One of the many admiring descriptions of the work of Elizabeth Bowen surrounds her talent for writing about life in London during the Second World War. It is perhaps surprising, then, to learn that it was during this very period when she was least prolific in terms of novel-writing. Instead, the war appears to have stimulated, for Bowen, the backward glance; during these years she wrote her family memoir,

(1942).

evokes the feeling of digging through long-forgotten boxes discovered in an attic – Bowen's readings of old documents, portraits and letters lend the weight of authority to what essentially becomes an historical document. Indeed, Bowen weaves together the elements of collective history and individual memory in ways that serve to highlight not only…

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Citation: Gildersleeve, Jessica. "Bowen's Court". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 September 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=10656, accessed 24 November 2024.]