From only the first few pages in, I already felt the effect of Rodoreda’s writing style- many instances seem like a whirlwind or a snapshot of events, with the narration of someone who sort of seems like they’re always rushing to a get to their point yet they also seem to be constantly rambling about something. Particularly for Natalia’s point of view, a lot of times it almost seems as if life is just happening TO her- like all these events, even the more mundane ones, are like cards that are just being dealt to her and she just happened to be there. I mean once the war starts this is obviously the case but even before this, in the most normal day to day occurrences, she speaks as if things were sort of being done “to” her, and I guess it really does translate a certain sense of vulnerability and I guess helplessness in a lot of situations she is in. I think this feeling is both relevant in the context of gender as well as class.
To be honest, I accidentally confused this novel to be another where the quick summary was about a female character being constantly physically abused by their husband (I think it might’ve been an old novel for the last RMST class or something) so that sort of impacted my view of Quimet from the get go (as in I hated tf outta him whenever he showed up even when he didn’t really do anything yet), but after I read the part where he died I got really confused and went back to check and realized my mistake. So all this is to sort of preface that I might’ve have a warped opinion on him. But between Natalia and Quimet’s relationship, I found that this helpless tone of the narration really highlighted the gender roles within their relationship, and to some degree I feel that it is because of the position Natalia was in that in a lot of ways shapes her voice in the novel. Like she isn’t able to just tell her husband “I don’t want those damn birds in the house anymore”, she has to go and secretly get rid of them in her own ways. So the emotional tone of this story I think conveyed really well the positions that Natalia was in, wrestling with one horrible thing after another.
My question to all this week is: Do you think this was the saddest story we have read by far? if yes why, and if no which one was it for you?
“So the emotional tone of this story I think conveyed really well the positions that Natalia was in, wrestling with one horrible thing after another.” But the plot continues to advance and situations transform. How did you interpret that change, for example in the reappropriation of open spaces, such as parks and squares, or Antoni’s house, by Natalia?
I relate to having a hatred towards Quimet, as I have wrote a blog with a dedicated title “I hate Quimet.” I think in terms of which books we have read thus far being the saddest, I would say the Black Shack Alley, for sure. I’m not entirely sure if it is a novel you have read, but I’d say read it if you want to read something depressing.
Hi! I would agree that this book was very sad, but I’d have to agree with Sally that Black Shack Alley was certainly the saddest book that we have read so far. I also hated Quimet and the birds haha. Thank you for your analysis!
Hi Kelly!
I like many others this week also found the book to be pretty sad and I feel like you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who like Quimet in this book. To answer your question I feel like this book was definitely the saddest one I’ve read so far, and I think it has to do with the way the author presents the events unfolding in Natalia’s life. In The Shrouded Woman, I felt like her life was by no means easy either, but there was a sense of peace rather than sympathy and sadness when I read that book.
Hi Kelly! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the book. I thought that this book was very emotional Despite some problematic matters being disucssed, I would say that The Shrouded Woman was probably the saddest book I’ve had read so far.
Hi Kelly, I really enjoyed reading your post. To answer your question I would say “Shrouded Women” was the saddest book for me. It was the only book so far that had me in tears and made me feel the most emotional. This book was sad but because of Natalie’s optimism to “succeed” it made the sadder elements, more bearable.
Hi Kelly, I didn’t quite notice myself but I agree that Natalia speaks as if things are happening TO her. It highlights the sense that things in Natalia’s life is often something she cannot control, most vivid example being war.
I think this book was pretty sentimental but not just sad. As others have mentioned, Shrouded Women is a book I consider “sad”