The Death of Felicity Taverner by Mary Butts

About the book

“Mary Butts seems to have been blessed with many advantages, except the essential one, a life long enough to realize her varied talents.”
The New York Times, Oliver Conant

The Death of Felicity Taverner is a short novel by English writer Mary Butts, published in 1932. It is a work that mixes psychological realism with mysticism and magic, set in the south of England during the First World War.

The protagonist is Felicity Taverner, a young aristocrat who lives in a mansion called Westcombe with her father, stepmother and half-siblings. Felicity has a rebellious and dreamy personality, which leads her to become interested in the occult and nature. Her life changes when she meets a mysterious man named Julian Le Mesurier, who reveals to her that he is an initiate in an ancient secret order that seeks to restore the balance between the visible and invisible world.

Felicity falls in love with Julian and joins his group, which performs rituals and ceremonies at sacred sites. However, their relationship is threatened by the war that draws ever closer to home. In addition, Felicity has to deal with the hostility of her family, who neither understand nor approve of her way of life. The novel culminates in a tragic ending that tests the faith and destiny of the characters.

The Death of Felicity Taverner is a work that reflects the concerns and influences of Mary Butts, an author who was considered one of the most original and avant-garde of her time. Butts was inspired by her own experience as a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an esoteric society that practiced ceremonial magic. She also drew on her knowledge of British history and mythology, as well as her love of the rural landscape.

The novel is an example of Butts’ poetic and symbolic style, which combines detailed description with lyricism and allusion. The work explores themes such as the conflict between tradition and modernity, the role of women in society, the search for identity and the meaning of life, and the relationship between the natural and the supernatural.

The Death of Felicity Taverner is a novel that deserves to be rediscovered by today’s readers, as it offers a unique and fascinating insight into a turbulent era and an exceptional writer.