Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim
Years before other novels (ones that become classics and immortalized on film), Arnim lays the groundwork for Rebecca and Before the Fact (both adapted famously by Hitchcock — and both with Joan Fontaine), with echos of Wuthering Heights.
Lucy Entwhistle and Everard Wemyss, both fresh off some heavy losses (he, his wife; she, her father), meet by chance and quickly form a deep attachment. Wemyss seamlessly integrates himself into Lucy's life, taking charge of her father's funeral arrangements. Everyone assumes he's a family friend, even Aunt Dot, her father's sister.
They believe they've fallen in love in record time. Who needs time to grieve and heal when you can conveniently rebound with each other, right? Everard's affectionate words, repeatedly calling Lucy his "sweet girl," and her willingness to be swept away in his arms define their relationship. Of course, there's a little hiccup in Lucy's happiness — the lingering presence of Everard's late wife, Vera, who conveniently died under mysterious circumstances. As they start to settle into their supposedly blissful married life, Lucy starts to question what really happened to Vera. Because, you know, wedded bliss is often filled with the task of unraveling dark secrets.
Vera is, as advertised, a wholly unromantic tale. The layering of sweet behavior that only grows to a sickening level of saccharine, on top of a underlying suspicion of murder is kind of brilliant. Arnim has built a story that held me fairly captivated throughout and increasingly prepared for whatever sinister behavior I was sure she was going to send my way. But I wish Arnim had allowed for more nuance and focused less on the specifics of Everard's terms of endearment — I get that the repetition is purposeful but I felt she pushed the envelope a bit too far — and specific brand of narcissism. I would have preferred to see Lucy gain more self-awareness and agency, rather than both characters remaining stagnant, making little impact beyond increasing the page count. Nevertheless, I liked where Arnim was trying to go and where she ultimately ended up, even if the road was a little noticeably bumpy along the way.
Audiobook, as narrated by Lucy Scott: Scott did a great job — epecially having to handle all the disgustingly sweet words from Everard to Lucy. But also, she handled Everard's moodiness and Aunt Dot's suspiciousness with ease and her delivery added to the story.