novel philosophy

Authors: Sena Jeter Naslund
Genre: Literary Fiction
Published: 2014
Rating: 2 Stars

Summary

Ah, the classic novel within the novel.

Kathryn Callaghan has just finished her novel. In those early morning hours, she rushes to leave a copy at her best friend’s door. When she returns home, she struggles with sleep, and the ensuing story shows a glimpse of life post-novel completion. Her day is filled with regular routines, introducing us to the regular characters of her life. We meet her friends and learn about her family. She is quite settled in her beloved Louisville.

While Kathryn continues on with her day, we meet Elisabeth Vigee-LeBrun. She is a painter, a survivor of the French Revolution, and the topic of Kathryn’s latest novel. Her world varies greatly from Kathryn’s as we watch her grow in her gifts while struggling in a country on the brink of great tragedy.

Together, the two stories take us to the edge of danger as both women face incredible circumstances.

Themes

Aging

While completing her novel, Kathryn also celebrates her golden years. Life looks a little different in these later years, and Kathryn thinks about it regularly. She discusses it with the various friends she meets throughout the day. Together they reminisce about what life was and what it still could be. They seem to fight an unspoken stigma about who they should be and how they should live. Instead, still filled with some degree of youthfulness, they gallantly pursue the life they want.

Art

With a female painter as the centerpiece of Kathryn’s novel, art quickly becomes a theme. As we read Elisabeth’s story, we’re left to consider a few questions. What is art? What should it be? How does art play a role in how we understand the past? There is no simple answer, and we’re left as readers to decide what we believe.

A Woman’s Role

We see this played out in both stories. Elisabeth finds success as a painter but struggles to find freedom as a married woman. Men control the world, and she is shifted from father to husband without realizing what she has given up. Kathryn, on the other hand, struggles to find love. With another relationship in the past, she’s due for some deep inner reflection. She’s also a mother with a grown and independent child. What does life look like now that she’s no longer a wife? What does a mother do with a fully grown son?

Quotes

“The passion for painting was innate in me. This passion has never failed, perhaps because it has always increased with time, even today, I experience all its charm, and I hope that this divine passion ends only with my life.”

“However, there are scenes from history that should be painted and made to hang in the Louvre, for a country needs to look at its shame, to acknowledge and salute it. Gazing at some of the terrible realities of the Revolution, the face of France should be bathed in tears. The Reign of Terror. For all its horrible, ineradicable vividness, I could paint none of it.”

“ ‘It’s a beautiful neighborhood,’ Ryn babbled on. ‘Totally devoid of pretension, as unselfconscious as an old tree.’ “

Final Thoughts

This truly was a tale of two novels. I was fascinated with Elisabeth’s story as she grew through years of success and later years of turmoil. The historical backdrop added to the overall story. It felt like reading the history of a woman who made the necessary choices to ensure the safety and success of her and her family. I cannot imagine facing such choices.

Kathryn’s story, on the other hand, left me incredibly bored. All those pages later with one day of life complete. That’s right, hundreds of pages to cover just one day. While the story pushed towards some guessed-at conflict, I was left reading the constant stream of thoughts running through Kathryn’s mind. While I appreciate a new perspective, I quickly grew tired of her opinions and constant self-talk. I guess I have enough of it running through my own brain, ha.

Not one of my favorites. If you’re a fan of stream-of-consciousness, then you might like this one a whole lot more than I did. If not, it’s probably better to stay far away.