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jola_g 's review for:
The Aspern Papers
by Henry James
What did I think?
It's really hard to think feeling weak in the presence of sheer beauty, having your breath taken away and being hypnotised!
Two weeks later
Not much has changed since I finished reading. I still feel almost as infatuated with this novella as the nameless narrator was obsessed with Jeffrey Aspern's papers. I am constantly not capable of ‘Jola thinks rationally’ mode, so instead of sharing logical musings I will tell you what happened when I was reading this amazing book by Henry James, who was absent from Linda Grant’s murdered library. She explains: 'I have never been able to remember the beginning of his sentences by the time I get to the end’.
The first thing that struck me was Henry James’ ornate writing style, which is his hallmark. It’s the third book by this author that I’ve read, so I was already familiar and ready to face the challenge. Words, words, words… They were like a window pane, separating me from the world of ‘The Aspern Papers’. They not only express thoughts and feelings. They shamelessly shimmer, enchant and dazzle as well. Sometimes I was overwhelmed by never-ending phrases and a bit tired with James’ flamboyant eloquence. I felt like breaking the cold glass between me and the narrator, Miss Tita, 'such a terrible relic as the aunt' - Miss Juliana Bordereau and 'the golden glow of Venice'.
Then suddenly I noticed something totally unexpected: the story had touched me to the core, imperceptibly and stealthily. Believe me, I was literally shaky when I was finishing ‘The Aspern Papers’. By the way, in my opinion the last meeting of the narrator and Miss Tita is one of the best literary scenes ever.
I discovered the second surprise after I had finished reading James’ novella. I found out that the prototype of Jeffrey Aspern was Percy Bysshe Shelley, who happens to be one of my all time favourite poets. It makes the story even more attractive!
I adore Venice depicted in James' novella. It’s picturesque, full of changeable light, but also disquieting – even windows watch the characters discreetly: ’Their motionless shutters became as expressive as eyes consciously closed’. Truth be told, if I hadn't already got a soft spot for La Serenissima in my heart, I would fall in love reading ‘The Aspern Papers’. It would be truly delightful to read James' novella on spot, so if Venice is your holiday destination this year, please, make sure you take this book with you. If a trip is out of the question, indulge in James' vivid descriptions.
One more thing I love about ‘The Aspern Papers’ is its ambiguity. James’ novella is not only about les liaisons dangereuses between literature and life. It is also an ode to relativity. You can’t label the characters easily. It’s hard to decide who is the victim and who is the tormentor, what are their real intentions. The author provides us with questions, we have to find answers and they most probably will differ, depending on the reader. Anaïs Nin said: ’We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.’
Lastly, special thanks to Orsodimondo, whose mesmerising review inspired me to read ‘The Aspern Papers’ at once.
It's really hard to think feeling weak in the presence of sheer beauty, having your breath taken away and being hypnotised!
Two weeks later
Not much has changed since I finished reading. I still feel almost as infatuated with this novella as the nameless narrator was obsessed with Jeffrey Aspern's papers. I am constantly not capable of ‘Jola thinks rationally’ mode, so instead of sharing logical musings I will tell you what happened when I was reading this amazing book by Henry James, who was absent from Linda Grant’s murdered library. She explains: 'I have never been able to remember the beginning of his sentences by the time I get to the end’.
The first thing that struck me was Henry James’ ornate writing style, which is his hallmark. It’s the third book by this author that I’ve read, so I was already familiar and ready to face the challenge. Words, words, words… They were like a window pane, separating me from the world of ‘The Aspern Papers’. They not only express thoughts and feelings. They shamelessly shimmer, enchant and dazzle as well. Sometimes I was overwhelmed by never-ending phrases and a bit tired with James’ flamboyant eloquence. I felt like breaking the cold glass between me and the narrator, Miss Tita, 'such a terrible relic as the aunt' - Miss Juliana Bordereau and 'the golden glow of Venice'.
Then suddenly I noticed something totally unexpected: the story had touched me to the core, imperceptibly and stealthily. Believe me, I was literally shaky when I was finishing ‘The Aspern Papers’. By the way, in my opinion the last meeting of the narrator and Miss Tita is one of the best literary scenes ever.
I discovered the second surprise after I had finished reading James’ novella. I found out that the prototype of Jeffrey Aspern was Percy Bysshe Shelley, who happens to be one of my all time favourite poets. It makes the story even more attractive!
I adore Venice depicted in James' novella. It’s picturesque, full of changeable light, but also disquieting – even windows watch the characters discreetly: ’Their motionless shutters became as expressive as eyes consciously closed’. Truth be told, if I hadn't already got a soft spot for La Serenissima in my heart, I would fall in love reading ‘The Aspern Papers’. It would be truly delightful to read James' novella on spot, so if Venice is your holiday destination this year, please, make sure you take this book with you. If a trip is out of the question, indulge in James' vivid descriptions.
One more thing I love about ‘The Aspern Papers’ is its ambiguity. James’ novella is not only about les liaisons dangereuses between literature and life. It is also an ode to relativity. You can’t label the characters easily. It’s hard to decide who is the victim and who is the tormentor, what are their real intentions. The author provides us with questions, we have to find answers and they most probably will differ, depending on the reader. Anaïs Nin said: ’We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.’
Lastly, special thanks to Orsodimondo, whose mesmerising review inspired me to read ‘The Aspern Papers’ at once.