Eva Trout

This is the first of Bowen's novels I have read and I was quite interested in the two polarised reviews below me, one reckoned it her best, and one reckoned it her worst book. Strange how writing can be so different to so many people. I really enjoyed it - it was darkly humourous. We are introduced to Eva Trout and her unstoppable machinations right from the start - her inability to leave things alone, and perhaps more importantly, other people's inability to get her to leave them alone. It really is enormously funny at times - a mischevious social comedy and with a nice suitably bizarre twist for the finish.

I think that Eva trout is Elizabeth Bowen's strongest work. It completes the feeling started in the book Death of the Heart. Who could not relate to Eva and her childish heart. Much like Portia in Death of the Heart, Eva remains unchanged as the world around her closes her in, and forces others to "grow-up", thus killing all that they believed in when children. Eva so closes herself off from the world, that she has never cried, but one can feel the verge of tears from page one on. I wont ruin the book for you by saying anything else, but i STRONGLY suggest that you read this book.