Monsieur de Brillancourt

In both its setting-Ardeche, a remote region in the south of France-and its uncontrived narrative style, Harkness's first novel to be published in this country is gently reminiscent of Rumer Godden's The Greengage Summer. Monsieur de Brillancourt, a lifelong bachelor, has passed his years in pursuits both homely and scholarly-a tranquil existence which is shattered one summer when he rents part of his chateau to Elizabeth Hardcastle and her three children. De Brillancourt falls deeply in love with the young (and happily married) Englishwoman and, determined to maximize the few weeks he has with her, embarks on a delightfully exuberant spree, throwing his first-ever party, buying a showy sports car and spending a memorable, exquisitely evoked afternoon with Elizabeth and her children on a thyme-covered hillside. The novel is more, however, than just a whimsical love story: beneath its sparkling surface lies a thoughtful exploration of the split between subjective reality and outward appearances, whether it's the antic misperceptions of de Brillancourt's family (giving rise to an amiably slapstick subplot) or ultimately-in the story's bittersweet ending-the difference between the protagonist's blissful inner state and his apparent decrepitude. A haunting tale of thwarted love and nearly missed opportunities. (Feb.)