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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Chilling, sad and confusing as well as inexplicably beautiful! This is how I would describe this book in one sentence. As reader you’ll get pulled in the world of Lise and you’ll align your own perception with hers. What is really happening and what is the result of your or the characters imagination? Proper mind bending stuff! Would highly recommend!
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fascinating, and respectful, view of the world through the eyes of a woman experiencing psychosis. I thought this was so immersive and believable that I felt as disturbed and distrustful as Lise. It was challenging to read because of how scrambled and chaotic her thoughts are, but it’s well worth it. But what an interesting read.
I'm so glad I read her memoirs first, it really informs the understanding of this novel--even though the details are altered from her real life (there's no apparent addiction here or "ear pain"), the main character seems to be suffering from a form a paranoid schizophrenia. The Faces of the title refers to the faces our protagonist believes people remove and attach at will to elicit different feeling from her, but all result in terror. The bulk of the book is her trapped in her mind in an asylum and it was fairly easy to distinguish the voices in her head from the voices of real people. It was a quick book, well written.
Elskede Tove❤️ Ikke hendes bedste, men et fint portræt af sindssyge
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Following Ditlevsen’s acclaimed memoir, The Copenhagen Trilogy, where she shares her battle with addiction, depression and a growing disconnect from reality, The Faces is a deep exploration of the fragmented self. The novella feels autobiographical, exploring the deterioration of the mental health of Lise Mundus, a children’s book author. The writing is intimate and raw, a conversation between Lise and the reader, marking her descent into psychosis. We get access to her inner voice, and the line between reality and hallucination is blurred for Lise and the reader.
Lise is a famous author, but she doesn’t believe in her fame, feeling she never had a thought of their own. She belittles herself for using a quote from another author in her books and is paranoid that she will be caught as an imposter (which she believes she is). Married, she lives with her husband, her three children (two older teenagers from another marriage), and their nanny, Gitte. From the first pages, we learn that her husband has an affair with Gitte, an act that he does “on her behalf”, as he needs to find ways to cope with her fame and the subsequent emasculation.
As a reader, I was drawn into this drama and did not question its reality. There may be hints of Lise’s delusion, which I missed. As we go, though, the psychosis slowly escalates: we find out Gitte also has an affair with her older son; her husband has an affair with her older daughter; voices in the bathroom drains tell Lise that Gitte plans to kill her. Things escalate so much that Lise feels the need to escape and finds a very destructive way to do so. I will let you discover her plan and its consequences, but the ending shook my understanding of the book and made me question everything again.
Blurring the lines between reality and hallucination is subtle and you miss it if you don't pay attention. I got caught in Lise’s story, which is narrated with such conviction that it’s difficult to discern the truth from delusion. This ambiguity forces the reader to confront themes of perception and the limitation of human understanding. Is Lise’s paranoia a symptom of illness, or is there a kernel of truth in her suspicions? This uncertainty underscored the fragility of mental stability and the ease with which reality can unravel.
I believe the title is symbolic, as faces are not only physical features, but masks conceal and reveal the complexities of human interaction. Lisa’s perception of the facer around her - her husband, children, and acquaintances - becomes increasingly distorted. Their faces constantly shift, alongside her emotions and the changing relationships themselves. The changes reflect the slow deterioration of Lise’s mind and her fragmented and somewhat destructive sense of self. Slowly, she loses complete control over herself and what is real (and this is what also hints to the reader that something is wrong in Lise’s reality).
Ditlevsen’s prose is as fractured as Lise’s mind. Sentences move abruptly, mirroring the protagonist’s confusion. The narrative is non-linear, mimicking the chaotic nature of memory and psychosis. This creates a sense of unease, drawing the reader deeper into Lise’s deteriorating mental state. Otherwise put, this book is dark and oppressive, a difficult read, more so, as it’s based on Ditlevsen’s real life (she committed suicide a few years after this book).
The Faces is a portrayal of mental breakdown but it also dives into Lise’s anxieties about creativity, motherhood, and ageing, which may resonate with a broader human experience. Her struggles with self-worth and her fear of losing herself in the roles expected of her are relatable and universal themes. However, they are secondary to her falling into psychosis, but, perhaps, related to her deep breakdown. This is not a comfortable read. The subject matter is bleak, and the tragic knowledge of Ditlevsen’s own struggles with mental health can be emotionally challenging. However, this is honest, deeply so. By confronting her darkness - both with her memoir and The Faces - Ditlevsen shares the complexities of the human mind and the courage it takes to face our vulnerabilities. This honesty makes the book a meditation on identity, sanity, and being human, a classic that must be read (be sure to check the trigger warnings!).
Lise is a famous author, but she doesn’t believe in her fame, feeling she never had a thought of their own. She belittles herself for using a quote from another author in her books and is paranoid that she will be caught as an imposter (which she believes she is). Married, she lives with her husband, her three children (two older teenagers from another marriage), and their nanny, Gitte. From the first pages, we learn that her husband has an affair with Gitte, an act that he does “on her behalf”, as he needs to find ways to cope with her fame and the subsequent emasculation.
As a reader, I was drawn into this drama and did not question its reality. There may be hints of Lise’s delusion, which I missed. As we go, though, the psychosis slowly escalates: we find out Gitte also has an affair with her older son; her husband has an affair with her older daughter; voices in the bathroom drains tell Lise that Gitte plans to kill her. Things escalate so much that Lise feels the need to escape and finds a very destructive way to do so. I will let you discover her plan and its consequences, but the ending shook my understanding of the book and made me question everything again.
Blurring the lines between reality and hallucination is subtle and you miss it if you don't pay attention. I got caught in Lise’s story, which is narrated with such conviction that it’s difficult to discern the truth from delusion. This ambiguity forces the reader to confront themes of perception and the limitation of human understanding. Is Lise’s paranoia a symptom of illness, or is there a kernel of truth in her suspicions? This uncertainty underscored the fragility of mental stability and the ease with which reality can unravel.
I believe the title is symbolic, as faces are not only physical features, but masks conceal and reveal the complexities of human interaction. Lisa’s perception of the facer around her - her husband, children, and acquaintances - becomes increasingly distorted. Their faces constantly shift, alongside her emotions and the changing relationships themselves. The changes reflect the slow deterioration of Lise’s mind and her fragmented and somewhat destructive sense of self. Slowly, she loses complete control over herself and what is real (and this is what also hints to the reader that something is wrong in Lise’s reality).
Ditlevsen’s prose is as fractured as Lise’s mind. Sentences move abruptly, mirroring the protagonist’s confusion. The narrative is non-linear, mimicking the chaotic nature of memory and psychosis. This creates a sense of unease, drawing the reader deeper into Lise’s deteriorating mental state. Otherwise put, this book is dark and oppressive, a difficult read, more so, as it’s based on Ditlevsen’s real life (she committed suicide a few years after this book).
The Faces is a portrayal of mental breakdown but it also dives into Lise’s anxieties about creativity, motherhood, and ageing, which may resonate with a broader human experience. Her struggles with self-worth and her fear of losing herself in the roles expected of her are relatable and universal themes. However, they are secondary to her falling into psychosis, but, perhaps, related to her deep breakdown. This is not a comfortable read. The subject matter is bleak, and the tragic knowledge of Ditlevsen’s own struggles with mental health can be emotionally challenging. However, this is honest, deeply so. By confronting her darkness - both with her memoir and The Faces - Ditlevsen shares the complexities of the human mind and the courage it takes to face our vulnerabilities. This honesty makes the book a meditation on identity, sanity, and being human, a classic that must be read (be sure to check the trigger warnings!).
It was my resolve to describe the world I saw, not to participate in it.
Oof, this was tough but well-written.
Oof, this was tough but well-written.
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes