HICKS BEACH, SUSAN EMILY (CHRISTIAN) (MRS WILLIAM FREDERICK HICKS BEACH). Shuttered doors. *$1.75 (2½c) Lane
20–7653
A story that covers several generations in the life of an English family. The figure of outstanding interest is Aletta Hulse, who is strongly influenced by association in childhood with her aunt, Ann Duller of Duller Place. Aletta inherits a fortune from an old Boer uncle, marries and brings up a family of three children, who in their turn marry. Interest in the latter part of the story centers in Andrew, one of the grandsons, to whom his grandmother bequeaths Duller Place. Andrew is killed in the war leaving an infant daughter to carry on the family tradition.
Ath p194 F 6 ’20 80w
“‘Shuttered doors’ presents one of those pictures of English life before which Americans can only stand and wonder. Perfection of detail in living has not yet been attained by us to such a degree that an entire novel can be built about it with little attention paid to plot, and not even much to characterization.”
+ Boston Transcript p8 N 20 ’20 260w
“This long, slow story of ‘upper middle-class’ life in England never rises above the deadly commonplace. Andy Duller is the most human character in the novel.”
− + N Y Times p23 Ag 8 ’20 330w + Sat R 129:478 My 22 ’20 90w
“Most people will not have very much sympathy with Aletta Hulse, later Aletta Picard, but at any rate her character is consistent to the smallest detail, and the author succeeds in creating a living figure.”