Heat Wave A Novel
Heat Wave A Novel by Penelope Lively, published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 1996, is a work of fiction that spans 214 pages. The story centers on Pauline, who spends her summer editing a novel about romantic love while residing in a grey stone cottage known as World’s End, nestled in the picturesque English countryside. The cottage, which has been transformed from three dwellings into two, is filled with modern conveniences that contrast with its rustic exterior. As Pauline navigates her complex feelings about her daughter Teresa’s passionate relationship with her husband Maurice, she reflects on her own past and the jealousy that has shaped her life.
Readers will find a narrative that explores themes of familial bonds and the intricacies of love and jealousy. As Pauline grapples with her protective instincts toward Teresa and the looming threat of betrayal, the story unfolds against the backdrop of a long, hot summer. The dynamics within this family are further complicated by the presence of Maurice’s editor and his girlfriend, who frequent the cottage, intensifying Pauline’s fears. The novel culminates in a stunning and unexpected conclusion that irrevocably alters the family’s relationships, leaving readers to ponder the complexities of intimacy and loyalty.
Official synopsis Publisher
Pauline is spending the summer editing a novel about romantic love, ensconced in World’s End, a grey stone cottage set on a hillside in a lushly described English countryside. The original three dwellings are now two, the rustic exterior belying the quietly humming machinery within – computers, phones, faxes, microwaves, freezers, televisions and VCRs. The larger part of the cottage is occupied by Pauline’s daughter, Teresa, and her baby, and from time to time by Teresa’s husband, Maurice, who is writing his own book about the myth of the British countryside. Teresa’s passionate love for Maurice fills Pauline with dread. Her possessive passion for Teresa’s father eroded her own youth, as she finds herself recollecting during the long hot summer. It is not just the novel on which she is working that reminds Pauline of her self-destroying jealousy: when Maurice’s editor and his girlfriend take to spending weekends at World’s End she realizes that Maurice may similarly betray Teresa. But the protective bond between mother and daughter means that Pauline can scarcely endure this. A stunning and unexpected denouement changes the order of things irrevocably for this family, whose intimacy the reader abandons reluctantly at novel’s end.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Heat Wave A Novel” about?
Who is the author of “Heat Wave A Novel”?
When was “Heat Wave A Novel” published?
What is the ISBN for “Heat Wave A Novel”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
