The Glimpses of the Moon

In Short

This novel explores the precarious intersection of romance and mercenary survival among the nomadic, moneyed elite of the early 20th century. When Susy and Nick Lansing marry, they bank on their charm to secure free villas and travel, treating their union as a pragmatic business arrangement. As their resources dwindle and their independence is threatened, the couple faces the corrosive impact of compromise and social debt. It remains a sharp, enduring study of how comfort and status can hollow out the most spirited of intentions.

The Story

Susy and Nick Lansing begin their marriage with a daring experiment: they will live exclusively on the hospitality of their friends, moving from one borrowed villa to another. They are young, handsome, and part of a rootless international circle that treats Europe as their playground. Their honeymoon at a borrowed lakefront villa is idyllic, but as the months pass, the reality of their lack of funds begins to fracture their bond. Nick, an aspiring writer, finds himself increasingly uncomfortable with the social maneuvering and "underhand services" Susy employs to keep them afloat.

The tension comes to a head when their friends arrive and the couple is forced to navigate the social expectations that threaten their private happiness. Nick, feeling his autonomy slipping away, grows resentful of Susy’s growing dependence on their wealthy acquaintances, particularly the nobleman Strefford. Convinced that their marriage is a mistake and that he is effectively holding Susy back from a more secure life, Nick abandons her to seek a future elsewhere, eventually drifting toward the orbit of Coral Hicks, a wealthy young woman whose simple sincerity contrasts sharply with his former life.

Susy, left behind to face the fallout of their debts and social failures, is forced to confront the wreckage of her choices. She eventually finds herself in a position of unexpected responsibility, caring for a family of children in a modest house in Passy. The isolation and struggle serve as a crucible, stripping away the artificiality of her past existence. While she contemplates a secure, loveless future with Strefford—who has come into his own inheritance—she is haunted by the memory of Nick.

The narrative reaches its resolution when the two are inevitably drawn back together. The pride that kept them apart begins to dissolve as they recognize that their shared history and mutual need are the only things that truly last. Their reunion is not a return to the carefree, parasitic romance of their honeymoon, but a sober, mature acceptance of their connection. In the final, quiet moments of the book, they acknowledge that the "moonlight" of their early, shallow happiness has given way to a more complex, enduring reality, as they commit to a life together that is no longer dependent on the whims of their social circle.

How It Unfolds

The honeymoon begins The couple settles into a borrowed Italian villa, savoring their freedom and their status as outsiders in a world of inherited wealth. They toast to their ability to live without cost, viewing their reliance on friends as a clever, sophisticated strategy.

The shift in perspective As their time in the villa expires, the necessity of securing their next location forces them to confront the reality of their precarious position. Nick begins to chafe at the need to constantly entertain and please their benefactors, while Susy remains a master of the social dance.

The collapse of the arrangement The arrival of their social group in Venice triggers a crisis of conscience for Nick, who retreats from their communal life. He writes a letter to Susy ending their marriage, convinced that she is better suited for a life of luxury with someone who can provide it.

The search for purpose Susy finds herself living a quiet, arduous life in a small house, far removed from the glittering salons of her past. She discovers that despite the hardship, she is no longer the ghost she felt like in the world of the wealthy.

The final reconciliation Nick, having failed to find peace in his escape, encounters Susy once more. Their pride falls away, and they accept that they belong together, finally ready to build a life that is truly their own.

The People

Susy Lansing is the architect of the couple's nomadic life, possessed of a quick wit and an uncanny ability to navigate social hierarchies. She views their marriage as a gamble, yet she is genuinely committed to Nick, often compromising her own values to protect his comfort. Her arc takes her from a clever socialite to a woman forced to find her own strength outside the shadow of her friends.

Nick Lansing begins as a man who values freedom and intellectual integrity, yet he is easily swayed by the allure of ease. He wants to believe he is above the "marionettes" of their social set, but he struggles with the hypocrisy of living off their generosity. By the end, his journey from resentment to humility allows him to finally see Susy as an equal.

Strefford is the wealthy, somewhat detached friend whose influence hangs over the couple. He represents the "rooted and stable" life that Susy and Nick lack, though he remains trapped by his own privileges and the expectations of his position. He serves as a mirror for the life Susy almost chooses—one of comfort, status, and emotional numbness.

In Its Own Voice

"It required a total lack of humour, or as great a gift for it as ours, to risk the experiment," Susy Lansing opined, as they hung over the inevitable marble balustrade and watched their tutelary orb roll its magic carpet across the waters to their feet.

(Susy reflects on the irony of their decision to begin their marriage in a borrowed villa.)

“The old darlings--all the same!”

(Susy attempts to mirror Nick's feelings toward their friends, signaling the moment their relationship begins to falter.)

“Habits--they outstand the Pyramids.”

(Strefford explains to Susy why their pursuit of luxury and ease is a force far more powerful than their romantic idealism.)

What It's Really About

At its heart, this is a story about the corrosive nature of financial dependency within a marriage. It challenges the assumption that love can exist in a vacuum, isolated from the practicalities of money and social standing. The narrative argues that a life built on "borrowed" existence is fundamentally unstable, leading to a loss of the self. By stripping the protagonists of their easy comforts, the book asks whether a relationship can survive when the external scaffolding—the luxury and the social approval—is removed. It is a cynical yet ultimately tender examination of the struggle to maintain one's dignity when one has traded it for the convenience of the present.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the sharp, observant prose of the Gilded Age will find this work deeply satisfying. It captures the frantic, hollow energy of an international set that is always on the move, never quite at home anywhere. The atmosphere is thick with the scent of "stephanotis" and the quiet desperation of people who have everything except a foundation. The writing is precise and often biting, capturing the social codes of the era with a warmth that prevents the characters from becoming mere caricatures.

The book is not without its difficulties; the characters’ reliance on complex, often circular social maneuvering can feel alien to a modern reader, and the dialogue—steeped in the jargon of a vanished, ultra-wealthy elite—requires patience to decode. There is also a certain period-specific formality to their romantic struggles that might feel distant. However, the emotional core—the agonizing tension between wanting to be loved and needing to be secure—remains timeless. It is a poignant, cautionary tale about the weight of our habits and the difficulty of finding one’s way back to the truth after living a lie for too long. If you appreciate fiction that lingers on the quiet, devastating moments of a collapsing relationship, this will stay with you long after the final page.