I have just finished my detailed re-reading of Elizabeth Bowen’s first and last novels, THE HOTEL and EVA TROUT….
In addition to my findings while conducting a recent similar exercise with her 108 short stories — as summarised here: https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/2021/11/30/aches-and-bones/ — I can confirm that those Aickman, Elbow and Zeno’s Paradox findings have been doubled-down upon in these two novels…
….with, additionally, themes regarding Ligottian Anti-Natalism — and the ambivalence of God and the Devil within us all…as well as many other aspects built into the stories and the novels….
and, arguably, in ‘Eva Trout’, a Bowenesque prophecy of — and possible psychological solution to — the recent Alec Baldwin cinematic gun incident in our own real-time…
and two main characters called ARBLE — arguably in assonance with ‘elbow’ — as the constant meaningful Bowen leitmotif by means of that human bodily part as conjured by the author’s own name!
My detailed reviews of these two novels: https://elizabethbowensite.wordpress.com/2021/11/27/the-hotel/ and https://elizabethbowensite.wordpress.com/2021/12/01/eva-trout-by-elizabeth-bowen/
I shall now gradually re-read and review the other eight Bowen novels.
The Des Lewis Gestalt Real-Time Reviews 
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