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Big Read: The Heat of the Day
5 March @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Once described as “the classic novel of London in the war”, The Heat of the Day, by Elizabeth Bowen, combines an eerie sensitivity to atmosphere with a profound exploration of the emotional and mental states and struggles of a complex set of characters. Published in 1949, does it still have useful or intriguing insights for readers three-quarters of a century later?
Some things to think about while you’re reading:
1. What words would you use to sum up the impression of what it was like to live in wartime London, based on what you gained from this novel?
2. What is betrayal? And how far back does it start?
3. Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay for a 1988 TV adaptation of The Heat of the Day. What, if anything, did you find “Pinteresque” in this novel, that might have attracted him to handle it?
4. Louie Lewis is peripheral to the plot, yet her inner monologues are occasionally explored in detail. Why? What does she have in common with the main characters?
5. Stella visits two places out of London that are described at some length: Holme Dene and Mount Morris. What do they represent?
