THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (BOOK REVIEW AND AN EARLY SPRING OUTFIT)
Hello, in this post I'll review and recommend the novel This Must Be The Place, written by .
“What redemption there is in being loved: we are always our best selves when loved by another. Nothing can replace this.”
The arrival of spring has been bittersweet. On one hand, it is always beautiful to watch the rebirth of nature, but on the other there is so much anxiety, fear and suffering in the world right now. Perhaps the outfit I'm wearing today is a good metaphor for that. An all black look with some colourful accents. Sometimes I look around me and marvel at all the beauty and yet at the same time I'm aware that dark times might well be ahead of us. Darkness and Light. I suppose that's life.
Dolazak proljeća je bio gorko sladak. S jedne strane uvijek je prekrasno vidjeti ponovo rađanje prirode, s druge strane ima puno nesigurnosti, straha i patnje u svijetu sada. Možda je odjevna kombinacija koju nosim danas dobra metafora za to. Crna kombinacija s nekim dodacima u boji. Ponekad gledam oko sebe i divim se ljepoti a opet u isto vrijeme dobro znam kako nam se vjerojatno spremaju teška vremena. Tama i svijetlo. Takav je život.
“I think about her as she is in front of me, in her weird overalls and woolen socks and fancy leather slippers. I wonder if she still wears that Indian shawl around the house, if she still drinks hot water with a spoonful of some honey that she claims has miraculous, antiviral, immortality-giving properties, whether she still plays the piano late at night and insists on cooking pasta in not-quite-boiling water because she’s too impatient to wait. I wonder whether she still crashes the gears on the car as she’s driving but denies all knowledge of this. I wonder if there is anything of mine that she’s kept, any shirts, any books, any letters. I wonder if she still walks in her sleep and whether there is anybody there to get up, follow her, and lead her back to bed.”
This Must Be the Place
“What redemption there is in being loved: we are always our best selves when loved by another. Nothing can replace this.” This Must Be the Place, Maggie O' Farrell.
MY LIFE LATELY
I already explained in this post why I went off the radar. Nothing dramatic, I've just been working longer hours due to the fact that I'm employed in the education sector. For me personally, this situation meant less free time, not more. I could always rely on my posts drafts to keep up with blogging, but somehow that didn't seem appropriate. I actually have many posts scheduled and many pre-corona outfits captured, but I didn't feel like posting any of it. I did manage to put together a few posts such as 20 fun fashion things to do in corona lockdown and 30 plus ways to wear a pair of jeans.
However, writing those posts took away time when I was so short on it, so I decided to just blog less frequently for the time being. Besides, I don't like posting if I know that I won't have time to read other blogs. For me blogging was never a solitary activity, it was more of a social thing. It might be because I'm not that active on other social media. Blogging always felt like a more genuine way to connect with people. Plus, I'm really a writer at heart, so blogging is a better fit for me.
I've been blogging for 8 years and I have no regrets. However, somehow I'm not sure how to go about blogging in these times. Pretend that nothing is happening doesn't make sense. However, I also don't think it is healthy to become completely obsessed with what is going on right now. There is only as much as we can do and control. Stay inside, practice social distancing and keep our eyes open. Don't believe everything you hear in the news. Anyhow, with the Easter weekend approaching, I decided to finally publish a post. After some thinking, I decided to post a book review plus an outfit post today.
“I have a theory,’ she says, looking far ahead, at where salt meets sky, ‘that marriages end not because of something you did say but because of something you didn’t. All you have to do now is work out what it is.”
.....
“We must pursue what’s in front of us, not what we can’t have or what we have lost. We must grasp what we can reach and hold on, fast."
.....
This Must Be the Place
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, A NOVEL BY MAGGIE O'FARRELL 5/5
As I already announced, today I'll share a book review. This Must Be the Place is a complex novel about life, marriage and loss, written by an English author Maggie O'Farrell. I read this book a month or so ago, but only now found the time to blog about it. As you can see above, I decided to score this novel quite highly.
When I finished This Must be the Place, I thought to myself: 'I'm going to give this novel five stars because it absolutely enchanted me. It held my interest completely while I was reading it.' Indeed, a novel that can keep one's interest in this day and time must be something special, right? How to describe this novel? It tells a story of Daniel, an American who lives in Ireland with a recluse ex-movie super star, but it is not a linear sort of story.
Well, I watched a YouTube interview with Maggie O'Farrell in which the author herself described it as a novel that explores many themes but is perhaps mainly about 'marriage and the forces that keep it together and tear it apart.' Would I agree with that? I just might, especially towards the end, when their marriage really gets tested.
What is the novel like? What's the writing style like?
A part of the novel is written in almost an experimental way, with time switches and digressions. Generally speaking, I found the writing in this to be rather on the brilliant side, really. So in that sense I liked the novel from the start. As for the experimental bits I found them interesting. I felt they add a bit of freshness to the story. I read the afterword and the author said she wanted to experiment with a novel and break some rules. I'd say she didn't get carried away, she kept the right balance.
What is so wonderful about this novel?
This was actually my first novel by Maggie O'Farrell but I'm sure it won't be the last. This novel is wonderful in that it deals with some difficult topics such as loss and grief in a respectful and a realistic way. Moreover, I enjoyed the way family relationships were portrayed in this one.
The challenges of parenthood and marriage, the special link between siblings and family members, now these subjects were described so well I'm sure they will always stay with me. Maggie O'Farrell knows how to write about the subtle parts of human relationships, about things that sometimes go unnoticed. I was really impressed with her writing style, the way she crafted characters and drew me into the story. I loved every single minute of reading this book.
“He thinks of his grief over his sister as an entity that is horribly and painfully attached to him, the way a jellyfish might adhere to your skin or a goitre or an abscess. He pictures it as viscid, amorphous, spiked, hideous to behold. He finds it unbelievable that no one else can see it. Don’t mind that, he would say, it’s just my grief. Please ignore it and carry on with what you were saying.”
“It is possible, I think as I sit there on the cold wood of the bandstand bench, to see ailing marriages as brains that have undergone a stroke. Certain connections short-circuit, abilities are lost, cognition suffers, a thousand neural pathways close down forever. Some strokes are massive, seminal, unignorable; others imperceptible. I’m told it’s perfectly possible to suffer one and not realize it until much later.”
Was there anything I didn't like about this novel?
Once I had finished reading This Must Be the Place and thought about it for a while, I could think of a few things that I didn't like- but only if I really thought about it. Honestly, I don't see the point in splitting hairs when you really enjoyed reading a certain novel, but if I had to point out something I didn't like it would be inconsistency in Daniel's character (and in connection with that the ending).
Daniel is basically the protagonist of this novel so any inconsistencies in his characters are bound to show up. To be honest, some things were not so much a fault of his character but just illogical actions on his side employed for plot purposes.
For example, there is this whole drama situation that could have been avoided with one phone call. That was a weakness in a plot that reflected on Daniel's character as well. That being said, I liked how this novel didn't put all the blame on the guy protagonist, as some modern novels do.
Daniel is showed to be a complex character. He can really be a jerk sometimes (especially when some things start to show from his past and one really starts to wonder at them) but there are many layers to him.
He seems to genuinely care about his kids and people in his life. However, I still felt Daniel's behaviour was a bit inconsistent. That he would be willing to change so drastically for the sake of Claudette, it both makes and doesn't make sense.
What are the characters in this novel like?
Daniel and Claudette are at the center of this novel. Sometimes that is a good thing because you really get to know them, sometimes it isn't because the other minor characters seem just as interesting.
Generally speaking, Claudette was my favourite characters perhaps just because she was so strong willed and stubborn. I felt that there was something very honest about her and even though some of her life choices were quite questionable, I still liked her. As I mentioned, I would have enjoyed the chance to learn about the other characters, at times the novel felt too focused on Daniel and Claudette.
I know they're the protagonists of it, but I would have personally enjoyed learning more about their kids. Their kids had such distinct and interesting personalities. Not that I'm complaining too much, on overall, this was a lovely read.
What are my final thoughts about this novel?
This is a fascinating and a well written novel. It managed to fully keep my mind off work that was unbelievably stressful lately (I'm sure you all can relate with me- teaching and working in the time of an epidemic virus is quite a feat). To conclude, I loved this novel even if it might contained me minor flaws. I would recommend it to everyone!
“Claudette looks down at the thing in her hand. She turns it one way and the other. It is a packet of Italian coffee, half used, left behind. Innocuous enough in itself but in Claudette’s hands, this particular morning, it is as dangerous as cyanide.
She isn’t going to sniff it, no, she isn’t. She wouldn’t be stupid enough to attempt such a thing. Just a whiff of those smoky, dark, aromatic granules – heated up they always were, at length, lovingly, every morning in this kitchen, for all the years he lived here, the way he would stand waiting for them to brew, looking out of that window, that robe of his loose over his pyjamas, a child, usually, on his shoulder or his arm – would be enough to tip her over the edge. She isn’t going to do it.
Certainly not.
Then she does, of course. She removes the clip, she places it on the counter, she parts the top of the silver-and-red packet and she brings it to her face and she inhales, she inhales, she inhales.”
THE STORY OF AN OUTFIT- LILAC SOCKS AND BLOCK HEELS
Now, a few words about this outfit. As I said, it's an all black styling with some colored touches. I had an idea of going with the ugly statement shoes and opted for a pair of block heels. To emphasize them even more, I wore a pair of lilac socks with them. How do you feel about the ugly heel trend?
The pink, beige and white tartan scarf- My husband bought me this scarf a few months ago. You can see how I styled it previously here and here.
The black coat- I actually devoted a special post to this black coat where I showed you plus 30 ways to wear it. Since then I also wore it here. I'll probably hit 100 documented wears with this one.
The black flare jeans.- I bought this pair in a Mango outlet a few years ago. You can see how I styled them previously here, here and here .
The block heels.- These heels are second hand in the sense they were sent to me by someone who presumably didn't like them. I previously wore them only once or twice because they aren't comfy- for example see how I styled them here.
I'm currently in Jelsa, a small port village on island Hvar. I've lived here for the past six months or so for work reasons. I like it on island Hvar and I actually have roots here, but naturally I'm sad about not being able to visit my family. This is a beautiful island, though. I wouldn't be able to leave Jelsa even if I wanted to with the quarantine measures and everything. If you want to see more of Jelsa or/and island Hvar, feel free to visit my old post about it. You can find them bellow.
“Do you think, Daniel,” she said to him, rolling over onto her back so that she was able to look out of the window while she spoke, "that we might have reached the end of our story?”
“Everything felt like a stage set: she kept viewing herself as if from the outside. Instead of just acting, just doing, just running or speaking or playing or collecting, she would feel this sense of externalization: And so, a voice inside her head would comment, you are running. Do you need to run? Where are you going? You’re picking up that rock but do you want it, do you really need it, are you going to carry it home? Certain things she’d always loved, like lighting the dinner-table candles or stirring a cake mix alongside her mother or sitting up on the roof to play her accordion or decorating the Christmas tree or collecting the eggs in the morning, felt suddenly hollow, distant, staged. It was as if someone had dimmed the lights, as if she was viewing her existence from behind a glass wall. And her body! Some mornings she woke and it was as if lead weights had been attached to her limbs by some ill-meaning fairy. Even if she had the urge to walk across the paddock to feed the neighbors’ horses—which she hardly ever did anymore, she didn’t know why—she wouldn’t have the energy, the sap in her, to do it. She wanted it returned to her, Marithe did, that sense of security in her life, of certainty, of knowing who she was and what she was about. Would it ever come back?”
LINKS TO MY PREVIOUS POSTS ABOUT JELSA AND ISLAND HVAR
“Anyway, the older, longer, sluggish Marithe had looked up at the stars and asked her mother, who was sitting in the chair opposite, whether it would come back, this sense of being inside your life, not outside it. Claudette had put down her book and thought for a moment. And then she had said something that made Marithe cry. She’d said: probably not, my darling girl, because what you’re describing comes of growing up, but you get something else instead. You get wisdom, you get experience. Which could be seen as a compensation, could it not? Marithe felt those tears pricking at her eyelids now. To never feel that again, that idea of yourself as one unified being, not two or three splintered selves who observed and commented on each other. To never be that person again. For Calvin, she feels a simultaneous jealousy and pity. He still has it, that wholeness, that verve. There he is, on the trampoline, completely on the trampoline, not worrying about anything, not thinking, But now what? Or: What if? Pity, because she knows now he’ll go through it. He’ll have to lose several skins; he’ll wake up one day wearing new, invisible glasses.”
“And then—and only then—you must go to this Colette or Claudette or whatever she’s called and you make sure that she sees you, in your new, revised state. Lie across her front doorstep, if necessary. Don’t leave until you have her attention. And when you do, you tell her.” “I tell her what?” “Whatever it is you wish you’d said to her years ago, when you were still together. I have a theory,” she says, looking far ahead, at where salt meets sky, “that marriages end not because of something you did say but because of something you didn’t. All you have to do now is work out what it is.” Rosalind tears her gaze away from the blue, the white, and she looks at the two men in the truck, who are staring back at her. “That’s it?” Daniel says. “Were you not listening?” Rosalind says. “It’s not exactly straightforward. It’s going to require fortitude and courage, determination and insight. It will be difficult, it will be a struggle. But,” she says, snapping shut the clasp on her bag, “I have no doubt you can pull it off.” Daniel responds by rubbing at his eyes, wearily, resignedly, as if to contain all they have seen. “I don’t know,” he murmurs. “Claudette isn’t exactly a pushover.” “Well, of course she isn’t,” Rosalind says. “She wouldn’t be worth it if she was. Would she?” She sees that Niall, for the first time, is smiling. A lopsided half smile but a smile nonetheless.”
This Must Be the Place
As always, thank you for reading, visiting and commenting. Stay safe!
Thanks for your sharing 😊 have a lovely day 😊 have
ReplyDeleteyou too.
DeleteHi dear Ivana, hope you're doing good despite all the crazy days we have been through. I'd say this is a strange season too, sunny days are here and looking the streets from the balcony is kinda strange, but well I'm enjoying time as home as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I've heard a lot of comments about this book on booktube and on GoodReads, the cover caught my eye in the first instance and now that you told us a bit about the plot I'd like to read it.... I think I'll get it after the lockdown to support a local bookshop :)
And this outfit is magnifique, it gives me all the 70s vibes with the shape of your pants and the story behind that lilac socks is cool. I have a similar ones from Uniqlo and I'm thinking of getting more lilac garments for summer, this is the most unexpected color of the season.
Love the good vibes you gave us with your pictures, this places looks so calmy and I can't wait to enjoy some promenades again.
All the best and good vibes from Barcelona!
Pablo
www.heyfungi.com
thani you so much. Sending good vibes to you as well.
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting book! With the self isolation one of the neighbours has started a book club that we all join online from our homes so that's kind of fun - this would be a good book for me to suggest for next month I think (we picked this month's book last week).
ReplyDeleteI like the addition of the scarf to your outfit too, nice and colourful!
Hope that you are having a nice week :) We are enjoying the Easter break, at home of course.
Away From Blue
happy Easter to you too.
DeleteLove your outfit! =) Nice pics
ReplyDeletehttps://antonellabasile.blogspot.com/
thanks
DeleteYou look fabulous in this outfit, I really love the color who brings the scarf. Thank you for this book review, I'm enjoying this days reading more than I usually do. Have a nice weekend! :)
ReplyDeletewww.luciagallegoblog.com
thank you
DeleteChe bel look Ivana! Ma non ci hanno fatto anche un film su questo libro? La storia e il titolo mi dicono qualcosa!
ReplyDeleteDon't Call Me Fashion Blogger
Facebook
Bloglovin'
grazie cara
Deletesi, e' possibile che esiste un film anche non ho lo sentito.
DeleteLove the drama of your black outfit against that wonderful honey-coloured stone.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the blogging, I don't post unless I've got time to visit all my virtual friends, it's all about community, isn't it?
Stay safe and healthy and keep being fabulous. xxx
yes and it is a nice community too, I found.
DeleteYou looks honey really lovely:**Regards!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteWord bittersweet is the best description for this time.
ReplyDeleteYou look absolutely stunning, love your scarf and these pictures are so beautiful!
Happy Easter dear Ivana!
Thank you so much.
Deletehvala Alek. Za uređenje slika koristimo Paint 3D. Imam ga na laptopu pa mi je nekako najlakše. Prije sam koristila online programe pa sam odustala jer bi mi se često izgubila slika kada bi veza bila loša.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a fabulous book! I appreciate your in-depth commentary and criticism of it - I think it would very much appeal to me. Some of your comments made me think of Jennifer Egan's writing - have you heard of her? I started with "A Visit from the Goon Squad" which I loved, and have since read everything by her.
ReplyDeleteNo! Ugly heels are a thing?? I can't bear it! I won't wear ugly heels (although my husband would disagree, ha ha). I am not a fan of those early 00s square-toes shoes - I wasn't a fan at the time when they were in style either - but I adore that you wore lilac socks with them!
Blog how you want to blog, Ivana. Whatever works for you. I've found that the social connection has been really beneficial and important to me in the absence of seeing/talking to my "real life" friends.
A very Happy Easter to you!
I'm not a fan of square toes shoes either, especially when it is too square. I do like the subtle versions of it, though. This pair is literally second hand in the sense that it was sent to me by my husband's aunt (I guess she bought it) and changed her mind. It has kind of grown on me, plus it is the only pair of heels that I have right now. My 'real' closet is in another country and I haven't moved properly before the quarantine.
Deletebtw I haven't heard of her. I need to check her out.
DeleteAmei a postagem ,super interessante.😉😘
ReplyDeletethank you. Obrigada.
DeleteI just love the lilac socks with this Ivana. It adds such a creativeness to the outfit. And you are so creative. I feel the same way about blogging. It's a social activity and a way to connect with others.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thank you Jodie. Lilac socks will add fun to any outfit.
DeleteCute outfit Ivana! I love the scarf! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteNice look dear!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY WEEKEND AT HOME
xoxo
http://stylishpatterns.blogspot.com
Love your outfit, and this sounds like a great novel! I love the writing style of the extracts you shared - it really makes me want to read it!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely Easter weekend
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Nice outfit and great photos. I don't know the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm completely with you on blogging, and often feel guilty if I do not read and comment on my fellow bloggers' posts immediately. Forgive me if sometimes my comment comes late, but you are one of the bloggers whose posts are so interesting that I want to take my time to read them properly. Then there's also the question on how to approach blogging in these trying times. As my wardrobe is one of the things that keep me sane, I continue dressing up as usual, often taken more time than before, and show my outfits on my blog, mixed with my feelings on the whole situation, and the things I've been filling my days with. I appreciate that you have been very busy - quite the opposite of a lot of other people - and blogging has had to fall by the wayside. If I wouldn't be able to take proper time for it, my posts would be less frequent too. Your outfit is indeed a metaphor for these times. As for your review, I have to say that I just skimmed it. Not that I'm not interested in it, quite the opposite. I'm a big fan of Maggie 'O Farrell, but this is one I haven't read yet, and I want to avoid spoilers :-) Glad to see you are giving it 5 stars. I'll return to your review once I have read the book myself. Do take care and stay safe, my friend. xxx
ReplyDeleteWonderful post hun, what better time to read than now. Loving your spring outfit, the scarf ties in beautifully.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lovely
www.mynameislovely.com
Awesome blog I have ever seen. Thanks for this Wonderful read. You shared great content. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing.
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