The Tenancy by Eva Figes

 

First published in the UK in 1993; published by Minerva on April 25, 1994

Edith lives in a building that is getting old, hasn't been cared for, and is falling apart. The roof leaks, the plumbing doesn't work, repairs are never made. The building could be a metaphor for Edith's life: she hasn't taken care of herself, sacrificing her happiness to care for a mother who constantly criticized her, who complained that Edith didn't keep up her appearance and had lost her chance at finding a husband. Now that her mother is in a nursing home, Edith is alone and run down. Her wealthy brother, always favored by her mother, is indifferent to her; most of the other tenants in the building are a mystery to her. When the building's ownership changes hands, strange things begin to happen: a dangerous looking man with a vicious dog moves into an unoccupied apartment; workers come and take out rotting windows without replacing them. Bureaucratic building inspectors are usually impossible to reach; when they respond, they describe a remedial process that will drag on for years. The situation progresses from bad to worse.

The Tenancy, while unrelentingly depressing, is beautifully written. Figes perfectly captures the sense of malaise that infects people who are struggling against forces beyond their control. She portrays a small community of isolated people and their different approaches to adversity: some withdraw, some try to help each other, some abandon hope. Figes writes without bitterness but she offers no false hope in her story of people worn down by their environment, by their past, and by an uncaring society. With true economy of language, Figes sketches out the important moments in Edith's life, bringing her fully to life, albeit a dismal life. Fortunately, this is a short novel; it might be too depressing to handle if it went on for much longer. It isn't a novel for readers who want happy (or at least hopeful) endings. But it paints a striking picture of helplessness in gorgeous language, and it inspires thought about the fear society instills in those it neglects.

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Nelly's Version by Eva Figes

First published in 1977

A woman arrives at a country inn, checks into a room under (she tells us) an assumed name, and finds a large sum of money in her suitcase as she unpacks. She does not remember her identity, does not know the reason she has taken up residence in an inn, but believes that someone will come for her to make her mission clear. As the days slowly unfold, she explores the town and has curious experiences. Cases of mistaken identity abound. She befriends strangers who may actually be friends or family members. When she is finally persuaded to move out of the inn and into a house, she wonders whether the house is hers and about the identity of a mysterious occupant.

I enjoyed puzzling about just how unreliable the narrator was, what was real and what wasn't. Is she suffering from amnesia, from paranoia (she's suspicious of everyone, sees conspiracies everywhere), from delusional thinking? The novel bears rereading in an effort to grasp its meaning. The mysteries aren't neatly resolved so if you can't abide a novel that leaves loose ends dangling, you might want to give this one a pass. I thought the ambiguity was delicious, given that the point of view is that of a disturbed mind.

Figes writes in a quiet but penetrating voice that moves a compelling story along with wit and wry charm.  This is the best of the Figes novels I've read.

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