A Man's Estate

by Emyr Humphreys, M. Wynn Thomas (Foreword)

Hannah Ellis is 35, unmarried, and still living at Y Glyn, the family farm in Wales where she has been brought up by her mother and step-father—a forbidding man with a powerful hold on the neighborhood. Loving her country yet resenting the egotism of her family, she yearns for the return of her long-banished brother Philip, believing that he will rescue her from this bleak existence. Little does Hannah realize that Philip’s arrival is imminent and will herald enormous changes as he unwittingly ignites the passions and strengths of an unusually intertwined community.

415 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Emyr Humphreys was a leading Welsh novelist, poet and author, writing in both English and Welsh. His career spanned from the 1940s until his retirement in 2009.

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Man's Estate is a pretty compelling novel, somehow. I don't know that the story really adds up to anything special, but following the labyrinthine relationships between the characters and 'listening' to their (sometimes rambling) confessions of their secret feelings pulled me through it very quickly. There's a darkness in the backstory, too, which quietly shadows their narratives until it has to be confronted.

Despite its length -- four hundred pages -- I finished this book in pretty much no time. It's well-written, despite some odd phrasing and parts where punctuation is (presumably intentionally) odd or missing altogether, and very easy to read.

I keep being surprised by how readable these books and stories are, for my Welsh Fiction in English class, which is a little horrible -- the English notion of the rusticness of Welsh writing at work quietly, no doubt. To be honest, it's some of the most compelling material I've read for any course.

[David Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

9 out of 10 for this excellent dark and brooding family drama. Told from different perspectives as the story develops we hear the voices of various family members and other residents of a small Welsh community. Full of big characters very few of whom are particularly likeable or who you warm to. However, despite this, enough goodness glimmers through to make the whole thing very satisfying. Not something I would normally have chosen perhaps but I am very glad I took the chance.

[Tony Chapelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is more humour in this book than in Outside the House of Baal, which means that its view of humanity is not quite so grumpy. Excellent characterisation on all counts, with one of the most delightfully drawn female protagonists you're ever likely to come across - a true survivor possessed of knowing wit, cunning and determination. Great!