The thought that there are "so many books to read, and so little time
in which to read them" is not a new idea. Bibliophiles the world over
have lists of books to read and re-read, and the lists keep getting
longer (or the piles of books deeper). Prepare for the list to to get
longer, because this is a list of the
top ten novels or series that are under-appreciated.
Some have been overshadowed by the popularity of other books in a
similar genre and some have just remained obscure. The purpose of this
series of reviews is to explain why they should see the light of day (or
be illuminated by a reader's book light).
1.
Precious Bane
by Mary Webb, first published in 1924, is a novel set at the time of
the Napoleonic Wars, but is very different from what readers tend to
think of as a "Regency novel." It is the story of Prudence Sarn and her
brother, Gideon, who are left to make something of the farm their
father leaves behind when he dies. Gideon becomes obsessed with
ambition and wealth (his 'precious bane'). He pushes Prue to work even
harder than most men. She obeys because he promises that he will give
her the money she needs to correct her hare-lip when the farm is a
success. The story is full of harsh realities, but in the midst of
hardship arises a precious love story between Prue and Kester
Woodseaves, the local weaver. By the time the story is finished,
Prudence and Kester, and even Gideon have taken residence in the
reader's mind, and it is a story that is impossible to forget.
The
characters in the story are a quirky bunch and the harsh realities of
life in this time and place are punctuated by the mystical beliefs of
the people who populate it. Gideon becomes a 'Sin Eater' at the death
of his father; Prue takes part in a plan to 'raise Venus' for the local
lord, and Sarn Mere is a giver of both life and death. All of these
moments capture the reader's imagination and memory. Stanley Baldwin,
Britain's Prime Minister at the time, was so taken with the poetic
beauty of the story that he wrote the introduction to the 1928 edition.
In the University of Notre Dame Press edition (1980), Erica Duncan
writes, " . . .what is finally evoked in us [by
Precious Bane]
is more than the fairy tale longing that our inner beauty will be seen
so clearly it will make us beautiful before the world, it is the longing
to be known and loved for all our blemishes, our warts and wens and
contradictions, to be 'let in' whole. Thus
Precious Bane
becomes the secret gift, our deepest dream." This novel becomes
personal to the reader in an almost holy way, simply because the
characters are human, but driven by forces that they cannot see. Their
world is real and magical at the same time. Any reader who does not
take the time to dwell within the pages of this book is missing an
opportunity to experience true beauty.
