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A review by jessicarosee
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
5.0
This book was so endlessly beautiful that I don’t think I can put it in my own words to describe how stunning jt is. So instead I’m going to share some of my favourite quotes:
“A boy at the beginning of a story has no way of knowing that the story has begun.” pg. 13
“This is their world, starless and sacred. They think it impervious. Impenetrable and eternal. Yet all things change in time.” pg. 64
“He has untangled himself from vines blossoming with story-filled flowers. He has traversed piles of abandoned teacups with text baked into their crackled glaze. He has walked through puddles of ink and left footprints that formed stories in his wake that he did not turn around to read.” pg. 89
“This is a significant moment, he thinks, hearing the words in his head in his mother’s voice. A moment with meaning. A moment that changes the moments that follow.” pg. 102
“‘He told you his name is Dorian? How very Oscar Wilde indulgent of him. I thought he was bad enough with his drama eyebrows and his sulking.’” pg. 144
“‘Poetry.’ Mirabel repeats. ‘The weather. It’s like a poem. Where each word is more than one thing at once and everything’s a metaphor. The meaning condensed into rhythm and sound and the spaces between sentences. It’s all intense and sharp, like the cold and the wind.’” pg. 156
“His face is so much more than hair and eye colour, she wonders why books do not describe the curves of people’s noses or the length of eyelashes. She studies the shape of his lips. Perhaps a face is too complicated to capture in words.” pg. 224
“‘Like I’m losing my mind, but in a slow, achingly beautiful sort of way.’” pg. 288
“‘Strange isn’t it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are. It’s nice to finally have someone read stores I know so intimately.’” pg. 298
“‘Important things hurt sometimes.’” pg. 352
“‘Do you ever think about how many stories are out there? ... How many dreams are unfolding around us right at this very moment? I wonder how long a book you would need to record them? You’d probably need an entire library to hold a single evening in Manhattan. An hour. A minute.’” pg. 364
“‘We are the stars,’ he answers, as though it is the most obvious of facts afloat in a sea of metaphors and misdirections. ‘We are all stardust and stories.’” pg. 373
This book is so fucking beautiful. At about 450 pages in, I wrote something on a post-it note and stuck it on the page. Looking back now it’s kinda funny...
“so much crossover, paradoxical bullshit — i love it but im feeling super dumb right about now.”
“A boy at the beginning of a story has no way of knowing that the story has begun.” pg. 13
“This is their world, starless and sacred. They think it impervious. Impenetrable and eternal. Yet all things change in time.” pg. 64
“He has untangled himself from vines blossoming with story-filled flowers. He has traversed piles of abandoned teacups with text baked into their crackled glaze. He has walked through puddles of ink and left footprints that formed stories in his wake that he did not turn around to read.” pg. 89
“This is a significant moment, he thinks, hearing the words in his head in his mother’s voice. A moment with meaning. A moment that changes the moments that follow.” pg. 102
“‘He told you his name is Dorian? How very Oscar Wilde indulgent of him. I thought he was bad enough with his drama eyebrows and his sulking.’” pg. 144
“‘Poetry.’ Mirabel repeats. ‘The weather. It’s like a poem. Where each word is more than one thing at once and everything’s a metaphor. The meaning condensed into rhythm and sound and the spaces between sentences. It’s all intense and sharp, like the cold and the wind.’” pg. 156
“His face is so much more than hair and eye colour, she wonders why books do not describe the curves of people’s noses or the length of eyelashes. She studies the shape of his lips. Perhaps a face is too complicated to capture in words.” pg. 224
“‘Like I’m losing my mind, but in a slow, achingly beautiful sort of way.’” pg. 288
“‘Strange isn’t it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are. It’s nice to finally have someone read stores I know so intimately.’” pg. 298
“‘Important things hurt sometimes.’” pg. 352
“‘Do you ever think about how many stories are out there? ... How many dreams are unfolding around us right at this very moment? I wonder how long a book you would need to record them? You’d probably need an entire library to hold a single evening in Manhattan. An hour. A minute.’” pg. 364
“‘We are the stars,’ he answers, as though it is the most obvious of facts afloat in a sea of metaphors and misdirections. ‘We are all stardust and stories.’” pg. 373
This book is so fucking beautiful. At about 450 pages in, I wrote something on a post-it note and stuck it on the page. Looking back now it’s kinda funny...
“so much crossover, paradoxical bullshit — i love it but im feeling super dumb right about now.”