It was with some small relief that, late last night, lying in bed, I completed The Ambassadors. Now I can move on to something a little more amenable to reading at a reasonable pace, something which I don't have to stop every third paragraph or so to find I haven't actually understood anything I've been reading on the page only to go back over it one more time (sometimes two more) in search of some kind of way in to at least the bare story line. And yet, it's not been an entirely negative experience. I think I did follow quite a lot of what was on offer and found myself wanting to know what was going to happen to characters who did develop some kind of genuine life for me. I think I grew accustomed to the rhythms of James's prose and found the last quarter or so of the novel something I wanted to read as opposed to something I was making myself get through.
Even then there were quite major things I simply didn't get. Strether's accidental meeting with Chad & Madam de Vionnet in the French countryside is obviously intended as a vital turning point of sorts in the novel in terms of Strether's assessment of the nature of their relationship, but I thought it was obvious to Strether that they were 'lovers' in the modern sense of the word. How could he have not realised this? (At least, I think he didn't realise it.) And why exactly does Strether turn down Maria Gostrey at the end? (At least, that's what he seems to be doing, if I've got it right that she's making some sort of proposal of marriage.)
So, satisfying at it was to finish the book, I'm aware that it was not really complete for me. But I don't think I'll put it on my to-read-again list. Having said that I'm drawn to the idea of having a go at one or two more of the big titles that James has (so abundantly) to offer. But not this year.
Fasting month is also drawing to an end and, like a good novel, will never really be completed. There's always some further layer of illumination to be attained to do the experience any real kind of justice. That's why, in something slightly less than a year, a version of the experience will be (God permitting) reenacted, refined, and, in its turn, remain unfinished. I hope it will be better than this year - a report card reading could do better is integral to the experience, but I'm aware of too much left undone.
3 comments:
I really do wonder how you're so proficient with marking, teaching & reading -- all at the same time; it took me nearly 3 weeks to finish a very sketchy & not entirely satisfying reading of Ulysses. Got your hands on Lord of Light yet?
Daryl, anyone who can survive the multiple demands of the IB programme, and remain sane, has my respect on the multi-tasking front. And just three weeks on Ulysses. Good lord, my first reading (as a teenager) took months. Now there's a text that demands rereading. You're never really done with it, it sort of stays, rather wonderfully, with you for life.
I saw a copy of Lord of Light at Kinokuniya the other day but passed on it as I knew I wouldn't be able to do it justice until November, but it's high on my holiday reading list. It gets a lot of mentions in The Sandman Companion as an inspirational text for Gaiman and I'm looking forward to wallowing in it.
Yes, so much of Ulysses remains incomprehensible; it's a big difference reading it as a tour de force & as something to enjoy & appreciate...
Post a Comment