Jonathan Coe is perhaps best known for his satirical, angry and very funny state-of-the-nation novels about England; The Rain Before It Falls is something rather different. It’s a short novel which spans over sixty years, from the Second World War to the early noughties, and three generations of a family. A novel about the relationship between mothers and daughters, and the damage we pass onto each other down the generations. A story of family secrets, abuse, hidden lives, the need for love and the denial of love; and one which reveals its own secrets stealthily, almost in the manner of a murder mystery.

Septuagenarian Rosamond is found dead in her armchair, apparently of a heart attack, surrounded by photograph albums, four C90 cassettes, an old cassette recorder, and with a microphone still in her hand. She has no children and her longtime partner Ruth has died some years earlier. She has appointed her niece Gill as executor and left her with instructions to give the tapes, and twenty accompanying photographs, to a young blind woman called Imogen (to whom she has also left part of her estate) whom Gill has met only once, many years before at a party at Rosamond’s house when Imogen was a child. Unable to locate Imogen, Gill eventually listens to the tapes herself with her two daughters. The family revelations that emerge from them revolve around Rosamond and her cousin Beatrix and daughter Thea; and, of course, the mysterious Imogen.

Characteristically, Coe combines formal invention with easy readability, a gripping narrative and a strong emotional centre. Most of the book consists of Rosamond’s tape recorded descriptions of the twenty photographs taken at various stages of her life and from these an entire history emerges. Rosamond is an engaging and likeable narrator. Her personality emerges as caring and thoughtful, mixed with an irrepressible urge to tell the truth and an admirable lack of sentimentality. The narrative that unfolds from her memories stimulated by the photographs says much about the way the camera always lies, concealing rather than capturing reality, and conversely how human memory can remain true to events over the decades.

This is a novel which speaks powerfully, in a nicely understated way, about the experience of a lesbian in mid-twentieth century Britain. Rosamond is independent, unapologetic and open about herself, and she eventually has a successful career and fulfilling relationship with Ruth. There’s Rosamond, smiling in all the family photos; in the larger picture of the family, however, there is a sense in which her life is conveniently tucked away at the margins. The tragic irony of this story about dysfunctional and loveless families is that she is the most maternal character but, due to the legally sanctioned prejudices of the time, unable to have her own family or adopt children. When the book was written Britain was in the midst of heated debates about gay adoption and the reader gradually becomes aware of a political sub-text.

Jonathan Coe has long been one of my favourite contemporary novelists and this is one of his best novels. He has always struck me as a sort of literary magician and perhaps never more so than here. He creates a whole world, and an immensely moving narrative, from an elderly woman sitting alone in her living room describing old photographs into a tape recorder. He writes unflinchingly about the hurt we inflict on each other but with a rounded, mature and ultimately almost forgiving tone. The Rain Before It Falls is elegiac, upsetting and haunting. A book built out of memories which, I know, will continue to resonate in my own memory for a long time. ( )

I read this book because I was mostly interested in the inter-generational relationships mother-daughter. Although the book is framed around it it doesn't go deep. ( )

Rosamond ha muerto. Tenía setenta y tres años, sufría del corazón y se había negado a operarse. Tras el entierro, el testamento. Rosamond nunca se casó ni tuvo hijos, y su herencia deberá repartirse entre Gill y David, los hijos de su hermana, e Imogen, una casi desconocida, que Gill vio una vez, hace más de veinte años, en una reunión familiar. Era una niña rubia y ciega de siete años, extraña y encantadora, que sedujo a todos los invitados. Gill encuentra varias cintas de cassette que Rosamond ha grabado y una nota donde le dice que las cintas son para Imogen, y si no la encuentra, que las escuche ella. Tras buscar sin éxito a la elusiva joven, Gill y sus dos hijas vuelven a oír la voz de Rosamond que, apoyándose en la minuciosa descripción de veinte fotografías, cuenta una historia de madres e hijas que va desde los años cuarenta hasta el presente, tres generaciones de mujeres ligadas por el deseo, la culpa, la crueldad, la ambivalencia de sus afectos...

Questo libro non mi ha entusiasmato, tre stelline, quasi tre e mezzo ma solo per lo stile di Jonathan Coe. La storia inizia molto lentamente e ci mette un po' per entrare nel vivo e acquistare ritmo. Il racconto della vita della zia Rosamond si dipana nella descrizione minuziosa di 20 fotografie che segnano i tratti salienti della sua esistenza e che devono condurre i due nipoti Gill e David a ritrovare Imogen, la terza beneficiaria del suo testamento, una bimba bellissima e cieca, vista da loro una sola volta tantissimi anni prima. Un racconto sostanzialmente al femminile e dove gli uomini appaiono solo di contorno, apparizioni fugaci e quasi pleonastiche. Atmosfere abbastanza cupe e tristi dove i momenti di gioia sono rari ed effimeri. La parte più viva del racconto è quella centrale che scorre più veloce e gradevole, mentre quella finale si rivela nuovamente lenta e mi ha lasciato con una sensazione di insoddisfazione e incompiutezza. Nessuno dei diversi personaggi mi ha conquistato, restano tutti abbastanza distanti, quasi freddi, alcuni sono solo tratteggiati. In conclusione è come se nel libro mancasse il fuoco e tutto si svolgesse attraverso una patina che attenua le emozioni. ( )

Incredibly tedious and mind numbingly boring. ( )