A Long and Happy Life

I like Reynolds Price’s books. This one is deep. Couldn’t put it down.

This is Reynolds Price's first novel, and what a distinguished beginning it is. Wesley Beavers and Rosacoke Mustian are involved in a mating ritual, a courtship spanning six months (June to December), as they test each other out as a prelude to marriage. Rosacoke spends much of her female energy trying to get Wesley to commit himself emotionally to her, while he is satisfied merely with the physical. She gives herself to him finally (she indeed thinks of what she does as "a gift"), and by the end of the novel she knows she is pregnant and about to give Wesley another "gift" - unwanted at the time by both, but this gift of childbirth will seal their marriage. The novel is filled with opportunities for Rosacoke to handle and calm babies, which she finally succeeds in doing, as she is compelled to "grow up" and face her new responsibilities. She is not sure Wesley will be exactly what she was hoping for, but both reach a plateau of confidence that they will share "a long and happy life" together. The novel is a pastoral one, with much of it set outdoors. Price's personal writing style, which is purely his own and is amazingly powerful and exhilarating, especially in his use of similes, is established right away - a major asset. A wonderful and marvelously written first novel.