Book Review: "Family Album" by Penelope Lively

“...time marches on, as children grow and develop and mutate, as adults accommodate or fester or rejoice...”

- Family Album by Penelope Lively

I was surprised I had not read this before, I'm quite a fan of family dramas and I've read some Penelope Lively in my past. However, I was not even aware of this book's existence. On the Kindle store for only 99p meant that it was an easy decision to read and I begged for it not to blur my contented vision of Penelope Lively novels. Though it was initially a little bit difficult to keep track of all the children's different personalities, I am quite sure that this is one of the better books by the author.

The novel begins with the adult children returning to their family home, Allersmead, a sprawling and somewhat dilapidated Victorian house. This home, filled with memories and artifacts from their past, serves as the central setting for the story. It is not just a setting, but has other metaphorical functions that allows the reader to explore it almost like an anatomy.

The narrative alternates between past and present, revealing the family's history and the complex relationships among its members. The house itself is also a metaphorical character in the novel, embodying all of these shared experiences and secrets.

This is all well and good but the one problem I had is that there is a lot introduced quite quickly. Apart from that, Penelope Lively writes with a dark wit that seems to colour the novel with mischief, gossip, secrecy and drama. This is probably something characteristic of her writing style on the whole, but it really comes out in this novel.

Alison, the mother, is depicted as an idealistic and somewhat delusional figure who is fixated on creating and maintaining the image of a perfect family. She prides herself on being a devoted wife and mother, and she often organises elaborate family gatherings and celebrations. However, her relentless pursuit of this idealised family life leads her to ignore the underlying tensions and conflicts. Her obsession blinds her to the emotional needs and struggles of her children, and she often rewrites the family's history to fit her narrative of happiness and unity.

Her character is a complex one. She is both a traditional wife of her time and a woman who very purposeful ignores things. I think with recent findings about a certain author, we can see how that is very harmful. Alison's not only ignorant of conflict, she is in denial of things that are very clearly happening right before her eyes. This ignorance and denial leads to far worse conflicts - spreading almost like a wildfire.

Each of the six children—Paul, Gina, Sandra, Katie, Roger, and Clare—has been affected differently by their upbringing in Allersmead. They each grapple with their own personal issues and unresolved feelings toward their parents and siblings. Paul becomes a detached and disillusioned academic, Gina struggles with commitment in her relationships, Sandra battles with feelings of inadequacy, Katie tries to escape the family shadow by moving abroad, Roger deals with career frustrations, and Clare, the youngest, remains emotionally fragile.

Their individual narratives reveal the complexities of sibling relationships and the lasting impact of their childhood. When the secrets are finally uncovered, we see how it impacted each of them in a very individualised way and realise that everything Alison has been covering up and is in denial of is ironically to her own detriment.

I think that the best quality of this particular book of Lively's is her ability to control a narrative filled with difference. There are so many angles to which this novel can be viewed from and Penelope Lively makes sure that each one is explored in ample detail so that the reader can make up their own minds about the characters.

All in all, I believe that there is a certain tone that this book takes against self-denial which colours a lot of Penelope Lively's works. This is definitely the author showcasing the very best of what she has to offer in her talents. I will definitely be reading more Penelope Lively novels in the future, but I don't think many will top this one.