The Adventurer - Hardcover

May, Naomi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0714506974 ISBN 13: 9780714506975

Publisher: Calder Publications Ltd, 1970

Synopsis

In her second novel Noami May, author of `At Home', takes as
her theme a well-to-do Scottish family, set against the background of a
country house in Ayrshire.

The author presents three generations of the family, the rich, elderly Mrs
Bannerman, whose money allows her to be both unpredictable and outspoken,
her married daughter Mrs Irvine, capable wife of a successful businessman
who runs the family with rectitude but somehow has never the centre of the
stage, and her two daughters, of whom Ruth the elder one is the protagonist
of the novel. Ruth, in contrast to her pretty sister, is a plain, sensible
girl who looks for little for herself in life and is suddenly surprised she
is able to attract the attention of a desirable young man.

The story of their romance is a psychological study in depth of the whole
family, including those near relatives and friends whose lives are all in
some way interlocked through their mutual needs, their financial
expectations and their weaknesses. The novel opens at the wedding of Diana,
Ruth's sister. The author sardonically catches the atmosphere of an upper
middle-class Scottish family where the polite veneer often hides the
frustrations and deep personal problems of individuals who are bound
together by family ties, whatever their real feelings for each other. The
novel rapidly mounts to a series of surprises culminating in an unexpected
denouement.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Not only is `The Adventurer' an absorbing and well-told
narrative, but on another level it contrasts three generations, their
attitudes, ambitions, and very different views of convention and morality.
This is the work of a writer who evinces a deep understanding of the
complexities of human relationships, and the intricacies of family bonds.
Mrs May writes in a style that is at once subtle, humorous and compulsively
readable.

About the Author:

Born in the Scottish lowlands, Naomi May studied art in London,
married an Ulster accountant and started a family before becoming a
novelist. She spent many years in Northern Ireland, the setting for much of
her work, but now permanently resides in London. She writes social novels,
always with a surprise and a twist in the narrative. Her works focuses upon
the deep-rooted complexities of human relations and emotions. She has a
sharp eye for character description and for the places where events happen,
and could be compared to Fay Weldon as a novelist.

About this edition

• Publisher: Calder Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 1970
• ISBN 10: 0714506974
• ISBN 13: 9780714506975
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 191