Raking the Ashes

Raking the Ashes

"Raking the Ashes" is a 2005 novel by Anne Fine. It is narrated in the first person by Tilly. Tilly has always been adept at knowing and getting what she wants out of life. Until she meets Geoffrey, gentle and generous to a fault, with his two little children and an ex-wife who can only think of Tilly in terms of stereotypes.

Plot summary

After an initial meeting on the beach years earlier, Tilly meets the long divorced Geoffrey at a party. She soon divorces her husband and Geoffrey moves in with her. Tilly very much enjoys having another person in the house to help cook and clean, and who loves and accepts her entirely, especially as she recognises that she is not a very nice person. However, Tilly has problems with Geoffrey's fundamental dishonesty and his refusal to share his family with her and Tilly is resentful at simply being a 'pleat' in the family economy, there to be taken in and then let out (let down) when she is not needed. Tilly is good enough to help look after the children for months on end while their mother is in America to treat her cancer, yet when it comes to choosing a school for Harry she can be safely left out while granny, who is barely part of their lives, is invited to help choose the school. Though it is fine for Tilly to spend hours in the middle of the night at Harry's bedside listening to his nightmares and the gruesome stories he hears at school, her suggestion to Geoffrey that he see a counselor is rubbished as Geoffrey thinks 'I know my own child', and Geoffrey even fails to mention the letter from school describing Harry's destructive behaviour.

Time and again Tilly is driven to dislike, and even hate Geoffrey over his dishonesty, Geoffrey's refusal to listen to her hints about his children ('Minna's persistent truancy, Harry's strange, quiet slidings on and off the rails'), or to live in the real world, his refusal to tell her about major financial decisions (selling his late fathers cottage, getting a second mortgage, giving his ex-wife significant financial help for various cancer treatments that even he believes cannot work).

When Tilly finds that Geoffrey's desire to be nice resulted in his agreeing to his son's wedding at a time when it was impossible for Tilly to come, merely to save the mother of the bride the loss of the deposit on her holiday, and that he then lied to Tilly about it, pretending that they were never consulted about the date, she is finally given the impetus to leave, and to extract revenge.

External links

* [http://www.annefine.co.uk/ Anne Fine's website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2005/04/18/julia_hankin_anne_fine_interview_feature.shtml BBC radio four interview] on 18 April 2005.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2005_15_mon_03.shtml BBC radio Four Woman's Hour interview] on 11 April 2005.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • rake over the ashes — to think about or to talk about unpleasant events from the past. There is no point in raking over the ashes now, you did what you thought was right at the time …   New idioms dictionary

  • Raking — Rake Rake, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Raked} (r[=a]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Raking}.] [AS. racian. See 1st {Rake}.] 1. To collect with a rake; as, to rake hay; often with up; as, he raked up the fallen leaves. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: To collect or draw… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bel and the Dragon — The tale of Bel and the Dragon incorporated as chapter 14 of the extended Book of Daniel was written in Aramaic around the late second century BC and translated into Greek in the Septuagint. This chapter, along with chapter 13, is referred to as… …   Wikipedia

  • Anne Fine — Anne Fine, OBE FRSL (born 7 December 1947) is a British author best known for her children s books, of which she has written more than 50. She also writes for adults. She was appointed the second Children s Laureate, in succession to Quentin… …   Wikipedia

  • Thau claw — The Thau Claw is a firefighting hand tool that is designed for fire line construction (clearing the ground creating a fire break), hot spotting (raking hot ashes out to ensure the fire doesn t start back up), mop up (pretty much the same thing as …   Wikipedia

  • rake — [[t]re͟ɪk[/t]] rakes, raking, raked 1) N COUNT A rake is a garden tool consisting of a row of metal or wooden teeth attached to a long handle. You can use a rake to make the earth smooth and level before you put plants in, or to gather leaves… …   English dictionary

  • rake — rake1 noun 1》 an implement consisting of a pole with a toothed crossbar or fine tines at the end, used for drawing together cut grass or leaves or smoothing loose soil or gravel. 2》 an act of raking. verb 1》 draw together or make smooth with a… …   English new terms dictionary

  • Economic Affairs — ▪ 2006 Introduction In 2005 rising U.S. deficits, tight monetary policies, and higher oil prices triggered by hurricane damage in the Gulf of Mexico were moderating influences on the world economy and on U.S. stock markets, but some other… …   Universalium

  • rake — 1 noun 1 (C) a gardening tool with a row of metal teeth at the end of a long handle, used for making soil level, gathering up dead leaves etc 2 (C) old fashioned a man who behaves in an unacceptable way, having many sexual relationships, drinking …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • Comedy of menace — Main article: Characteristics of Harold Pinter s work# Comedy of menace Comedy of menace is a term used to describe the plays of David Campton, Nigel Dennis, N. F. Simpson, and Harold Pinter by drama critic Irving Wardle, borrowed from the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”