Summary of Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont
Recently widowed Mrs Palfrey takes up residence at the Claremont Hotel in Kensington, London, hoping to spend her later years in comfort and companionship. However, the hotel proves rather dull, and the other residents – mostly elderly men and women – keep asking when her family will come to visit. One day, after a fall on the pavement, Mrs Palfrey is helped by a young aspiring writer named Ludo Myers. The two form an unlikely friendship, and when the other residents assume that Ludo must be her grandson Desmond, Mrs Palfrey – too lonely and too proud to correct them – allows the misunderstanding to continue.
Reasons to read Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont
“Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont” is a touching and humorous novel about ageing, loneliness, and the small acts of kindness that give life meaning. Elizabeth Taylor (not to be confused with the actress) captures the dignity and melancholy of her characters with sharp observation. She was a much-admired yet now often overlooked English novelist and short story writer, also known for “At Mrs Lipincote’s”, “A Game of Hide and Seek”, and “Angel”. “Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont” was included in The Guardian’s 2015 list of the 100 best novels in the English language and has been adapted for film twice, in 1973 and 2005.
Setting: London (England, UK)
The fictional Claremont Hotel is set on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, London.
Original title: Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont
Year of publication: 1971
Nr of pages: 205
