It was a really sad thing to learn of the death of Margaret
Forster this week. The death of someone famous, someone you didn’t know
personally, is always a strange thing but the death of a writer is particularly
odd. As writers, you’re not well acquainted with their face or their character
or their biography but what you do have is their words. Since I discovered
Forster’s books in my late teens it has felt like I’ve had a communication with
her and her most intimate ideas. I was attracted to the way she wrote about
women, often difficult women who didn’t immediately endear themselves to the
reader. She wrote about ordinary and extraordinary women. She wrote about
mothers, sisters, daughters and wives and how these roles are so often
complicated by a desire for self-discovery and freedom. Her prolificacy meant I
was never in short supply of her work, and there is still so many of her books
I’m yet to read – that is a comfort. Here are five of my favourite Forster
books that I hope you’ll be inspired to read.
In my favourite of all Forster’s
novels she explores ideas of femininity through the life of a painting. Through
the lives of six women, one of them Gwen John - the artist at the heart of the
story - and a journey through time, Forster explores creativity and what
finding happiness for yourself means.
Georgy Girl centres around Georgina, a misfit in London of the
swinging sixties. I love all the characters in this: from the acidic Meredith
to predatory socialite James. At the crux of the story is what it means to be a
single mother – a theme Forster returned to in other novels.
Forster’s non-fiction style was
equally as elegant and lively as her novels. Through compelling biographies,
she explores how eight women forged change for women and formed the foundation
for feminism. The highlight of the book for me is the chapter on Josephine
Butler, a campaigner for prostitutes who Forster brings to the page with
empathy and vitality.
This was the first of Forster’s
books I read and it makes a great introduction to the themes that prevail in
her work- memory, family and motherhood. It tells the story of a mother and her
four daughters and how perspectives on the past can cause clarity in the present.
I adore the way she captures the relationships between sisters.
Forster was able to gleam the
poignancy in historical evidence and weave relatable characters from it with
ease. Lady’s Maid is the perfect example of this. She explores the life of Elizabeth
Barret Browning through the eyes of Elizabeth Wilson, her maid. It is full of
domestic detail, touching friendships and beautiful prose.
Were you a fan of Margaret Forster? Which of her books
resonated with you?
