Strangely enough, I really wanted to hate this novel - the whole concept is quite honestly a bit terrifying to me. Not only that, but characters that dislike their lives and feel like the grass is always greener elsewhere just irk me.
Sooo... what a surprise it was when I ended up absolutely adoring it!
What struck me most about this novel was the tragic dichotomy between a girl who is desperate for unencumbered freedom to live her life as a female without restrictions, and a girl longing for human connection. It never dawns on her until it's too late that the absence of constraints would mean the absence of relationships.
"ππ¬π² ππ°π¨ π£π¬π― π±π¦πͺπ’ π΄π¦π±π₯π¬π²π± π©π¦πͺπ¦π±. ππ¬π² π΄ππ«π± π£π―π’π’π‘π¬πͺ π΄π¦π±π₯π¬π²π± π―π²π©π’. ππ¬π² π΄ππ«π± π±π¬ ππ’ π²π«π±π’π±π₯π’π―π’π‘. ππ¬π² π΄ππ«π± π±π¬ π©π¦π³π’ π’π΅ππ π±π©πΆ ππ° πΆπ¬π² ππ©π’ππ°π’."
V.E. Schwab, in writing this long, drawn-out saga, gives readers a glimpse of the lonely eternity that Adeline was faced with.
"ππ¦π£π’ π ππ« π£π’π’π© π³π’π―πΆ π©π¬π«π€ π°π¬πͺπ’π±π¦πͺπ’π°, ππ²π± π¦π« π±π₯π’ π’π«π‘, π¦π± π€π¬π’π° π°π¬ π£ππ°π±."
Schwab also astutely conveys the idea that life is fleeting and precious.
"π π©π¦π«π¨ - ππ«π‘ π πΆπ’ππ― π¦π° π€π¬π«π’. π π©π¦π«π¨ - ππ«π‘ π£π¦π³π’ πͺπ¬π―π’ π£π¬π©π©π¬π΄."
Furthermore, she allows her readers to understand that yes, there is uncertainty and hardship in life, but that genuine relationships are what make a lifetime so precious.
"π π’π¦π«π€ π£π¬π―π€π¬π±π±π’π«, π°π₯π’ π±π₯π¦π«π¨π°, π¦π° π ππ¦π± π©π¦π¨π’ π€π¬π¦π«π€ πͺππ‘. ππ¬π² ππ’π€π¦π« π±π¬ π΄π¬π«π‘π’π― π΄π₯ππ± π¦π° π―π’ππ©, π¦π£ πΆπ¬π² ππ―π’ π―π’ππ©. ππ£π±π’π― ππ©π©, π₯π¬π΄ π ππ« π π±π₯π¦π«π€ ππ’ π―π’ππ© π¦π£ π¦π± π ππ«π«π¬π± ππ’ π―π’πͺπ’πͺππ’π―π’π‘?"
And with this understanding, comes the appreciation of the old platitude to "be careful what you wish for".
Read 6/7/21
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