Tag: book review

thoughts on: a discovery of witches by deborah harkness part 1

by Katherine Marie

“Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense, A Discovery of Witches is a mesmerizing and addictive tale of passion and obsession that reveals the closely guarded secrets of an enchanted world.” The tale follows a witch named Diana Bishop who falls in love with the vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Their story weaves adventure, romance, mystery, and intrigue across the pages like twinkling stars. It’s hard to speak of the story without encapsulating both characters’ strengths and passions for discovering the unknown. However, for now we’ll shift the lens solely on Matthew, and explore the great depths and desires of an immortal man.

“Matthew is a man of deep, deep faith. Yes, he is a scientist, too. There is no fundamental incompatibility between the two. Matthew came of age at a time when science and religion were both ways to see into the mind of God, and he has maintained his connection to both through the centuries.” Deborah Harkness

When I think of a man of great faith in stories, Matthew is among the first to come to mind. I find it quite fascinating to explore the idea of a vampire who maintains a strong sense of belief in God. It’s a rather intriguing contradiction. His dedication to the divine frequents my memory when I read about his studies of Darwin’s texts, the Bible, and countless astronomers’ notes.

There are other literary vampires who explore religious texts in their stories. In Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, we encounter the vampire, Lestat, who, despite his immortal nature, has a deep curiosity and yearning for the divine. The juxtaposition of an eternity-seeking vampire delving into the sacred texts and hidden teachings of faith is truly thought-provoking and captures the imagination in an incredible way. Before being turned into a vampire, Lestat studied to be a monk and dedicated his life to God. However, his father demanded a different path and beat Lestat mercilessly until he abandoned his studies.

Lestat, in the midst of his agony, earnestly sought solace in the presence of Christ, yet he found himself grappling with a profound sense of separation, lamenting, “There is an ocean between Christ and me.” Conversely, Matthew, undeterred by his afflictions under the hands of his father, tenaciously clings to the belief that he remains a human fashioned in the likeness of a loving God.

A vast expanse lies between the divine and himself through traditions’ sake when we read about vampires and holy nature. I appreciate, through the fictional literary lens, that Harkness doesn’t abide by the usual superstitions regarding the supernatural, but instead thrusts her characters into the most intimately vulnerable quests for connection with their Creator. Matthew’s spent centuries studying not only his kind, but witches, daemons, and humans too, all in pursuit of finding the reason for their creation. Following the Christian faith, man is made in the image of God and created to glorify Him and bring others to know Christ and this love of a Heavenly Father.

Regarding this belief, Matthew’s entire existence falls into limbo the moment he becomes a vampire. How does the undead seek everlasting life with Christ? If he’s now immortal, but separated from God, how will he find the answers from the divine? In a way, Matthew’s wonder for purpose reflects man’s search for meaning in our own world. We can shelve the story of Matthew and Diana and go back to the mundane, but the quest for understanding is woven through history. Once you open the door to such questions, you find yourself seeing the connections in everyday life.

Despite the temptation to succumb to his inherent urge for blood, he holds steadfast to his belief that there is still a glimmer of humanity within him, a fragment of the divine that remains untarnished. Afterall, he has been on this quest of knowledge for centuries. Throughout the story, an ampulla is referenced several times which Matthew wears frequently. Harkness uses this as a symbol to show Matthew’s internal struggles as he wears his ampulla as “a reminder of the destructive power of anger.”

“When depicting Matthew’s religious beliefs, it was important to find ways for him to carry his medieval practices into the present. Pilgrimage, atonement, and religious objects like the talisman he wears after he meets Diana were all ways to connect with the deep roots of his faith. In this case, the talisman Matthew wears is a coffin shaped ampulla from Bethany. He purchased it at the shrine to Lazarus during the Crusades. An ampulla was a small hollow charm made out of lead, silver, gold, or even clay designed to hold holy water of oil. Not all pilgrim badges were shaped like ampulla. Some were elaborate filigree, others were shaped like shells as one of the most popular pilgrimage routes (then and now) was the road to Saint-lago de Campostela and the scallop shell was his symbol.” Deborah Harkness

His unwavering faith in the face of his cursed reality is a source of inspiration and intrigue. It raises profound questions about identity, redemption, and the nature of good and evil. Matthew’s willingness to explore the depths of his spirituality, seeking solace and meaning in his own unique way, adds complexity to his character and fuels the narrative with philosophical undertones. He understands his curse as a vampire and struggles with the nature of consuming the life force of his God’s creation. Such a burden pushes Matthew to delve deeper into a never-ending journey to find forgiveness. Salvation is a complicated feat for a vampire, especially one who was made, and then remade into a curse.

In the vast realm of vampire lore, Matthew stands apart from his peers as a nuanced and multifaceted protagonist. His struggle with his monstrous instincts mirrors the internal struggles that many of us face in our own lives. Through him, we are reminded of the constant battle between our better angels and our darker impulses, and the importance of clinging to hope and faith amidst the shadows.

“Absolute faith in religion (praying to altar of the beloved) is immortality, atheism is death, and agnosticism is living. Though the lover is too doubtful to believe he is loved, he cannot commit to the atheism of believing he is not loved at all. He is cursed to be agnostic, wanting to believe he is loved but unsure all together is he is.” Roland Barthes: Love as a Language for The Artifice

Matthew’s profound search for meaning, juxtaposed against his vampiric nature, offers a profound exploration of the human condition. This internal conflict, deeply rooted in his character, propels the story forward and invites readers to reflect on themes of redemption, self-acceptance, and the power of belief. Despite being a vampire trapped in a perpetual struggle with his monstrous nature, his journey is a testament to man’s resilience, as he grapples with the eternal conflict of his existence.

“On this day, All Souls Day, around the year 500 AD, a boy named Matthew was born. He lived in difficult times, and tried to die, only to live again. For more than 1500 years, Matthew has struggled with his personal demons and has represented humanity at its best and worst. He is selfish and selfless, capable of bitter hatred and unconditional love, anger and tenderness, passion and prejudice. He is still, after all these years, a work in progress–just as we all are. Matthew shows us that immortality and wealth are not the answers to any of life’s problems. Absence and desire, blood and fear–they spellbind us all, and make us act against the better angels of our nature.” Deborah Harkness

Matthew Clairmont’s steadfast faith shines as a beacon of light, illuminating the depths of his character and enriching the narrative with profound philosophical questions. His journey presents us with an exploration of the intricacies of human identity and spirituality, reminding us of the power of resilience and the enduring strength of faith, even under the darkest of circumstances.

“I spoke aloud: Give me knowledge of my end and the measure of my days, so I may know my frailty. My lifetime is no longer than the width of my hand. It is only a moment, compared to yours.” p. 318, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

thoughts on: the secret history by donna tartt

by Katherine Marie

As October casts its enchanting spell, the time for melancholy tales and wistful thinking draws near. Spooky stories and old haunts slink out from hiding places and fill the air with that oh so familiar feeling that a new season will soon be joining us. It’s an interesting thought that within the autumn months, the most recognizable forms of spirits and stories come with the traditions of Hallows’ eve and jack o’lanterns sitting atop window sills. I’m more reminded of the so called spirits of autumn when my gaze turns to a certain shelf tucked away in the corner of my library. Thus bringing me to select the dusty spine of an older novel whose story resembles terror in a much more striking form: truth and beauty.

“‘Death is the mother of beauty,’ said Henry. ‘And what is beauty?’ ‘Terror.’ ‘Well said,’ said Julian. ‘Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.'”
p. 37, The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The characters, whom I will refer to as the students, are Richard, Henry, Camilla, Charles, Frances, and Bunny. In the novel, when knowledge acts as a key to understanding the greater unknown, an obsessive nature commences in the mind of the beholder. In this instance, Julian’s students immerse themselves so far into the pages of historic manuscripts and mythologies that they quickly forgo rational thinking and trade reality for a more imaginative and haunting existence.

“After Gatsby’s death the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes’ power of correction. So when the blue smoke of brittle leaves was in the air and the wind blew the wet laundry stiff on the line I decided to come back home.”
p. 175, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  

Much like Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby, Richard is swept into the closed society of his fellow classmates and immersed into their world of intelligence, secrecy, and elitist knowledge. He watches with doe eyes as the once polished elegance of his peers’ lives disintegrates into tragedy.

“We don’t like to admit it, but the idea of losing control is one that fascinates controlled people such as ourselves more than almost anything. All truly civilized people–the ancients no less than us–have civilized themselves through the willful repression of the old, animal self.”
p. 38, The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

The characters in the novel focus on the draw of Greek culture that has laid the foundation for much of the characters’ belief systems and perceptions of the world. Professor Julian encourages his students to delve into the classics with all of their energy as he becomes their counselor and teaches nearly all of their courses. Much like Plato was apprenticed by Socrates, so are Henry, Camilla, Charles, Francis, and Bunny taught at an intimate level by Julian. These five students carry an elitist mentality as they study the ancient texts. Julian tells them, “The Greeks, you know, really weren’t very different from us. They were a very formal people, extraordinarily civilized, rather re-pressed. And yet they were frequently swept away en masse by the wildest enthusiasms—dancing, frenzies, slaughter, visions” which plants a seed in the students’ minds to immerse themselves further into their studies by participating in the same activities that they read about in their books (40). Richard acts as the narrator of the story and shows the reader how his interest in Greek culture turns into a fascination once he joins the class. 

One of the appeals of studying any culture in historic context is that there is a defined difference between ancient civilization and the current state of the world. A culture’s progression is evident through its prolonged time of existence, and because the Greeks were very innovative with their studies, sports, and architecture, looking back on their livelihoods feels like a privilege to the selected students. They seek freedom and an escape from the mundane society they’re surrounded by and find solace in the ancient texts presented to them by professor Julian. He tells his students that the rituals in common day “would seem clinical madness, irreversible. Yet the Greeks—some of them, anyway—could go in and out of it as they pleased” (40). Henry looks at the ancient Greeks as if they were invincible and truly gods of their era. He and his friends keep their noses in their books as they search for meaning and answers on their quest to become infinite.

“Ancient Greek is a difficult language, a very difficult language indeed, and it is eminently possible to study it all one’s life and never be able to speak a word; but it makes me smile, even today, to think of Henry’s calculated, formal English, the English of a well-educated foreigner, as compared with the marvelous fluency and self-assurance of his Greek.”
p. 201, The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The students take their readings in a literal sense and perform a Dionysiac ritual one night of the semester. In Greek history, such a ritual is also referred to as Bacchanalia. During the night of the ritual, the students act like the written Greeks and lose themselves in a hedonistic atmosphere of euphoria and freedom of the senses. Their desire to transcend their physical limitations of knowledge and power through such an exceptionally impassioned act proves to be a dangerously enlightening experience for all of the students, even affecting the ones who didn’t partake in the ritual.

Henry lives in a state of disillusionment after the ritual and recluses into his mind and novels. Although Richard admires the culture he studies in class, he sees it only as history and wonders why his classmates act so strangely around the stories. Henry asks Richard, “What if you had never seen the sea before? What if the only things you’d ever seen was a child’s picture—blue crayon, choppy waves? Would you know the real sea if you only knew the picture?” as he explains that he saw the god Dionysus before him (168). Henry recalls the wildness of the ritual and the uncertainty that the group felt during the night with passion and earnest. His greatest desire is “[t]o live without thinking” during the time he spends on earth (493). The students’ obsession with Greek culture stems from their desires to embody the myths of old and leave their own eternal mark on the world.

The novel beautifully captures the essence of the autumn season and its association with spooky stories and haunting atmospheres. Tartt effectively illustrates themes of obsession, escapism, and the allure of Greek mythology through her compelling exploration of the pursuit of beauty and the significance of ancient cultures.

During such a season when the wind whispers songs and the moon casts its light toward the shadows, the possibility of limitless imagination blooms across the minds of many. To lose yourself, through any medium available, suggests not a discontentment with the surrounding world but rather a draw to what lies just beyond reach. Tartt’s novel leaves us wondering: what did the Greeks discover in this pursuit of beauty that we’re failing to find for ourselves?

Ars longa, vita brevis – art is long, life is short.

thoughts on: normal people by sally rooney

by Katherine Marie

Normal People follows the lives of Connell and Marianne through the facets of friendship, romance, growing up, and learning to let go. They come from different social classes and as their lives intertwine over the years, they realize that they’re always meant to come back to each other. In the first pages of the book, we find a quote by George Eliot that sums up their relationship perfectly:

“It is one of the secrets in that change of mental poise which has been fitly named conversion, that to many among us neither heaven nor earth has any revelation till some personality touches theirs with a peculiar influence, subduing them into receptiveness.”

Marianne spends much of her life in solitude. She’s isolated from friends and family because neither understand or show love to her. Excelling in her studies and knowing that she’ll be going to college soon are motivations for her during the hardships she faces at home. Connell is a popular athlete and well liked among the town. By chance, he talks to Marianne, and quickly the two begin a secret relationship while they’re in school. His priorities are to maintain his social status among his peers and suggests to Marianne that she not tell anyone about their time together. Connell’s desires don’t faze Marianne since she understands his concerns regarding popularity; however, she tells him that she would never hide their relationship or pretend to not know him if others asked. He doesn’t understand her because he’s still caught up in status. She doesn’t dwell too much on why others dislike her, but instead looks toward her imagination for hope of the future.

“Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening very far away, happening without her, and she didn’t know if she would ever find out where it was and become part of it. She had that feeling in school, often, but it wasn’t accompanied by any specific images of what the real life might look or feel like. All she knew was that when it started, she wouldn’t need to imagine it anymore.” p. 11, Normal People by Sally Rooney

Since Connell has kept his relationship with Marianne a secret, he asks another girl to the school dance and this decision is a sort of breaking point for Marianne. She stops going to school and only returns to take her finishing exams. Connell finds himself confused at her absence and though she’s preparing for college, Marianne is once again, alone. She feels loneliness as if it were a winter coat that she carries with her. There’s nothing else to compare her experiences with so she doesn’t start to see that she can shrug off her coat until she’s left home. Great changes occur in each of the character’s lives when college begins. The solace Marianne finds within her own intelligence and college friends wakes her up and Marianne begins to experience the pleasures of a social circle. Connell, on the other hand, seems to slip into Marianne’s past shoes once he arrives in college. For the first time, he’s isolated from others and dwells on the consequences of his actions regarding his relationships and past priorities.

“Connell felt a pleasurable sorrow come over him, which brought him close to tears. Moments of emotional pain arrived like this, meaningless or at least indecipherable. Marianne lived a drastically free life, he could see that. He was trapped by various considerations. He cared what people thought of him. He even cared what Marianne thought, that was obvious now.” p. 26, Normal People by Sally Rooney

He eats by himself, studies alone in the library, and stays home instead of going out to meet people. All of his ideas of what his future would look like seem to be stilted by the realization that he didn’t actually know what he wanted for himself. We see a lot of his inner dialogue in this section of the novel, feeling his thoughts quite clearly as he spends time in college.

“Connell wished he knew how other people conducted their private lives, so that he could copy from example.” p. 51, Normal People by Sally Rooney

For much of the novel, the question of why follows both the characters and the reader. Rooney’s chapters go back and forth in time, showing us significant moments captured between Connell and Marianne both from high school and in college. They continually come back together, even when it’s clear to see that the timing is wrong and the communication is completely off. All of that to say, one of the clearest truths that Rooney writes is the fact that the impact from a singular person will ripple the very existence of someone else’s entire life. As Connell moves through college, he’s continually thinking back to his time with Marianne and basing many of his decisions on the influence she’s had over his thoughts. Whereas, Marianne finds herself in relationships that have her remembering the truths Connell taught her, good and bad, about loving another person.

“I love you. I’m not just saying that. I really do. Her eyes fill up with tears again and she closes them. Even in memory she will find this moment unbearably intense, and she’s aware of this now, while it’s happening. She has never believed herself fit to be loved by any person. But now she has a new life, of which this is the first moment, and even after many years have passed she will still think: Yes, that was it, the beginning of my life.” p. 46, Normal People by Sally Rooney

As the reader, one of the most frustrating elements of the book is Connell and Marianne’s miscommunication. There’s a painting I came across where both characters are sitting together, but the artist brushed a line of paint across their faces, thus hiding their emotions. This image fits the entire story of Marianne and Connell not feeling like they could speak to the other honestly or within the right time frame of their feelings. This, I believe, is the reason that they’re continually drawn back together. Even though they miss the mark so many times, at the root of each of their hearts, they know that they belong together and will one day see each other clearly.

“Marianne, he said, I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.” p. 117, Normal People by Sally Rooney

Another beautiful element of Rooney’s novel is how she writes such a mundane story. We’re not met with mystery and action but instead the complexities of normal people walking through everyday life. From the very beginning of the story, we’ve seen that Connell and Marianne expect drastic changes to occur in their lives once they leave the familiarity of their hometown. Once they’re in college, both experience life in a sort of mirror-image to their past selves. Marianne’s life has laughter and the messiness of college relationships, while Connell experiences the same solitude in college that he watched Marianne live out back home. The realization that his college life doesn’t amount to anything devastates Connell.

“I just feel like I left Carricklea thinking I could have a different life, he says. But I hate it here, and now I can never go back there again. I mean, those friendships are gone. Rob is gone, I can never see him again. I can never get that life back.” p. 224, Normal People by Sally Rooney

Connell spends much of his time during the novel wishing that he were older and wiser so that his life will play out in a new and exciting way. Going to college doesn’t solve anything for him, but instead reveals the loneliness he’s always felt in such a vivid way that it dehabilitates him. The brightest moments of his life happen when he spends time with Marianne. He sees her interact with her peers and new boyfriends, all while saving space for him. The consistent kindness and vulnerability that Marianne shows Connell reveals his own mistakes to himself. He learns, very slowly, that the opinions of others are far less important than the beautiful girl that is Marianne, standing before him. As time passes, Marianne develops a new way of thinking: she knows that she’s worthy of the same kindness she’s shown others. All of the grief and mistreatment she’s endured has brought her to her current life–a good life. She knows that Connell was wrong for hiding their relationship while they were young, and she knows that both of them have had enough heartbreak to last for a long time.

“All these years they’ve been like two little plants sharing the same plot of soil, growing around one another, contorting to make room, taking certain unlikely positions. But in the end she has done something for him, she’s made a new life possible, and she can always feel good about that.” p. 272, Normal People by Sally Rooney

There’s a quiet insightfulness that Rooney displays in her writing. She captures the vulnerability of youth and the fascination humans have with social status and academic success. When reading Rooney’s novels, it sometimes feels as if a friend has penned a long letter to you over the years, providing updates here and there, but mostly to tell you the story of their everyday life. As the book concludes, it feels less like an ending but instead like a pause between chapters. Our characters have found a simple peace, if only for a little while.

“In the kitchen Marianne pours hot water on the coffee. The sky is low and woolen out the window, and while the coffee brews she goes and places her forehead on the glass. Gradually the mist of her breath hides the college from view: the trees turn soft, the Old library a heavy cloud. Students crossing Front Square in winter coats, arms folded, disappear into smudges and then disappear entirely. Marianne is neither admired nor reviled anymore. People have forgotten about her. She’s a normal person now.” p. 261, Normal People by Sally Rooney

Mistakes are a beautiful aspect of the human experience, especially when healing comes as a result of growing from such mistakes. Time moves on, friends come and go, and old lovers will remain faithfully in our memories. As we close the pages of Normal People, we’re not really saying goodbye to Connell and Marianne; rather, we’re simply popping out for a cup of tea and will be back to see them soon.