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A review by margaretpottah
The Poet's House by Jean Thompson
4.0
21-year-old landscaper and lost Californian Carla is pulled into a world of poets, dinner parties, and literary conferences by a new client- Viridian, a poetry legend whose reading deeply moves Carla.
Carla has never been a reader. An unnamed learning difference has kept her from enjoying literature. But Viridian loans Carla books, reads to her, and connects her to important people in the literary world. Most importantly, Viridian pushes Carla to develop her own personhood. Who is she? What does she like? Viridian is a would-be mother figure to Carla, until glimpses of Viridian’s mythical past complicate Carla’s feelings. A son comes forward, and a past relationship with a volatile, iconic poet whose mysterious final work Viridian is rumored to have, somewhere in that house.
This book considers artists- their motivations, their communities, their gender politics, and how they age. It considers these things through the lens of a non-artist, an appreciator. It’s easy to identify with Carla. Surrounded by artists, she feels stupid, like she couldn’t possibly know anything worth saying. Her shame keeps her on the outskirts at times, running away from the possibility of being seen as provincial even when encouraged to engage.
The book is beautifully atmospheric. Viridian’s house and the poet collective that buzzes around it are warm and comforting. The lackadaisical plot makes for some drag in the middle, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to hang at the edge of the dinner party, when-glass in hand, and just listen.
Carla has never been a reader. An unnamed learning difference has kept her from enjoying literature. But Viridian loans Carla books, reads to her, and connects her to important people in the literary world. Most importantly, Viridian pushes Carla to develop her own personhood. Who is she? What does she like? Viridian is a would-be mother figure to Carla, until glimpses of Viridian’s mythical past complicate Carla’s feelings. A son comes forward, and a past relationship with a volatile, iconic poet whose mysterious final work Viridian is rumored to have, somewhere in that house.
This book considers artists- their motivations, their communities, their gender politics, and how they age. It considers these things through the lens of a non-artist, an appreciator. It’s easy to identify with Carla. Surrounded by artists, she feels stupid, like she couldn’t possibly know anything worth saying. Her shame keeps her on the outskirts at times, running away from the possibility of being seen as provincial even when encouraged to engage.
The book is beautifully atmospheric. Viridian’s house and the poet collective that buzzes around it are warm and comforting. The lackadaisical plot makes for some drag in the middle, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to hang at the edge of the dinner party, when-glass in hand, and just listen.