Olga Bardel
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''Olga Bardel'' is a 1916 debut novel by the English author
Stacy Aumonier Stacy Aumonier (31 March 1877 – 21 December 1928) was a British writer and stage performer, most highly regarded for his short stories. Between 1913 and 1928, he wrote more than 85 stories, 6 novels, a volume of character studies, and a volum ...
, first published in the United Kingdom by Methuen & Co and in the United States by
The Century Co The Century Company was an American publishing company, founded in 1881. History It was originally a subsidiary of Charles Scribner's Sons, named Scribners and Company, but was bought by Roswell Smith and renamed by him after the Century Associa ...
. The novel is a study of the artistic temperament, and follows the life and development of the title character as she develops from a precocious musical child from the London
slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
s, to an infant prodigy, to a troubled professional concert pianist.


Plot

The novel opens with a prologue recounting a chance meeting after a space of many years between the narrator, a writer, and John Braille, a successful painter famed for his technically accomplished but showy portraits of rich patrons. Braille has recently exhibited a new portrait demonstrating a complete change of artistic direction. "The Mother" is a superbly sensitive and nuanced portrayal of a woman in a grey dress leaning on a grand piano and looking at her khaki-clad son as he stands before her ready to answer the call of war. The narrator, deeply moved by the painting, asks if he could set down the story of the woman depicted, whom he recognises as Olga Bardel. Born into extreme poverty in
Canning Town Canning Town is a district in the London Borough of Newham, East London. The district is located to the north of the Royal Victoria Dock, and has been described as the "Child of the Victoria Docks" as the timing and nature of its urbanisation ...
, a
slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
area of London, Olga Bardel's early years as an orphan were spent trying to escape punishment at the hands of her much older drunken and sometimes violent siblings, and in attempting to avoid the notice of her terrifying and controlling Uncle Grubhofer, a wire spring dealer who owns their lodgings. Her early interest in music develops when she secretly creeps into Uncle Grubhofer's room to play with the metal springs he keeps as part of his stock in trade. Recognising the child's innate musical ability, a schoolteacher who also rents rooms from Grubhofer provides her with piano lessons. Quickly outstripping her teacher, Olga finds herself being forced by her uncle to make money for him by playing popular piano tunes at a local fairground, and then being marketed as "Olga Barjelski", a
child prodigy A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...
of the concert platform, by a syndicate in which he owns shares. Unable to endure the syndicate's total control over her life, Olga runs away and throws herself on the mercy of Mrs Fittleworth, a wealthy American widow. She lives happily with her for some years. At a house party, Olga is introduced to the artist John Braille, with whom she makes an instant connection. But then she meets and falls passionately in love with Harry Streatham, a composer, whom she ultimately marries. Harry, however, is not a good match: he stifles her creativity and disapproves of her performing career. Braille offers to paint her portrait, but the creative emotional strain is too much for him and he goes abroad, leaving no address. Harry and Olga divorce, leaving Olga with two young sons to bring up alone. She cannot get Braille out of her mind, but is unable to find him. Eventually, realising that she will never be able to afford to educate the boys on her own she agrees to marry the middle-aged Sir Philip Ballater, a cultured museum director on whom she has already been forced to rely financially. As Lady Ballater, she spends several years hating the social round of events that she has to attend. She plays her piano only to friends, in private. Braille returns to England, unaware of Olga's divorce and re-marriage. The pair arrange a brief evening assignation in the park, and agree to run away together – though by the next morning both have had second thoughts. Then, Sir Philip unexpectedly dies. The novel concludes with an epilogue in which Braille fills in the remainder of Olga's story for the narrator. Olga's elder son Richard signs up with the War Office, although still under age at seventeen. Braille is there to observe mother and son's final parting as Richard in his khaki uniform goes off to war. He realises that he and his art will never be the same again. Olga and Braille embrace.


Background

The heroine's occupation of concert pianist may reflect the fact that Aumonier was himself married to a well-known concert pianist,
Gertrude Peppercorn Gertrude or Gertrud may refer to: Places In space * Gertrude (crater), a crater on Uranus's moon Titania *710 Gertrud, a minor planet Terrestrial placenames *Gertrude, Arkansas *Gertrude, Washington *Gertrude, West Virginia People * Gertrude (g ...
.Aumonier, Stacy: ''Extremely Entertaining Short Stories'', Phaeton, 2008, Biography pp.vii-xvi, (pbk.)


Critical reception

''Olga Bardel'' was well received by ''The Weekly Freeman'' which called it a striking first novel and likely book of the year that brings Aumonier "at a bound into quite the first rank of novelists." The author was praised for his rare narrative power, broad sympathy and bold – sometimes over-bold – vividness of description. '' The Bystander'' found it hard to believe that the book was a first novel, calling it wholly admirable: a very good story well told, with the sure and deft touch of an old hand. '' The Bookman'' (New York) noted that the plot of what might easily have been a sensational story, "is rescued and dignified by a genuine and unforced characterisation, in the light of which the action is seen to proceed simply and inevitably." Taking a rather lukewarm view, The '' Liverpool Daily Post'' considered the novel not sufficiently distinctive in subject or style to enthuse over, while conceding the story to be carefully told and interesting. In a review article for '' The Sphere,'' S. P. B. Mais placed the novel within the contemporary tradition of Georgian fiction, drawing attention in particular to Olga's artistic creed that "One must always be able to look at life like a child – keep on recreating, keeping oneself susceptible to impressions, lest one gets atrophied, satisfied. There is nothing rotten except – being satisfied." Another reviewer in ''The Sphere'' argued on the basis of this novel and his other writings that Aumonier's real strength was not so much in the development of a good central plot, but rather his faculty for creating interesting characters and his gift of penetrating characterisation.


References

{{reflist 1916 British novels Fiction set in 1916 Methuen Publishing books 1916 debut novels Bildungsromans Novels about music Novels about composers