The Dark Floor Rises

The title of the book is a quotation from a poem the ship of death by d h lawrence about mortality.

The dark floor rises.

Drabble witty and intelligent story of old age and inevitable death does not make for an easy read. The few direct quotes are buried in long paragraphs of narration. Once in a while an omniscient narrator intrudes in the manner of a nineteenth century novel. The dark flood rises by margaret drabble 325 pp.

The dark flood rises is the ruminations of an assortment of ageing characters notably 70 something francesca fran stub alas margaret drabble s new novel the dark flood rises is due back at the library tomorrow and if i don t write the review this morning before the frivolity starts my thoughts will be lost in a haze of champagne bubbles. The dark flood rises is not a novel i should have liked. It is mostly tell not show. Mortality that relentless law of universal carnage is the.

The dark flood rises is published by canongate. Free uk p p over 10 online orders only. A rather doom laden work. The dark flood rises by margaret drabble book review.

Novelists poets philosophers and theologians agree. In britain the flood tides are rising and in the canaries there is always the potential for a seismic event. In both places disaster looms. The point of view hops from character to character sometimes two or three times in a single page.

The dark flood rises moves between fran s interconnected group of family and friends in england and a seemingly idyllic expat community in the canary islands. The dark flood rises moves between fran s interconnected group of family and friends in england and a seemingly idyllic expat community in the canary islands. It is told from multiple viewpoints all of people linked in some way to francesca fran stubbs an elderly woman who does occasional work. Margaret drabble s new novel the dark flood rises opens with its protagonist francesca stubbs tensely driving her peugeot on an english highway fran is an expert on housing for senior citizens.

Piecemeal the body dies and the timid soul has her footing washed away as the dark flood rises the main theme is growing old and dying. In britain the flood tides are rising and in the canaries there is always the potential for a seismic event.