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The Death Of The Heart
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
19 posts | 22 read | 40 to read
'One of the last century's greatest woman writers' Guardian When sixteen-year-old Portia is orphaned she is plunged into the sophisticated and politely treacherous world of her wealthy half-brother's home. There she encounters the attractive cad Eddie. To him, Portia is at once child and woman, and he fears her gushing love. To her, Eddie is the only reason to be alive. But when Eddie follows Portia to a sea-side resort, the flash of a cigarette lighter in a darkened cinema illuminates a stunning romantic betrayal - and sets in motion one of the most moving and desperate flights of the heart in modern literature.
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Leftcoastzen
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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More thrift store finds ! So how is the culling, downsizing going? Aaahhhhh, don‘t ask! 😳😄

LeahBergen Oops! 😆 5mo
CarolynM We are thinking of downsizing to a warehouse full of bookshelves with a bed in the corner😆 5mo
Leftcoastzen @CarolynM now there‘s an idea! 5mo
48 likes3 comments
review
Sophronisba
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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Pickpick

Reminiscent of Henry James but more readable. This was my first Elizabeth Bowen and I was impressed with her depiction of Portia and the society that surrounds her.

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Sophronisba
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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“That morning‘s ice, no more than a brittle film, had cracked and was now floating in segments. These tapped together or, parting, left channels of dark water, down which swans in slow indignation swam.“

#FridayReads #FirstLineFriday

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jenniferw88
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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Clwojick 🔥🔥🔪 4y
52 likes1 comment
review
jenniferw88
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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Panpan

1 ⭐

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

5 points for non-themed book, 1 point for participation and 80 points for 8 hours read for #anunfortunatereadathon #auntjosephine takes me to 637pts total. #teamslaughter #scarathlon2020 @Clwojick

TheAromaofBooks At least it's off the list!! 4y
53 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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#weeklyforecast @Cinfhen

Continue tagged and start the other two.

432pts #teamslaughter #scarathlon2020 @Clwojick

Cinfhen I love that cover on the bottom right 😍 4y
Clwojick 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
47 likes2 comments
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jenniferw88
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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#bookreport week 3/10/20 @Cinfhen

This is a #currentlyreading sandwich, as my current reads are in the middle! 😂 Have finished the rest.

1pt participation #teamslaughter #scarathlon2020 @Clwojick = 426pts

Cinfhen It does look like a delicious book sandwich 📚🥪 😍 4y
67 likes1 comment
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Simone_Gibson
Death of the Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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“The innocent are so few that two of them seldom meet—when they do meet, their victims lie strewn all around.”

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ElizabethSensa
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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What goes better with the death of the heart than consolation cookies?

review
Tamra
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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Pickpick

As the title aptly suggests, the heart of teen innocence is destroyed by a host of crass & deplorable adults.

Dense writing makes it a slow read and includes many insightful observations re: human experience. One of the best is Bowen‘s commentary about people who invade others‘ grief like vultures. “They bring with them the sense that the most individual sorrow has a stupefying universality.”

batsy Glad that you liked it. Her writing is so good! 5y
Ruthiella I had real trouble with the dense writing when I first read it about 10 years ago. Maybe I should try something else from her. I think I am a better reader now. I know she is much loved and admired. 5y
Tamra @Ruthiella It seemed like I‘d read something else by her many years ago and liked it, but now I can‘t recall it. I think you probably have to be in the mood for a slower read. 5y
Tamra @batsy 👍🏾😄 5y
74 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Tamra
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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“Their oblivious stillness made them look like lovers - actually, their elbows were some inches apart: they were riveted not to each other but to what she said.”

He said: “You were mad to ever touch the thing.”

“All the same, I feel you would have, St. Quentin‘.”

First chapter is in fact riveting, the set up enticing. A juicy gossipy tone that makes me want to know more.

Leftcoastzen I read an Elizabeth Bowen I loved ...can‘t remember the title!🙄 5y
77 likes1 comment
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Tamra
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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I really need to peruse my TBR shelves more often because I added this book to my list after hearing Erdrich recommend the other day on a podcast, but I‘m sure I bought it a long time ago after listening the first time! 🤪🤪

erinreads I‘ve never heard of this book, but it sounds intriguing! Stacking. And I might be in love with the cover? 😍 5y
batsy I love this book ❤️ 5y
Tamra @erinreads yes, I agree! 5y
Tamra @batsy I‘m so glad to hear it because it certainly has piqued my interest (twice). 😁 5y
90 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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Weaponxgirl
Death of the Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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Now I'm stuck with what to make my next fiction read. These are the main contenders, anyone have any recommendations or preference out of these?

batsy Haven't read the rest but I loved the Bowen ❤️ 6y
Weaponxgirl @batsy I've not read anything by her but heard great things. Would you say she's a good follow on from a hard going book? In the mood for something either light or thoughtful but not too hard going 6y
batsy Yes, I found it a heavy read, quite emotionally devastating actually! 6y
See All 6 Comments
Weaponxgirl @batsy I may put a lighter book and a couple of graphic novels between her first then 😂 I'm a wuss! I love those sorts of books but I can't read too many in one go or I just get depressed 6y
batsy I know exactly what you mean! I'm the same, I usually need graphic novels or detective mysteries in between the heavy books. 6y
Weaponxgirl @batsy I think it may be rubyfruit jungle then. I've heard it's a good romp. 6y
52 likes1 stack add6 comments
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REPollock
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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Am ded.

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batsy
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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🎶 Good morning heartache
Here we go again 🎶

This beautiful book about heartache broke my heart 💔

#GoodMorningHeartache #FierceFeb @Cinfhen

Centique This sounds AMAZING ✨ Stacking! 7y
batsy @Centique It's beautiful! I definitely recommend. I've no idea why the rating is so low 😕 7y
LeahBergen This sounds wonderful. I have two of her later novels on my TBR. 7y
See All 12 Comments
Centique I don‘t pay any attention to the rating - I vaguely get how they do it but I prefer to listen to people whose opinions I trust 👍 7y
Reggie My heart already hurts reading the synopsis. Stacked. Lol 7y
batsy Lol! Yes @Reggie be prepared 💔💔 7y
batsy @LeahBergen I've been meaning to read more of her but other books and Litsy gets in the way 😆😭 7y
batsy @Centique You are wise and correct 😊 7y
Christine11 I‘ve had this one for ages but haven‘t read it yet ! I may have to bump it up the TBR list 😊💗 7y
RohitSawant Echoing @Reggie! Stacking this. 7y
batsy @Christine11 @rohit-sawant 👍🏽 😊 7y
merelybookish Love this cover! 7y
92 likes10 stack adds12 comments
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twohectobooks
The Death Of The Heart | Elizabeth Bowen

"...another thing I don't like is messed-up mouths. When I give a girl #tea, I always look at her cup. Then, if she leaves any red muck on the rim, I say, 'Hullo, I didn't know that cup had a pink pattern.' Then the girl seems quite taken aback."

#quotsydec17

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merelybookish
Death of the Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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In 2017, these books went from the "I really should read" to the "why didn't I read this sooner?" pile. Enjoyed them all but especially Cranford ❤️.
#allthebooksof2017 #bookyoufinallyreadthisyear

LeahBergen Cranford will be coming up very soon for me (I swear 🤚🏻). 7y
merelybookish @LeahBergen You'll like it, I'm sure. It's like Middlemarch minus all the main characters. ☺️ 7y
readinginthedark I need to read Cranford! 7y
72 likes3 comments
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merelybookish
Death of the Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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While most of my family (5 year-old is in bed) mainlines Stranger Things, I've got cat, book, wine, and the Great British Bake Off. (Still good but I do miss Mary, Sue, & Mel.)
It's a pretty good Friday night. 😊
Really loving this book. The writing is 😍😍😍

batsy So glad to hear that. Loved this book and really must read more Bowen. 7y
MinDea What a sweetie. 😻😻 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes One of my favorite books! I wrote my undergraduate thesis on it. So glad you're enjoying it! I love seeing people with Bowen. 7y
See All 14 Comments
BarbaraBB I am always a bit afraid of Bowen but this is encouraging! 7y
Bertha_Mason Your cat is so adorable. 7y
merelybookish @batsy I agree! I wish I had been introduced to her sooner. I was reading James and Woolf in school. Why.not Bowen? I love this kind of writing, that focuses on how and why people act as they do, even in rather mundane circumstances 7y
merelybookish @Natasha.C.Barnes That's cool you got to work on her. I find the descriptions of feelings pretty amazing! 7y
merelybookish @BarbaraBB what worries about Bowen? 7y
merelybookish @MinDea @Bertha_Mason Thanks! His name is Obie. Even tho he annoys me 80% of the time, I'm a sucker for kitty love. 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes @merelybookish I do too! Also OMG are we the same person because my cat was named Obie too!! Is yours short for anything or just Obie? Mine was short for Oberon. 7y
BarbaraBB I am not sure. I read one, liked it but then read many reviews by people who didn‘t. I have to get over this! 7y
merelybookish @Natasha.C.Barnes Oberon is a great name! I went more Biblical. His name is Obadiah. 😺 Kids wanted something cute. I wanted something regal. 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes @merelybookish Very nice!! Well they are both from a book! 😄 7y
merelybookish @BarbaraBB I understand. I have mixed feelings about reviews. I try not to read them beforehand but even afterwards they can affect my opinion. 7y
80 likes2 stack adds14 comments
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merelybookish
Death of the Heart | Elizabeth Bowen
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It's a perfect day to hunker down with a chunky book... except I have workmen here replacing windows. (Good to get work done, annoying to have workmen in the house. 🤤)

I'm about 100 pages in. I read something that compared Bowen to Henry James. That seems accurate so far.

LeahBergen I want to read this! 7y
merelybookish @LeahBergen I think you should! 1930s. Uppercrust Brits. Seems like your jam! 😉 7y
67 likes2 comments