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misshappyapples 's review for:
Moon Tiger
by Penelope Lively
This book was pretty incredible in a number of senses. Firstly, it was very well written. Not a single word was wasted, it was almost lyrical. But what was really impressive about this novel was that it was a complete story of a pretty extraordinary life, it managed to make you feel as if you were privy to it all, and it was only two hundred pages long. Now, don't get me wrong, they were two hundred very dense pages, but they were only two hundred pages just the same.
'Moon Tiger' is the story of the world and the story of a life, or so says Claudia, our heroine, lying in bed dying. From there and through the people who visit her she weaves a story of the past. Her tempestuous ten year on again off again affair with Jasper, the father of her child. Lisa, that same child, cared for primarily by grandparents. Sylvia, her sister in law, married to Gordon, the brother Claudia considered a part of her soul. And memories of Tom Southern, the dashing soldier and love of Claudia's life who died long ago while Claudia was a war corresponded in Egypt. Nothing is in order and nothing in concise.
Tom is clearly the focal point in Claudia's life, the great regret and sorrow she carries with her. He certainly seems to be her one non-incestuous (a phenomenon she equates with narcissism) love interest. However, I'm not entirely sure he rang true to me. He was written well, but there just wasn't enough of him or there wasn't enough passion behind him for me. Perhaps I just found him relatively cliche. I couldn't quite understand why he was so important to a woman who was so fiercely independent and who forged such an interesting story for herself. I can, however, still enjoy his presence as a road-not-taken or rather road interrupted sort of thing. Jasper, on the other hand, was very lively and I loved every line, though I'd never believe them in a grand romance. Out of all the other characters, though, I would have to say it was Gordon I enjoyed the best. Perhaps it makes sense as he is clearly the other side of Claudia's coin. I enjoyed their constant show of bickering back and forth and how clear it was this was the way they communicated and existed together, more as a necessity than actual anger or even annoyance. There are good way and bad way to do things, this whole book was done right. It's not surprise, honestly, that it won the Booker prize.
'Moon Tiger' is the story of the world and the story of a life, or so says Claudia, our heroine, lying in bed dying. From there and through the people who visit her she weaves a story of the past. Her tempestuous ten year on again off again affair with Jasper, the father of her child. Lisa, that same child, cared for primarily by grandparents. Sylvia, her sister in law, married to Gordon, the brother Claudia considered a part of her soul. And memories of Tom Southern, the dashing soldier and love of Claudia's life who died long ago while Claudia was a war corresponded in Egypt. Nothing is in order and nothing in concise.
Tom is clearly the focal point in Claudia's life, the great regret and sorrow she carries with her. He certainly seems to be her one non-incestuous (a phenomenon she equates with narcissism) love interest. However, I'm not entirely sure he rang true to me. He was written well, but there just wasn't enough of him or there wasn't enough passion behind him for me. Perhaps I just found him relatively cliche. I couldn't quite understand why he was so important to a woman who was so fiercely independent and who forged such an interesting story for herself. I can, however, still enjoy his presence as a road-not-taken or rather road interrupted sort of thing. Jasper, on the other hand, was very lively and I loved every line, though I'd never believe them in a grand romance. Out of all the other characters, though, I would have to say it was Gordon I enjoyed the best. Perhaps it makes sense as he is clearly the other side of Claudia's coin. I enjoyed their constant show of bickering back and forth and how clear it was this was the way they communicated and existed together, more as a necessity than actual anger or even annoyance. There are good way and bad way to do things, this whole book was done right. It's not surprise, honestly, that it won the Booker prize.