Book #3 - The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

[Moonchime]

OK twelve hours later and the whole thread has moved apace so I apologise in advance that most of the following comments were written at the same time as my last post before I was interrupted and therefore will not reflect the conversation since.

I thank you both for what you have said about "suffering less" and will certainly give that maxim a go. It takes a lifetime to work out how to live well doesn't it?

A rather sad story emerges from this chapter: the author of 'The History of Love' was apparently incapable of giving himself over to the feeling of love, burdened with doubts whether he was worthy of his wife's love, but also whether he was right/wrong to love her. Hence the title 'Forgive me'?

Absolutely adored the description of his wet socks drying on a chair, like two exhausted animals.

Such a profoundly sad, introverted man.

Yes absolutely - in the way that he seemed to be a bit of a "misfit" he reminded me of Leo; both so unsure of themselves, both unable to "belong" fully to a whole and loving relationship, both of them "outsiders," albeit in different ways; both of them alone even though Zvi was loved; both with aching sadness.

I have to agree with you about the description of the socks it stood out for me too - you can feel that total collapse can't you?
And as you say it is in lines like that, that one can feel the poet in Nicole coming out.

I also loved this part:

Litvinoff imagines the two thousand copies of THoL as a flock of two thousand homing pigeons that could flap their wings and return to him to report on how many tears shed, how many laughs, how many passages read aloud, how many cruel closings of the cover after reading barely a page, how many never opened at all.

There he was thinking about the small changes that a text may make and not knowing that the course of more than one life would be changed because of it. You are right Mz Dee it is truly amazing to think of the influences of stories or poetry in lives; of the immense power of the written word. Hence I suppose the times throughout history that books would be burned or indeed banned. Apparently J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" was the most censored book in High Schools and libraries in the US between 1960 and 1982 but it was also the second most taught book. It's so long since I read it I can't really remember what is was about.
The fact is that there is recognition of the power of the word - resulting in all sorts of actions/reactions of trying to control the consequences of that power and influence. Your examples alone are testament to that influence. I too have Mary Oliver on my shelves because of the ripples that spread.

“…he was on the verge of understanding the essence of something. But when the doorbell rang the thought was lost, and Litvinoff, ordinary again, dragged his feet down the hall….”

I too loved those lines - partly because they reminded me of those times where you are struggling to find the way to express something - a thought or feeling that is lying deep withing you but that you can't give form to - that hasn't yet got a defined enough shape to explore fully.

Yes I am very much enjoying the book - and the "Age of ..." parts have so much food for thought. I do have to admit though to having read way beyond and becoming completely confused as to what is in what chapter. I had to re-read this one and will do the same for the others.

[Lori]

There he was thinking about the small changes that a text may make and not knowing that the course of more than one life would be changed because of it.

Interesting that this is a bit 'of an era' in that now Zvi potentially could have read his feedback on a blog or website or in the comments below a YouTube presentation or article involving his work. He could have interacted with his fans. I suppose this can be a double-edge sword, but had Zvi been able to know those small changes or large impact on the lives he touched it may have filled some longing or void.

I see that each of us have had to re-read chapters. It can interrupt the flow of a book to stop chapter by chapter, but I am not skilled at backtracking and remembering the delineation of each section. Do you all think this is still a good way to proceed? I'm loving the discussion and your insights.

[Dee]

Just look at this thread so far and the richness of discussion. We will never get this if we try to reflect on the whole book.

I think this approach might not work for every book, but it really works for this one, because it flits between different characters' story chapter by chapter, and it's so incredibly rich that each chapter could work as a short story on its own.
my vote would be to persevere with this approach for this book, perhaps we could up the tempo a little?

What do you think?

[Dee]

Also, one thing that might work, if we are a couple of chapters ahead of others is to jot down our thoughts and save it elsewhere, before we read on, ready to post when the other Lazy Book Clubbers have finally caught up. It's just the three of us for now, it could work?

I also find that the text is so rich that actually we only benefit from reading everything twice.

[Lori]

Okee-dokee! I'm game and just checking. Yes, this approach works for these vignette type works. We can revisit on further selections.

[Dee]

The quote about the books as homing pigeons... yes! I loved it too.

And 'Catcher in the Rye'? For my life I can't remember what it was about either. Perhaps we should reread it together?

(Sometimes I think I will probably need to reread everything. )

Mz Moonchime, I've noted you'd been a naughty little girl reading WAAAAAYYY ahead and not writing about it... So I'm gonna go for the next chapter...

[Dee]

A JOY FOREVER


This was just such a sad chapter... with quite bit of burlesque thrown in, that I must admit, I have found a tad too much at times (such as Leo's encounter with Isaac's editor and a pot plant at the cemetery )

What I enjoyed most was the interactions between Leo and Bruno. The phone call, and then the pushing of the note back and forth under the door: 'Life is butiful' and 'a joke forever'... and then the cake Bruno has made for Leo? And a frigging FLOUR ANGEL? Oh my heart. Isn't Bruno just the sweetest little darling?

Leo's life is so heartbreakingly tragic. The picture of his girl and him from Slonim?

The flooding of the Slonim memories were so beautifully written. And the greatest gem of this chapter for me was within that part:

"The fact that you got a little happier today, doesn't change the fact that you also became a little sadder. Every day you become a little more of both, which means that the right now, at this exact moment, you're the happiest and the saddest you've ever been in your whole life."

Goodness, don't we know that feeling all too well? But is our capacity for happiness and sadness truly growing, along with our capability of feeling both at the same time? I could argue that we were already perfectly capable as children, and our feelings were already as deep as the ocean. The text perhaps oversimplifies what it's trying describe, as spoken by a young man whilst formulating the idea. But something definitely IS building within us with ever passing day. A growing wisdom, or more precisely, an increasingly acute awareness, to experience these feelings and their duality. And even so, their complexity can still stun and overwhelm us at times.

So... the manuscript under Leo's pillow... Is that the one we have hoped would turn up? His third and best writing he'd sent to his sweetheart to read? And what does this manuscript have to do with 'The History Of Love?'

[Dee]

MY FATHER'S TENT and THE TROUBLE WITH THINKING

The next two chapters are very short, so I'm moving forward. Lovely to be back with Alma and her little matchmaking scheme that is now turned into quite a detective story, as she is trying to figure out more about Jacob and how she's now decided to search for the First Real Alma. And I love how she sometimes puts up her father's old tent to think of him.

'The Trouble With Thinking' - what an amazing chapter and what an unexpected little twist in the story. Even though we were kind of expecting it!

Spoiler:

So does this clearly suggest that Leo wrote the original 'History Of Love'? He then gave it to Litvinoff to post it to his Alma? Surely his sweetheart in America was called Alma, right? And before he posted it, he'd read it? Has he stolen bits of it for his own book? Has he stolen all of it? Was this what he was trying to confess to his wife all these years?

But how did the manuscript make its way back to Leo now? Just after he had sent his son his new book? Surely it's not a coincidence. Did Isaac find the manuscript after his mother died and recognised it was written by the same man who has just sent him a new book? Did he send the manuscript back to Leo just before he died? What a huge tragedy the two of them never properly met.

Love-love-love this book.

Eagerly awaiting your thoughts, ladies.

And I fully understand how easy it is to commit the crime of reading ahead, Mz Moonchime.

[Dee]

Commited the crime of another chapter. But I'm in love with this book. Where are you girls?

[Moonchime]

I am too frightened to say where I am - I am also somewhat unsure of where I am - I am a long way ahead and it is true that I am having to keep re-reading, which I may add I did last week so that I could post and now I think I'll have to do it again!!!

Anyway you did help jog my memory Dee.

This was just such a sad chapter... with quite bit of burlesque thrown in, that I must admit, I have found a tad too much at times (such as Leo's encounter with Isaac's editor and a pot plant at the cemetery )

I so agree with you - the trouble with the suit buying I could identify with, and the shoving the underwear in the pocket, but the pot plant incident at the funeral and the subsequent results of knocking it I found totally contrived and ridiculous!!! I came out of the story at that point and found myself thinking about how the author was trying to amuse and had gone into the realms of poor slapstick.
Having said that I enjoyed the rest of it and agree that the book has some wonderful features and comments on life. The comments on being happier and sadder each day just reminded me of Joni Mitchell and Both Sides Now:

"Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day."

[Dee]

Well, I'm very close to finishing the book myself, but happy to reread anytime. It's not a book you'd only read once, I don't think.

I'm currently going through my entire library and getting rid of most of it quite ruthlessly. If I don't see myself ever rereading a book, or I haven't got a very strong sentimental connection to it, it is going.

This book is not going ANYWHERE, that's for sure.

[Dee]

Oh my. I've just finished it. Absolutely one of the most beautiful things I've ever read. I'm gonna park here until you girls are ready to talk some more about it. I'm pretty much overwhelmed here. Bursting with gratitude to Nicole Krauss for this wonderful story.