Concluding by Henry Green (1948) - with my suggestions for those new to Green

My Posts on Henry Green

Henry Green (1905 to 1973, Yorkshire, England, real name Henry Yorke) is widely described as a "writer's writer".  His friend Elizabeth Bowen said he was a consummate master of dialogue.  He published eight novels and a few short stories and a bit of journalism.  (You can find background information on him in my prior posts.)   I am happy and sad to say I have now read all of his novels.

Concluding is set in a girl's school in an alternative future England.  The job of the school is to produce future civil servants.  For reasons we never learn, all the first names of the students begin with an "M".  Some sort of mildly oppressive regime is running England though we never learn what happened or much about it.  One morning two students are reported missing.  Much of the undertone of the novel centers on the sexual awaking of the girls.  The principals think 16 to 18 year old girls have no consciousness at all about sex.

The central characters, all partially ciphers, are an elderly man who lives with his granddaughter in a cottage on the ground and two female school leaders who want to kick him out.  Everything is very understated as Green readers would expect.  This is a novel for a Green believers.

I would strongly suggest anyone wanting to begin to read Green, start with the collection of three novels sold as a bundle, Loving, Living, and Party Going. My guess these works will send you, as it did me, on a journey through complete novels of Green.  Most are about 200 pages.

Green is a modernist writer.  His conversations are wonderful.  

Mel u