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juanluisgarciaa's review against another edition
3.0
DNF (Stopped around the 100 page mark)
My choice to not finish this book is simply because it is a bit repetitive. Kavan introduces a series of 'dream' sequences which are definitely as vivid and unpredictable as dreams can be. These are written beautifully and every page is packed with impactful lines that highlight her literary talent. However, as i kept reading i found that these dreams are usually the same concept but in a different setting.
Kavan usually starts the dream sequences with a setting that connotes a sense of normality and/or positivity. Sometimes it is a suburb where the grass is always green and perfectly trimmed, other times a friendly gathering in a mountain that is fragranced by white flowers and the humidity of nature, and other times it is heaven. After some vivid descriptions of the setting, she establishes some uncertainty, at times this felt like the feeling of confusion one gets when slowly snapping out of a dream, or the sense of vertigo that some people supposedly feel while lucid dreaming. Those are , at least, the feelings it evoked on me. After some time, you get a complete contrast as 'A' (Kavan's mother) walks into the scenery. She is sort of 'grim reaper-like' as once she enters the setting everything starts to darken and rot, reality becomes warped and the true randomness of dreams strikes. It basically turns into a nightmare, there is thunder, hurricanes... etc. I suppose it is an effect of the energy she carries, the mother is a representation of death and darkness, although not in an evil way. After that, we get an immense feeling of isolation. This is usually what happens in every dream sequence leading up to the 100 page mark, I can't say much for anything after that.
Kavan's mother was clearly a very troubled person, and it is suggested in the book that she might have committed suicide. It is a very sad book. I interpreted it as the attempts of a very lonely child to connect with her emotionally distant mother by finding a sense of comfort in the darkness her own mother invents within the household. In a way, 'B' (Kavan) also inherits her mother's mental illness, so that is another way in which they connect. Essentially, from what I have read this book is about way more than it says on the blurb. It is about the complicated relations of mother and child, mental illness and emotional inheritance.
It is very interesting concept, and the writing is great but unfortunately it is too repetitive for me to read at the moment, I hope I can come back to it one day though!
My choice to not finish this book is simply because it is a bit repetitive. Kavan introduces a series of 'dream' sequences which are definitely as vivid and unpredictable as dreams can be. These are written beautifully and every page is packed with impactful lines that highlight her literary talent. However, as i kept reading i found that these dreams are usually the same concept but in a different setting.
Kavan usually starts the dream sequences with a setting that connotes a sense of normality and/or positivity. Sometimes it is a suburb where the grass is always green and perfectly trimmed, other times a friendly gathering in a mountain that is fragranced by white flowers and the humidity of nature, and other times it is heaven. After some vivid descriptions of the setting, she establishes some uncertainty, at times this felt like the feeling of confusion one gets when slowly snapping out of a dream, or the sense of vertigo that some people supposedly feel while lucid dreaming. Those are , at least, the feelings it evoked on me. After some time, you get a complete contrast as 'A' (Kavan's mother) walks into the scenery. She is sort of 'grim reaper-like' as once she enters the setting everything starts to darken and rot, reality becomes warped and the true randomness of dreams strikes. It basically turns into a nightmare, there is thunder, hurricanes... etc. I suppose it is an effect of the energy she carries, the mother is a representation of death and darkness, although not in an evil way. After that, we get an immense feeling of isolation. This is usually what happens in every dream sequence leading up to the 100 page mark, I can't say much for anything after that.
Kavan's mother was clearly a very troubled person, and it is suggested in the book that she might have committed suicide. It is a very sad book. I interpreted it as the attempts of a very lonely child to connect with her emotionally distant mother by finding a sense of comfort in the darkness her own mother invents within the household. In a way, 'B' (Kavan) also inherits her mother's mental illness, so that is another way in which they connect. Essentially, from what I have read this book is about way more than it says on the blurb. It is about the complicated relations of mother and child, mental illness and emotional inheritance.
It is very interesting concept, and the writing is great but unfortunately it is too repetitive for me to read at the moment, I hope I can come back to it one day though!
eli_cart's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
tangerinetwist's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
natasha1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
nickleftforfolk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
vonnegutian's review against another edition
4.0
Sleep Has His House is closer to a work of art than a novel. Not necessarily in the meaning of greatness (although it is very impressive) but rather in that concept and artistry supersede plot and storytelling. It is a book suffused with a sense of being autobiographical, about a young girl called B who we suppose is Kavan herself as a child.
Each chapter consists of two parts - a dichotomy between reality and B's inner world. The italicised beginnings are quite matter-of-fact and brief synopses of particularly significant events in B's life. They are followed by burgeoning, vivid interpretations of these events in a surreal and exaggerated realm. Kavan's writing comes into its own in these second parts: her imagination and use of language to illustrate the subconscious responses are masterful and it is remarkable how current and accessible the writing feels despite being written in 1947. In particular, Kavan expertly takes idyllic scenes and slowly degrades then into their exact opposites (or vice versa) - evoking dark, haunting imagery that leaves you sorrowed by the experiences B/Kavan had to face so young.
I think this was a good place to begin my reading of Kavan - it was a great advert of her talents and I'm really interested to see how they translate to a more traditional narrative. For lovers of descriptive, well-considered prose I heartily recommend Sleep Has His House. For those that prefer a stronger narrative element, perhaps her other novels are a better place to start. It also brought to mind 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath and the work of Janet Frame - so if you are fans of those, I predict Kavan will be up your street too. 4/5
Each chapter consists of two parts - a dichotomy between reality and B's inner world. The italicised beginnings are quite matter-of-fact and brief synopses of particularly significant events in B's life. They are followed by burgeoning, vivid interpretations of these events in a surreal and exaggerated realm. Kavan's writing comes into its own in these second parts: her imagination and use of language to illustrate the subconscious responses are masterful and it is remarkable how current and accessible the writing feels despite being written in 1947. In particular, Kavan expertly takes idyllic scenes and slowly degrades then into their exact opposites (or vice versa) - evoking dark, haunting imagery that leaves you sorrowed by the experiences B/Kavan had to face so young.
I think this was a good place to begin my reading of Kavan - it was a great advert of her talents and I'm really interested to see how they translate to a more traditional narrative. For lovers of descriptive, well-considered prose I heartily recommend Sleep Has His House. For those that prefer a stronger narrative element, perhaps her other novels are a better place to start. It also brought to mind 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath and the work of Janet Frame - so if you are fans of those, I predict Kavan will be up your street too. 4/5