Yes I know I've been extremely neglectful of my blog lately. Yes I know it's pathetic considering I don't even have an official job anymore. What's worse is that I really have so much to write about - like this wonderful book by Lionel Shriver called The Post-Birthday World I finished almost a week ago!
The Post-Birthday World tells of a woman named Irina, who experiences a potentially life-changing moment in which she is tempted to turn her back on a stable, 10-year relationship, and kiss another man. The novel explores two different scenarios: should she have followed through with the kiss, Irina would ultimately have chosen to leave her partner, Lawrence, and begin a relationship with Ramsey, the sexy snooker star who tempts her. Should Irina have resisted, she would have stayed with Lawrence. Shriver executes the plot line brilliantly, alternating each chapter between her lives with Ramsey and Lawrence. Neither scenario is perfect, nor is it entirely undesirable. Ramsey is passionate, spontaneous, and reckless. Lawrence is supportive, predictable, and pedantic.
The novel does not ask readers to choose between passion and stability, so much as it challenges them to face up to the fact that certain things in life such as happiness, suffering, and regret are inevitable no matter how careful one is with her life choices. It is even, to a certain extent, a sneaky argument for determinism: you can try as hard as you want to decide for yourself how your life will be, but you'll still experience a set amount of joy, grief, and success. The most one person can do is decide in a very general way how she wants to be happy, and what she wants to long for.
I found many of the supporting characters to be a bit one-dimensional - even Ramsey and Lawrence, to a certain extent. It suspect, however, that this is exactly what Shriver intended. The heart and soul of this novel is Irina herself, and by playing down the humanity of the men she must choose between, Shriver ensures her protagonist's complexities shine through as clearly as possible.
This is an extremely well-written and intricately calculated book. The prose is very round-about and high-brow, which some people might find annoying. Either way, I'd certainly recommend it for anyone who enjoys fiction. It will definitely get you thinking.
1 comment:
I liked this book. And I like your very beautiful blog too! Hope you're doing well, Hollie.
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