J. D. Beresford (1873–1947)
Author of The Wonder
About the Author
J. D. Beresford (1873-1947), a noted British writer of speculative fiction, wrote such novels as "What Dreams May Come ...," The Riddle of the Tower, and Goslings. Jack L. Chalker is the author of the classic novels Midnight at the Well of Souls and Web of the Chozen and the popular Rings of the show more Master and Dancing Gods series. show less
Works by J. D. Beresford
A candidate for truth 4 copies
The Monkey Puzzle 3 copies
The Invisible Event 3 copies
The Misanthrope — Author — 3 copies
All or Nothing 2 copies
Librivox Ghost Story Collection 005 2 copies
An innocent criminal 2 copies
The Tapestry 2 copies
That kind of man 2 copies
Unity 2 copies
Love's Pilgrim 2 copies
Powers of the Air [short story] 2 copies
An Imperfect Mother 2 copies
The meeting place and other stories 2 copies
These Lynnekers 1 copy
Goslings: A World of Women 1 copy
W.E. Ford: A Biography 1 copy
The Psychical Researcher's Tale - The Sceptical Poltergeist - From "The New Decameron", Volume III. (2010) 1 copy
The Riddle of the Tower 1 copy
House-Mates 1 copy
On a huge hill 1 copy
What I Believe 1 copy
Seven, Bobsworth 1 copy
What Dreams May Come 1 copy
The decoy 1 copy
Love's illusion 1 copy
The inheritor 1 copy
Strange rival 1 copy
Peckover 1 copy
Snell's folly 1 copy
Associated Works
Nature's Warnings: Classic Stories of Eco-Science Fiction (British Library Science Fiction Classics) (2020) — Contributor — 27 copies
Georgian Stories 1924 — Contributor — 2 copies
The New Decameron, the Third day — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Beresford, John Davys
- Birthdate
- 1873-03-17
- Date of death
- 1947-02-01
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Places of residence
- Castor, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Porthcothan, Cornwall, England, UK - Education
- Oundle School
- Occupations
- architect
journalist
writer - Relationships
- Beresford, Elisabeth (daughter)
Brandel, Marc (son)
Robertson, Max (son-in-law)
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 58
- Also by
- 29
- Members
- 266
- Popularity
- #86,736
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 4
- ISBNs
- 52
- Languages
- 1
- Favorited
- 1
Set in England, the story generally follows the Gosling family, along with a man named Thrale, who had boarded with them in the past. The Goslings are the sort of striving middle class family that worries about what the neighbors think, but has little view of the world outside the narrow confines of their tidy town house in a pleasant suburb.
I found the most enjoyable part of the book began in the second half, after the Gosling women are forced to leave London, late comers to the great emigration of starving female citizens. The two young Gosling daughters suddenly develop real characters as they escape the confines of their house on Wisteria Lane. This long journey, described in exquisite geographic detail, eventually takes them to one of the rural areas just outside London. There, they find a strong community of organised woman, and their old boarder Thrale, immune to the plague.
The book, although it explores the ideas of ideal female society, is still bound by conventions of the period in which it is written. Men are desired because they can run machinery, kill animals, and perform deeds of bravery that women wouldn't contemplate. But the women of the Marlow community shed their vanity and petty facades, expanding to become pragmatic, cohesive survivors.
The final third of the novel leaves behind the Gosling girls, who have completed their growth and found their potential at Marlow. Instead, we follow Thrale, who has his own growth from a prude into a man who can love freely.
The novel ends with hope, as Thrale envisions the new world he will create, without the old habits of the previous age. Here is the authors Utopian vision, a world built on communities of hard working women and men working with nature.
Overall, the way the novel was written made it less enjoyable to follow than a more conventional plot driven plague story. The moral lectures and strong opinions of the author seeped out in most of the scenes, and although I enjoyed the characters, often I was left wanting more exploration of the outcomes,and instead, received half a story before the focus of the author shifted.… (more)