The Wine Solitude Irene Nemirovsky
The Wine of Solitude is, as the book jacket explains, the most autobiographical of all of Irene Nemirovsky's books. It is heartbreaking to read the life of a child in a totally dysfunctional family during the time of the Russian Revolution as they are constantly on the move across Russia to Finland and then on to Paris. The child Helene's only stability is with her governess as her father, Boris, chases after money (millions and millions) and her mother, Bella, needs the constant reassurance of her beauty and sexuality, from whatever man she can snag. Angry at her mother's neglect, as a strong, young and developing woman, Helene devises a plan of revenge for her mother.
I found this book to be fascinating, especially since it is loosely based on the life of the author, and I could not put it down until I was finished with it. It is written in a classy way and, though Bella's life is not reputable, the author clearly gets the point of her sexuality across without being trashy or graphic. This novel was published more than 60 years after the author died in Auschwitz at a young age. I thought it was a great read!
I adore Irene Nemirovsky's novels. It saddens me to think of how many more books she would have written had she not met her death so young. Her writing is beautiful. She is able to capture nuances of sarcasm so pleasantly that it sometimes makes me smile. This novel is very good, and I highly recommend it.
BalasHapusThe Wine of Solitude is, as the book jacket explains, the most autobiographical of all of Irene Nemirovsky's books. It is heartbreaking to read the life of a child in a totally dysfunctional family during the time of the Russian Revolution as they are constantly on the move across Russia to Finland and then on to Paris. The child Helene's only stability is with her governess as her father, Boris, chases after money (millions and millions) and her mother, Bella, needs the constant reassurance of her beauty and sexuality, from whatever man she can snag. Angry at her mother's neglect, as a strong, young and developing woman, Helene devises a plan of revenge for her mother.
BalasHapusI found this book to be fascinating, especially since it is loosely based on the life of the author, and I could not put it down until I was finished with it. It is written in a classy way and, though Bella's life is not reputable, the author clearly gets the point of her sexuality across without being trashy or graphic. This novel was published more than 60 years after the author died in Auschwitz at a young age. I thought it was a great read!
In Nemirovsky's first novel, "David Golder," the title character has an ultra-materialistic daughter named Joyce. "The Wine of Solititude" tells essentially the same story as "David Golder," but does so through the eyes of Joyce (here renamed Helene, and portrayed more sympathetically as a confused young woman rather than as a materialistic airhead). Both novels are largely autobiographical works. "David Golder" tells the story of Nemirovsky's father and "Wine of Solitude" tells of Nemirovsky's own early years. Both novels (mild spoiler ahead) culminate with the father's death. "David Golder" is the shorter of the two. It is faster paced and more exciting. "The Wine of Solitude" is the better-written of the two. It is slower than "Golder" but seems truer, more emotionally real. "David Golder," like Nemirovsky's "Jezebel," reads like a good piece of popular fiction. "The Wine of Solitude" is a gem of serious literature. All her books are well worth reading.
BalasHapus