The Seasons’ Difference (1952)
Book Description
Reports of Peter Cowley’s divine vision on a hill nearby their house quickly becomes a cause of great concern and consternation for Sara and Samuel Dunn. Their regret over inviting Cousin Cowley to operate a summer school at their country mansion increases even further when he proposes an attempt to recreate the experience in the same location. Sara, a sophisticated sculptress, and Samuel, a wealthy dilettante, try to allay the fears of their guests, but are thwarted in their attempts to smooth things over by the presence of Cowley’s mentor, an ageing and overly-enthusiastic minister whose belief in his mentee’s vision is absolute.
Though often forgotten by their elders, the summer school children are quite aware of the conflict, confusion, and uncertainty with which the adults are grappling. At their centre are ‘the Uglies’, Harry and Rufus, two older boys struggling with adolescence, increasing self-awareness, and a precocious desire to be noticed. Led by ‘the Uglies’, and with the help of Sara’s beautiful model, Mollie Purdue, the children plan and execute a prank on the adults that has unintended consequences: a moment of crisis for Cowley, his mentor, his hosts, and their friends, and a tragedy in a tree house.
Reviews
“The Seasons' Difference is a suave and urbane comedy about several immense abstractions—faith, innocence, loneliness, and love.”
— Orville Prescott, New York Times Book Review
“A brilliant book.”
— Francis Bickley, Punch
"In this clever novel, the recesses of the sane and unbelieving mind are probed and found wanting." — Katherine S. Rosin, Book-of-the-Month Club
“To skip over The Seasons' Difference would be to miss so much that is vintage Buechner: the longing and the near-misses, the hints of a heavenly explanation and the harsh reminders of earthly realities, and the near saint set beside the bumbling fool - both in the same character.”
— W. Dale Brown, The Book of Buechner
“One of the most distinguished novels that has recently come out of America.”
— Tangye Lean, The Spectator
“It is not too much to say that among America’s current novelists his abilities are the most obvious and his ultimate place is with the best we have produced”
— Caspar Weinberger, San Francisco Chronicle
“The poised ambiguity of faith and doubt in complex mixture becomes one of Buechner's first and most enduring theological themes, his calling card for years to come.”
— W. Dale Brown, The Book of Buechner
