Recently Read Books: Frances and Bernard

Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer

I love epistolary novels (books that tell the story through compiled letters), and I was hoping this book would be as amazing as two of my absolute favorites: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (which are witty, warm, delightful exchanges between lovers of books), but I was disappointed. The book received rave reviews from so many readers, and so I expected great things. The story traces the correspondence between Frances and Bernard, two aspiring book writers with sharp intellects who become friends and eventually fall in love through letters. Bernard is headstrong and impulsive, a deep feeler who is given to bouts of mental trouble, while Frances is steady, logical, and a committed Catholic who discovers that emotions and compassion make the next logical step difficult to find. I enjoyed reading the letters at the beginning, watching these writers connect over poetry, life stories, writing, religious searches, and their own different temperaments, but as the book went on my enjoyment waned. I guess I did not find enough beauty in the writing or story to coat the tempests and dilemmas that consumed the ensuing letters. While it was not what I expected, this book gives a glimpse into the complexity of relationships, especially when one partner is needier than the other.