Rating: 
Summary: A thoughtful, quiet offering from Barbara Pym
Review: Perfectly written account of four aging co-workers who brush against each other for years but rarely connect and, in fact, go out of their way not to connect. One of the lessons I took from Quartet is that if you don't make the effort to establish or maintain friendships, you're doomed to a sterile, lonely old age.
Thoroughly enjoyed the way Pym slowly exposes the nuances of each character in her usual subtle way: just a phrase or even a word gives away a lot. I also loved the little plot twists thrown out just at the end, hinting at the possibility of changes ahead for all.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Masterpiece, But Not a Flop Either.
Review: This book is not a masterpiece. The characters are not that well developed. Nor are the images really there. Also, the pace does get a bit sluggish. Ah, but it is not a flop either. Pymn teaches us a very important lesson. We MUST NOT let our rituals kill us BEFORE we die. The whole point is that the characters in this book are so caught up in their rituals, that they DO NOT live. So while "Quartet in Autumn" does not show the work of a literary genious, it DOES teach us a very important lesson.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Very Good Book
Review: This is my Favorite of all her books, and I like all of her books. While she often writes about fairly hopeless people, I think it is the only book in which she treats absolute desperation. Except for Edwin, the characters are not only never married (if I remember correctly) but none of them are especially well educated; not the poetry-fans of her other books. Isolated urbanites should enjoy her story of urban isolation and the fear of falling through the cracks in welfare net.
Rating: 
Summary: A critical look at how we treat the elderly in today's world
Review: What happens to people as they grow older in a society that does not value the elderly? This is the critical question Barbara Pym addresses in her novel, Quartet in Autumn. She takes us into the lives of four aging co-workers on the brink of retirement; they are no longer of use to anyone and their department will be phased out as soon as they leave the company. Marcia, Letty, Edwin, and Norman are all alone, without friends or relatives to care for them in their later lives. Each of them is terribly lonely, yet they are too stubborn and ashamed to turn to one another for friendship.The novel is moving, and sometimes downright scary. Indeed, Pym shows us that such a fate could easily belong to anyone in today's society. She makes it readily apparent that the resources and aid available to the elderly are insufficient. Few people truly care what happens to those who are no longer of any great use to the modern world. It is a bleak prospect, and this book serves as an important warning. The book is also hopeful, however. Ultimately the main characters do manage to reach out to one another, and this is heartwarming. It shows us the value in cultivating relationships with others. I read Quartet in Autumn for a women's studies course, and while it is not particularly exciting or enthralling, it is quite thought-provoking. It's an easy, short read (roughly 200 pages), and uses plain, to-the-point language. Pym really pares it down to the issues at hand and throws in no extraneous fluff. I would recommend this work to just about anyone (regardless of age - it's message is equally important to the old and young alike). It raises awareness of a very important, yet seldom looked at aspect of the social world of today.
| 
