I recently read ‘Light a Penny Candle’, a novel by Irish Author Maeve Binchy. The book is set in the 1940s, following the lives of characters Elizabeth and Aisling. During the Blitz, Elizabeth is evacuated from London to Aisling’s home in Ireland, and their friendship and separate lives develop from here on. Despite the setting, there is very little focus on the war, or associated politics. Instead, the emphasis is on the events and personal relationships of both girls’ lives, over 20 years of friendship.
I picked this book up in a charity shop on a whim. I liked the look of the cover and the blurb, as it gave me the sense that the book would explore themes of feminine relationships and growth. It isn’t my usual choice of genre, but I was pleasantly surprised about how drawn in I was by the book’s characters and their development.
The author’s ability to convey character personality and social dynamics is excellent. Although the majority of the book is warming, themes of cultural difference, generational and cultural sexism, divorce, death, abuse and alcoholism are incorporated as hard truths in life.
Spoilers beyond this point
I get the impression that there’s a general feeling of disappointment with the ending, stating that it felt rushed and abrupt, otherwise it could have gone on and on. I couldn’t find many discussion forums on the internet, so i wanted to start one here. I am by no means educated in literature, i just want to open a channel for people’s thoughts/feelings.
The first page
Something I forgot but the end of the novel was the very first page of this book, which described the characters at the coroner’s court, and then cuts straight to the beginning of the story. I wonder whether this was how the novel actually started? Or, was it added after finishing the novel, to tie the beginning to the ending following a rushed ending?
Elizabeth’s personality
The central area for discussion, for myself, is the change in Elizabeth’s character at the end of the book. Throughout the bulk of the book, Elizabeth is an independent, selfless, logical and capable woman, who takes everything in her stride, including a secret abortion, and the psychotic illness and eventual death of her mother. This was clear when she returned to London, where she had to mediate her parents’ destabilising marriage, and look after her father once her mother had left. She seemed to have learnt a lot from Aunt Eileen, who, despite the chaos that surrounds her, is also presented as a very logical, warm, selfless and reliable character. Elizabeth clearly idolises Eileen, and often sees her as her only true parental figure.
However, Elizabeth was acting sincerely out of character by the end of the book, including prior to Henry’s accident. She had seemingly spent her whole life putting other people’s needs first, and looking after the people who should have looked after her, internalising any of her own worries or problems.
Was aunt Eileen’s death the catalyst for the breakdown of Elizabeth’s character towards the end of the book?
Henry’s ‘accident’
We are left to believe that Elizabeth, or one of the characters present, resorted to pushing Henry down the stairs, to protect Elizabeth and her baby after Henry returns home drunk after a bad day. Whether there was intent to kill him or not, is unclear. Elizabeth is not presented at any point as someone who is capable of deliberately killing someone. However, after everything she has been through, Henry’s painful remarks about her past, and the need for self defence for herself and her baby, you can see why pushing him down the stairs may have felt the only option at the time.
Conclusion
I find the underlying themes in this book to be expressive of the importance in female relationships. Aunt Eileen was a role model and motivator for Elizabeth’s independent and capable attitude. Aisling was her unconditional support, and closest friend. Both Aisling and Elizabeth have been let down by the men in their life who were, in society’s eyes, their support systems. However, the men in their lives have ultimately been large sources of disappointment and pain. They also both share a love for Johnny Stone, who rejects the idea of marriage completely. Other examples of strained marriages include Violet and George, Violet and Harry (albeit for different reasons), Maureen and Brendan, Simon and his wife. In fact, the only positive marriage I can recall from the book is between Eileen and Sean, which also had its own problems. For me, the book highlights the importance of friendship in life, particularly between females.
Whether the ending was rushed and poorly executed or not, this message lingers.
What are your thoughts?