This is the second book in CP Snow’s STRANGERS AND BROTHERS series, which is made up of eleven novels. I discovered the series in an odd used book store in Joburg which included such wonderful titles as RHODESIA: A HISTORY IN NEEDLEWORK.
I almost wish I’d gone with the Salisbury’s Womens Assocation take on Zimbabwean history, than GEORGE PASSANT. The first novel in the series, A TIME OF HOPE, was a brilliantly interesting story of the early life of Lewis Eliot. I thus had great hopes of the second novel, that it would follow him into middle age, and hopefully see him divorce his horrible wife. Bizarrely though the second novel goes back in time and picks up the story of George, one of Lewis’ early friends.
George is a free-thinking solicitor, who gathers young people around him, attempting to inspire them to live free of society. Somewhat predictably, this degenerates into sleeping with a selection of nineteen year olds. He is then accused of financial fraud, and Lewis comes to defend him in court. This might have been an exciting trial, if we hadn’t already heard all about it in the first book, up to and including the verdict.
Oh dear. My faith in minor authors is shaken.
The novel George Passant (or, as it was originally published – Strangers and Brothers) was first published in 1940 and is the first book of the series. A Time of Hope was originally published in 1949 and whilst it is the first book chronologically it is actually the third book of the series.