TheCompanyOfWomen

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

Aaaaaand she‘s just a little morbid. Yup, I‘m definitely more Linda than I am Felicitas.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

This kid doesn‘t miss anything. I love her!!!
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

What a perceptive child.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

I audibly gasped when I read this!!! @Centique for a highly traditional man (this guy still insists the mass must be in Latin for Pete sake) this is absolutely EARTH SHATTERING!!! Cyprian has been reformed. This book almost isn‘t really about Felicitas (well, obviously it is on the surface), but underneath the obvious, it‘s about the evolution of Cyprian/Philip.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife
Sorry, I far prefer the name Philip.

Centique I thought this was a great realisation/change but I didn‘t realise how massive it was from the Catholic pov. That‘s really fascinating. Cyp‘s character has gone through a greater transformation than Felicitas! 😍 4y

GingerAntics @Centique oh lord, there are adult catholics now that would have your head for every suggesting a woman could ever be a priest. These would be folks Linda‘s age, even younger. From the catholic POV it‘s damn near heresy. Hell, even the thought that a priest could be married is just a very tiny step down from the sacrilege of this statement. 4y

GingerAntics @Centique You could have told me after the first chapter that he‘s say this at the end of the book and I never would have believed you for a second. I would have thought you were messing with me. 😂 4y

Centique @GingerAntics 😂😂 4y

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

@Centique HE KNEW!!! HE ALWAYS KNEW!!! He saw exactly what she was doing. He knew exactly why she was the way she was. He felt is human weakness that made him allow her to continue on. It‘s kind of sad that even Cyp doesn‘t really like her company, doesn‘t really feel like she belongs to the group. Maybe if she wasn‘t such a stuck up jerk to everyone. “The child” has a name buttercup.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

GingerAntics I mentally gasped when I read this. 4y

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

😢😢😢
I‘m keeping my fingers crossed that in the final chapter here, Cyp doesn‘t die. I‘m not sure I could handle it at this point.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

@Centique he seems to still struggle from time to time with this long held belief that these women “who have nowhere else to go” are somehow less than, but I think it‘s their love for him, and him realising his love for them sustains him, that pulls him away from that.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

This chapter became truly beautiful.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

@Centique I think when he lost Frank, he felt he wasn‘t allowed to grieve, and this hurt him greatly. I think he channeled everything into Felicitas, and that made him feel guilty. I think he‘s finally realised he still gets to be human.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

Centique I like that take on it. His grief for Frank diverted. That makes a lot of sense and makes me a lot more sympathetic towards him. 4y

GingerAntics @Centique yes, this was the point at which I started liking him again. 4y

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GingerAntics

The Company of Women: A Novel | Mary Gordon

@Centique this is where you had the benefit of the rest of the book. He did see the women as not as good or less than, but I don‘t think he does anymore. Old Cyp is the best Cyp.
#MaryGordon #TheCompanyOfWomen #readingmylife

Centique Ah that‘s where it came from. Old Cyp is definitely the best Cyp. 4y

GingerAntics @Centique yes, you definitely got that directly from the book. Wow this book was a mental trip. 4y

Centique @GingerAntics wasn‘t it just? That insight about Cyp diverting his grief onto Felicitas has helped. I was so disappointed that F ended up back in the circle of women following Cyp around - even though I did appreciate that she learnt to value the women and not see their lives and their sacrifices as small. I wanted some kind of independence and achievement for F. I guess she got that in the end, just not as overtly as I‘d thought/hoped she would. 4y

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GingerAntics @Centique I definitely think that after Cyp dies, Muriel will be in pieces and I‘m not sure anyone will pick her up, but I think they will all then gather around her. She‘ll be the new leader. I think if Muriel has any hope of comfort after Cyp‘s death, it‘s going to be F and Linda. 4y

GingerAntics @Centique the more I think about it, the beginning and the end mirror each other. The second chapter was Cyp‘s and the second to last chapter was Cyp‘s. Those two chapters together make you like him and forgive/understand what‘s in between. (edited) 4y

Centique @GingerAntics yes it has this circular feel to it - almost like Felicitas gets a do-over of her mother‘s life and makes some changes. And I guess Cyp gets a do-over with Linda and will do better too. I like your take on what will happen to Muriel. 4y

GingerAntics @Centique I hadn‘t thought of Linda as F and Cyp‘s do over, but that‘s exactly what she is, really. I‘d still love to be a fly on the wall when Linda hunts down Robert and Richard one day. 🤣😂🤣 4y

GingerAntics @Centique I was so sad when Cyp said he didn‘t even like her company. She thinks he‘s the only one who likes her, but in the end he was just being nice so he didn‘t have to be alone. I kind of feel bad for her, sort of. 4y

Centique @GingerAntics I‘d like to be a fly on the wall too! Yes I do feel sorry for Muriel 😕 4y

GingerAntics @Centique is anyone else wondering why no one came looking (or at least asking) after the dogs?! That really made me lose a lot of respect for Richard. He leaves his apartment one day and the dogs are there. He comes home and they‘re not there, neither is the girl he‘s so infatuated with, and he just shrugs and goes on with life? Seriously?! What about the stuff she was in the middle of writing for the paper? 4y

GingerAntics @Centique I still don‘t particularly like Muriel. She‘s a good old fashioned stick in the mud. I do feel bad for her and I don‘t want her to suffer when Cyp dies, but I fear there may be no way around it. Still shocked that Cyp knew all long that she was in love with him. 🤯 4y

Centique Yes! I‘m unimpressed that Richard does nothing. Can‘t even report a missing person or something? 🙄 I know someone a bit like Muriel. I feel sorry for her and try and be her friend but she can be insufferably righteous and arrogant. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y

GingerAntics @Centique I thought Richard was a better man than Robert, until then. They‘re more alike that I thought. That‘s a perfect way to describe Muriel. The other women tried and continue to try with her, but there is only so much they were going to take before it was just like “well, you‘re here. We‘ll be pleasant, but you‘ve gotta give us something to work with beyond that.” 4y

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