THE BURIAL, by Jennifer Lash (Rupert Hart-Davis, 18s.
6d.).
IN spite of a certain obscurity at times in the writing, The Burial shows considerable talent; in particular a power to evoke atmosphere and sustain tension, both of which qualities give it a scent of a Gothic novel.
Dilla, a hyper-sensitive child, is brought up in a quiet country home by a devoted but neurotic mother and a father who drinks.
When her mother becomes seriously ill, the child is taken to London where she lives with a well-intentioned but unsympathetic aunt.
BLIGHTING
Eventually, the time comes when Dilla herself marries and becomes the mother of a child. But the past, in the form of unresolved conflicts and emotional tensions hangs over her like a cloud -- blighting her marriage.
From time to time a turn of phrase reveals the writer and her characters
an cognisant with Catholic belief. But the tone of this tense, melancholy
story is Freudian rather than Christian -- with its implications that the
adult personality is irreparably moulded by childhood circumstances --
in this case, to tragedy.