by Mary Adams, AWC The Hague
…..a good poem shucks the oyster shell of one’s mind to reveal the pearl within.
Contrary to my original belief, The Offing is not a thriller assassin novel. No one gets “offed!” The offing means “the distant stretch of sea where sky and water merge.” The novel is set in the summer of 1946 in the aftermath of the Second World War. The chronicler is 16-year-old Robert Appleyard, who narrates his gap year to explore the English countryside before returning home to work in the coal mines. As he makes his way north, he works in exchange for food. At the sea coast, he encounters Dulcie Piper, a sophisticated woman who embodies education and fearless independence, who is also three times his age.
Robert works for Dulcie and intends to stay only one night, but Dulcie is entirely different to anyone he has ever met. He finds himself lingering at her cottage over the rest of the summer. The Offing is about our relationships with nature – the sea, the meadow, the wild – and the way these elements impact our lives. But it is also about the human relationships that shape and mold us. Dulcie represents the civilized world, sharing food, drink, history, learned opinions, and books with Robert. As he performs chores, his education begins. Dulcie introduces him to literature and poetry and encourages Robert to go to university.
The offing is the point where Robert’s adolescence and adulthood meet that will determine his life’s journey as an author. For Dulcie, the offing is the intersection of love and death that will exorcise her grief and bring her happiness. For me, The Offing was re-discovering that lovely horizon where literature meets life.
Note: Beta Cinema has announced first pre-sales for the feature film, The Offing, which will star Helena Bonham Carter.
