Seven Days of Us

Seven Days of Us – Francesca Hornak

It’s a Christmas tale?

“Of course, every Christmas is a quarantine of sorts.” Page 13.

Make me think fondly of Xmas passed. Spent several Xmas holidays in the UK, jolly Old London-Town. The term, as set up by the novel’s premise, a quarantine with the family? Enforced emotional intimacy, and in the story’s plot, rife with family secrets?

What’s the expression, the term? A comedy of manners? Although, sort of, a tragedy of manors? For those who were, at one time, Manor Born? Not getting anywhere with this.

So far, there’s the over-achieving golden child, and the vapid, under-achieving Millennial, glued to her phone. Mum and Daddy, and everyone struggling with secrets. Locked up in a manor, for a few days over Xmas, how’s that going to work?

Seven Days of Us

Odd habit, leftover, while reading a book, to make notes as I go along.

The British, very British novel, have a knack, worst action, or inaction, at the worst time. Makes me feel good about myself, and some decisions.

Then, to,find out, this novel was alternatively listed as chick lit. Hint: it’s not.

“Bugger the Internet. Had anything wrecked families, relationships, bloody normality more efficiently than the Internet?” Page 90.

Bueller? Anyone?

Families with secrets are amusing, at best, and the deeper, darker the secrets, the better. There’s a certain affinity that I have for the premise, then the name, of what goes on, a “quarantine” of sorts, sequestered with nothing but family over an Xmas holiday, in a remote English location. Seems to me, I’ve been there before.

Set while a life, slowly unravels. We’er only as sick as our deepest secrets, and British upper-crust has secrets that run deep.

Begs a question, about why we laugh at another’s obvious discomfort?

Called it a comedy of manners? Is that even a thing? How about a post-modern variant?

“Guns? Guess he is American,” she said, as if it was an embarrassing medical condition. Page 232.

Always suspected that’s how they see us Americans. Don’t want to shoot them down.

We are uncouth by British standards. “Bloody colonials,” I suppose.

Seven Days of Us

Seven Days of Us – Francesca Hornak

The background brings up strange, familial resonances, part of my personal story, and part of it less personal.

There’s always a clue, foreshadowing, hints along the way, we think know how this ends.

Brilliant novel.

Seven Days of Us

Seven Days of Us – Francesca Hornak

Seven Days of Us A Novel Francesca Hornak