Interim by Dorothy Richardson
Volume 2 of Pilgrimage is made up of two books – the first, longer “The Tunnel”, which I reviewed here, is followed by the shorter “Interim” and finishing this means I’m now halfway through my read of this epic modernist sequence of novels.
“Interim” takes up where the previous story left off – well, sort of. Miriam is still living in her garret but the start of the book finds her spending Christmas with the Broom family. As always, she struggles in situations which require her to deal with people – she’s always so much more comfortable on her own, and at the Brooms’ she find it hard to strike the right note. She’s also very aware of the subtleties of class, wondering why some should serve on others and not knowing quite how to address the maidservant.
Much of Miriam’s life continues in the same vein as “The Tunnel” – she works at the dentists, attends lectures and concerts, visits her friends Mags and Jan, and revels in a new bicycle. But it is the focus here that is different, which reminds the reader again of how we are seeing things filtered through Miriam’s eye. “Interim” is very much about her life in Mrs.Bailey’s lodging house, her interaction with the various lodgers and about how she not only misjudges social situations, but also how she is judged by men because of her behaviour. And despite the fact that sister Eve has left her governess post and moved to London to work in a flower shop, she makes only a fleeting appearance in the book.
Miriam’s accommodation has changed since Mrs. Bailey started providing meals for her boarders, and Miriam is gradually drawn into the more social side of the house (and also the occasional meal, finally stemming her constant hunger!). There are a number of characters living there, mainly men, and Miriam is able to hold her own in discussions. They seem to be mainly Canadian doctors, and one in particular, de Vere, is very taken with Miriam. However, her friendship with Mr. Mendizabal, a Spanish Jew, is misunderstood; the simple act of spending time with him causes the doctors concern, particularly when he boasts about his influence over her. Instead of asking Miriam’s opinion, they jump to stupid conclusions and de Vere draws away from her. Most of the Canadians return to their home country, and it seems that Miriam has lost the chance of finding someone who loves her.
All of this might seem a little prosaic were it not for Richardson’s extraordinary ability to capture Miriam’s thoughts and emotions; in fact, the whole human condition as we stumble through life attempting to relate to, and understand, each other and very often failing miserably. Richardson’s prose does bring the complexities of life into sharp focus, but it creates complexities of its own; and there are sections of stream-of-consciousness here where it is very hard to know quite what is happening and who is thinking/saying what. The book ends with the somewhat odd re-appearance of Miss Dear, who seems to stay for a short while with Miriam, causes disruption in the Bailey house, and then leaves. The whole thing feels a little abrupt and rushed, and bearing in mind the shortness of the book I did wish that if Richardson was going to introduce this element, she’d done more with it.
Occasional confusion is an occupational hazard of reading Richardson, and I can understand that it makes her a writer not for all. Woolf, for example, seems more structured and her presentation of the randomness of thought processes is still comprehensible. Despite that, I’m still enjoying my reading of Richardson very much and I’ve learned to let the parts that don’t make total sense slide past me, because the majority of this wonderful work is quite spellbinding – and I’m looking forward to the next volume!
(Jane at Beyond Eden Rock, who’s responsible for motivating this read, has done an excellent review of the book here and Liz has a review here)
Apr 29, 2016 @ 06:56:47
I think you hit the nail on the head about the difference between Dorothy Richardson and Virginia Woolf – which is why I gave up after about 2 books by Richardson. I may try her again at some point, though, thank you for writing about her.
Apr 29, 2016 @ 07:02:33
I think she’s most definitely worth the effort – but reading her now I can understand why Woolf is more read nowadays.
Apr 29, 2016 @ 07:57:18
The more I hear about these books the surer I am that I want to read them next year.
Apr 29, 2016 @ 08:56:01
Definitely Ali – I think they will be right up your street! 🙂
Apr 29, 2016 @ 09:48:27
A lovely review, and I have to agree with your comparison with Virginia Woolf. I wonder though, if Virago had given us more specific introductions for each volume and proper notes, might that have made a significant difference? We know so much more about Woolf and others before we set out to read their work.
Apr 29, 2016 @ 10:06:07
Thanks Jane and that’s a really, really good point. What Richardson needs is a scholarly edition and that would have helped so much in the understanding of some of the subtexts here.
Apr 29, 2016 @ 16:50:15
Great review Karen. I think you’re really on to something about the difference in accessibility between Woolf and Richardson. There is an underpinning in Woolf’s work from which the stream of consciousness blooms, but in Richardson’s writing, the randomness of plot along with the impressionistic writing can sometimes tip over into chaos and confusion, beautiful though the writing is! I’m still a step behind you and Jane as I’ve just finished ‘The Tunnel’ but I do so look forward to continuing my meanderings around the inside of Miriam Henderson’s head with ‘Interim’!
Apr 29, 2016 @ 18:53:06
Thanks Sarah! I don’t want it to seem as if I’m not enjoying Richardson, because I am. But I think she just makes things too opaque sometimes for the reader! Be interested to hear your thoughts on this one!
May 02, 2016 @ 21:24:43
“Woolf, for example, seems more structured and her presentation of the randomness of thought processes is still comprehensible” – exactly my thoughts on reading “Between the Acts”. I am going to persist with Richardson because her work is important and I am so enjoying reading it with you and a few others.
May 02, 2016 @ 21:28:22
I think I didn’t appreciate the difference so much when I read them both back in the day – but further down the line, with more reading under my belt, they really do seem like very different authors. Glad you’re sticking with them – I think it’s worth it! 🙂
The Key to Freedom? No More Interest in Men. Dorothy Richardson’s ‘Interim’. | Hard Book Habit
May 27, 2016 @ 06:08:51