The title somehow left me wanting more than what was given.
The book is about a couple whose lives are inexplicably intertwined throughout their lives in ways that as a reader we don't quite understand. We are sure that in his own guarded way he loves her. He is unfit for sex so they never have an affair. They are unfit as partners so he marries a suitable, docile, and other than mere introductions is never introduced again. She (the counterpart of the couple, not the barely mentioned wife) miiiiight love him, but we find out that maybe she was too traumatized by her own secrets to have loved him.
We are sure that their paths cross many times, by her design and love, I have come to doubt.
They are both so self-conscious, guarded, and secret laden that the entire six-hund-some-odd pages they can never address each other earnestly. They're too caught up in their characters they've made for each other out of irony, sarcasm, and wit to sincerely interact. Not to spoil it for any would-be readers (though I doubt I have any readers of my own, actually) but they finally give in and in the last 15- 20 pages they share ONE embrace and have one real, honest, and upfront interaction with each other.
The book is an approximately 60 year saga of the history of newfoundland. I don't know enough of the actual history of newfoundland to quite grasp what's a joke, what's the truth, and what is poetic license. But it did teach me a bit about the country, which I always like in a book. We get to read of unionizing attempts, extreme patriotism, and inner politics. Page upon page of scenery boasting bores me but that's just because I'm that type of reader/person.
Beyond the couple's oddsandends relationship and the history of newfoundland the novel is mostly about a man's embaressing ambition. He is often "whitewayed" (a term used in the book for someone scammed) and made to look the idiot. He makes a lot of bad decisions and in some ways has understandable good intentions. He somehow ends up the first premier of NF. (To be honest I still hardly know what a premier is. I do know he is voted into place and heads the country even if it is just a province of Canada). From there he makes and takes a lot of money and.... That's sort of it. I feel like he never redeemed himself. He started out and remained a physically and otherwise small man that wasn't able to understand the people around him, make any imprint on their lives, or help anyone. He died unable to speak or see. Surprise surprise. I was waiting for the moment when he would emerge the big man, the hero with a sturdy chest, and champion something, anything. It's the idealist in me, the one that always wants a fairytale.
I secretly hope they made a canadian movie from the book so that way they'll bastardize it and make it about some ruggedly handsome scruffy man fighting for his ideals while his life is woven with love. His soulmate, tortured by both her past and her love for him, dances in and out. They share extremely passionate scenes of heartbreak. I spend 75% of the movie aching for them to see the truth and allow themselves to give in and be happy. When they are old and decrepit they finally see the follies of their ways and have nights of heartbreaking, its-too-late-now type of passion (Love in the time of Cholera style) . As watchers we cry over their lives wasted and the love not lost but carried on against all odds. A happy ending. That would be the much better version of it.
(Before I finish, let me iterate that I didn't DISLIKE the book, really. As it was unfolding I thought it was rather interesting. I was just let down and disappointed by the time it was over.)
The book is about a couple whose lives are inexplicably intertwined throughout their lives in ways that as a reader we don't quite understand. We are sure that in his own guarded way he loves her. He is unfit for sex so they never have an affair. They are unfit as partners so he marries a suitable, docile, and other than mere introductions is never introduced again. She (the counterpart of the couple, not the barely mentioned wife) miiiiight love him, but we find out that maybe she was too traumatized by her own secrets to have loved him.
We are sure that their paths cross many times, by her design and love, I have come to doubt.
They are both so self-conscious, guarded, and secret laden that the entire six-hund-some-odd pages they can never address each other earnestly. They're too caught up in their characters they've made for each other out of irony, sarcasm, and wit to sincerely interact. Not to spoil it for any would-be readers (though I doubt I have any readers of my own, actually) but they finally give in and in the last 15- 20 pages they share ONE embrace and have one real, honest, and upfront interaction with each other.
The book is an approximately 60 year saga of the history of newfoundland. I don't know enough of the actual history of newfoundland to quite grasp what's a joke, what's the truth, and what is poetic license. But it did teach me a bit about the country, which I always like in a book. We get to read of unionizing attempts, extreme patriotism, and inner politics. Page upon page of scenery boasting bores me but that's just because I'm that type of reader/person.
Beyond the couple's oddsandends relationship and the history of newfoundland the novel is mostly about a man's embaressing ambition. He is often "whitewayed" (a term used in the book for someone scammed) and made to look the idiot. He makes a lot of bad decisions and in some ways has understandable good intentions. He somehow ends up the first premier of NF. (To be honest I still hardly know what a premier is. I do know he is voted into place and heads the country even if it is just a province of Canada). From there he makes and takes a lot of money and.... That's sort of it. I feel like he never redeemed himself. He started out and remained a physically and otherwise small man that wasn't able to understand the people around him, make any imprint on their lives, or help anyone. He died unable to speak or see. Surprise surprise. I was waiting for the moment when he would emerge the big man, the hero with a sturdy chest, and champion something, anything. It's the idealist in me, the one that always wants a fairytale.
I secretly hope they made a canadian movie from the book so that way they'll bastardize it and make it about some ruggedly handsome scruffy man fighting for his ideals while his life is woven with love. His soulmate, tortured by both her past and her love for him, dances in and out. They share extremely passionate scenes of heartbreak. I spend 75% of the movie aching for them to see the truth and allow themselves to give in and be happy. When they are old and decrepit they finally see the follies of their ways and have nights of heartbreaking, its-too-late-now type of passion (Love in the time of Cholera style) . As watchers we cry over their lives wasted and the love not lost but carried on against all odds. A happy ending. That would be the much better version of it.
(Before I finish, let me iterate that I didn't DISLIKE the book, really. As it was unfolding I thought it was rather interesting. I was just let down and disappointed by the time it was over.)
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