When I had the chance of access this ARC I did a happy dance. Because I loved gustav sonata another book of the author. So I entered this book with high expectations and let me be clear I didn’t regret it. Let’s start thanking NetGalley and Random UK house for the access to this book. One of the best qualities of this author is the capacity that she got for capture the time periods she wrote about and this book isn’t a exemption the book is beautiful written as always with this author and it can become a sad book without fall in soppy sentimental type so I do appreciate this in a story. Being a very short Novella I enjoy it lots and I highly recomend it

I enjoyed this book. It was a good quick read which explored a coming-of-age of a young woman in the 60s in England. I felt it was interesting to follow and to get the inner thoughts of our main character.

I am still not sure of my rating for this. I enjoyed it, and I would recommend to people who like these types of books where it's a lot to do with the vibe. However, it's not my usual type of book and I felt the main themes were not addressed in a way which resonated with me (albeit, I'm not sure you're able to do that much in a novella). Overall it was a good book, and I would recommend, but I don't think I will be rereading.

England in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. Marianne Clifford comes from a comfortable, complacent middle class background. Public-school educated, her life is shaped by her schoolgirl love affair with an older boy, Simon Hurst, which starts when she is fifteen. This is a delightfully told narrative of Marianne’s life in the first person, in the swinging Sixties England, a life that conventional and bourgeois yet affected by the social turmoil of the times. Marianne is eccentric, spiky and volatile, and while engaging would be a challenge to live with. Towards the conclusion of the story, she learns of two major elements that hitherto she was wholly unaware; these revelations help to make some sense of these key events in her relatively young life.
The reader necessarily wonders how much of Marianne’s narrative is formed by Rose Tremain’s own experience. Both Marianne and the writer were born in 1943 and there are certainly similarities in their young adult life trajectories. Indeed, Marianne starts writing fiction, but seems to be taking an extraordinarily long time in drafting what appears to be an allegorical short story. While the story is set firmly and capably withing the milieu of 1960s England, there was one anachronism – reference is made to visiting Zambia before the country was given its new post-colonial name; at the time in the story it would have been known as Northern Rhodesia. The novel does finish with almost indecent haste, and gives the impression that it was rather hurried – I was reading a digital review copy and initially thought that my copy may have been incomplete. But, no, that was the ending. I do hope Rose managed to catch her train or whatever was her deadline.

Rose Tremaine exquisitely captures a historical period, the 1950s and 1960s, the attitudes, norms and expectations through her creation of her small cast of beautifully drawn characters in this coming of age novella. It focuses on family, love, gender, obsession, secrets, freedom, sexuality and friendship. At 15 years of age, Marianne Clifford knew she had fallen in love with the older Simon Hurst 'absolutely and forever', she informs her mother, Lavender 'Lal', who dismisses and derides the idea. Marianne is all too familiar with being put down and never really being taken seriously by her parents, her father is ex-military, frustrated at never being able to get through to his daughter. We follow the nature of Marianne's unwavering love and obsession through the coming years.

All Marianne's carefully nurtured dreams fall apart when Simon's planned future falls apart and results in him leaving for Paris. The intensity of Marianne's emotions derail any hopes of her achieving anything educationally, she sinks into what she believes are her limited horizons and expects little. Other than Simon, the only other person she lets into her world is her Scottish schoolfriend, Petronella, who is much more successful academically, attending Essex University, a feminist immersed in progressive ideas. Marianne finds herself negotiating the fashion and liberation of 60s London whilst attending secretarial college, getting married, having to cope with tragedy, drowning in despair and in her failures, the only bright lights her working for an agony aunt, and as a department store giftwrapper.

There is a wit and dark humour underpinning the character of Marianne, ostensibly a woman who believes she has no agency when it comes to directing her path in life, fulfilling the expectations of others, with her toleration of her suffocating marriage to Anthracite (Hugo). Tremain's sensitive characterisation of the flawed Marianne, who it can't be denied can be infuriating at times, reveals a complex woman of wit and dark humour. She is shaped by her parents treatment of her, and is aware at times of her delusional state when it comes to Simon. The revelation of his 'absolutely and forever' and her parents secret, opening up the possibility for Marianne to be who she is and to tread her own path in life. Brilliant character driven period fiction that I highly recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This is a beautifully written novella centering around Marianne, a young woman in the 60s who life seems to pass by and things happen to because she has remained besotted by her first teenage love. It is much more than this though with the author gently exploring love in all its many forms and the effect it can have on those in love and the people around them. The book was never sentimental, but at times, incredibly sad and I loved it!
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book

This coming-of-age novella set in the 1950s and 60s gives the centre stage to Marianne, a mixed-up teenager whose first experience of romantic love in a loveless, middle class household, shapes the unsatisfactory progress of her life. Rose Tremain is such a terrific, versatile writer. In her hands, a vacuous story becomes a real page turner, with an eye for period detail that transports the reader to an age which seems so long ago in attitudes and social mores but is yet so recent. Our heroine Marianne fails to fulfil the romantic life she has plotted out for herself and everything becomes a bit of a mess. Some lovely dialogue and scenes. A novella that is thoughtful, quiet and ultimately sad with a rather abrupt ending.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

When love destroys as much as it creates : one who loved not wisely, but too well.

Rose Tremain is a writer I always eagerly read, and am always surprised and delighted by. Her books are never the same, she explores many different narratives, characters, times and places. Just when the reader thinks they know what kind of book she will write, she writes another kind. Equally well

This is a short, potent novella beginning in the early 60s, looking at first love, and what might be its lifelong wounds, which some might never escape from. Central character Marianne, a romantic schoolgirl of 15 at the start, falls headlong in love with Simon, 3 years older, and about to head off to university.

Marianne is a fairly privileged middle class girl, though her prestige conscious rather stuffy and correct parents are very aware that they are not as financially secure as many of their peers. Simon’s family amongst others, are wealthier. Marianne is a disappointment to her parents, she is volatile, enthusiastic, and seems to lack a purpose. She’s just a girl, really, one with life in front of her. Announcing that she is in love, ‘Absolutely and Forever’ is dismissed as merely a crush by her mother.

This beautifully constructed, beautifully written novel, with its first person narration almost seems like some kind of classic tragicomic bildungsroman. This first love is absolutely formative for Marianne, and heartbreaking. Love undoes her quite. She is a loveable person, but also so lost in this great romantic illusion that she cannot quite define herself. She is achingly real to the reader, but not to herself

The ending revelation is both brilliant and heartbreaking, and the final, somewhat strange scene, quite perfect. An image which both answers, and doesn’t ‘what next?’

Tremain does more in this concentrated short novel, leaving the reader thinking more, being more intensely drawn in to her central character’s trajectory, than some other novels of twice or three times the length might do

A meander down young love and it's twists and turns.

I struggle when I don't like the character. Finding some of the decisions of the lead questionable, The focus seemed to have been on the naivety of youth in the 70s but we all did grow up in the end.
Still well written, clever and poignant and I always rate her writing.

This may only be 176 pages long, but each word has been carefully chosen and each sentence beautifully crafted.
Written in the first person by Marianne, we first meet her as a 15 teenager totally besotted with far neighbour Simon. Believing she has a life forever with him, she is shattered when he fails his Oxford exam, moves to Paris and is forced to marry his landladies daughter.
As Marianne's life progresses, she never loses her idealist vision of her forever love Simon nor her feelings of unworthiness and disappointment.
This is a book which will remain a favourite for a long time.

I loved this book. It really flung me into a bygone world, but one I happily immersed myself in. The main character Marianne is very appealing, and she is completely believable. The entire book is beautifully-written and completely absorbing - I was sorry to finish it.

Absolutely and Forever is set in the 1960s and is a story about first love, and rejection.
Marianne Clifford is the 15 year old daughter of a retired army colonel and his wife. She falls helplessly and absolutely for eighteen-year-old Simon Hurst who is destined for a glittering future, but when his plans are blown off course, he leaves for Paris and Marianne is forced to bury her dreams of a future together.
Finding her way in 1960s Chelsea, and supported by her courageous Scottish friend, Petronella, she continues to seek the life she never stops craving. And in Paris, beneath his blithe exterior, Simon Hurst continues to nurse the secret which will alter everything.

As always with her novels Tremain draws you right in and the characterisation is absolutely brilliant. Absolutely and Forever is a masterclass in character study. It is a small cast of characters but they are beautifully written and realised.

This novella is only around 200 pages in length but with precision and economy Rose Tremain deftly establishes her cast, and also creates a strong sense of time and place, along with a sense of the mores and culture of the 1960s.

It explores love in its many forms (romantic, parental, unrequited, forbidden); as well as loss. How we deal with and react to love and loss, and how this impacts our lives and futures. It is a novel about choices and decisions made; about paths taken; about living the life you want to live..

Marianne tells her story characterising herself as ignorant and unworthy, but her smart, ironic narration tellingly reveals much more, and this is so cleverly done by Tremain. Her sense of self and self-worth have been shaped by her parents’ criticisms of her, and their views and opinions on her. How she views herself is a stark contrast to what we see in her. She often frustrates us, and we don’t always like her, but we feel such empathy and sympathy for her, and we root for her.

The other characters are also well realised, including Marianne’s father who is a peppery, blustery colonel, and her mother who is somewhat vain. Simon comes across as quite wet and ineffectual, and the character of Petronella (Pet) is also well done. She serves as the voice of reason and the new wave of feminist thought.

It is all so, so beautifully done, and my one and only criticism of it is the abrupt ending – I wanted more, and felt sad that Rose Tremain chose to end it as she did when it had the potential to be developed into a superb full-length novel about Marianne’s life in its entirety.

Nevertheless, what we do have is just brilliant, and for this excellent gourmet small-plate rather than a big banquet we can be thankful, as it still provides much to savour.

With thanks to Netgalley and Chatto & Windus for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A short and seemingly lighthearted read, that really packs a punch.

It was written so well and felt so keeping with the era. Dealing with lots of issues of the time. It manages to touch on a lot of tough topics without feeling too heavy.

We follow Marianne through the years, as she fights against the world she feels trapped in. Weighed down with societal, class and gender expectations.

The characters were all well written, with powerful voices and distinct personalities. Hugo was a sweetheart and I really felt for him. Pet was interesting and there was such a lovely friendship between her and Marianne.

This is a story of a claustrophobic existence, unrequited love and not knowing your place in the world. Beautifully written and full of feeling.

I devoured this quiet but compelling tale of first love, toxic families and unfulfilled potential. In the young Marianne we have a heroine who we both root for and want to shake by the shoulders.

The tragedy that follows her in to adult life and her willingness to settle for a life that isn't right for her - spurred on by the expectations of her family and society at large - makes the reader wonder if Marianne is simply doomed or if she might, one day, be able to break free and live a different kind of life.

The answer to this question is somewhat ambiguous - intentionally so. I certainly hope that Marianne got her happy ending but my instinct is that her fate is to always live in the shadows, even if the shadows themselves might change.

This is a wonderful short story and Marianne is a character you will champion all the way through, even though at times you want to shake her!!! A noteworthy read.

This is a 3 instead of 2 on the strength of the author's writing alone because the story and its main character are utterly insufferable. Perhaps this will resonate more with an older reader, one familiar with the period it's set, but for a contemporary reader Marianne is like nails on a chalkboard. The way she pines after Simon based on so little was annoying when she was a teenager but becomes unbearable as she grows into adulthood and let's that become the story which she frames her entire life around. So much so that when the great emotional reveal is made at the end my reaction was wild laughter because she had invested her whole life, her whole identity, on a fiction she didn't even realise she had made up.

I was sent a copy of Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain to read and review by NetGalley. I absolutely adored this novel! I love Rose Tremain’s writing and I personally think that this is amongst her best. Tender, tragic and very real, the book is narrated first person by protagonist Marianne who expresses her hopes and fears and the reality of her life. I have only one minor complaint with this book, it just wasn’t long enough!

‘And anyway, I am ill. Love is a kind of illness, isn’t it?’

The story follows a 15 year old, Marianne Clifford, who grew up in a very upper-middle class English family in the 50s/60s. She falls madly in love with a slightly older boy, Simon Hurst. Due to obstacles that occur in Simon’s life, Marianne is left heartbroken when she finds out they won’t be able to live out the life she has always imagined. Her close friend, Pet, helps with her naiveness and lack of confidence.

Although this was my first time reading a book written by Rose Tremain, I was very much captivated by her writing style from the first page. I especially loved all the important (and necessary) themes discussed in this book and the striking differences in her very well-written characters (from Marianne’s mother to her friend Pet). While I wish there was more development of Marianne’s storyline at the end, I still really enjoyed immersing myself in this book - it is a very touching and gripping, yet tragic read that I highly recommend. If you’re looking for a quick read, definitely consider buying ‘Absolutely and Forever’ when it comes out in September!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage, for an e-ARC copy!

Marianne Clifford's parents have low expectations of their daughter, and Marianne herself is bored by school and expects to marry as soon as she can. Aged 15 she falls head over in heels with Simon Hurst, a romance dismissed as a crush by her mother. Unfortunately Simon goes unexpectedly to live in Paris and Marianne settles for life as a typist, and then as a wife with Hugo.
This would be the end of the story for many women in similar circumstances in the 1960s.
Marianne continues to be dismissive of her talents and her yearning for a better life. "I went about life like the tooth fairy, pretending that I existed, but in fact getting everyone else to snatch away all the fallen and discarded things in human lives and replace them with silver, because I had no silver to give."
When she courageously decides to free Hugo from their childless marriage, she finds Hurst is also single. Is a happy ending within grasp? Or, as she is advised by her best friend Petronella, is it the case that "Men love in relays. One and then another and then another. On the baton goes. And the ones they held long ago, they just lie on the track for some other runner to trip over."
Beautiful, bittersweet and wistful.

Young Love

And what happens after. An engaging character narrator. A quick read.

Our character and all of her loves.

I received a digital copy of this novella through vintage books and netgalley and wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it is set in the 50's to start, I am sure Marianne's teenage infatuation that carries into adulthood is something many people can relate too even in today's time. I found myself getting really immersed into Marianne's character even though at times I found her a little annoying and I loved the twist with Simon at the end. The story stopped fairly abruptly but it felt like an appropriate ending. Overall it was a nice easy read.