The Last September - Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels by Elizabeth Bowen Paperback

About the Book

Elizabeth Bowen vividly captures the decline of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy during the Irish War of Independence through the lens of the Naylor family and their 19-year-old niece, Lois Farquar, illuminating the tension between tradition and modernity.

Book Synopsis

"Brilliant.... A successful combination of social comedy and private tragedy."--The Times Literary Supplement

Elizabeth Bowen masterfully depicts the Anglo-Irish aristocracy's decline during the Irish War of Independence. Set in the 1920s on a vast country estate, the novel portrays the social and political turbulence through the lens of the Naylor family. Bowen's nuanced characterization and vivid descriptions paint a poignant picture of a world of wealth filled with tennis parties and army camp dances--on the brink of disintegration. Nineteen-year-old Lois Farquar embodies the tensions between tradition and modernity in an existential coming-of-age crisis as she navigates personal and societal upheaval. Bowen skillfully encapsulates Lois's transition from adolescence to adulthood. The Last September is a compelling read exploring identity, the inevitable passage of time, and the fight for freedom--both political and spiritual.

"[Elizabeth Bowen] is one of the handful of great...novelists of this century." --The Washington Post.

"Had Elizabeth Bowen been a man she would be recognised as one of the finest novelists of the 20th century." John Banville--The Irish Times

From the Back Cover

"Brilliant.... A successful combination of social comedy and private tragedy."--The Times Literary Supplement
The decline of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy during the Irish War of Independence was marked by a profound shift in power dynamics, leading to the gradual dismantling of Great Britain's socioeconomic dominance and Ireland's push toward self-governance and national identity. Set in the 1920s on a vast country estate, this novel portrays the social and political turbulence through the lens of the Naylor family. Elizabeth Bowen's nuanced characterization and vivid descriptions paint a poignant picture of a world of wealth filled with tennis parties and army camp dances--on the brink of disintegration. Nineteen-year-old Lois Farquar embodies the tensions between tradition and modernity in an existential coming-of-age crisis as she navigates personal and societal upheaval. It is a compelling read exploring identity, the inevitable passage of time, and the fight for freedom--both political and spiritual.