A review by jamieml
As We Are Now by May Sarton

5.0

As you are now, so once was I;
Prepare for death and follow me.

The epigraph of May Sarton’s novel As We Are Now reads frightening after fully witnessing its despair. The novel exposes the devastating isolation and deprivation of aging in a retirement home, a “concentration camp for the old” (9). Caro, the narrator, records her outward experiences and inward reflections in a journal, which exists as Sarton’s novel. Caro, an abandoned, physically weak woman, agonizingly craves comfort.

I found Caro's story a compelling and difficult study of empathy. The blatant abuse and neglect inflicted on the old, the subsequent self-hate, and the ultimate burning anger reveals how Sarton sees the decline of human compassion. I love this novel because it faces that rage.

It is not an easy read. It is short, yes, but Sarton's writing packs a heart-breaking punch. Heart-breaking because it's true.

Of my own unique experience of As We Are Now, I found Caro similar to myself. We are both animal lovers, readers, and thinkers. We even love the same artist, Pieter Bruegel. Relating to Caro makes this book much more frightening. Will I have a similar end?

I couldn't help but notice conclusions made about silence and empathy in the novel. As a shy person who often lives in silence, I hoped to find some comfort there. You can read my thoughts on the subject here.

I think this novel is my favorite, and I will read it when I am old. Hopefully, I will be better off than dear Caro.