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lileesee's review against another edition
5.0
All the Days and Nights is about Anna, a dying artist, who is determined to complete her final portrait. Obsessive and secretive, she it detached from the world around her, and longs to feel that her life-long work has been worthwhile.
And as the novel opens up, we learn that Anna's husband, John - who is also her life-long muse - has fled from their home, determined in himself, to track down the painting he has sat for. And too, discover if his work, has been of any worth.
And the first thing I'll say about All the Days And Nights is: what a gem of a book this turned out to be!
From the first page I was drawn in and absorbed, which was mostly because of the unique and beautiful writing style Govinden brings to this novel.
Anna, throughout the narrative, is addressing John directly, which in turn, makes it feel as though she's addressing straight to us, as the reader. It gave me a real sense of involvement in the story from the start.
We do also hear what John is doing throughout the novel, but it's through Anna's voice we delve there. And in many ways, I feel as though this entire narrative is an embodiment of Anna herself. It's a melancholy, dry, uncompromising story, exactly how she is. True, as well, with the writing: it's artistic and visual.
Also what I appreciated, was that the story didn't give up its secrets. It lets us as the reader do the work, join the dots, decipher and interpret the text. It made me alert while I was reading. I didn't want to miss anything. And at times, it did become quite hard to keep up with what was happening and who was saying what, but ultimately I liked it didn't make things easy. It didn't allow me to become complacent.
As for the plot, it was a simple one. It was consistent and one-toned, and I by know means say that at a criticism. Again, it embodies Anna, and adds to the melancholy, reminiscent atmosphere. This definitely isn't a book that's going to have you on the edge of your seat, dying to know what's going to happen, but it is in no way attempting to do that. For with the beautiful writing and subtle atmospheric mystery, it really didn't need a raging packed plot. It was constructed well and did exactly what it wanted to do.
So in conclusion, I thought this book was fantastic. It had mystery and intrigue and a melancholy story to tell. Therefore, if you're looking for a character driven tale, with beautifully artistic writing, I would definitely check out All the Days And Nights.
And as the novel opens up, we learn that Anna's husband, John - who is also her life-long muse - has fled from their home, determined in himself, to track down the painting he has sat for. And too, discover if his work, has been of any worth.
And the first thing I'll say about All the Days And Nights is: what a gem of a book this turned out to be!
From the first page I was drawn in and absorbed, which was mostly because of the unique and beautiful writing style Govinden brings to this novel.
Anna, throughout the narrative, is addressing John directly, which in turn, makes it feel as though she's addressing straight to us, as the reader. It gave me a real sense of involvement in the story from the start.
We do also hear what John is doing throughout the novel, but it's through Anna's voice we delve there. And in many ways, I feel as though this entire narrative is an embodiment of Anna herself. It's a melancholy, dry, uncompromising story, exactly how she is. True, as well, with the writing: it's artistic and visual.
Also what I appreciated, was that the story didn't give up its secrets. It lets us as the reader do the work, join the dots, decipher and interpret the text. It made me alert while I was reading. I didn't want to miss anything. And at times, it did become quite hard to keep up with what was happening and who was saying what, but ultimately I liked it didn't make things easy. It didn't allow me to become complacent.
As for the plot, it was a simple one. It was consistent and one-toned, and I by know means say that at a criticism. Again, it embodies Anna, and adds to the melancholy, reminiscent atmosphere. This definitely isn't a book that's going to have you on the edge of your seat, dying to know what's going to happen, but it is in no way attempting to do that. For with the beautiful writing and subtle atmospheric mystery, it really didn't need a raging packed plot. It was constructed well and did exactly what it wanted to do.
So in conclusion, I thought this book was fantastic. It had mystery and intrigue and a melancholy story to tell. Therefore, if you're looking for a character driven tale, with beautifully artistic writing, I would definitely check out All the Days And Nights.
annhog's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nics_books's review against another edition
4.0
Poetically written, this book is form of art.
Anna, a dying artist, is working on her final portrait. Her journey is an emotional one, but also distanced in the way she speaks. Told from her perspective, directly addressing her husband who has walked out of their home one morning, I found her to be a very complex person to read about. She is so engaged and taken in by her work that she thinks of nothing else most of the time. She eats, sleeps and paints in her studio, always crafting, always recording, always trying to capture the perfect painting in all its naturalistic detail.
Her husband, John, is also quite the character as the book flicks between what he gets up to after he walks out. He is trying to find the paintings Anna has made of him in an attempt to understand.
This is a book about the pursuit of knowledge, secrecy, tensions in a marriage, love, longing, art, and the search for beauty. It is also an exploration of life so close to death, how losing a loved one affects the people they will leave behind, and how people have different ways of coping with it. Some decide not to notice with the fears of making it real, and others walk out and search for meaning; removing themselves from the situation.
This book really was a feast for the literary soul because there were so many gorgeously constructed sentences, it was as though it was told through a collection of detailed and poignant paintings. This story could be retold on the walls of a museum, each painting a new chapter or realisation about a character, or a secret they hold or a moment they want to capture. A lot of Anna’s work is about capturing life as she sees it, as it happens, and sometimes after a horrific event.
I definitely recommend this book if you want to read something a bit different, a bit beautiful. I picked it up because it’s first line hooked me, and I’m very glad I stuck with it.
Anna, a dying artist, is working on her final portrait. Her journey is an emotional one, but also distanced in the way she speaks. Told from her perspective, directly addressing her husband who has walked out of their home one morning, I found her to be a very complex person to read about. She is so engaged and taken in by her work that she thinks of nothing else most of the time. She eats, sleeps and paints in her studio, always crafting, always recording, always trying to capture the perfect painting in all its naturalistic detail.
Her husband, John, is also quite the character as the book flicks between what he gets up to after he walks out. He is trying to find the paintings Anna has made of him in an attempt to understand.
This is a book about the pursuit of knowledge, secrecy, tensions in a marriage, love, longing, art, and the search for beauty. It is also an exploration of life so close to death, how losing a loved one affects the people they will leave behind, and how people have different ways of coping with it. Some decide not to notice with the fears of making it real, and others walk out and search for meaning; removing themselves from the situation.
This book really was a feast for the literary soul because there were so many gorgeously constructed sentences, it was as though it was told through a collection of detailed and poignant paintings. This story could be retold on the walls of a museum, each painting a new chapter or realisation about a character, or a secret they hold or a moment they want to capture. A lot of Anna’s work is about capturing life as she sees it, as it happens, and sometimes after a horrific event.
I definitely recommend this book if you want to read something a bit different, a bit beautiful. I picked it up because it’s first line hooked me, and I’m very glad I stuck with it.
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