Tuesday 25 August 2009

Persephone Update 4


And another!

h j elliot, a future blogger, sent me a link to her review of Every Eye by Isobel English and I hope she won't mind if I actually feature it as a guest review:

This is a gem of a book. The story of a woman on her belated honeymoon. From this start, we glean knowledge of her childhood and young womanhood in flashbacks. Her observations stunning and descriptions marvelously vivid. We are there, traveling in the train with her, arriving in Paris, Barcelona, Ibiza, slightly disheveled and trying to recall the language. The relationships and outlook, honest:
"...at least we had the barren fields of our incompatibility between us, which made us better than strangers."
"Quite soon the day is over, and we have fashioned it from its grey beginning into something iridescent and unique."


Another one for the wishlist! This week is adding exponentially to my wishlist and to my immediate reading list ... not that I am complaining, much.

Many thanks to h j elliot for the insight into what looks like another delightful Persephone.

6 comments:

verity said...

Brilliant. I have that lined up for Thursday!

Paperback Reader said...

Perfect timing!

Did you see my update about Hetty Dorval? I really want to read it now!

verity said...

Yes - text me if you'd like me to bring it tomorrow? It's another skinny one and, just tidying up, I noticed that it is the only one of mine that doesn't have the logo on the spine!

Paperback Reader said...

Yes, The Victorian Chaise-longue is the same so it's obviously a width issue. Really looking forward to Hetty Dorval. I knew there would be one book that tempted me so much this week that I had to read it then and there (like The Crowded Street did) - just as well you have a copy!

Unknown said...

I am rereading Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy. I have read it before but rather a long time ago. She , Amy Levy committed suicide at twenty seven years old so her corpus is small. She is however a very insightful writer. She explores the question of gender from the Jewish perspective and comments, through the book, on the double standards of the Jew/gentile question. I have not finished it yet so will give a fuller comment when I have. I so wish I had more time. loving all the aomments

Paperback Reader said...

Mardi, Reubens Sachs sounds fascinating and I had no idea about Amy Levy's tragic history. I am looking forward to your further comments.