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Herself Surprised
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Herself Surprised

novel by Cary
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Article History

Herself Surprised, first novel of an acclaimed trilogy by Joyce Cary, first published in 1941 and followed by To Be a Pilgrim (1942) and The Horse’s Mouth (1944). Herself Surprised is narrated by its protagonist, Sara Monday. A passionate woman, Sara is emotionally involved with three men: her husband, Matthew, who dies; Tom Wilcher, the archtraditionalist protagonist of To Be a Pilgrim, who is in love with her; and the artist Gulley Jimson (protagonist of The Horse’s Mouth).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.