Eljay
“But we ask in vain if we fail to look beyond the surface — if we forget that beneath each surface lurks another realm, in which a caged mind whirls alone. It is, perhaps, easier to dismiss a man whose face gives no indication of an inner life. And what a pity that is: a dash of curiosity is all it takes to stumble upon treasures we never expected.”
This book was a treasure I unexpectedly stumbled on out of curiosity.
A beautiful book, truly.
Rating: 4.5
“It was occurring to her in strange and swift seconds of vision that her communication with the world, that secret atmosphere that she was cultivating around herself like a darkness, was her final existence — beyond that border she herself was silent like a thing. And it was that final interior life that was carrying forth without lacuna the thread of her most elf-like existence in childhood. The rest would stretch out horribly new, had created itself as if out of itself — that body of hers now and its
habits. And that religion was so little rich and potent that it didn't have ritual — its greatest gesture would exhaust itself in a quick and unnoticed glance, full of “I know, I know,” of a promise of fidelity and of mutual support in a closed and almost evil union; united and simple, no movement would symbolize it, it was the accepted mystery. Really however she didn't know what was happening to her and her only way of knowing it was living it.”
An increadible introduction to Clarice Lispector. I will be thinking of this one the rest of this week...
“When you were born, you didn't enter my world: I entered yours. I crawled through the small door that had appeared in the wall and there you were, oh my God, perfect.”
I am hugging my boy extra tighter tonight 🤍 I just got reminded my time with him is so limited, I will cherish every moment 🥹
This book may seem ordinary but it encapsulates what women go through when we transition to motherhood. The physical work is the easiest. It's everything else that is hard..
This book is phenomenal 🩵
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this. The storytelling in three different parts are so different and is probably also telling of the time period it was meant to be depicting. I was torn between feeling bad about Cecilia and Turner and disliking Briony, to feeling bad about them all. She was a child and she made a mistake that literally costed Turner's freedom and future. But she also tried to make amends when she realised it. She lacked the effort the first few years but I don't know I just felt bad for all of them. I always felt Paul Marshall was a snake but yeah, not surprised about that to be honest. Also not as surprised that Lola ended up marrying him. She was a child too after all.
So immersive and atmospheric that I forget I am reading at times. The writing was easy to digest, it was as if I was there witnessing it all happen with my own eyes.
This book was about the two sisters but I feel like we really get to know Peggy more. Despite it having a dual POV, I was able to distinguish Peggy's voice from Meg. And as Peggy grows older, her voice grows older, too. And at times you even yearn and long for the old days that Peggy reminisces about.
I really liked Peggy, I think I got really attached to her. This one might be something I will be coming back to every now and again in the future. It's such a touching story about Peggy's love for Molly, even sacrificing her own happiness because Molly's safety is her happiness.
