Reviews

Fair Play by Tove Jansson

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queerbacteria's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

laurenbastian's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is really a series of loosely connected vignettes, almost as if they were a serialized set of short stories. At times I don't feel like I understood the point of some of the story-chapters, but I think each still contributes to the overall theme of the book which centers the ambiguities and subtleties, disagreements and reconciliations inherent to a loving relationship. The two women in the novel are, at once, wholly independent and interdependent.

There's a line at the end that really struck me. When Jonna, at first reluctant, now eagerly accepts an artist fellowship in France at Mari's bidding, Mari finds herself looking forward to a solitude of "a kind that people can permit themselves when they are blessed with love." The two have such security in their love for one another that their temporary separation is not cause for grief, but instead a liberation. Solitude is freeing when Mari knows she loves and is loved in return; there is no sense of emptiness or loneliness, only a peacefulness that opens her up to creativity and self-exploration. I've never thought about love or solitude in this way, but I think this particular line, and the book ad a whole, really cuts to the core of what a strong, healthy, loving relationship can be.