I'm off for 10 days to a wedding in Beverly Hills and then damage control in St. Petersburg on the house permits. so thought I'd start my "review" now and we can discuss things when i get back (on the 15th). I'll have my laptop but probably not consistent internet access.
I found the book odd but thought provoking. I really loved her style of writing. I thought it was a good mix of narration and of dialog. The main characters were well described. I liked her way with words like when she was describing Robert Mitchell and said "he had the complexion of a man who didn't manage his blood pressure".
I loved the physical description of the bookstore, I wanted to go there. I guess its losely based on the famous Strand bookstore in NYC...so next time I'm in Manhattan...I'm going there!
Regarding the story...I found it tense and sad in many respects. I read an interview with the author where she said that she wanted to write a fable or a fairy tale (like the German grim ones). And I think it was in many ways. You had this innocent and well meaning young girl enter a den of odd folk with all sorts of their own demons. And through her well meaning intentions she upsets more than one apple cart and at the same time comes to a better idea of herself and how she fits in the world.
Like Kelly I originally thought "just how naive can this girl be". But I've thought about that. The story takes place in NYC probably in the early 80s which in some ways is light years ago...I mean just think...there wasn't even internet then! I came around a little earlier...about 10 years before and I was never that naive...but frankly I had several girlfriends who were. And had they been raised on the bottom of the world in Tasmania...my guess is they could have easily been Rosemary. On top of that, her world was really small...few friends...just her and her mom and Chaps.
I felt both sad for and repulsed by Walter Geist and I'm sorry that Rosemary didn't have the maturity and self-awareness to deal with him better. But I think he was basically headed to the bad end and it was just a case of what (or who) would get him. He was a man who's body was failing him and who was so warped by what society had done to him that he couldn't see the way to go anymore. It was sad and frustrating to watch him. I don't think it was an accident that as his physical blindness increased that he became increasingly blind to what was right and wrong and socially acceptable. I think that author must have done this deliberately.
Now the character of Oscar. I had a similar reactions as did Rosemary. i interesting found him interesting and appealing (not romantically but humanly). But as we learn more and more about his inability to relate to other human beings and his obsessions, he became less and less likable. An interesting conundrum though...he wanted the manuscript for apparently "right reasons"...higher ideals...not for money or to impress a girl...and yet it didn't make him a good person, did it?
One of the things that I don't understand or perhaps like is how Oscar just disappears...first, how is that possible...and why? Does anyone have an idea??? Not that anyone is worse off for him being gone...especially Rosemary. What do you think?
I liked Pearl...did you? I thought she was oddly (given his/her life story) often a voice of reality and reason when faced with some of the oddities of the Arcade.
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2 comments:
I like your insight into Rosemary's naivite - helps me have a little more compassion for her. I also appreciate your thought about Geist's blindess on both levels increasing throughout the book. I think in the future I'll read yours and Keri's posts before I blog. :o)
I know what you mean...sometimes after I've read a book and reviewed, then I go and read other reviews (like on goodreads or amazon)...it's always intersting to me how many different layers of a book there is and how people see different things. it's what I love about book groups!
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