My Thoughts
Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain is a heart-warming love, heartbreak, and finding oneself type of novel. This is the love affair of the high school girl named Marianne and the boy named Simon. How love can turn lives around, the heartbreak resulting from its loss, and the courage one has for its abandonment is all revealed by the author’s touching narration. Tremain’s writing is poignant and engrossing, and this is one touching and realistic work.
Summary
The novel is set about the girl, Marianne Clifford, from the England of the 1950s. She is from the privileged, not close-knit, family. She is expected by parents to follow the traditional line of good matches and the good life.
However, everything is turned upside down when she becomes love-stricken by the charming and bright Simon Hurst. Marianne thinks their love is “absolutely and for ever,” but love doesn’t always work the way one thinks when the passing of time is concerned. Simon gets over the relationship, leaving the heart-broken Marianne behind.
The book documents the journey through which she is attempting to heal and find herself. She goes through the different phases of life—new relationships, reflection, and the struggles and tribulations of adulthood. In the process, some worthwhile things about love, loneliness, and strength are learned by Marianne.
Pacing
The novel has a good and engrossing rhythm. The start is all about the youthfulness of Marianne, the affair with Simon, and the visions for the future. This is all euphoric and optimistic.
The middle is also slower paced when Marianne is trying to deal with heartbreak. Emotions run high, and readers can feel the heartache. The third part is faster paced when rebuilding starts, making new choices, and finding love is not the only path for happiness.
Overall, the balance is good, keeping the readers engaged throughout.
Characters
The characters in Absolutely and Forever are realistic and well-developed.
Marianne Clifford – the heroine, the sensitive and romantic heroine convinced about true love. She evolves and develops throughout the book, discovering the strength to stand alone.
Simon Hurst – Marianne’s first love. He is intelligent and attractive but does not share the same deep emotional connection as Marianne. His decisions affect Marianne deeply.
Marianne’s Parents – They possess the common beliefs of the time. They believe that Marianne is supposed to marry for security rather than for love.
Other Friends and Love Interests – While recovering from Simon, Marianne also gets introduced to some new people who help her grow and know herself.
Each character plays their own distinctive role towards the formation of the journey for Marianne, enriching the narration.
Writing Style
Rose Tremain’s writing is lyrical and poignant. She captures the overwhelming feelings of love and heartbreak through lovely understated phrasing. She depicts the setting around you so vividly you can feel you are experiencing all this along with Marianne.
The dialogues ring true and the narration is fluid. Tremain is good at bringing the emotions of Marianne alive, from the joy of love to the pain of loss.
Themes
First Love and Heartbreak – The novel captures the joy and naivety of first love and the acute heartbreak associated with its loss.
Self-Discovery – Marianne’s journey is not only one about love, though, but also one about discovering herself and being happy alone.
Society and Expectations – The book highlights how societal pressures, especially for women, can shape their choices and happiness. Resilience and Resilience – This depicts the reality that even after heartbreak, nothing is over; rather, opportunities arise.
These themes render Absolutely and Forever a contemporary and thoughtful piece.
Historical Accuracy
The book is set in the 1950s, and Rose Tremain is very good at depicting the social context during this time. How love and relationships were seen, the restrictions placed upon the options available for women, and the expectations for them were all accurately described. This adds depth to the novel and makes the struggles for Marianne realistic.
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Absolutely and Forever is a heart-wrenching and beautiful work. It is the essence of love when you were younger, the pain of heartbreak, and the strength of transformation. Realistic characters, engrossing plot, and fine writing make this one not only worth the read for readers of literary fiction and those fond of coming-of-age novels.
About the Author
Rose Tremain is one of the renowned British authors known for writing very poignant and exquisitely worded novels. She has written many books, some being Restoration, The Gustav Sonata, and The Road Home. Tremain’s novels generally explore the subject matter of human emotions, relationships, and historical backgrounds very sensitively and intensively.
Final Thoughts
Absolutely and Forever is one of those books you can’t leave alone even after you finish the last page. This is one very touching and emotional ride about the strength of love and the need for self-discovery. Whether you know the experience of first love or not, this is one heart-warming book you will not fail to love.