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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Masterful first person account of a May-December marriage in the 19C Russian countryside. Capricious and never certain the protagonist reconciles her notions of love and bliss with the winding trek of reality. Despite being poised to pursue certain plot trajectories Family Happiness never feels inchoate or rushed. There’s something uniquely pleasant in this depiction of marital spat amidst a sudden downpour. I certainly was charmed.
Family Happiness explores the moral dilemmas and transitions faced when one falls in love. Much can be taken from this short book and applied to our own experiences as I discovered.
A young girl (Masha) falls in love with a man (Sergey) twice her age and is exposed to all the turbulent feelings associated; infatuation, passion, helplessness. As these feelings are extinguished over time she begins to feel utterly alone in the world, sometimes reminiscing on a misspent youth. The birth of two children complete love's fruition as Masha embraces the shift from innocent endearment to a deep devotion to the father of her children.
A young girl (Masha) falls in love with a man (Sergey) twice her age and is exposed to all the turbulent feelings associated; infatuation, passion, helplessness. As these feelings are extinguished over time she begins to feel utterly alone in the world, sometimes reminiscing on a misspent youth. The birth of two children complete love's fruition as Masha embraces the shift from innocent endearment to a deep devotion to the father of her children.
I loved this novella. Tolstoy is a master psychologist, and I was amazed by his ability to craft such a compelling narrative. Especially since the narrative is little more than the thoughts of a young woman who falls in love, gets married, and notices how her love changes through the years. Tolstoy tells us to accept the past, warts and all. It's not coming back, and besides, you learned something from it. Take what you learned to make the future better. More importantly he tell us that "love" really is an amorphous concept. As our lives change our definition of love and the manner in which we express it inevitably changes.
I was worried this would turn out badly like Anna Karenina. Sooooo relieved it didn't.
Interesting perspective on the nature of love. I don't necessarily prescribe to the same viewpoint but then again I am divorced so what do I know?
A novella about a young girl’s journey marrying her guardian that follows their initial euphoric infatuation to its predictable souring and the couple’s eventual discovery of a new type of happiness - stable, ordinary and devoid of ardent feeling. A lively and often heartwarming read with a depressing aftertaste. Much to consider about love, authenticity, human relationships etc.