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A review by lambsbooks
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
5.0
It has been well over a year since I last spoke to a stranger (one of Arvist’s visiting friends, back when he was finishing his Apprenticeship–I said “good day”, attempted to flee, knocked over a vase containing what appeared to be one hundred paintbrushes, and then spent the next three days in my room weeping over my great humiliation)
I don’t even know what to write. This book was beautiful and perfect. Remarkable even (you’ll get that reference when you read the book 😂).
“Do know that up until the very last hour you can always write me to decline–or paste a sign on a window that simply reads “HENEREY, NO””
I loved the format of it - that was a brand new way of storytelling for me and I found it really fun. I felt like I was a part of the story, reading the letters, the back and forth, it was such an immersive experience!!
“In your absence, I have many possible pastimes to which I can affix my attention–natural history, baking, and even my sketching. I have taken a break from reading, however, as it sent me into an existential crisis as usual–there are so many books and so many ideas in the world, and how can I hope to understand, learn, or discover even a fraction of these wonders in my short life?”
“In fact, in reflecting upon the entire affair, I find myself scrupulously reviewing my every word and action over the course of the evening.”
Mental health is a big theme in this book, anxiety being one I relate to very strongly. I would say social anxiety was a huge theme, both for E. and Henerey. I thought it was portrayed beautifully, the spiral to E’s worries, fears, and thoughts, Henerey’s reluctance to socialize, E’s agoraphobia (or at least that’s what I got from the descriptions), it was all done so well.
“And I dare not even make a fair copy, because accessing rare volumes requires me to go into the Reading Room–which, despite the title, is more of a social gathering space than a room in which one accesses restricted books. There is only one small viewing table around which everyone must crowd, and you are forced to converse with your fellow readers the entire time. Even though you are supposed to be reading. Alas.”
I will definitely be recommending this book for its mental health rep.
“Do you think he is now back on his research vessel laughing about my oddities with some far superior individual with whom he would much rather spend his time?”
There were so many thoughts that E. and Henerey had that I went “same.” Her agonizing over past conversations, looking into conversations she had and questioning everything, I feel that constantly too, so it was so nice to see here.
“Even stopping in briefly for a mandatory appearance at the dinner parties our parents used to host when I was a young woman in my early twenties made me sick to my stomach, and I would spend days afterwards replaying and rewriting each word in my head until I was certain that I behaved abominably to everyone I encountered and that they would soon shame my name throughout all of Society.”
Thank you to Orbit and the author for providing me with this ARC!
____________________________
Excuse me it is 1am and I am now just finding out this is not a standalone and now I have to wait for eternity and what was that ending😭
This was beautiful. Review to come once I have a Brain (you’ll get that once you read this 😂) and go to sleep.
I don’t even know what to write. This book was beautiful and perfect. Remarkable even (you’ll get that reference when you read the book 😂).
“Do know that up until the very last hour you can always write me to decline–or paste a sign on a window that simply reads “HENEREY, NO””
I loved the format of it - that was a brand new way of storytelling for me and I found it really fun. I felt like I was a part of the story, reading the letters, the back and forth, it was such an immersive experience!!
“In your absence, I have many possible pastimes to which I can affix my attention–natural history, baking, and even my sketching. I have taken a break from reading, however, as it sent me into an existential crisis as usual–there are so many books and so many ideas in the world, and how can I hope to understand, learn, or discover even a fraction of these wonders in my short life?”
“In fact, in reflecting upon the entire affair, I find myself scrupulously reviewing my every word and action over the course of the evening.”
Mental health is a big theme in this book, anxiety being one I relate to very strongly. I would say social anxiety was a huge theme, both for E. and Henerey. I thought it was portrayed beautifully, the spiral to E’s worries, fears, and thoughts, Henerey’s reluctance to socialize, E’s agoraphobia (or at least that’s what I got from the descriptions), it was all done so well.
“And I dare not even make a fair copy, because accessing rare volumes requires me to go into the Reading Room–which, despite the title, is more of a social gathering space than a room in which one accesses restricted books. There is only one small viewing table around which everyone must crowd, and you are forced to converse with your fellow readers the entire time. Even though you are supposed to be reading. Alas.”
I will definitely be recommending this book for its mental health rep.
“Do you think he is now back on his research vessel laughing about my oddities with some far superior individual with whom he would much rather spend his time?”
There were so many thoughts that E. and Henerey had that I went “same.” Her agonizing over past conversations, looking into conversations she had and questioning everything, I feel that constantly too, so it was so nice to see here.
“Even stopping in briefly for a mandatory appearance at the dinner parties our parents used to host when I was a young woman in my early twenties made me sick to my stomach, and I would spend days afterwards replaying and rewriting each word in my head until I was certain that I behaved abominably to everyone I encountered and that they would soon shame my name throughout all of Society.”
Thank you to Orbit and the author for providing me with this ARC!
____________________________
Excuse me it is 1am and I am now just finding out this is not a standalone and now I have to wait for eternity and what was that ending😭
This was beautiful. Review to come once I have a Brain (you’ll get that once you read this 😂) and go to sleep.