I had heard so many mixed reviews of Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey that I was almost holding my breath when I started it, scared that it was going to prove a disappointment. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed and, if not delighted, then I was at least amused and rather charmed by this short novella.
It reads more like a play than a novel, which is perhaps the most delightful thing about it. Every line, every description was mentally converted into a script with stage directions, since this is a story where very little goes unsaid or, at the very least, unobserved.
On her wedding day, twenty-three year old Dolly hides in her bedroom with a bottle of rum while her extended family and guests roam about the rest of the house. Dolly, frankly, wasn’t terribly interesting, nor was her tiresome old flame Joseph, who aspires to be “the clean-limbed, dirty-minded, thorough English gentlemen” (p. 58) but in reality spends most of the story lolling about with no clarity of purpose. I was more intrigued by the rarely seen third member of this triangle, the bridegroom Owen – dull and dependable members of the Diplomatic Service have always seem rather ideal to me (being dull and dependable myself).
As with any good play – no, I’m sorry, novella – the supporting characters rather stole the show, particularly the ridiculous, romantic seventeen-year old Kitty and, even more humourously, brothers Robert and Tom, cousins of the bride, with their running argument over appropriate socks. Tom and Kitty capture the true social awkwardness of youth, the desperate need to fit in and the complete embarrassment at anything, however minute, that their relatives might do to shame them in public. Both take themselves far too seriously, which is both hilarious and bittersweet (being not so old that I can’t remember behaving the same way myself). At one point, Kitty is described as questioning Joseph with “a kind of desperate intenseness in her voice and face. This was her style of the moment with the male sex”(p. 29). That aside, the allusion to the “style of the moment,” is as perfect a description of the whims of a teenage girl as I have ever come across.
There are many such asides, most of them throwaway lines from characters who appear only once or twice and have no relation whatsoever to the central plot, but it’s these brief flashes of wit that make this book so entertaining. A random relation drunkenly ponders “is it possible to be a Reckless Libertine without spending a great deal of money?”(p. 39) to the horror of his elders with their decidedly middle-class ideals of morality. Even Kitty, mocked by one and all for her silly flights of romantic fancy, reveals herself to be a conservative at heart when, after finding her sister drinking and moping, remarks: ‘I’m sorry to say it, Dolly…but in some ways it will be a good thing when you are no longer in the house. It will not be so demoralizing for the servants, at any rate” (p. 56). Oh Kitty! To believe yourself a romantic heroine and then to utter such words!
A delightful diversion, overall, though I remain convinced that it would make a far better play than a novella. After all, there is a turtle. Most plays are sadly lacking in turtles…
The Captive Reader 
I love the idea of thinking about this book as a play rather than a novella. Excellent review Claire.
It does read quite like a play, doesn’t it? Especially with the walk-on parts.
I loved its black humour. I think when I read it I expected to be delighted but all Persephones cannot delight in the same way and this is an altogether different style; its humour and carefully crafted prose are more long-lasting, in some respects, than charm.
Pleased you enjoyed it!
What a great review, I’m looking forward to reading this now. I smiled when I read your last line about the turtles, but frowned a little at you being ‘dull and dependable’ – from the style of your review I would say you’re anything but dull! Dependable = loyal = good 🙂
Now you’ve put me over the edge with thoughts of these wonderful books appearing on stage…what a fantastic idea! If I see one more poster for ‘Grease’ around the city I’m going to scream…let’s have something new!
Lovely review, Claire, and you made me laugh with the turtle bit.
Oh this is funny! I want to read it now! And I concur with Novel insights – you’re not dull at all!
I’m glad you’re with me in the pro camp. Ido agree that the joy of this book is in the dialogue and the details. And wouldn’t it work well on radio?
Sounds really interesting. I will keep an eye on this book. Thanks for your review!
One of my favorite plays ever (Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia) has a turtle, and although I have never seen it performed, I am confident that you are correct and turtles do indeed make plays better. 😛
(Though our pet turtle used to bite me.)
I LOVE hilarious and memorable and fabulous supporting characters 🙂 (How come they seem to be named Kitty so often?) I wonder if it would work quite well as an audiobook, maybe?
I love it when the supporter characters just come in and steal the role form the main characters! 🙂 And Kitty sounds like a very interesting one… Thanks for the great reviews!
Hilarious and bittersweet? Sounds great to me. I’ll keep in mind that it reads more like a play when I get to it and hopefully avoid disappointment by expecting something different. I’m glad that you enjoyed it, even if it wasn’t delightful like most Persephones.
So pleased that you liked this novel! It is one of my favourite Persephones, I thought it was hilarious- especially the brothers and their arguments about socks.
What you said about it being like a play is really interesting, and perhaps explains why I liked the novel so much – because it’s something I love about Ivy Compton-Burnett, another author who attracts mixed reviews. (Have you read any ICB, I can’t remember?)
This one was my very first Peresephone, read just this week. And I loved it. So wickedly funny! And the characterization of the mother so delightfully daft and passive aggressively shrewish! She had that ending coming to her I thought. Reminded me a little of Stella Gibbons which is just something else to recommend it in my opinion. Glad to see you liked it too.
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