@daena on Litsy

daena

Thirsty Mermaids | Kat Leyh

Getting those last minute year end reading goals in 🖤🧜‍♀️

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daena

Olga | Bernhard Schlink

It‘s been a minute since I‘ve been able to engage in any sort of pleasure reading due to classes, research, and work. This novel is providing the perfect escape while I catch my breath between semesters. I remember reading The Reader many years ago, and I‘m reminded again how beautiful Schlink‘s writing is. It‘s also so refreshing to catch up on Litsy again. I‘ve missed it here 🖤

LeahBergen Hello, again! 👋🏻 5mo

BarbaraBB Good to have you back! 5mo

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daena

Agatha of Little Neon: A Novel | Claire Luchette

“But here is something I know now, something I did not have the words for back then: straight is a myth. Any seemingly curveless length of graphite or ink will, upon closer inspection, reveal itself to be uneven…Draw a line between the events of your life. Look at any of these up close, and you‘ll see what I mean. On earth, a line is just a bunch of bumps. There‘s no such thing as straight.”

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daena

Agatha of Little Neon: A Novel | Claire Luchette

Early morning pleasure read 🖤

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daena

The Go-Between | L.P. Hartley

Saturday night drink and a book. About 127 pages in and I‘m totally hooked. #nyrbbookclub

vivastory The part where he's rooting for it to get to 100 degrees 😬 10mo

Leftcoastzen @vivastory I can‘t believe anyone would root for that says the unhappy Desert dweller ! Tho we have monsoon rain so it‘s been in the 80s for a high for 2 days !😄 10mo

vivastory @Leftcoastzen That's a nice break for you! It was over 100 here today & I don't think it's going to be much cooler over the next week. 10mo

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Leftcoastzen @vivastory OMG! You‘re in KC right ? The humidity! I spent summers on grandparents farm in Mo. we took siesta midday cuz it‘s plenty hot just regular temperatures. 10mo

daena @vivastory we hit 110 with the heat index today, absolutely brutal. 10mo

vivastory @Leftcoastzen Yeah, I'm in KC. The weather can definitely be draining for sure 10mo

vivastory @daena I can't wait for fall! 10mo

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daena

Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid

After embarking on a massive move across multiple states with 4 kids and a dog in order to pursue my doctorate, I‘m spent. I want to read before classes begin, but I‘m finding it hard to focus on anything that doesn‘t involve unpacking endless boxes. Hoping this book will serve to distract me and allow me to unwind 🖤

Suet624 Good Lord! That‘s a lot! You MUST be tired. (edited) 10mo

sprainedbrain Oh that‘s so much. Hang in there! ❤️ 10mo

Jensol77 Try audio. 10mo

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daena

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch: A Novel | Rivka Galchen

Book mail! 🖤

BarbaraBB Looking forward to this one! 11mo

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daena

Mary Jane | Jessica Anya Blau

Library hold is in! Really excited for this one, as I am in need of a light escape. #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy #dobby

CaffeineAndCandy ❤️ the bookmark 11mo

Nute Nice bookmark! 11mo

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daena

Plantopedia: The Definitive Guide to Houseplants | Lauren Camilleri, Sophia Kaplan

Along with my love of collecting books, vinyl, yarn, and tarot decks...plants are my jam. This book is the raddest and is absolutely gorgeous. It feeds all the weaknesses I have to fill my entire house with plants and build my own personal jungle hideaway.🖤🪴

Soubhiville That‘s a gorgeous looking book! 12mo

mklong Oooh 😍 12mo

Nute I could be down with a personal jungle hideaway!😃 Your plants look happy and healthy! 11mo

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daena

How to Order the Universe | Mar�a Jos� Ferrada

Library book haul 🖤

Liz_M Nice rainbow stack! 12mo

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daena

The Divines | Ellie Eaton

T-minus 3 more days of virtual school with 4 kids....I can do this! Some quality outdoor time now with my latest library book and my boy. #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy #dobby

Bookwormjillk Oh man, 4 kids. You are a saint. 12mo

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daena

During the Reign of the Queen of Persia | Joan Chase

“Well, I never will understand what all the fuss is about anyway,” Aunt Rachel says. “Seems to me anybody that can read can cook.” 🤣😂 #nyrbbookclub

Tamra I just said the same to my family the other day. 😄 12mo

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daena

Night Sky with Exit Wounds | Ocean Vuong

The libraries are back and open for browsing!!!!! One of the selections from the huge stack I came home with.

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daena

During the Reign of the Queen of Persia | Joan Chase

A nice cuppa and book to de stress from virtual schooling the kiddos. We‘re almost done....at the homestretch!! #nyrbbookclub

vivastory I can't imagine how much extra stress this is. Good vibes your way! 12mo

Leftcoastzen I need to get started on this one ! 12mo

BarbaraBB I just started it too. 12mo

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daena

Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo

Time to knit and watch! #knittersoflitsy

Nute There is so much talent on Litsy! I like the color combination. Share a photo of the end result when finished!🙂 11mo

daena Thanks @Nute I really need to do that! 11mo

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daena

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

One of my favorite passages. #nyrbbookclub

vivastory, arubabookwoman

emilyhaldi 😯 13mo

vivastory @daena Yes, this passage really stood out for me as well! 13mo

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daena

The Warden | Anthony Trollope

Early morning reading while everyone is still sleeping. I‘m just about finished with my first Trollope and I have to say I quite like his style. So much so, that I purchased a copy of Barchester Towers to begin immediately after this.

LeahBergen These editions are so pretty! 13mo

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daena

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance | Hanif Abdurraqib

Book haul! Just few pages into Abdurraqib‘s latest and I am yet again captivated by his writing.

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daena

The Hearing Trumpet | Leonora Carrington

The Hearing Trumpet ends with a literal Ice Age. Ali Smith called the book “a work of massive optimism”. What did you think of the ending? Did you find it satisfying? #nyrbbookclub

vivastory

vivastory 🤔...my 25 year old self who spent literal hours at a surrealist exhibition at the Met wants to say absolutely, but if I'm honest I look for different elements in fiction now. I loved this reread, but I felt it went off the rails a bit too much at the end. 14mo

LeahBergen I admit to wearing a “WTF face” for the last 50 pages or so. 😆 14mo

Liz_M I liked the idea that if the old woman couldn't go to Lapland, Lapland will come to her. 14mo

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readordierachel I suppose there is something optimistic about an ice age. It's a pause rather than a complete destruction. There's the possibility of thaw. 14mo

Suet624 I'm with @Leahbergen. But I was laughing as I read the ending. For instance, I loved the idea that she ended up in Lapland. But I really had to set aside the idea that I had any idea as to how or why the ice age occurred. 14mo

vivastory @LeahBergen 😂 Totally understandable 14mo

vivastory @readordierachel I agree 14mo

readordierachel @Liz_M Oh yes, I forgot that! Loved that part 14mo

vivastory @Liz_M @Suet624 @readordierachel Although I had issues with the ending, the final sentence was perfect 14mo

BarbaraBB I am completely with @LeahBergen 🤷🏻‍♀️ 14mo

readordierachel @LeahBergen 😂😂 14mo

KVanRead @LeahBergen 😂😂😂💯!! @Liz_M I loved that idea! @readordierachel I think you‘re right. Also a clean slate, a new start. Patriarchy = dinosaurs 🦖 😂 @vivastory @Suet624 @BarbaraBB I really like the concept and loved the humor but the overall execution was too much trippyness for me. Again I think I‘d have loved it as a painting. Maybe works better for me in a medium that‘s non-linear? (edited) 14mo

GatheringBooks @readordierachel lovelovelove this: “There‘s the possibility of thaw.” 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 14mo

GatheringBooks I think it was the Afterword that made me appreciate the story‘s nuance and many layers. Without it, I would have simply relegated it as “trippy” as @KVanRead aptly terms it. :) 14mo

quietjenn It was for me and I do love the final line. I think my expectations of “this will be weird and I'm not going to get it“ ultimately helped me to feel free in the actual reading experience. 14mo

arubabookwoman There were so many surreal elements before the Ice Age, that it really didn't bother me--I.e.the massive worldwide earthquakes, Sephira flying out of the tower, Carmella's uranium mine, jumping into the cauldron of boiling water, etc, etc. I saw the Ice Age as the death that must come before rebirth. And the final thought that if the old woman can't go to Lapland, Lapland will come to her resonated, and provided an upbeat ending. 14mo

batsy What @arubabookwoman said! Something about that final line was so uplifting. But also the general spirit of the book was one of recognition of the many ways in which the world fails people, but to not be defeated by it...if that makes sense? I found the progression of events to be delightfully surprising. There was nothing predictable about any of it. 14mo

batsy @readordierachel That's beautifully put! 14mo

sisilia @LeahBergen Same here 😅 I rushed the last bit because I couldn‘t stand it anymore 14mo

Suet624 @batsy I so appreciate what you wrote here about the recognition of the many ways in which the world fails people, but not to be defeated by it. That's a great way to look at the book. 14mo

batsy @Suet624 Thanks, Sue! I am overfond of my doom and gloom and alienation novels but this one had a rousing sense of hope underlying it all, which is much needed 🙂 14mo

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daena

The Hearing Trumpet | Leonora Carrington

In the afterword Tokarczuk writes, “The Hearing Trumpet forthrightly introduces eccentricity into the feminist debate as a perspective that‘s a legitimate alternative to the patriarchal one”. Do you agree with her interpretation? #nyrbbookclub

vivastory

Billypar I thought the Afterword was excellent! Tokarczuk really captures how the feminine perspective exemplified by the Goddess exposes the simplistic logic of good and evil that traditional organized religion offers. The next paragraph after that quote is an excellent observation - the idea of eccentricity as an argument against phony binaries. 14mo

Billypar This really sums up the dominant patriarchal religious perspective nicely: "Theirs is the simplest and crudest way of organizing a complicated world, of achieving power over it." 14mo

vivastory @Billypar Honestly, the afterword blew my mind. I agree that Tokarczuk really makes a case for the need to include eccentricity in feminist considerations 14mo

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Suet624 Hmmm... for some reason the use of the word “eccentric“ alongside the feminist perspective bugs me. I'm trying to think of another word that I would feel more comfortable with. Eccentric to me equates to “goofy“ or “quirky“. There's a wink involved. I suppose that fits with the book - considering there's a winking nun. But I would prefer a more matriarchal term. 14mo

Liz_M I've been reading a handful of non-fiction works about social justice and, while I can't explain it very well, I agree that eccentricity is feminist -- too often patriarchy leans on “rational“ thinking and argument, ignoring other ways of knowing and demeaning intuition, without understanding/accepting that all decisions are emotion-based. So a celebration of eccentricity is a way of stepping outside the box and reframing the debate. 14mo

vivastory @Liz_M I agree. 💯 14mo

BarbaraBB I find this difficult. It may be because English is not my first language and we have a similar word in Dutch but to link eccentricity to a feminist perspective - I don‘t know. It sounds a bit patronizing to me. As if men can‘t be eccentric and as if it is tolerated for women. I‘m sorry I can‘t explain better what I mean. (edited) 14mo

Liz_M @BarbaraBB I think the implication is that only women are seen as negatively eccentric -- if you are male or rich the oddness is accepted, but if you are poor and female, you are institutionalized. 14mo

Suet624 @BarbaraBB I understand completely. I think that was what I was trying to say as well. 14mo

BarbaraBB @Liz_M Exactly. Or tolerated - if men allow. 14mo

BarbaraBB @Suet624 Thank you, I was relating to your post indeed! 14mo

KVanRead @Billypar @vivastory I loved the afterward. It helped me a lot! Wow @Liz_M what a fabulous explanation. I think that‘s it exactly. @Suet624 @BarbaraBB I had that same reaction at first too, but I think maybe it‘s all about inclusivity. Patriarchy seeks to divide and control, true feminism is about equal rights for all and includes, allows for, celebrates human eccentricity instead of othering it. 14mo

BarbaraBB @KVanRead That is a more positive explain indeed and might very well be what Carrington meant 14mo

vivastory @BarbaraBB @KVanRead I really like that 👏👏 14mo

GatheringBooks This question is so complex, i love it. Simple answer: Yes, I agree with Tokarczuk. 😆🤓🤓🤓 (edited) 14mo

Liz_M @KVanRead your comment about celebrating rather than othering eccentricity is well said. 14mo

GatheringBooks I do see @BarbaraBB ‘s point about eccentricity being perceived as potentially patronizing and @Suet624 ‘s unease with the term being trivialized somehow. Yet, i love the whole notion of the eccentric. I live for eccentric. Kind of reminds me of the theatrical/play version of Shrek with the song: Let your freak flag fly. Embracing one‘s inner outcast and going with it. 14mo

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks I completely agree too. With the concept and how you describe it. But is it just a female state of being? That‘s what‘s bothering me. As long as it isn‘t limited to gender I am all for celebrating too 😀 14mo

GatheringBooks @BarbaraBB ahh. I see what you are getting at. The binary of gender and feminism as interpreted and summarily reduced to eccentricity. My take on it though is a discordant portrait of the divine female shaman goddess spouting off strangenesses clothing bitter truths unmasked by the hearing trumpet. There is flippancy yes providing a glossy exterior of the inner unspeakable truth of women silenced and marginalized, esp in old age. 14mo

GatheringBooks I think carrington‘s irreverent approach appealed to me mainly because sometimes it‘s the only way to dismantle patriarchy head-on. Laugh in its face by elevating absurdity to veritable art. Weapons of the weak, yes, but often effective too. 14mo

quietjenn All of these comments are so smart, I don't feel like I can add much but to agree 😃 But on the topic of eccentricity, I keep thinking about it in relation to age, as well. I've often joked that one of the things I'm most looking forward to about aging is that being weird and eccentric are more tolerated and expected of older people. Just centering this story on an older woman, who don't often get to play the lead, challenges convention. 14mo

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Yes, that what I was having issues with was that eccentricity was characterized as a female state of being. This discussion has been interesting to follow and I love everyone's opinion about it. 14mo

arubabookwoman I really liked the Afterword. It made many things so much clearer to me. I agree that there is/can be a connect between feminism & eccentricity. In particular, I see eccentricity as the ultimate in acceptance of self & others. It is conducive to looking at people & issues in an unconventional way, in a non-patriarchal, non-Manichaean way. 14mo

arubabookwoman Can't remember which book it was that was attempting to address Hillary's loss to Trump, but one of the points made, or advice given to female politicians was: don't approach a political run as a man would; don't adopt positions from a male viewpoint; in other words embrace feminism. In other words eccentrics, not patriarchy. Ignore this if it sounds too silly. 14mo

Billypar @quietjenn Very good points - I think Tocarczuk goes on to talk about eccentricity in relation to age even more than with femininity. Anyone might be eccentric, but a marginalized group like older women may be more likely to embrace that way of being since there are less social costs. It's a more honest perspective, yet it's strange to think how few books have elderly women as their protagonists. 14mo

vivastory @Billypar @quietjenn The protagonist's age is definitely one of the immediately striking things about it & it's sad that nearly 50 yrs later it's just as true with a book like Drive Your Plow etc 14mo

Billypar @arubabookwoman The angle about eccentricity and self-acceptance is interesting. I think a lot of times we think of an eccentric as someone who was always a little strange and doesn't care about what others think. I like the idea of striving to be more eccentric, in the sense that it takes practice not to censor yourself to meet societal standards. 14mo

batsy I agree with @Liz_M and I do also agree with the points made that women have been marginalised and demeaned as being "eccentric"—especially elderly ladies—and this book was maybe an attempt to reclaim eccentricity and use it as a source of unexpected power. Also agreed @Billypar and the rest, the beautifully-written afterword by Tokarczuk managed to distill so many ideas in such a clear and accessible manner. 14mo

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daena

The Hearing Trumpet | Leonora Carrington

Did the fantastical vivid world Carrington paints in her visual art come across for you in her written word?
#nyrbbookclub

vivastory

vivastory Yes!! I think this would have been a much weaker book without her experience as a painter. She based Carmella on Remedias Varo, another fantastic painter. 14mo

LeahBergen Yes! Her descriptions were remarkably visual to me. 14mo

Liz_M I am not always able to visualize stories in actual pictures, but the description of the chanting/dancing around the first bonfire and the manifestation of the queen bee out of many bees was phenomenal. 14mo

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BarbaraBB I am not one to visualize much but I think Carrington did such a good job here. I can actually visualize the surroundings of where she lived, those weird buildings. Also I loved the illustrations and am glad you are using them here again @daena (edited) 14mo

KVanRead @daena I agree with @BarbaraBB thanks so much for using the illustrations here! I have not explored Carrington‘s art yet, but definitely plan to, now. @vivastory her descriptive writing is fabulous and you can definitely see the visual artist at work in them. At times though they actually detracted from the story for me and I wished she had gone on a bit less. Like in the Abbess section describing all the details of the carriages, etc. I got ⤵️ 14mo

KVanRead ...pretty impatient with that at times, but again I‘m not great with surrealism. I think I‘d feel differently looking at all that detail in a painting though instead of in so much wordiness. For me maybe surrealism works better on canvas. Anyone else feel that way? @LeahBergen @Liz_M 14mo

vivastory @KVanRead I always appreciated Surrealist art (esp paintings) & poetry the most. There are a few surrealist narratives, but the associative logic of narrative is really difficult to maintain for a full length work 14mo

vivastory @KVanRead I think that's why magical realism took off the way it did. It managed to have the realism of the traditional novel with occasional fantastic inflections, rather than sustained dream like logic 14mo

GatheringBooks @vivastory i think the fact that the “associative logic” is “difficult to maintain” (looove your terminologies) is what makes surrealism such a delight for me. I love the way the plot goes off tangent in strange directions and the fact that it does not make sense add to my enjoyment and just go with it vibe, because hey why not. It is like being handheld by Carrington to strange dimensions with playful art besides as scaffold. 14mo

vivastory @GatheringBooks Absolutely. For some reason I've always had trouble remaining in those strange dimensions when it's a novel. Not sure if it's bc of the amount of time invested or what 14mo

Liz_M In not really a fan of surrealism in art either. I love some of Magrite's work, but that is because it is the most realistic of the surrealism works. 14mo

GatheringBooks The first artist i fell in love with was hieronymus bosch. That was the first time I truly appreciated art and all it can do. Carrington‘s novel reminded me somewhat of Bosch‘s whimsy, doomsday scenarios, and strange bacchanalia of sorts. (edited) 14mo

vivastory @GatheringBooks The first part of Hearing Trumpet def felt like it was out of a Bosch painting, especially the bizarre buildings 14mo

KVanRead @vivastory that‘s it exactly for me. I think I remember learning at some point that linear thought is a byproduct of writing, ie that pre-writing humans didn‘t think in a linear way. Don‘t know if that‘s true or not but it is for me as a writer and reader so I really struggle with that ‘associative logic‘ approach, but I also don‘t love magical realism as it triggers too much cognitive dissonance for me😂 I guess I‘m just too uptight 🤷🏻‍♀️ 14mo

KVanRead @GatheringBooks and my control freak nature gets totally panicked by that, lol. Like you commented on the cauldron post there is a huge sense of ‘why not?‘ here, just following the inner artist in a ‘yes, and‘ way that I really love in principle but struggle with in practice 14mo

vivastory @KVanRead 😂 I can understand your point & until recently thought that magical realism was over but I can def understand the ongoing appeal. Especially in trying to portray a period of crisis. If I try to imagine portraying the last 2 years in this country from a strictly traditional approach, it's a little maddening. The only way that I don't pull my hair out would be to think how Rushdie or similar author might approach it. 14mo

quietjenn @GatheringBooks This is such a good take and my own ability to “just go with it“ has been very liberating when it comes to literature! It's definitely not something that I was often willing to do when I was younger and probably not in real life but in art and literature, *shrug* why not? 14mo

quietjenn I did super appreciate her descriptions and I can only assume that her ability to construct them is influenced by her experiences as an artist. I can't say I love many of the examples of her art that I've seen, although I've yet to delve into it too deeply. I am super curious to check Remedias Varo as I loved Carmella as a character! 14mo

mklong @quietjenn I loved Carmella too! Her loyalty and creativity were wonderful. I think it‘s also important to note that none of her crazy schemes would have worked if she hadn‘t ended up with money. 14mo

arubabookwoman I am not familiar with her art, but I will definitely be exploring it soon. I enjoyed the pen and ink illustrations, but as I read this on Kindle, they were not especially prominent, so I'm glad to see them in a bigger size as backdrop for the questions. That said, I think she is a masterful prose artist--I highlighted many, many original and greatly descriptive phrases. Her prose and descriptions are what engaged me with the book, since 👇🏻👇🏻 14mo

arubabookwoman as I said surrealism is not usually my thing. 14mo

quietjenn @mklong a very good point. Money makes possible lots and forgives even more. 14mo

KVanRead @vivastory True that!! Rushdie all the way 💯 I would read that. 14mo

batsy Am I correct in that the illustrations are credited to Pablo Weisz Carrington, her son? I found thar quite fascinating, actually, and wondered about the collaborative process. And that her son could capture his mother's utterly unique book with his art. 14mo

batsy I'm not too familiar with her art but what little I've seen is pretty amazing. It's hard to talk about both her book and her art because it just seems outside of language, in a way. I think her facility as a visual artist helped with how she wrote this book—she doesn't typically dwell on descriptive passages; she "paints" a scene with words and the reader is immediately dropped into that visual space/environment. 14mo

Billypar @batsy Yeah, they're by her son - I thought that was pretty cool. I only discovered Carrington last year, but since I did I've gone on so many Google search rabbit holes hopping from one painting to another. I think they're amazing, and I was definitely reminded of her artistic style in her descriptive passages. 14mo

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daena

The Hearing Trumpet | Leonora Carrington

When the postman Taliessin speaks to Marian & the women he tells them about witches who reside in a cavern on Hampstead Heath. Do you get a sense that Marian and the women of the institute have become a coven of sorts themselves? #nyrbbookclub

vivastory

Suet624 Definitely! I really enjoyed that aspect of the book - the work that the women did to deal with the Gambits and the women who seemed to be in charge (the ones who made the poisonous desert). 14mo

readordierachel Yes, absolutely. I was confused actually (by a lot of things 😆) and assumed he was talking about them as the coven. I didn't realize it was a different one. 14mo

KVanRead @Suet624 @readordierachel Yes! And to being confused too 😂 I also feel like she‘s making a connection here between witchcraft and paganism/celebration of the goddess, something I‘m not well versed in, but that what patriarchy condemns as evil witchcraft was in fact celebrating the goddess/divine feminine? 14mo

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GatheringBooks Yes to the old women being a coven with the chanting and the rituals and the sharing of smuggled chocolates (that was a lot of fun). 14mo

youneverarrived Yeah definitely. The rituals and the way the women became kind of like a little clique had me thinking of the film The Craft 😂 14mo

vivastory @youneverarrived 😂😂 I love this comparison 14mo

quietjenn Yes - first got those coven vibes when they meet to discuss the killing plot/share the chocolates and then it just built up more as events played out. I was totally unfamiliar with Taliessin as an actual figure of myth but, thanks again to the afterwards, am very curious to learn more about him. 14mo

mklong Like @readordierachel I also assumed he was talking about them, or some previous version of them, as a coven. I love the idea of these forgotten old ladies banding together. Georgiana made an excellent point when she finally stood up to Dr. Gambit, that even when they were young, given the constraints of the time, they were never really free, and they were mad as hell and not going to take it any more! 14mo

arubabookwoman Oh definitely! In my art history group, as we studied early Christian art we learned a lot about the early conflicts between paganism and Christianity. And it's interesting how in this book, Christianity, in contrast to paganism, is strictly patriarchal and authoritarian. 14mo

arubabookwoman And on a totally unrelated note, did anyone else (any SF readers here?) think immediately of David Brin's The Postman when Taliesen arrived with mail and news of the rest of the world? 14mo

vivastory @arubabookwoman I don't read much SF, but I did think of that 👍 14mo

batsy Yes, I did feel like Marian and co. were a little coven themselves, and that is what made me think of Sylvia Townsend Warner's similarly witchy Lolly Willowes 🙂 14mo

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daena

The Hearing Trumpet | Leonora Carrington

What did you make of Marian‘s encounter with herself at the bottom of the tower towards the end of the book?
#nyrbbookclub

vivastory

vivastory As I mentioned this was a reread, strangely enough I didn't recall this part. At first it had a sinister killing your doppelganger tone, but it definitely assumed the theme of rebirth 14mo

Billypar I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I agree with @vivastory that it began as deeply sinister and ended up taking on a more positive quality. It matched the idea of this particular 'hell' being antithetical to the prevailing Christian and patriarchal value system but actually being benevolent. But I need to think more about the idea of rebirth as a theme - it makes a lot of sense. 14mo

LeahBergen I‘ll just chime in here that I was loving the first half of the book (the characters! ❤️) and then it rapidly became too weird for me. I knew going into this one that I don‘t always do well with surrealism but I‘m glad I gave it a go. The afterword was great, though, and really helped me see what I was missing. 14mo

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Suet624 Well... I'm embarrassed to say this went right over my head. I'm going to have to go back and look at this part again. 14mo

readordierachel I got a "rebirth" vibe from it as well. Or maybe a reconciliation with all sides of the self? The way she immediately switched perspectives into the her that is stirring the soup, watching herself be cooked, feeling no more fear. It felt like she was achieving some kind of ultimate knowledge. 14mo

vivastory @LeahBergen I agree about the afterword! I don't feel quite as enthused for surrealism as I once did, but I really enjoyed the first 80% of the book. I can definitely see it as a significant influence on Drive Your Plow etc 14mo

vivastory @readordierachel I *really* like that interpretation! 14mo

vivastory @readordierachel Like it was an assimilation of her whole self, rather than just certain aspects (eccentric etc) 14mo

readordierachel @vivastory Yes, exactly! You could also say that the eccentricity is how other people, specifically her family, perceive her and she's shedding that, the constraint 14mo

readordierachel @vivastory Or I guess she's literally boiling it away 😆 14mo

vivastory @readordierachel 😂It was such a memorable scene 14mo

BarbaraBB I love your explanation @readordierachel. It was too weird for me to think much of it but you can very well be right. 14mo

BarbaraBB @vivastory I agree I was thinking of Drive Your Plow too although I liked that book much more. 14mo

vivastory @BarbaraBB I definitely liked Drive Your Plow more 👏 14mo

Liz_M @Suet624 Same! I was too stuck on associating it with Hell, and also maybe too many sci-fi plots about the usurpation if identities to think of rebirth. 😆 14mo

KVanRead @vivastory @Billypar @readordierachel @Liz_M I think rebirth for sure as we‘re told it‘s actually a womb space so if she‘s reentering the womb, must be to get reborn...but I also really love this idea of reconciliation with all parts of the self, the soul maybe? @LeahBergen @Suet624 @BarbaraBB I also struggled a lot with the surrealism and wasn‘t sure if I was going to make it at some points! 14mo

KVanRead After reading the afterward, I think she‘s making a strong feminist point here about goddess vs. christianity/patriarchy: what the christians refer to as hell is in fact the womb, the source of all creation. In returning here she sheds the patriarchy‘s definition of her as a useless old woman and assumes her full feminine self (edited) 14mo

vivastory @KVanRead Yes, the afterword was really illuminating. There was also the comments about the clergy sprinkled throughout the book 14mo

Suet624 @KVanRead Beautiful and powerful explanation. Thank you! That's really helpful to me. 14mo

GatheringBooks Love all the brilliant thoughts here esp @KVanRead ‘s point and @readordierachel ‘s rebirth - i simply thought that she inserted herself there because why not? Hehe. It appeals to the playfulness of Carrington‘s entire vibe - It is very meta and solipsistic and adheres to the ultimate desire to confront one‘s self and make peace with one‘s choices, at the end of the day. 14mo

readordierachel @KVanRead Oh, I love that! Let's all shed the patriarchy's definitions 🎉. I wasn't cluing into the cavern as a womb, but that makes so much sense. 14mo

youneverarrived @readordierachel brilliant interpretation! I have to admit this part (and a lot of the latter half tbh) was lost on me. I liked the twists and turns but no idea on the meaning behind what was going on. The afterword definitely helped with that! 14mo

vivastory @youneverarrived I have the Exact Change edition of HT but decided to buy the NYRB edition for the afterword & am so happy that I did 14mo

quietjenn @readordierachel yes! Reconciliation is a great way to read it. She comes face-to-face with herself and realizes that she was this person all along and letting go of any fear or hesitation to actually be who she is and want what she wants. 14mo

quietjenn @LeahBergen the afterwards was super helpful, although it also clued me in to how much I didn't get/don't know (like *anything* about the Gnostics) 😆 14mo

readordierachel @youneverarrived Full disclosure, I did not have this insight until I thought about it in light of this question. When I was reading the book I was just along for the ride and frequently lost 😂 14mo

Suet624 @quietjenn Does the afterword make you want to read the book again? :) I felt like I should try it one more time. (Even though I have a zillion books waiting for me to pick up.) 14mo

arubabookwoman I was actually dreading reading this book b/c it was described as surreal & I don't usually like surreal. But I decided to just go with the flow. I saw this scene as her confronting her "real" self--Did she want to be her real self, or the version society wanted her to be. It's a dangerous & difficult choice. Becoming your real self is like jumping into a cauldron of boiling water.???? 14mo

arubabookwoman Even though this was presented here as an actual event in the narrative, a similar scene could be included in a more conventional novel as a dream sequence and make the same point. 14mo

quietjenn @Suet624 ha, in the "fleeting thought that I know I won't actually do" sense ? 14mo

Suet624 @quietjenn Exactly. Hahaha. These discussions have shed such an interesting light into some of the areas that were a bit gray for me that I do kind of, sort of, maybe, want to skim/reread it. 14mo

sisilia Lol I didn‘t digest anything at all when things started to get so weird 14mo

batsy I stumbled a bit here, so it's interesting to see the other comments. It was almost a rebirth plus self-cannibalism, which sounds awful, but in the book was in fact an empowering thing. I don't think it's necessarily about making a broth of one's self lol but maybe about erasing boundaries and limits. Also, the bit about facing oneself made me think of Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, just because of the similar themes there. 14mo

Billypar @batsy It does have a kind of a snake eating its tail feel to it, doesn't it? I realized I don't really know the philosophy behind the ourobouros symbol (except that it refers 'eternity'), but I think the Wikipedia page confused me more, lol. Maybe the references I found to alchemy get to your point about breaking boundaries and limits: we shouldn't be able to grow and change just by looking inward, but somehow we do anyway. 14mo

batsy @Billypar Great point about alchemy in that scene. I didn't look up the ouroboros symbol but there's plenty to mull over on the Wikipedia page; I'm pretty sure a lot of it is going to go over my head, too 😆 14mo

20 likes35 comments

daena

The Hearing Trumpet | Leonora Carrington

Marian tells her son early on: “I suffer from the idea that my loneliness might be taken away from me by a lot of mercilessly well meaning people”. How does this relate to the treatment of the women by both family members and those at the institute? #nyrbbookclub

vivastory

vivastory Looking forward to your thoughts @BarbaraBB @catebutler @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @KVanRead @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @Suet624 @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar 14mo

vivastory This was one of my favorite quotes in the book. I agree with what Tokarczuk wrote in the afterrword, "The Gambits are the hypocritical, pretentious representatives of an equally hypocritical society, & their methods are summed up by the expression for their own good" 14mo

LeahBergen I really felt this quote (and had a moment of existential worry that it might be my own future 😆😆). 14mo

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Suet624 This quote was particularly poignant to me. I was shocked by the treatment Marian received at the beginning of the story - here we had a delightful woman and her family was so cruel and selfish. Completely unaware of the joy she took in her everyday life and assuming she was senile. The time at the institute wasn't as shocking to me because I'm always nervous that's just how old folks homes are. 14mo

vivastory @Suet624 Very well said! I also liked how Tokarczuk points out in the afterword that eccentricity is tolerated if you have the money 14mo

BarbaraBB I loved this quote too. Sometimes it felt as if I Marian‘s hearing trumpet is an instrument to read people‘s mind instead of hearing what they say. (edited) 14mo

vivastory @BarbaraBB Yes! I think it was a very clever plot device that worked well for the first part of the book that felt like a strange murder mystery 14mo

KVanRead @LeahBergen Me too😂 @vivastory that was a good point about money. That was one of my first thoughts — please don‘t let me be at the mercy of society when I‘m old!! @Suet624 @BarbaraBB I think this first part of the book was actually my favorite, where it was still more obviously tethered to reality. Found a lot of it relevant. Brought to mind the hell of elders in long term care in the time of COVID. My 93 year old mom gives thanks daily that⤵️ 14mo

KVanRead she‘s still living in her own home. And I loved the way she uses her hearing trumpet. Very funny too! I wish it had remained more pivotal to the story. 14mo

Liz_M I actually liked how the author gives both perspectives. The reader, of course, emphasizes with Marian because we only see her perspective. But the words she overhears, her grandson's description of her behavior, although skewed, can't be dismissed out of hand. It is a reminder (both Marian's and the grandson's attitudes) of how hard it is to step outside our own experience of the world.
14mo

vivastory @Liz_M I also thought that was really well done. I also appreciated that Carrington didn't overuse the hearing trumpet. I think a few writers would have been tempted to 14mo

GatheringBooks I initially thought the novel would just be funny and flippant and delightfully strange - yet what the hearing trumpet surfaced with the mean-spiritedness of the grandson, the erasure of Marian because of her age - revealed how Carrington can cleverly twist a narrative in unpredictable directions. 14mo

GatheringBooks @vivastory really a solid point about carrington not overusing the hearing trumpet throughout the story. Just like wescott‘s pilgrim hawk: everpresent but never overbearing. 14mo

vivastory @GatheringBooks Great comparison with Pilgrim Hawk! 14mo

youneverarrived I loved this quote. I agree @LizM that was really well done being able to hear both sides. 14mo

quietjenn @LeahBergen you are not alone in that, my friend! 14mo

quietjenn @Suet624 yes - the son especially made me so angry 😡 14mo

quietjenn It's such a good quote and we see as events play out that it's an entirely justified fear. 14mo

arubabookwoman I think the quote also resonates with a lot of us who are members of the introvert tribe. I have been an introvert my entire life, and have had well-meaning people try to make me more "sociable." Now that I can now longer consider myself "middle-aged," & I have to recognize that at 70 I am at least approaching elderhood, this novel really spoke to me, and said, "Be yourself. Accept others. Be kind to Mother Earth." 14mo

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Holy cow! Your idea that the hearing trumpet was an instrument used to read people's minds just blew my mind.
14mo

Reviewsbylola I never got to read this one. 😭 My library doesn‘t carry it. 14mo

Suet624 @gatheringbooks I love the tie-in to Pilgram Hawk. 14mo

Suet624 @arubabookwoman I could echo everything you just said. Brilliant. 14mo

Liz_M @quietjenn “It's such a good quote and we see as events play out that it's an entirely justified fear. “ Actually, I wonder. This question made me think about this some more. Is Marian happier at the beginning of the book or at the end? In the beginning she has chosen a life of loneliness where she can't hear anything said to her and isn't understood by those around her. Yes, she did go through a bad patch, but at the end is she still lonely? 14mo

Liz_M In other words, her loneliness has been taken away by a lot of mercilessly well meaning people, but is she better or worse off because of this? 14mo

Billypar @Liz_M It is interesting to consider her progression. She may have started the novel lonely, only being around her unsympathetic family and then was temporarily worse-off given the Institution's terrible treatment. But I think it was a happy ending since she found a social group with a better set of values. 14mo

vivastory @Liz_M I'd say that at the end she is in a better place. She has more agency in her life, even if it's now in an ice age 14mo

quietjenn @Liz_M that‘s fair! I was thinking more of the Gambits/when she was in the home, not so much at the end. I don‘t think she‘s lonely at the end and overall what she finds is better. Indeed, it‘s sort of everyone she wanted - semi-apocalypse notwithstanding. (edited) 14mo

sisilia @arubabookwoman I totally agree with you. It feels that it‘s directed to us introverts @vivastory The money part is so true! Everything is tolerated if you are old but with lots of money. It‘s sad (and I‘ve seen this in the society), but with money you kinda buy your independence, and others can‘t decide your life for you 14mo

batsy @GatheringBooks ooh, nice comparison to The Pilgrim Hawk! 14mo

batsy Like others have said, the first half of the book was particularly good & this quote was poignant/relatable. I live with my elderly mum as do a number of my female friends and relatives who are single and who have widowed mothers; everything described in the first half of the book hit close to home and made me think of what was likely in store for me, as well. Society doesn't look too kindly upon the Marians! Good point @vivastory re: having money 14mo

batsy @arubabookwoman Beautifully put! 14mo

Leftcoastzen Sorry I was MIA book club , got my shot! I thought a lot about the senior situation w/ this character. I have thought for a long time single friends that really get along should make a pact to form their own community to take care of each other .work it out for themselves as long as they can. My uncle was in independent living and had a pretty good set up , he was very shy so didn‘t take advantage of the social elements available to him. 14mo

Suet624 @Liz_M Your question surprised me because I didn't remember her being lonely at the beginning. She had her friend that she went to visit and she had cats and chickens. She seemed pretty happy to me. 14mo

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daena

Spring | Ali Smith

Next up!

Cathythoughts Lovely cover on The Warden 14mo

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daena

Mondo Boxo: cartoon stories | Roz Chast

Friday night read with a much needed glass (or two) of wine.

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daena

Mansfield Park | Jane Austen

Dobby and I doing a little afternoon #pemberlittens reading in the sun 🌞🐾 #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy

britt_brooke Hi Dobby! 💚🐾 So cute. 1y

Tamra Delightful! 1y

KVanRead Robby! ❤️🐶❤️ 1y

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Reggie Ohhhhh❤️❤️❤️ 1y

vivastory Hey, I need to touch base about the NYRB discussion. What is the best way to do so? I'm on GR, but if you're not we can also email one another. 1y

daena @vivastory goodreads works good for me! 1y

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daena

Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob | Russell Shorto

Supporting my local independent book store while treating myself all at the same time 🖤

Jess I really like The Mercies. Enjoy! 1y

daena @Jess really looking forward to it! 1y

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daena

Untitled | Unknown

#NYRBBookClub March Nominations are here! Hoping these choices spark interest for everyone. Please correct me as a new member if I have chosen a selection that has been read before, or if I have forgotten to tag anyone. Looking forward to reading and discussion with everyone!

quietjenn, GatheringBooks, sprainedbrain, catebutler, sisilia, KVanRead, LeahBergen, Leftcoastzen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, youneverarrived, mklong, Tanisha_A, readordierachel, Suet624, merelybookish, saresmoore, batsy, vivastory, Billypar, BarbaraBB, Liz_M, arubabookwoman, sarahbarnes, Theaelizabet

arubabookwoman I'm going to vote for Hill by Jean Giono, who I've wanted to read for a while. Interesting choices! 1y

vivastory Excellent choices. Thanks for the quick turn around on posting these!! The only person that you missed tagging is @catebutler My vote is for Hearing Trumpet (edited) 1y

daena @arubabookwoman I was going for an eclectic mix! 1y

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daena Thanks @vivastory 1y

mklong Ooh, excellent choices. I‘m a little torn between two, but I‘ll vote

The Hearing Trumpet

daena Thanks for catching that @vivastory fixed it. 1y

merelybookish Wound be happy to read any of these! Intrigued by The Hill but I just saw some Carrington paintings at show on Mexican Modernism so will vote for

The Hearing Trumpet

sarahbarnes Nice choices! My vote is for

The Hearing Trumpet

daena Ooooo that must have been fantastic @merelybookish 1y

vivastory @merelybookish That sounds amazing! I love Mexican Modernist artwork. Did they by chance have any Remedios Varo? 1y

Reviewsbylola I‘m going to have to go with

One Fat Englishman

quietjenn Like @mklong, I'm a bit torn between two of these, but ultimately voting for

The Hearing Trumpet

BarbaraBB I‘d be happy to read all three of these but my vote goes to

The Hearing Trumpet

Liz_M I'm voting for the one I own

Hill

LeahBergen Oh, these all sound good! I‘m going to vote for

The Hearing Trumpet

youneverarrived All sound good! My vote is for

Hill

merelybookish @vivastory @daena It was mostly centered on Kahlo and Rivera. Lots of stunning paintings! Other artists in their circle were there too, like Carrington, but don't recall Varo, although it's possible. I went with my husband who doesn't like to linger. 😆 1y

readordierachel Great choices! Would happily read any, but my vote is for

Hill

catebutler My vote is for

Hill

Leftcoastzen They are all wonderful choices, voting

Hill

Billypar I'll vote for Hearing Trumpet - it was already on my TBR

Hearing Trumpet

KVanRead These all look great but I‘m voting for

The Hearing Trumpet

sisilia I vote for

The Hearing Trumpet

Suet624 While it seems we may have enough votes for a trumpet, I‘m going with gluttony, booze and lust.

One Fat Englishman

batsy Great selection! I want to read both Giono and Carrington... But voting for

The Hearing Trumpet

GatheringBooks I am voting for

The Hearing Trumpet

emilyhaldi Love your selections!! Apologies for missing the vote but I‘m excited for The Hearing Trumpet as the selection 😁 1y

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daena

The Rules of Magic | Alice Hoffman

First up for the #20in4 ....finish this one up!

Andrew65

Andrew65 Good choice. 1y

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daena

The True Deceiver | Tove Jansson

Enjoying our #nyrbbookclub selection intermingled with shawl knitting 🧶 #knittersoflitsy

BarbaraBB That seems fitting somehow! Glad you are enjoying it! ❄️🤍 1y

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daena

Winter: A Novel | Ali Smith

The post Christmas exhaustion is real! Decompression begins now with tea and a heated blanket.

Bookwormjillk Enjoy! 1y

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daena

The Story of the Lost Child: Neapolitan Novels, Book Four | Elena Ferrante

Current goals before Christmas & New Years: Finish this bobble scarf for my daughter and finish the last book in the Neapolitan series! #knittersoflitsy

sgoffe Such pretty yarn! Is that Spincycle? 1y

Erinreadsthebooks Love your sleeve 😍 1y

daena @sgoffe it is not, but I do love Spincycle! 1y

daena Thank you @Erinreadsthebooks 🖤 1y

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daena

One Day in December: the most romantic, feel-good read of 2018 | Josie Silver

A nice light seasonal read to go with one of my Christmas knitting projects. #knittersoflitsy

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daena

Autumn | Ali Smith

Taking pleasure in the quiet moments this morning. While everyone is still in dreamland snoring away, I am peacefully enjoying a cup of tea and my book.

Suet624 Great book to read in the quiet of a morning. 1y

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daena

Piranesi | Susanna Clarke

Beginning this for IRL book club. So excited considering Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of my all time favs. From what I have gathered thus far, this one will not disappoint!

Darthdad I absolutely loved it. Surprised throughout. Fun book 2y

AmyG This was such a wonderful book. So creative. 2y

emz711 It's so great! I need to reread 2y

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daena

Witchbody | Sabrina Scott

Next up for this wonderfully themed months reads 🖤

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daena

Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power | Pam Grossman

Lazy morning reading 🔮

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daena

Great Ghost Stories | John Grafton

Let the spooky reads begin!! 💀🦇🧛‍♀️🧟‍♀️🌚🖤👻🎃

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daena

The Son of Good Fortune: A Novel | Lysley Tenorio

Next up....reading this one with my local independent book shops book club that has been meeting via Zoom over these past few months. Looking forward to it as it will be the one book I am reading that is not themed for October spooky reads.

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daena

Dune | Frank Herbert