Throughout reading this book, I am constantly changing my mind about which sections I like best. The chapters about Alex and Jonathan are hilarious. Almost everything about it is funny – the worlds Alex chooses, the false translations he makes, the Grandfather's bad attitude. It's all very funny. Then there are the parts with Brod. There are humorous parts in her sections too, but more often then not we learn of the intense sadness that Brod feels.
Brod's struggle to understand herself brings up some very interesting and philosophical questions. I particularly liked her concept of “loving love.” She realizes that she is not in love with anything except the concept of love. This concept of romanticizing the world has appeared in several of the novels we've read, most notably A Farewell to Arms and The Wicked Pavilion. Brod seems to suffer from her own intelligence as she gets older and learns more about the world she lives in. I feel genuinely sad for Brod and I found it interesting that this book has been so effective in drawing emotions out of me.
It's strange how the author can go from a funny moment to a genuinely moving one or vice versa. For example, when we think “the Kolker” is dead, I became sad. Then I get the rug pulled out from under me when I learn that he instead has a saw blade permanently stuck in his head, causing him to have violent outbursts. Another example is how the funny portions with Alex are interspersed with sad moments. Like whenever the grandfather is woken and you realize just how badly he misses his wife.
It seems the funny sections with Alex are interspersed with sadness while the sad sections with Brod are interspersed with humor. I think this is what make the book so much fun to read. I never get bored and the author has a wonderful ability to change the mood of the book to keep it interesting. I often think I like Alex's sections better because of the humor, but writing this blog has made me realize how much I like Brod's philosophical moments. My favorite quote of the book so far has been when she removed the hole from the bedroom wall and thinks, “the hole is no void, the void is around it.” I like the concept of the hole – it's nice to think that what truly makes us happy is to block out everything and focus on what we love. The happiest part of their marriage was probably when they stopped worrying about their lives and just talked through the hole.
posted by rcunning @ 5:04 PM
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