The always-reliable Daunt Books have recently reprinted Cassandra at the Wedding (1962) by Dorothy Baker – and it inspired me to get my copy down off the shelf. Mine is a Virago Modern Classic that I bought in London in 2011 – not my first Baker novel, that was Young Man With a Horn, but I’d heard great things about this one. And it is, indeed, great.
I told them I could be free by the twenty-first, and that I’d come home the twenty-second. (June.) But everything went better than I expected – I had all the examinations corrected and graded and returned to the office by ten the morning of the twenty-first, and I went back to the apartment feeling so foot-loose, so restless, that I started having some second thoughts. It’s only a five-hour drive from the University to the ranch, if you move along – if you don’t stop for orange juice every fifty miles the way we used to, Judith and I, our first two years in college, or at bars, the way we did later, after e’d studied how to pass for over twenty-one at under twenty. As I say, if you move, if you push a little, you can get from Berkeley to our ranch in five hours, and the reason why we never cared to in the old days was that we had to work up to home life by degrees, steel ourselves somewhat for the three-part welcome we were in for from our grandmother and our mother and our father, who loved us fiercely in three different ways. We loved them too, six different ways, but we mostly took our time about getting home.
This is the long, winding opening paragraph – it’s Cassandra speaking. She is driving home for her twin sister’s wedding – and she hasn’t seen her twin, Judith, for nine months, after previously being constantly together. In case that “only a five-hour drive” didn’t clue you in, they’re in America. Cassandra hasn’t met her sister’s fiancee, and she hides her uncertainty and wariness behind a show of ironic bravado.
The plot of the novel is pretty slight – though there are also a few dramatic moments in among the everyday. It is all about the characters, and the way they try to understand and relate to each other. Cassandra is spiky and a little unkind, pretending not to remember Judith’s fiancee’s name and dropping in hints that she could still give up on the wedding; Judith is patient but also keen to assert her independence. Their grandmother hovers in a manner that is both conciliatory and domineering. There is always the spectre (not literally) of their dead mother – whom they always refer to only by her first name.
It’s a truly extraordinary novel. Baker is so subtle, so brilliant in both the narrative and the dialogue. Inch by inch, she unveils the characters and their similar but slightly colliding worlds. And, my goodness, she is good at twins. I was surprised to discover she was an only child, as she she perfectly understands the complex relationship of twins. How they (we) tread the path of being separate people but with identities that cannot be entirely separated – and the joy and, occasionally, the pain of establishing those dynamics in adult life. Cassandra’s fears of losing her sister, and self-destructive methods of trying to maintain their relationship, are drawn so perfectly.
Impressively, Baker is equally good at the moments of high drama. I won’t spoil what those are, but one in particular is dealt with so expertly – showing us the range of emotional responses in finely-observed style. Fine observation while maintaining pace and drama is a very admirable feat.
It’s a short book, but must be read slowly to be truly appreciated. The writing is so rich, so beautiful, and so intelligent that it feels like a reminder of what literature can achieve in exploring and depicting humanity. If that feels like a wild overstatement, I apologise – but reading it felt like a revelatory experience. Don’t be surprised if you see this one on my end of year Best Books list…
I thought this was a superb novel, the complex relationship Baker builds up between the sisters is quite brilliant. The writing as you rightly say is beautiful and such astute observations make it one shall want to read again one day.
Yes, definitely one I’ll be revisiting one day, I feel sure.
I’ve not read this for years and years but have kept it through many culls because I remember it being so good. I’m glad it does the twins well, too, in your expert opinion!
I’ve read quite a few people do twins well, but never with such insight as this – I could hardly believe she was an only child.
I loved “Young Man with a Horn” and this sounds equally good. I hope I have a copy on my shelves because I’m awfully keen to read it now… ;)
EVEN better, I think, Karen! Though very different.
Oh, yes. This was such a wonderful book. I’ll have to see if I own a copy or I read this from the library. I remember not being able to find Young Man with a Horn when I read this 15 years or so ago. I’ll have to look again, especially now that I have access to a university library. Thank you for reminding me of this wonderful book! And it is especially interesting to hear that you think she has the feeling of twins down so well.
I *think* Young Man With a Horn was reprinted by NYRB Classics at some point, so you should be able to get hold of it.
First of all, thank you for your blog and your podcast!
I love them both and they have hugely increased my TBR-list,
Fiancee: I assume that Judith is engaged to a man :)…
That would make him a fiancé or fiance.
Thanks Andrea, I’m really pleased :) And ha, yes, you are right of course.
So glad you loved it. I discovered that book a few years ago at my favourite bookshop, in a French translation. I’d never heard of the author but one of the booksellers warmly recommended it, so I immediately ordered a copy in English… and that’s also how I discovered the wonderful NYRB editions. When I recommended that book on your blog I didn’t even know you had a twin !
How serendipitous! I don’t know why it took me so long, as I rush towards twin fiction, but had forgotten this one had twins.
Lovely review, Simon – I too am delighted to hear that you enjoyed this so much! Even though I only discovered it myself a few years ago, it’s actually one of my all-time favourite books. As you say, the dialogue is brilliant, so sharp and incisive – and the way in which Baker captures the complexity and contradictory nature of Cassandra’s personality is quite stunning.
I grew up with Dorothy and Howard Bakers as Neighbors and Howard my Fathers fast friend. The book describes their home, the places that the Sisters either visit or drive thru or to exquisitely. Correction Dorothy and Howard had two daughters . Interestingly Dorothy is signaling her own death from Cancer as she battled cancer during the time of writing this book and died in 1968.
I just finished Cassandra at the Wedding for my book club in October 2023, and I was blown away by the writing. Right after I finished the book, I had to look up your blogpost to see your thoughts. It’s the writing that really blew me away. The book is very cinematic, very vivid. I could see each location, each room in the house, each move/action of the characters. I’m going to reread the book at least once before my group meets. But one thing is clear in my mind: Baker is an outstanding writer.