Random Harvest
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| Random Harvest | |
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| Author | James Hilton |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical, War, Novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Publication date | December 1941 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-333-02681-0 (hardback edition) |
Random Harvest is a historical fiction novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips, the novel was immensely popular, placing second on The New York Times list of bestselling novels for the year.
The novel was successfully adapted into a film of the same name in 1942 under the direction of Mervyn LeRoy. Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis adapted the novel for the screen, and received an Academy Award nomination for their work. Though the film departs from the novel's narrative in several significant ways, the novel would have proved nearly impossible to transfer to film otherwise.
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[edit] Plot summary
The novel bounces back and forth between Smithy and Paula's time and Mrs. & Mrs. Charles Rainier's time, unlike the film which is shot in a linear timeline. It opens with Charles, years after his memory has been restored. There is much more detail about the "lost years," and there is a major character that does not appear in the movie (Charles' young assistant). The book is prefaced with this quote: "According to a British Official report, bombs fell at Random." The novel starts in 1937, and is narrated by Charles Rainier's secretary, Mr. Harrison. Charles and Mrs. Rainier ("Helen" in the novel) reside at Stourton, their country manor, where she is the perfect hostess, and a young man named Woburn has been hired to catalogue the family library. One night Charles and Harrison are up late and Charles relates his story from the time he woke up in Liverpool in 1919, having lost two years of his life.
Charles' tale is told in the third person, and relates his return to Staunton, where he learns his father is gravely ill. Told by the doctor that the shock of his return could be fatal to his father, Charles decides to leave his home to lessen the risk to his father, despite the fact that the family lawyer insists on telling the senior Mr. Rainier so he can change his will back and include Charles, who had been assumed dead. Shortly afterwards, Charles receives word that his father has died and returns home. The family gathers to pay their last respects, and included is 14-year old Kitty, stepdaughter of Charles' elder sister Jill.
Prompted by the family lawyer, each of the Rainier heirs agrees to give up a portion of their inheritance to Charles, so he may have an equal share. Some do it willingly. Charles, wanting nothing to do with the family business, convinces his lawyer to sell his shares in the company and invest them in government securities. Then he goes off to Cambridge to enjoy a life as a scholar, living off his meager dividends. Under the poor leadership of Charles' older brother Chet, Rainier shares dwindle in worth until Charles has to take control of the company to save it from bankruptcy. He takes a leave from college and throws himself into work. Years pass. Kitty grows up, and Charles never gets back to college. He has saved the family fortune, but at the price of his own dreams. He and Kitty become engaged. But before their wedding, Charles gets a note from Kitty breaking off the engagement, and telling him she is going abroad.
Harrison takes over as narrator again, and relates Charles' tale of throwing himself into work even more after Kitty left. (Kitty marries in Egypt, where she dies shortly thereafter.) War is on the horizon, and Harrison and Rainier spend time together going to music halls and working. On a lark they go see an old-fashioned vaudeville show, and something about it sparks a vague memory in Charles. He starts to remember things, including being in a hospital in Melbury. He and Harrison drive there, where he finds the asylum he was in during the final days of World War I.
The book now picks up Charles’ life in the hospital, where he is suffering from memory loss. He is walking in the foggy grounds of the hospital when sirens and church bells start to go off. The war has ended. So he walks away from the hospital while the gatekeepers are celebrating. He goes into Melbury, and enters a tobacconist's shop. The shopkeeper recognizes he is from the asylum and goes to report him, but another shopper -- a young woman -- rescues him and they leave the shop. Feeling poorly, "Smith" is helped by Paula to the Owl hotel, where she is staying. He becomes ill and she ministers to him. He recovers and takes on odd jobs at the hotel, under the watchful eye of the owner, Biff, who Paula has convinced to protect Smithy from being returned to the hospital. Eventually the hospital finds out he is at the Owl. Paula sends him away in time to the country. A week or so later he goes to a vaudeville show, and is spotted in the audience by Paula, who is performing. She arranges a job with the traveling troupe of actors. Paula and Smithy become close during this period. Smith even does some performing. Rushing to the theater one night he gets into a fight with a man in the street. Panicked by that and his fear of performing on stage, Smith leaves the troupe and travels to a small village named Beachings Over. Paula tracks him down. They decide to stay in the small village. When they read in the newspaper about his fight and that the authorities are looking for him, Paula and Smithy move to London, where they are befriended by a kindly parson. Smith and Paula marry and Smith starts to help the parson in his work. The parson knows the editor of a newspaper in Liverpool, and has sent some of Smith's writings to him. Impressed, the editor asks Smith to come and talk with him. Smith arrives in Liverpool, but slips whilst crossing the street in the rain.
Harrison picks up the thread again, as Charles fills him in on the details of the missing years. Charles is now a member of Parliament, but becomes more interested in piecing together his lost years than anything. Harrison helps him, finding out that the parson died in Liverpool shortly after Smith disappeared. Of Paula, there is no trace. Charles goes off to search and Harrison returns to the Rainier home, where he encounters Mrs. Rainier. He outlines what has taken place. She asks Harrison to take her for a drive, to get away from the news of impending war. They wind up in Beachings Over and spot Charles' car. Mrs. Rainier and Harrison find Charles up on a hillside. Mrs. Rainier goes to him, a few words are spoken and readers realize Mrs. Rainier and Paula are the same woman.
The major difference between the book and the film versions is that the reader does not realize that "Mrs. Rainier" and "Paula" are the same woman until the very last page of the book. Of course it could not have been filmed that way, since the actress playing Paula would have to be seen as Mrs. Rainier as well.
[edit] Characters in "Random Harvest"
- Charles Rainier
- Paula Ridgeway
- Dr. Jonathan Benet
- Kitty Chilcet
- Dr. Sims
- Biffer
- Harrison
- Sam
- Sheldon
- Mrs. Deventer
- Chetwynd Rainier
- George Rainier
- Julian Rainier
- Lydia Rainier
[edit] Major themes
Though set during the immediate aftermath of World War I, the novel featured the timely subjects of CRS, or "shellshock." World War II, which was being fought as the novel was written, provided an extensive case study for the condition.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel was made into a film in 1942, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis adapted the novel for the screen. The film starred Ronald Colman and Greer Garson in the lead roles.
Colman and Garson reprised their roles in a radio version on the Lux Radio Theatre, airing December 13, 1943.
Takarazuka Revue, an all-female opera company in Japan, adopted the novel into musical play in 1992, starring Mira Anju.
