the household, Dermot’s mother, Kate’s father, the curate and Tom’s Spanish girlfriend where everyone seems to be very polite, but the barbed comments are hilarious.

And I think that this is Elizabeth Taylor’s strength in writing. I put the book on my wish list some time ago, yet again because I’d heard someone talking about it on Radio 4. The characters feel so real, they are so well drawn, you can picture them all sitting in the room with you. I could almost taste the summer air all the way through. It was at times so prim, and yet there were some quite racy elements.

There was a real wit to her observations and writing, especially in her dialogue, and the many instances where the character’s thoughts were detailed – usually what they didn’t say being so much more cutting / insightful / witty than their actual remarks.

I loved it, I really did – and I will definitely seek out her other books at some stage.(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

It has been so wonderful to find Elizabeth Taylor. My poor mother and sister urged me to read her novels but I never got round to it. This year, I did.
This is one of the best novels that I have read. The writing is both descriptive and crisp. The characters in a novel are always hugely important to me and the characters in this novel are entirely credible and, despite their evidence of human frailty, likeable. The irritations and frustrations that they arouse are tempered by writing that shows a...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Taylor is my reading equivalent of 'comfort food'. In a Summer Season is one book I could read over and over. Marvellous characters, light humour and just the right number of twists and turns in the plot. Read my full review here - http://booksaremyfavouriteandbest.wor...

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Feb 19, 2013 Pascale rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like everything I've read by this author, it makes for addictive reading because of all the beautifully crafter characters and scenes of domestic life and strife. However, it felt more formulaic than her best efforts, with characters like the spinster aunt a bit too "obvious". However, the major flaw is the ending where the no-good husband and the too-beautiful young woman are conveniently killed off to allow the more sympathetic middle-aged characters to marry, as they should have done in the f...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Rita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-novel

1961. Another good book by Taylor. Rather wide-ranging; occasionally I feel she might have deleted some minor characters or seemingly irrelevant bits about them.

In all three books of Taylor's that I have read this week [they are all quite short:] there is a young woman who seems to be what I suppose could be called a nymphomaniac. She attracts many men, both young and old, and none of them are able to observe clear signs of her having any feelings for them, one way or another. She is congenial a...more

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May 05, 2008 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm branching out from Victorian love-affair dramas to 20th-century love-affair dramas. The book was not as melodramatic as promised; it's more about the dynamic between young, old, and dead folks in platonic, familial and romantic relationships, with occasional melodrama thrown in to keep me happy. It started off slow, but both the plot and the character development gathered steam around the halfway mark. The end was a virtual action-film finale sequence compared to the beginning. The presumed...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009

Elizabeth Taylor had a good ear and eye for character interaction and motivation. This quiet study of an English family in the mid-twentieth century reminds me keenly of some of the better books set a century earlier. Her studies of class and economic and social strata remind me of Jane Austen or Henry James or, yes, Charles Dickens. Our main character Kate is a middle-age widow who has married a man much younger (and less affluent) than she is, but the book also includes a cast of interesting f...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Hilary Hicklin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I seem to have started with the best Elizabeth Taylor novel (Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont) as this was one, like the last I read, didn't measure up to those extremely high standards. Well written and sharply observant of the subtle interplay in intimate relationships, it nevertheless lack the wit and poignancy of Mrs P.

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Mar 16, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to read one of Elizabeth Taylor's novels for awhile, and this one is said to be one of her best. It was well-written and very, very English, but I just didn't love any of the characters. I did like all of the 1960s-ish domestic details--especially the main character's disdain for her cook's preference for serving American-style food--everything was served with a ring of pineapple on it.

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Mar 28, 2011 Bev rated it 3 of 5 stars

Easy to read and characters well drawn but didn't really get the point of this book until very near the end. Found the constant transition between what characters are thinking and what they are saying very confusing. Although Kate seemingly has a perfect life she is not happy and nor would I be in her situation.

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Jul 05, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, adult-books

I really enjoyed this novel, and I'm not sure why I had never heard of Elizabeth Taylor before. She's brilliant, and I want to read more. I love how nimbly she switches the point of view in this book and how realistically she portrays all of her characters.

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Aug 14, 2008 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nancy by: Gerry

This quietly provocative book has sat in my "to read" pile for several months and avoided because of the jacket's summary of the novel. The plot summary doesn't do justice to this interesting character study of a prosperous, but unsettled, British family.

All of the characters are mildly dissatisfied with something in their life and that creates the interest, or tension, in the novel. In A Summer Season reminds me a bit of Evan S. Connell's book, Mrs. Bridge:portraits of prosperous, well-respecte...more

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Aug 17, 2011 zespri rated it 4 of 5 stars

About 10 years ago I discovered Elizabeth Taylor and scoured obscure libraries and second hand book shops to obtain her books to read.

All I can say is that I loved her then, and I love her still! Sounds like a line from something or somewhere but is completely my own sentiment!!

Having just re-read "In a summer season" it was as much fun as the first time, and I was so glad I had forgotten most of it!

Elizabeth Taylor's characters don't do an awful lot, but the dialogue is delightful, and i chuck...more

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May 12, 2012 Lauren Albert rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I can't really do justice in a review since I waited too long to write one and have read too many books since! But I can say that it was the first Taylor book I've read and I would definitely read more.

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May 26, 2012 Dean Jarvis rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book was interesting, but kept bouncing around on different characters - it was too short to have so many stories to keep in my head

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Mar 09, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

So glad to discover this author...now I will look for her other books. Great characters, not much happens but powerful in its quiet way.

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Feb 12, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sad, well done and somewhat predictable satire of unhappy rich of the Thames Valley in the early 1960's. Taylor's skill is in shifting points of view.

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Sep 22, 2012 Sheila Woofter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very unique book. Skilled writing. I never heard of this writer before, but will look into her other works.

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Jan 30, 2013 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just discovered this author and want to read everything she ever wrote.

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Apr 07, 2013 Heather added it

Very post war Jane Austin

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Apr 10, 2012 Dianne Bowler added it

Brit Lit - good and quick

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Jun 26, 2012 Vanessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

My second Taylor - love her!

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Oct 09, 2007 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: novel

"A typically English woman, I should say--young for her age, rather inhibited (heretofore), too satirical, with one half of her mind held back always to observe and pass judgment." A description of Kate. The same could be said of Elizabeth.

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May 13, 2012 Rina rated it 2 of 5 stars

only read this if you are a fan of English insipidness, disjointed conversation with the story ending only being lifted by a somewhat crisp ending.

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May 04, 2008 Cherie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

B Story of a woman who remarries once she is widowed to a much younger man and their troublesome marriage

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Apr 14, 2013 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Character driven, great writing. At times disliked the premise.

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May 22, 2013 Asta rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor (née Coles) was a popular English novelist and short story writer. Elizabeth Coles was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1912. She was educated at The Abbey School, Reading, and worked as a governess, as a tutor and as a librarian.

In 1936, she married John Micael, a businessman. She lived in Penn, Buckinghamshire, for almost all her married life.

Her first novel, At Mrs. Lippincote's,...more

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