I don't like reading comtemporary literature, because there are no heroes, no one we can aspire to become.... all there are are flawed, broken, unhappy people like there are all over the world.
I decided recently that I would try reading more literature, I was starting to feel bloated from the amount of candy I'd been reading. I was well fed with a couple books I'd read before, then this one came around... I thought it would be intriguing, but it turned out to be sad and depressing to me.
It's the story of two sets of twins. There are Edie and Elspeth, and Julia and Valentina. Elspeth and Edie had been estranged for many years, however when Elspeth died, she willed almost her entire estate to her nieces Julia and Valentina on the condition that they live in her flat in London for a year, and their parents may not enter the building.
Julia and Valentina love and hate each other. They love what they have always known best, and hate how they cannot leave each other. When they come to London, they start to grow apart and meet new people, but one girl always manages to keep the other girl from growing too far apart. Finally, Valentina devises a plan to leave Julia forever... she tries to kill herself, thinking she will be able to come back with the help of Elspeth's ghost. However, that doesn't work and Elspeth steals Valentina's body instead.
There are so many layers to this book, and it will take forever to unravel it all. I am a bit reluctant to embrace the analysis of books, afraid I will lose my enjoyment of them again, like I did in school... There are two important side characters, Robert and Martin. Robert is Elspeth's former lover, who is drawn to Valentina. Martin is trapped in his apartment by his OCD, and Julia feels compelled to unravel his mysteries and set him free of his illness. They each have their lives, flaws, and intricacies. I am afraid to go through it all.
The story made me sad and lonely. It was good, but I'm just not prepared to dive in so soon and lose myself again.
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