All Passion Spent
Encyclopedia
All Passion Spent is a literary fiction
novel by Vita Sackville-West
.
Published in 1931, it is one of Sackville-West’s most popular works and has
been adapted for television by the BBC.
This charming and gentle novel addresses peoples’, especially women’s,
control of their own lives, a subject about which Sackville-West was
greatly concerned although often pointing out that she did not consider
herself a feminist.
The first part introduces Lady Slane at the time of her husband’s death.
She has been the dutiful wife of a “great man” in public life, Viceroy of India and a member of the House of Lords. Her children plan to share her care between them much as they divide up the family property but, completely unexpectedly, Lady Slane makes her own choice, proposing to leave
fashionable Kensington
for a cottage in suburban Hampstead
that caught her eye decades earlier, where she will live alone except for her maidservant and please herself — for example allowing her descendants to visit only by appointment.
Part 1 concludes with Lady Slane’s developing friendships with her aged landlord Mr Bucktrout
and his equally aged handyman Mr Gosheron.
Part 2, shorter than the others, is composed of Lady Slane’s
thoughts as she muses in the summer sun. She relives youthful events,
reviews her life, and considers life’s influences and controls, happiness and relationships.
Summer is over. Part 3 takes place after Lady Slane has settled into her cottage,
her contemplative life, and approaching end. To her initial annoyance, her past life
still connects her to people and events. In particular Mr FitzGeorge, a forgotten acquaintance from India who has ever since been in love with her, introduces himself
and they form a quiet but playful and understanding friendship.
Mr FitzGeorge bequeaths his fortune and outstanding art collection to Lady Slane,
causing great consternation amongst her children. Lady Slane, avoiding
the responsibility of vast wealth gives FitzGeorge’s collection and fortune
to the state, much to her children’s disgust and her maid’s amusement.
Lady Slane discovers that relinquishing the fortune has permitted
Deborah, her great-granddaughter, to break-off her engagement and pursue music,
Deborah taking the path the Lady Slane herself could not.
towards the end of her life, is emancipated by her husband's death. Sharing much with
Sackville-West, Lady Slane explicitly states that she is not a feminist and considers such issues to be questions of human rights, while acknowledging the more difficult position of women.
Mr FitzGeorge. An acquaintance from Lady Slane’s distant past as Vicereine of India,
millionaire by inheritance, lover of beauty and fine art. An eccentric who lives as a pauper.
Genoux. Lady Slane’s 86 year old French maid and companion, who has served Lady Slane her entire adult life.
Mr Bucktrout. The elderly and eccentric owner and agent of Lady Slane’s cottage,
who forms an understanding and regular friendship with Lady Slane.
Mr Gosheron. A builder, of advanced years, introduced by Mr Bucktrout to
renovate Lady Slane’s cottage.
Kay. A “chubby old gentleman” who is Lady Slane’s youngest son.
Kay lives alone with his collection of astrolabe
s and instruments,
his only friend is Mr FitzGeorge.
Edith. Lady Slane’s youngest daughter (60), undisciplined and easily flustered,
to her siblings amusement and distaste.
Herbert. Lady Slane’s eldest boy (68), married to Mabel, member of parliament.
Carrie. Lady Slane’s daughter, married to Roland.
Charles. Lady Slane’s son, a retired general.
William. Lady Slane’s parsimonious son (64), married to the equally miserly Lavinia.
Deborah. Lady Slane’s great granddaughter.
Richard. Herbet’s eldest son.
in society, society’s constrictions on people, and women’s control of their lives.
Sackville-West, voiced by Lady Slane, disavowed feminism and like her friend Virginia Woolf
,
considered the issues raised were issues of human rights rather than women’s rights.
television series starring Wendy Hiller
as Lady Slane.
In 2009 BBC Radio 4
's Woman's Hour
broadcast a five part adaptation starring Honor Blackman
as Lady Slane and Mr FitzGeorge played by Alec McCowen
Literary fiction
Literary fiction is a term that came into common usage during the early 1960s. The term is principally used to distinguish "serious fiction" which is a work that claims to hold literary merit, in comparison from genre fiction and popular fiction . In broad terms, literary fiction focuses more upon...
novel by Vita Sackville-West
Vita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
.
Published in 1931, it is one of Sackville-West’s most popular works and has
been adapted for television by the BBC.
This charming and gentle novel addresses peoples’, especially women’s,
control of their own lives, a subject about which Sackville-West was
greatly concerned although often pointing out that she did not consider
herself a feminist.
Plot introduction
All Passion Spent is written in three parts, primarily from the view of an intimate observer.The first part introduces Lady Slane at the time of her husband’s death.
She has been the dutiful wife of a “great man” in public life, Viceroy of India and a member of the House of Lords. Her children plan to share her care between them much as they divide up the family property but, completely unexpectedly, Lady Slane makes her own choice, proposing to leave
fashionable Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
for a cottage in suburban Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
that caught her eye decades earlier, where she will live alone except for her maidservant and please herself — for example allowing her descendants to visit only by appointment.
Part 1 concludes with Lady Slane’s developing friendships with her aged landlord Mr Bucktrout
and his equally aged handyman Mr Gosheron.
Part 2, shorter than the others, is composed of Lady Slane’s
thoughts as she muses in the summer sun. She relives youthful events,
reviews her life, and considers life’s influences and controls, happiness and relationships.
Summer is over. Part 3 takes place after Lady Slane has settled into her cottage,
her contemplative life, and approaching end. To her initial annoyance, her past life
still connects her to people and events. In particular Mr FitzGeorge, a forgotten acquaintance from India who has ever since been in love with her, introduces himself
and they form a quiet but playful and understanding friendship.
Mr FitzGeorge bequeaths his fortune and outstanding art collection to Lady Slane,
causing great consternation amongst her children. Lady Slane, avoiding
the responsibility of vast wealth gives FitzGeorge’s collection and fortune
to the state, much to her children’s disgust and her maid’s amusement.
Lady Slane discovers that relinquishing the fortune has permitted
Deborah, her great-granddaughter, to break-off her engagement and pursue music,
Deborah taking the path the Lady Slane herself could not.
Characters in “All Passion Spent”
Lady Slane (Lady Holland, Deborah Lee). The central character, an 88 year old woman who,towards the end of her life, is emancipated by her husband's death. Sharing much with
Sackville-West, Lady Slane explicitly states that she is not a feminist and considers such issues to be questions of human rights, while acknowledging the more difficult position of women.
Mr FitzGeorge. An acquaintance from Lady Slane’s distant past as Vicereine of India,
millionaire by inheritance, lover of beauty and fine art. An eccentric who lives as a pauper.
Genoux. Lady Slane’s 86 year old French maid and companion, who has served Lady Slane her entire adult life.
Mr Bucktrout. The elderly and eccentric owner and agent of Lady Slane’s cottage,
who forms an understanding and regular friendship with Lady Slane.
Mr Gosheron. A builder, of advanced years, introduced by Mr Bucktrout to
renovate Lady Slane’s cottage.
Kay. A “chubby old gentleman” who is Lady Slane’s youngest son.
Kay lives alone with his collection of astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
s and instruments,
his only friend is Mr FitzGeorge.
Edith. Lady Slane’s youngest daughter (60), undisciplined and easily flustered,
to her siblings amusement and distaste.
Herbert. Lady Slane’s eldest boy (68), married to Mabel, member of parliament.
Carrie. Lady Slane’s daughter, married to Roland.
Charles. Lady Slane’s son, a retired general.
William. Lady Slane’s parsimonious son (64), married to the equally miserly Lavinia.
Deborah. Lady Slane’s great granddaughter.
Richard. Herbet’s eldest son.
Major themes
All Passion Spent echoes some of Sackville-West’s primary concerns: people’s placein society, society’s constrictions on people, and women’s control of their lives.
Sackville-West, voiced by Lady Slane, disavowed feminism and like her friend Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
,
considered the issues raised were issues of human rights rather than women’s rights.
Adaptations
In 1986 All Passion Spent was adapted into a 3 episode BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series starring Wendy Hiller
Wendy Hiller
Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE was an Academy Award-winning English film and stage actress, who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly sixty years. The writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation Rating the Movie Stars, described her as "a no-nonsense actress who literally took...
as Lady Slane.
In 2009 BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
broadcast a five part adaptation starring Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
as Lady Slane and Mr FitzGeorge played by Alec McCowen
Alec McCowen
Alexander Duncan "Alec" McCowen CBE is an English actor. He is known for his work in numerous film and stage productions. He was awarded the CBE in the 1985 New Year's Honours List.-Personal:...