The Feast

By Margaret Kennedy

This is a heartwarming, magical read and the characters will stay with me for a long time.

A Cornish cliff top hotel has crumbled into the sea, the result of a catastrophic cliff collapse. Several guests have perished and this is the tragedy being discussed by two clergymen who have been tasked with conducting a memorial service for the Act of God. One recalls the events of the week leading up to the collapse as told to him by some of the survivors he housed, events which are variably amusing, scandalous, dark, romantic and full of light.

I came across this book in the new reads section in my favourite bookshop, Bookends in Keswick. The cover is incredibly eye-catching with its image of a Cornish town going across the whole cover, front and back, with forties style people posing on a cliff top and enjoying a day out at the seaside. I was drawn to this as I thought it would be the perfect holiday read for my trip to Devon later on in the summer. I didn’t realise that it had originally been published in 1950 but it becomes apparent very quickly through the language used which reflects the time it was written in. My favourite part of The Feast was the characters. They are so richly developed and, despite there being so many, they are easy to follow and I didn’t need to flick back to remind myself of their development. Each character represents, in a light, comedic way, some sort of sin and the theme throughout is eventual divine retribution or self-redemption. My favourite character was Nancibel, a source of joy and comfort for many, especially the little Cove children, and one who is not afraid to speak her mind and grow into a modern, independent woman, despite the expectations on her at the time. The quote that really stuck with me, probably due to my own experiences of heartbreak, was “This wound had poison in it. In getting used to the idea that [he] was a rotten bad lot she must become a harder, colder person. So she went and sobbed among the rhododendrons, not for him, but for the Nancibel of yesterday.”  I found much to identify with in the novel, as much as the writing is a product of its time with the rich characters often lamenting the actions of the new Labour government, the themes and the trials they go through are timeless. One final, unique aspect of the read which kept me hooked was the way the novel is set out. Each day is split into sections so you get a sense of the holidays being enjoyed spiralling into the cliff catastrophe which you know is coming but you think that somehow it will be okay, despite the dire prologue. Each day section is split up into the experiences of different characters, whether that is through letters they send, or diaries, or just descriptions of their thoughts and day to day business. This kept the pace throughout and I have never read anything like that before so it felt special.

The only thing I would have preferred would be a longer ending section as it ends rather abruptly and allows us to draw our own conclusions about the events in the church as indicated in the prologue. However, this might be because I loved the characters so much and I wanted to know more about what happened to them and their futures, especially the little Coves!

This was undoubtedly a special read and I will be forcing many of my pals to read it! It would make a lush holiday read or something to look forward to reading in the bath after work as the Autumn nights are drawing in. Not to mention the C-word, but it would make a lovely Christmas gift with the cover being so unique….