A
Phoenix in the Blood is the tenth novel published by Harry
Patterson. It was released as a
hardcover by Barrie Rockcliff in 1964, and it is something very different from
Mr Patterson’s usual. It is an off kilter
romance with racial tension thrown in for fun.
It is not often you read something like this in a Harry Patterson novel—
“Through
the trees he could see the tower of an old church that seemed half-formed,
unreal in the mist. Everything had an
air of nostalgic beauty and he was filled with a pleasant sadness.”
Jay Williams is a young, intelligent man of Jamaican
descent who, after receiving his PhD in history, is doing his National Service
in the Intelligence Corps. He is
learning Russian in a small language school in the textile town of Rainford,
England when he meets Caroline Grey. Caroline
is a young girl—only 15 years old—who is more lonely and broken than anyone
should ever be. The two start a strange
(and plutonic) relationship that causes something of a stir. The townspeople understandably whisper about
the relationship, and when Caroline’s mother finds out she forces its end.
A
Phoenix in the Blood is an uncomfortable novel. Jay is 23, and Caroline is 15. The relationship is plutonic—they are
basically two lonely outcasts who enjoy each other, but there is something of a
romance between them. The townspeople’s
reaction to the relationship is portrayed to be as much about Jay’s race as his
age, which, at least in today’s moral mindset is bewildering. I think, or at least hope, the reaction of a
romantic relationship between an adult and a child would be equally concerning
whether it is of mixed race or not.
With that said, A
Phoenix in the Blood is an enjoyable and smoothly written novel. Caroline is a sweet girl living with her
grandfather, and she is seemingly much older than her years. Her father died at the Yalu River in Korea,
and her mother is a career-minded woman living in London. Caroline is the most interesting and likable
character in the novel. She is strong,
sensible, and just a bit of a romantic.
A
Phoenix in the Blood is one of Mr Patterson’s attempts at a
literary novel; the other is his fine novel Memoirs
of a Dance-Hall Romeo. It is flawed,
but entertaining and, in places, even thought-provoking. There is an interesting scene late in the
novel where Jay is watching Caroline walk toward him across a field. A passing cloud’s shadow sweeping toward
Caroline. Jay, in an attempt to beat the
cloud’s shadow to Caroline, begins to run.
“When
he was still thirty or forty yards away, it enveloped her and he stopped running. And then the shadow passed over him in turn
and he felt suddenly chilled.”
This line essentially captures the theme of the
novel. There is a darkness, which Caroline
and Jay are unable to escape. There is a
fatal romanticism, which is a tell of time and place.
Sounds really different from Mr.Higgins usual work.Very interesting. Thanks for this review. It's fun to read about something so different. Also, as to the relationship between the man and girl, I agree, I would think that age is much more important than race.
ReplyDeleteI've read this book 25yrs ago& been looking for it since then in vain. Left a poignant memory...........a poignant love story. Wish there was an e book to read online...........thanks for posting
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