The Boat

Timothy Casson, a bachelor writer, is forced to return from a contented life in Venice to an English village. Taking a house by the river where he can pursue his passion for rowing, he has to do battle with the locals to overcome his isolation and feelings of incompleteness. This most complex of Hartley's novels examines the multiple layers of Casson's relationships with servants, local society and friends.

“'English village life is made vivid and recognisable to us by countless delicate strokes of observation'”

English village life is made vivid and recognisable to us by countless delicate strokes of observation - Lord David Cecil

A work of the greatest brilliance and of a memorable humanistic cast - Manchester Guardian

Hartley's hilarious (with dark moments) page-turner - Daily Mail

English village life is made vivid and recognisable to us by countless delicate strokes of observation - Lord David Cecil

A work of the greatest brilliance and of a memorable humanistic cast - Manchester Guardian

Hartley's hilarious (with dark moments) page-turner - Daily Mail

L. P. Hartley (1895-1972) was a British writer, described by Lord David Cecil as 'One of the most distinguished of modern novelists; and one of the most original'. His best-known work is THE GO-BETWEEN, which was made into a 1970 film. He was awarded the 1947 James Tait Black Memorial Prize. He was awarded the CBE in 1956.

Timothy Casson, a bachelor writer, is forced to return from a contented life in Venice to an English village. Taking a house by the river where he can pursue his passion for rowing, he has to do battle with the locals to overcome his isolation and feelings of incompleteness. This most complex of Hartley's novels examines the multiple layers of Casson's relationships with servants, local society and friends.

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