Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont

 

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont / Elizabeth Taylor
London: Virago, c1971.

From schooldays to end of life days when moving from Laura Rambotham to Laura Palfrey. When women get old, what do they do? Are they neglected, left to their own devices financially and emotionally? If so, perhaps they end up at a place like the Claremont Hotel, a place for those growing old but not yet ready for a nursing home. A place with one rule: they aren't allowed to die there.

We meet Laura Palfrey, widowed and leaving her blissful home in Rottingdean where she'd spent retirement years with her now deceased husband. She's moving to the Claremont, a hotel of an affordable level, already populated with a few other long-term older guests. From a woman who drinks too much to the only man in the group, who likes to tell risque stories and write angry letters to the newspaper, the other guests are eccentric. One of the highlights of their days is when a relative visits, and when they find out that Mrs. Palfrey has a grandson in London, they all eagerly await an appearance. Alas, Mrs. Palfrey's family is very uncaring and no grandson (or other relatives) turn up.

But Mrs. Palfrey makes the acquaintance of a young man named Ludo - he helps her out when she has a fall in front of his basement apartment. They hit it off in a strange way, and she invites him to visit her at the Claremont. As he is a writer, and curious, he accepts. When he's taken for her grandson, she doesn't correct the others. 

The relationship between these two odd and prickly characters is finely drawn. Not twee or overly sweet, it's a interesting negotiation between two people with lots going on under the surface. But in the end, there is a moment of beautiful harmony that really touched me. 

This is a sharp, acerbic book about aging and about the vagaries of life, families and relationships. It's quietly pointed, and the characters are wonderfully exposed. It's painful to read at times, and yet has such a flowing style. Definitely a memorable book. I hope to read all of Elizabeth Taylor's books this year; she is a stylist with an eye for individuals, and I really enjoyed the balance of this story.