The
Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanax Holding: A Review by Warren Bull
Published in 1947, The Blank Wall inspired a movie Reckless Moment in 1949 and a second
film The Deep End In 2001. Raymond
Chandler described the author to his British agent as …”the top suspense writer
of them all.”
Of all the heroes and heroines I
have encountered in mystery novels over the years, Holding’s Lucia Holley may
be the most unusual. That is because she is so ordinary. Holley is a housewife.
She married at age eighteen, going from daughter to wife with no stops between
the two. She never held a paying job or spent time on her own as a single
person. She defines herself in terms of her relationship with first her parents
and then her husband.
Now at age thirty-eight with her
husband away at war, her lovely seventeen-year-old daughter, Bee, is dismissive
of Lucia’s life and not nearly as capable and sophisticated she believes she
is. Lucia’s son, David, and her father try to be supportive, but each has his
limits. Lucia doesn’t want to worry her husband. She writes letters daily that
she fills with trivia. She does not admit her fears for his safety or the
trouble brewing at home.
The biggest challenges she faces
daily are dealing with the limitations imposed by a war economy. When Bee’s new
beau, a sinister character roughly twice Bee’s age, shows up at their home,
events take an unexpected turn that calls for more decisive action, guts and
determination than Lucia has ever shown. Her maid, Sibyl, could be an ally if
Lucia can overcome the distance between herself, a white housewife, and an
African-American maid who has no illusions about the way of the world.
The author presents a realistic
picture of a woman who has to face demands she is totally unprepared for. I don’t recall any author writing about
a heroine like this.
In my opinion the author does a
great job and I am happy to recommend this book highly.
The book sounds very much like it has a character-driven plot, Warren. I love when ordinary people take extraordinary action. It shows that there is a positive spark and grit to even the most mundane people. And, no one is really mundane. Everyone possesses greatness. But what is the writing like? Stilted language? I often hesitate to read books written in the 40s or earlier. They can be a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteFascinating premise, but I agree with Elaine. How dated is the language?
ReplyDeleteAnother fascinating pick. I wonder how closely the movies hew to the book? I may be looking on Netflix.
ReplyDeleteSome books written that long ago do show us - as books do - a mirror held up to society, with all the language and attitudes of the time. I'll be interested to see how it plays for us today.
This sounds fascinating. I'm a big fan of ordinary people finding the grit and determination and strength that readers -- and maybe the characters themselves -- didn't think they had.
ReplyDeleteI found it highly readable. The language was one of the strengths of the novel. I should have included that in the review.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds fascinating. Thank you for the introduction, Warren!
ReplyDeleteSounds like something I need to put on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Warren.