Rating: 
Summary: An uncompromising, simply rendered description of modern
Review: ...society in the late 1970's in London. The "quartet" is four older middle-class, working people, two women and two men around the age of sixty. They face the challenge of being without spouses or truly close relatives other than each other. Pym writes of the tragic circumstances of being condescended to by well-meaning, irritating young social workers who only seem to alienate these pensioners. Though the loneliness is obvious; its solution isn't sloppily described with a simple, conventional ending. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: An uncompromising, simply rendered description of modern
Review: ...society in the late 1970's in London. The "quartet" is four older middle-class, working people, two women and two men around the age of sixty. They face the challenge of being without spouses or truly close relatives other than each other. Pym writes of the tragic circumstances of being condescended to by well-meaning, irritating young social workers who only seem to alienate these pensioners. Though the loneliness is obvious; its solution isn't sloppily described with a simple, conventional ending. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Merest Survival
Review: Although one of her most acclaimed, QUARTET IN AUTUMN is my least favorite of Barbara Pym's major novels. It is spare and muted in tone, and its humor is very subdued. QUARTET IN AUTUMN is a study of the courage required of ordinary people when old age begins to take away all that gives life meaning--work, family, friends. It is therefore mainly concerned with questions of survival. Its four main characters are isolated and anonymous London office workers on the verge of retirement. Some manage to continue to find ways to make their lives possible, but the book is also unsparing about how bleak the alternatives are. QUARTER IN AUTUMN is admirably disciplined and honest, but it is disquieting because it admits the possibility of only the merest survival.
Rating:
Summary: Merest Survival
Review: Although one of her most acclaimed, QUARTET IN AUTUMN is my least favorite of Barbara Pym's major novels. It is spare and muted in tone, and its humor is very subdued. QUARTET IN AUTUMN is a study of the courage required of ordinary people when old age begins to take away all that gives life meaning--work, family, friends. It is therefore mainly concerned with questions of survival. Its four main characters are isolated and anonymous London office workers on the verge of retirement. Some manage to continue to find ways to make their lives possible, but the book is also unsparing about how bleak the alternatives are. QUARTER IN AUTUMN is admirably disciplined and honest, but it is disquieting because it admits the possibility of only the merest survival.
Rating: 
Summary: "Aging, slightly mad, and on the threshold of retirement."
Review: Barbara Pym is a writer I return to year after year, but of all of her novels, "Quartet in Autumn" remains my favourite. It's the poignant tale of 4 people--Letty, Marcia, Norman and Edwin. They all work in minor clerical jobs in the same department in a London business, and they are all destined to retire within a few months of one another. The novel begins a few months prior to retirement and follows each character's life into the so-called Golden Years. In spite of the fact that they've all worked together for many years, the 4 co-workers do not socialize with one another--apart from the occasional work-related event. The relationships between the four remain basically casual observations of one another, the sharing of economy sized coffee cans, and the exchange of banal comments. As retirement looms, the four characters face uncertainty, loneliness, and despair. With empty and bleak retirements ahead of them, they all realize that their lives have "been swept away as if they had never been." Norman is single and lives in a poky bed-sit. He's morose, and seems to get pleasure from the misfortunes of others. His sole relationship outside of the office is with his deceased sister's husband. Edwin--a widower--is much better off financially, and he owns his own home and has a married daughter. Edwin is obsessed with the clergy, and to him the year is divided into religious events, and the days in-between just mark time until the next religious event scheduled at the numerous churches he attends. When Edwin isn't visiting new churches, he's investigating the background of a variety of vicars. This obsession serves as a guide to his spare time. Marcia, who is closer to Norman in temperament, has recently had a mastectomy. She lives alone in a horribly neglected house in which she hoards milk bottles, tinned food, and plastic bags. The single highlight of Marcia's life is her secret crush on the surgeon who performed her mastectomy. She looks forward to her recheck appointments with pathetic eagerness. Letty--a spinster--is the sweetest character of the four. Letty is gentle, ladylike, and she has a forgiving and generous nature. Of the 4 characters, Letty is the true Pym heroine in this novel. Letty lives in a tiny bed-sit in a London suburb, but she plans to retire to the country with childhood chum, Marjorie. Letty's plans to retire to Marjorie's country cottage are subject to the fickle fancies of a local vicar, and soon, Letty's future looks grim indeed. "Quartet in Autumn" may possibly sound horribly depressing, but I really didn't find it so. The bitter emptiness of the lives of Marcia and Norman are contrasted with the lives of Letty and Edwin. Letty and Edwin find joy and quiet satisfaction in life, and this is something that eludes Marcia and Norman. Ultimately, it seems that life is what you make of it. Old age comes to those who are lucky enough to live that long, and what we make of old age...well that is up to us, but outlook, interests, and concern for others all help. Pym novels never disappoint. Her characters are always interesting, and Pym's gentle, perfect prose leads the reader to a quiet, optimistic conclusion. Pym's relentless view of old age is a bit of a change of pace from her other novels, and I find "Quartet in Autumn" one of the very best books I have ever read on the subject of aging. If you like Jane Austen novels, then chances are that you will also enjoy Barbara Pym. As a writer, Pym deserves far more acclaim that she receives -displacedhuman.
Rating:
Summary: "Aging, slightly mad, and on the threshold of retirement."
Review: Barbara Pym is a writer I return to year after year, but of all of her novels, "Quartet in Autumn" remains my favourite. It's the poignant tale of 4 people--Letty, Marcia, Norman and Edwin. They all work in minor clerical jobs in the same department in a London business, and they are all destined to retire within a few months of one another. The novel begins a few months prior to retirement and follows each character's life into the so-called Golden Years. In spite of the fact that they've all worked together for many years, the 4 co-workers do not socialize with one another--apart from the occasional work-related event. The relationships between the four remain basically casual observations of one another, the sharing of economy sized coffee cans, and the exchange of banal comments. As retirement looms, the four characters face uncertainty, loneliness, and despair. With empty and bleak retirements ahead of them, they all realize that their lives have "been swept away as if they had never been." Norman is single and lives in a poky bed-sit. He's morose, and seems to get pleasure from the misfortunes of others. His sole relationship outside of the office is with his deceased sister's husband. Edwin--a widower--is much better off financially, and he owns his own home and has a married daughter. Edwin is obsessed with the clergy, and to him the year is divided into religious events, and the days in-between just mark time until the next religious event scheduled at the numerous churches he attends. When Edwin isn't visiting new churches, he's investigating the background of a variety of vicars. This obsession serves as a guide to his spare time. Marcia, who is closer to Norman in temperament, has recently had a mastectomy. She lives alone in a horribly neglected house in which she hoards milk bottles, tinned food, and plastic bags. The single highlight of Marcia's life is her secret crush on the surgeon who performed her mastectomy. She looks forward to her recheck appointments with pathetic eagerness. Letty--a spinster--is the sweetest character of the four. Letty is gentle, ladylike, and she has a forgiving and generous nature. Of the 4 characters, Letty is the true Pym heroine in this novel. Letty lives in a tiny bed-sit in a London suburb, but she plans to retire to the country with childhood chum, Marjorie. Letty's plans to retire to Marjorie's country cottage are subject to the fickle fancies of a local vicar, and soon, Letty's future looks grim indeed. "Quartet in Autumn" may possibly sound horribly depressing, but I really didn't find it so. The bitter emptiness of the lives of Marcia and Norman are contrasted with the lives of Letty and Edwin. Letty and Edwin find joy and quiet satisfaction in life, and this is something that eludes Marcia and Norman. Ultimately, it seems that life is what you make of it. Old age comes to those who are lucky enough to live that long, and what we make of old age...well that is up to us, but outlook, interests, and concern for others all help. Pym novels never disappoint. Her characters are always interesting, and Pym's gentle, perfect prose leads the reader to a quiet, optimistic conclusion. Pym's relentless view of old age is a bit of a change of pace from her other novels, and I find "Quartet in Autumn" one of the very best books I have ever read on the subject of aging. If you like Jane Austen novels, then chances are that you will also enjoy Barbara Pym. As a writer, Pym deserves far more acclaim that she receives -displacedhuman.
Rating:
Summary: I was amazed
Review: Every Barbara Pym novel is excellent. And, from most of them, you know what to expect: spinsters and curates and cakes and jumble sales. But this one is about four people, old, and getting older, each one, in their own way. And this one is not just excellent: it is amazing. The arch gaze which Pym usually trained on comfortable, mundane, church society, is, in Quartet, focused upon eccentricity: the growing manifestation of uniqueness which signifies old age. With a sensitivity which is unusual in the literature of any age, let alone that of this century, Pym follows the meanderings of her protagonists' minds,through their every day activities. Gradually, she derives an astounding narrative about the development of individual perspectives as they are colored by time. It's a slow novel, a careful one, and one which turns Barbara Pym's penchant for wry insight into a sympathetic tribute to the human psyche.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, But Not Everyone Will Enjoy It
Review: I am now reading Quartet in Autumn for the third time; this time in Portuguese. Years after her death the authoress is slowly being "discovered" and praised. In fact, she was voted as the greatest unsung or unknown author by a gamut of renown writers. The story details the lives of four lonely adults as they reach the autumn of their lives. It is not all sadness and daily drudery; Pym abundantly sprinkles dry, subtle humor throughout the novel like little gems waiting to be found. Pym is an outstanding writer. I often encourage others to read her works. However, admittedly, Pym is not for everyone. I, and many others, happen to cherish her writings. Give her a try. Start with Quartet in Autumn. I look forward to reading other reviews.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, But Not Everyone Will Enjoy It
Review: I am now reading Quartet in Autumn for the third time; this time in Portuguese. Years after her death the authoress is slowly being "discovered" and praised. In fact, she was voted as the greatest unsung or unknown author by a gamut of renown writers. The story details the lives of four lonely adults as they reach the autumn of their lives. It is not all sadness and daily drudery; Pym abundantly sprinkles dry, subtle humor throughout the novel like little gems waiting to be found. Pym is an outstanding writer. I often encourage others to read her works. However, admittedly, Pym is not for everyone. I, and many others, happen to cherish her writings. Give her a try. Start with Quartet in Autumn. I look forward to reading other reviews.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting quiet book. Unusual and not for everyone
Review: I was the only member of my book club who liked this. I felt it was an interesting book if for no other reason than the illustration that sometimes what DOESN'T happen is as important as what DOES. The tale of four lonely people who no one in the world. They can't recall how they got here and seem to not know where to go from here. A thought-provoking book. Many in the group found this depressing, and it could be. However, still worth a look.
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