The Rhodes find Americans are not as welcome in France as they expected but this is not just because of language and culture differences. They also have the misfortune to meet some very unpleasant characters. Jean Allegret bombards them with his post war views on the Americans, saying they did not know or care what they were fighting about and ruined the peace with their softness and idealism. Madame Vienot takes advantage of their courtesy; she is a negligent hostess who enjoys overcharging and, as Harold observes, ‘a social climber and a snob’. The capricious Eugene de Boisgaillard invites them to stay in his apartment but then cannot decide whether he wants to be alone or not. He is quite wrong in his perception of Harold, who sadly realises ‘you cannot be friends with somebody, if you don’t really understand them’. The Rhodes are so eager to please and so desperate not to offend. I felt really sorry for them, especially Harold, ‘struggling with the downward drag of hurt feelings, as old and familiar as the knowledge of his name’; I was relieved to see them on their way home.

Jean Marshall, Bushey, UK

This book is a bit of an enigma. Whilst reading it I really enjoyed the lyricism of the writing and found the characters well drawn and engaging. However, as there is no compelling narrative it was easy to put down and forget about. William Maxwell himself questioned whether The Chateau qualifies as a novel as it lacks a plot. I agree. It is more a fictionalised travelogue and study in cultural dissonance and as such it has great merit. The Rhodes are terribly self-centred and needy. They crave acceptance from people they admire but connect only with a lonely old woman. Harold is infatuated with an idealised France that no longer exists and perhaps never did and Barbara follows in his wake. I believe that their experiences would have been similar no matter when they visited. However, the post war setting has resonance.
This is not the first time that Americans have arrived in a recently liberated country and been surprised by the lack of warmth in the welcome. Plus ça change…..

Eleanor Fitzsimons, Dublin, Ireland