This story was built starting with the end and twisted inside out…
When do you decide it’s better to blend in than to stand out? When does a dysfunctional family fight for self-preservation? When does erasing the past feel like the way to the future? When do your own perceived failures become an obsession? When do you see your children for who they are, not how you wish they were? When do you admit that your past shaped you in ways you don’t want to acknowledge? When?
Disclaimer: I read this book as part of a reading challenge to read a book to film adaptation. Made into a movie in 1964, this one caught my eye. However, after I finished it, I found it wasn’t on the list…
“Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her.
Put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well.”
“Always there’s a voice that says it’s not true, people are good, kind, reasonable, loving, all this is just a dream…” (Loc 2921)
Essentially a narrative. One voice, that of Mrs. Armitage. Dialogue, slowly moves the storyline. Set in England. Too many children. The Tower. Postpartum depression. Sexuality. Challenges women’s role in society.
The trailer for the movie looks a lot more exciting than the book, which I found was a bit boring.
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“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” - or in Laura’s case the needs of one…
“I have never met a man who at any time wanted to be a woman. I have met few women who have not at some time or other wanted to be men.” (194)
“…it was all ultimately her fault, that her own actions had initiated a cascade of tragedies.” (338)
“Her future was in her hands, a book yet to be written. How she chose to fill its pages was entirely up to her.” (340)
How does one become a pioneer? Do they set out, consciously, to be remarkable? Do they seek out others to join the good fight? What if what you thought was right becomes too heavy to bear? How do you reconcile all the moving parts? Who suffers? Who survives?
1913. The New Woman. Pioneers fighting for women’s rights. Sounds familiar, like today’s politics. Finding a path that allows you to stay true to ones-self and pave the way for others to follow. Challenging gender roles and bias. Balance.
The New York Public Library building was as much a character in this novel as the human characters. Slowly giving up its secrets. Parallel storylines. Great twist.
“I would prefer not to.” (7)
How can the decisions of a few individuals affect so many lives? How can one person shape human thought? Challenge human decency? Stay true to their moral code to make a difference? What sacrifices would we make if we were called upon to act?
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a huge sci-fi fan. The last sci-fi books I read were Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game” and “Ender’s Shadow.” However, I do love a good story with strong characters. The two “Ender” books were great. “Holdout” was just as gripping.
The International Space Station, a Navy pilot, the Amazon jungle, the Russians. Throw in some political nonsense and you had me hooked from the get go. I was pulling for a “happily-ever-after-ending.” But if the dead mouse was any indication…I would prefer not to finish the book, to avoid being disappointed.
Love me some Ellison, Anarchy, and murder. What’s not to love? BUT, why do I feel like this was a segue to the next novel in the series? Too many loose ends…
Barton Springs, Austin, Texas.
How do you define family? Would you protect your family at any and all costs? What about your children? When do you turn a blind eye? When do you examine their words and actions, and see them for the people they are? How, in all this chaos, do you find happiness? Peace? Calm? When might your self-care work against the people you fight the hardest to protect? How will our stories define us in the future? Will the family we fought for remain intact? What will we lose in that fight? Family.
“And just as it is the nature of men and women to build, it is also in our nature to begin again after disaster.” (288)
April 18, 1906. Three womens’ lives turned upside down by one man, and all I can think about is when is the earthquake going to hit? Of course the earthquake does hit and becomes a character that moves the storyline. Lies. Deception. Greed. The fine line of right and wrong crossed again and again. Although the earthquake could have been the equalizer, it becomes the catalyst - the basis to begin again. To embrace family. To find justice. To rebuild.
