Short story review: 'Suggestion' (1895) by Ada Leverson.

Today I am back with another review. This time I am reviewing the short story 'Suggestion' (1895) by Ada Leverson which first appeared in The Yellow Book. This was a quarterly limited-run journal focussing on art and literature. Ada Leverson was one of the women writers of the Fin de Siècle and a friend to Oscar Wilde.

The title of the short story - 'Suggestion' sums up the short story well. To me there is a quadruple meaning as the narrator Cecil Carington suggests things for his sister and his sister-in-law. Then there is the second meaning of suggestion in which Cecil and his sister Marjorie try to come up with suggestions on how to make their father a more pleasing man so that their new mother-in-law, Marjorie's friend can find married life a bit more bearable. The third suggestion is that Cecil is gay. He seems to get on very well with his friend Adrian, of whom his sister Marjorie has her eyes on. Cecil already has someone else planned for her and seems determined he is not good enough for her. He also comes across as acting a little bit feminine at times by his discussion of things or by is actions. At the end of the short story, he goes to visit Adrian at his room he is staying which could suggest him and Adrian will up to something private, considering how being gay was frowned up during the time the short story was written. This leads on to the fourth and final suggestion in which he goes to visit Adrian but finds his father outside. Could it be that his father is secretly seeing Adrian and actually has no care for women? He certainly treats Laura like he has no care for her at times.

What I enjoyed about this short story is the uncertainty and element of mystery. I will always wonder what would have happened and how things would have progressed. I am giving this shorts story a 9/10.


Until next time,


Thomas.

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